II Timothy 2:9 “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”
Much has been made in recent weeks about a Christian pastor in Iran who has been sentenced to be hanged for his faith in Christ. This man, who is younger than I am, is being persecuted by his own people. When I think of those who try to squelch the Gospel, I sometimes think of words like “evil,” “unjust,” and “cruel,” but II Timothy 2:9 reminds us of another word that describes the efforts of those who try to stop the Bible: “futile.”
Paul was in prison for spreading the good news of the Gospel. Although he was in bonds, “the word of God is not bound.” You cannot bind the Word of God, and any attempts are simply futile. It’s not going to work! You may imprison or execute God’s servant, but you will not stop His Word and His power. Pilate and Caiaphas couldn’t squelch God’s Son, and no regime today will be able to exterminate the Gospel.
The Bible is full of examples of evil people who tried to stop the power of God. Religious leaders wanted to kill Lazarus because of the publicity he gained after the Lord raised him from the dead. Haman tried to conspire to kill God’s people, even building a gallows to hang Mordecai. Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, but he just took the good news to jailers and Caesar’s house! The early church was persecuted, and what happened? Did the Gospel die because of terrible persecution, like the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7? No! “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4) The Gospel grew precisely because of the persecution!
God’s Word cannot be bound when God’s people are obedient. So, the question for us this morning is, what has you bound? What is stopping you? There are people you should be influencing, people you should be winning to Christ, and decisions you should be making. Nothing is stopping you but you. You can do what you ought to do. You and God make a majority. There is not a power on earth that can stop a Christian who is doing what God wants him to do! Are you living in obedience to what God has said?
“. . . but the word of God is not bound.”
Prayer Requests:
1. Services tonight in Paducah, KY, and Asheboro, NC
2. Ranch evangelists preaching this weekend in Boswell, PA; Petersburg, IN; and Englewood, OH