2 Timothy 1:12: For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
Paul’s response to trials is remarkable. In 2 Timothy 1:8-11, he pointed out that serving God led him to be persecuted. Despite these hardships, Paul expressed joy, peace, hope, zeal, and endurance through his sufferings. In 2 Timothy 1:12, he expressed his faith.
Paul faced frequent rejection, yet remained steadfast. His choice to follow Christ caused Paul to suffer hardships many cannot fathom (2 Cor. 11:24-27). Through it all, Paul showed no signs of backing down in his efforts to serve God.
What makes a person stand so steadfast? Paul gives a key part of the answer in 2 Timothy 1:12. He was persuaded that God is to be trusted. Paul’s faith produced a confidence that made the things he suffered seem light (2 Cor. 4:17).
By focusing on “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1), we can, like Paul, endure hardships with peace and steadfastness. We can genuinely proclaim “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”
– Michael Hickox