Scripture
11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Reflection
These verses, written like this, compose a hymn. The context is one of loyalty in the face of persecution. Paul, the author of these words, is in prison because he is a Christian; he is fairly certain that he will soon be executed for his faith in Christ. It’s meant to encourage his young assistant who must have been wondering if he too would meet the same fate. The words match well in their rhythm until the phrase, “If we are faithless, . . . “ You are expecting, “He is faithless” but this not what we get. We get instead a God who is faithful to us in death as in life. At some point in life we will face our own death to find that dying is a part of living and that the “author of life” knows how to end one section of the book of our lives and how to begin another (Ps. Dale).
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell us about God, Jesus and people?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- What is one way you can apply this truth to your life today?
- Who can you encourage with this story/message?
Prayer
Pray for someone you may know who is need of physical healing.
