Facing fear! Trusting God! – 2 Timothy 1:7
Facing fear! Trusting God! – 2 Timothy 1:7
By Pastor Lee Hemen
July 7, 2013 AM
When John Kennedy’s speechwriters wrote his famous words, “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country”, they were borrowing from the thoughts of our Nation’s forefathers. George Washington wrote, “Nothing is a greater stranger to my breast, or a sin that my soul more abhors, than that black and detestable one, ingratitude.” We live in a day and age whereby folks seem to be more interested in what they get out their relationship with Jesus than what their responsibility should be in their relationship with Jesus.
Paul wrote his young friend Timothy two letters of instruction and encouragement. Paul cared deeply for Timothy, but for some reason, he kept not quite living up to the expectations Paul had for him. Like many believers today, Timothy was often embarrassed of not only Paul and his bold and outgoing witness, but he was often ashamed of his own relationship with the Lord! Christians, both young and old face fears and uncertainties in life concerning their faith. What does Paul tell his friend to do when he doubts himself and others as he tried to face his fears and trust God? Let’s find out…
READ: 2 Timothy 1:1
In life, we can be afraid of a lot of things. As children, we may fear a dark room or a bully down the street and as adults; we may fear a boss or what the future holds for us, however, Paul shares that…
I. God did not give us a spirit of timidity!
1. The wording here means one of fear, where the person is not just afraid but acting cowardly. Often times, young people can fear their friends rejection. They are sensitive to how they are viewed by their peers, and thereby act cowardly in sharing their faith. However, this isn’t just confined to the young. Believers of all ages have become fearful of what others think about them and are not sharing their faith. Perhaps, this is what Timothy feared as well. Paul had faced a similar situation with John Mark, who would later write the gospel of Mark. Mark had been on fire for his faith at first, but soon tired of the road, longed for home, and also displayed an attitude of cowardice in sharing his faith! Timothy needed this reminder of his ordination, and the confidence in his own gifts he developed as a result of it. While even Moses, on the occasion, acted in fear and trembling, the Gospel was given to us in a much milder manner. Everything was placed on our human level of understanding and within the reach of every human being. Nothing was terrifying, forbidding but all was compassionate and inviting. Paul would write the Roman Christians, who faced far greater hardships than most of us do today, wrote, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15 NIV) Paul and the other disciples understood that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 NIV) In fact, Jesus taught, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5 NIV) We should not be afraid of sharing our faith. We need to remind ourselves that God did not give us a spirit of timidity!
EXAMPLE: Perhaps we do not share because we feel guilt that we do not live the consistent holy lives in Christ we should, and if we do share then those we are trying to win would point out all of our faults. We would be exposed for the religious hypocrites we actually are. Perhaps we need to reexamine our commitment, but more likely, we need to remember that we are not made perfect in our life in Jesus; we are just made holy in him. This is what Paul was trying to teach Timothy. This is why he told him, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” (2 Timothy 1:8-9 NIV) God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power because of his grace!
The world has a survival of the fittest mentality. If we appear compassionate, kind, or gracious the world may see it as weakness. However, we need not be fearful, Paul shares that instead…
II. God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline!
1. The wording Paul uses in the next part of the verse is one of immense energy, a violent force that completely changes the individual; kind of like a spiritual explosion. You were once this way and God came in and completely and totally changed you! As Paul would write about his own experience, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NIV) He continues his encouragement to Timothy by reminding him that God also gave him a spirit of love. The word is one used for a continuation of love in that God keeps on heaping on his love for us and we should then live like it. It is a sacrificial love, a feast for the soul. We can come to worship, join a church, and even turn our car radios to the local Christian music station but then we are like the Pharisees Jesus warned, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” (Luke 11:42 NIV) We think that by doing the right religious things, we are living for God, but Jesus demands we display his love, his grace by giving it away into the lives of others! John would ponder, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:16-17 NIV) And this brings us to the final encouragement Paul gave his young protégé, namely to remember God had given him a spirit of self-discipline as well, literally, a “sound mind” in Jesus. We are not to be sophomoric, which is a derivative of this word, but rather live in such a way as to display the mind of Christ in our lives. Paul would write the Roman Christians, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:6-9 NIV) They call a person who has two conflicting minds a schizophrenic. Some believers are walking spiritual schizophrenics! We are to have the mind of Christ and not the world! Like Timothy, perhaps this morning we need to be reminded that God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline!
EXAMPLE: Maybe we should take another look at what Paul wrote Timothy, not just this one verse, but the context of it. Paul wrote, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:7-12 NIV) Let me ask, “Can you honestly say the same thing this morning, or do you live your life in Christ in fear and shame?” Makes one wonder… God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline!
Conclusion:
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)
---
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 27 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2013 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
July 7, 2013 AM
When John Kennedy’s speechwriters wrote his famous words, “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country”, they were borrowing from the thoughts of our Nation’s forefathers. George Washington wrote, “Nothing is a greater stranger to my breast, or a sin that my soul more abhors, than that black and detestable one, ingratitude.” We live in a day and age whereby folks seem to be more interested in what they get out their relationship with Jesus than what their responsibility should be in their relationship with Jesus.
Paul wrote his young friend Timothy two letters of instruction and encouragement. Paul cared deeply for Timothy, but for some reason, he kept not quite living up to the expectations Paul had for him. Like many believers today, Timothy was often embarrassed of not only Paul and his bold and outgoing witness, but he was often ashamed of his own relationship with the Lord! Christians, both young and old face fears and uncertainties in life concerning their faith. What does Paul tell his friend to do when he doubts himself and others as he tried to face his fears and trust God? Let’s find out…
READ: 2 Timothy 1:1
In life, we can be afraid of a lot of things. As children, we may fear a dark room or a bully down the street and as adults; we may fear a boss or what the future holds for us, however, Paul shares that…
I. God did not give us a spirit of timidity!
1. The wording here means one of fear, where the person is not just afraid but acting cowardly. Often times, young people can fear their friends rejection. They are sensitive to how they are viewed by their peers, and thereby act cowardly in sharing their faith. However, this isn’t just confined to the young. Believers of all ages have become fearful of what others think about them and are not sharing their faith. Perhaps, this is what Timothy feared as well. Paul had faced a similar situation with John Mark, who would later write the gospel of Mark. Mark had been on fire for his faith at first, but soon tired of the road, longed for home, and also displayed an attitude of cowardice in sharing his faith! Timothy needed this reminder of his ordination, and the confidence in his own gifts he developed as a result of it. While even Moses, on the occasion, acted in fear and trembling, the Gospel was given to us in a much milder manner. Everything was placed on our human level of understanding and within the reach of every human being. Nothing was terrifying, forbidding but all was compassionate and inviting. Paul would write the Roman Christians, who faced far greater hardships than most of us do today, wrote, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15 NIV) Paul and the other disciples understood that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 NIV) In fact, Jesus taught, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5 NIV) We should not be afraid of sharing our faith. We need to remind ourselves that God did not give us a spirit of timidity!
EXAMPLE: Perhaps we do not share because we feel guilt that we do not live the consistent holy lives in Christ we should, and if we do share then those we are trying to win would point out all of our faults. We would be exposed for the religious hypocrites we actually are. Perhaps we need to reexamine our commitment, but more likely, we need to remember that we are not made perfect in our life in Jesus; we are just made holy in him. This is what Paul was trying to teach Timothy. This is why he told him, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” (2 Timothy 1:8-9 NIV) God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power because of his grace!
The world has a survival of the fittest mentality. If we appear compassionate, kind, or gracious the world may see it as weakness. However, we need not be fearful, Paul shares that instead…
II. God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline!
1. The wording Paul uses in the next part of the verse is one of immense energy, a violent force that completely changes the individual; kind of like a spiritual explosion. You were once this way and God came in and completely and totally changed you! As Paul would write about his own experience, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NIV) He continues his encouragement to Timothy by reminding him that God also gave him a spirit of love. The word is one used for a continuation of love in that God keeps on heaping on his love for us and we should then live like it. It is a sacrificial love, a feast for the soul. We can come to worship, join a church, and even turn our car radios to the local Christian music station but then we are like the Pharisees Jesus warned, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” (Luke 11:42 NIV) We think that by doing the right religious things, we are living for God, but Jesus demands we display his love, his grace by giving it away into the lives of others! John would ponder, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:16-17 NIV) And this brings us to the final encouragement Paul gave his young protégé, namely to remember God had given him a spirit of self-discipline as well, literally, a “sound mind” in Jesus. We are not to be sophomoric, which is a derivative of this word, but rather live in such a way as to display the mind of Christ in our lives. Paul would write the Roman Christians, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:6-9 NIV) They call a person who has two conflicting minds a schizophrenic. Some believers are walking spiritual schizophrenics! We are to have the mind of Christ and not the world! Like Timothy, perhaps this morning we need to be reminded that God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline!
EXAMPLE: Maybe we should take another look at what Paul wrote Timothy, not just this one verse, but the context of it. Paul wrote, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:7-12 NIV) Let me ask, “Can you honestly say the same thing this morning, or do you live your life in Christ in fear and shame?” Makes one wonder… God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline!
Conclusion:
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)
---
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 27 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2013 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
Comments