2 Timothy 2:12, “If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us;”

Interesting points:
1. In this verse Paul continues the easily remembered poem/hymn which encourages persecuted believers through tough times, this time underlining the concepts of stamina and authority.

2. Endurance here includes the idea of "remaining, enduring or persevering" -- a theme found throughout 2 Timothy. Revelation 20:6 reminds us that true believers are those who endure and will reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. This endurance is proof of their salvation as those who are saved will always endure, and those who do not were never saved in the first place. The Greek words for "endure" and "reign" in this line, share the same sound ending as "died" and "live" in the previous verse. This creates a pattern of four rhyming words in two lines for easy recall by readers and hearers in the original language.

3. The next phrase, "if we deny him, he also will deny us," presents a contrast with those who endure. If a believer endures, he or she reigns. For those who deny Christ, He will deny them eternal life. The idea is that of denouncing or rejecting, not simply closing a door to someone. As we read in John 3:18 and 36, God rejects those who renounce or reject Christ.

Application.
Brothers, what a powerful reminder of our choice and the consequences of choosing to deny Christ and persevering when our faith demands a very high cost. On the surface level, we easily bypass this verse, thinking “I will never deny Christ.” But on closer inspection, didn’t Peter say that of Jesus? We ought to take stock: do we really do as He commands, do we answer His calling or do we compromise so as not to offend or ruin our chances at earthly success?

The truth is, tough times help reveal our true mettle. With the pandemic ongoing, with the job market reducing in size and Christian norms being slowly eroded, do we choose daily to stand on God’s truth and follow His ways, or do we become paralyzed in our faith, quiet when we should speak up and/or withdraw from engaging others when we should be reaching out?

Our Lord calls us to be as wise as serpents but innocent as doves. All the above circumstances may have the net impact of stifling our ability to spread the Gospel the ways we grew up with but we are in a new era with modern tools at our disposal to reach other nations and generations so we potentially have the ability to have a much larger impact. Only we can decide to persevere or deny God’s instruction concerning the Great Commandment and the Great Commission!