II Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
The phrase “for the elect’s sakes” reflects, not only the Apostle’s love and care for “the elect”; but even more so, the loving care of our merciful and gracious God. The “elect” is that “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) who were “chosen in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). These are the same as “of all which” My Father “hath given me I [Jesus Christ] should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)! In foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, our Lord made His most tender love for His “elect” clear when He said, “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20)! Each day, we should worshipfully rejoice and stand in reverential awe of our Lord’s “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) for us and unashamedly declare His Majesty and Glory. In this passage, Paul declared that he willingly endured great persecutions, trials, troubles, disadvantages, and sufferings “for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”; that is, that he might have the opportunity to declare to them the great Gospel of “the salvation which is in Christ Jesus” which points to our “eternal glory”! It is certain that “In the world ye shall have tribulation” and it is also true that “for the elect’s sake” our Lord has “overcome the world” (John 16:33); that is, we are certain to have great troubles in this present life; but, let us never forget that our Lord has and exercises His Sovereign Power to deliver us either through or out of our troubles!