The Promise of LIfe in Christ

​There is a little phrase found in 2 Timothy Chapter 1:1 that I absolutely appreciate. The phrase uplifts our souls and helps us experience a spiritual freshness. The phrase is found in the KJV, NKJV, ESV, NIV, and the NASB reads this way: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. The promise of life is what it is all about! The promise of life is at the forefront of Paul’s thinking as he writes his second letter to Timothy around A.D. 67. This great soldier of Christ is sitting in a Roman prison and will soon be executed for his faith, yet he still maintained his passionate heart for God.
 
We might ask what does a passionate heart for God look like? Here is the short answer. Passionate hearts ruled by God will always desire to please God and keep His Word.  A passionate heart will always be in pursuit of eternal things. It is the heart that will be a faithful steward of God’s Word till the very end. The passionate heart for God is a beneficiary of the promise of life and thus desires to serve God till it takes its last beat. A passionate heart motivates us to love – God’s way – till our last day on earth! Remember God doesn’t only want us to have a passionate heart for Him; He has a passionate heart for us, (John 3:16).

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Clark Tatum