By; Dale Weckbacher
2 Timothy 1:6-7
For this reason I
remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a
spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
(ESV)
Biblical scholars believe the Book of 2 Timothy to be the
last epistle written by the Apostle Paul prior to execution for his faith. This epistle could have been an opportunity
for Paul to complain about his wrongful arrest and instructions to Timothy,
along with other believers, to petition for a stay of execution for wrongful
imprisonment. Instead, Paul uses this
epistle to encourage his young protégé to press forward in the calling given to
him by God. Like Timothy, those reading
this can find encouragement to press on and be true to the calling we each have
in God.
Paul equates the calling of God in each of us to a deposit
guarded by the Holy Spirit (2
Timothy 1:14). The Holy Spirit also
gives believers the power, love, and soundness of mind to remain true to the
calling despite potential fear of rejection or persecution for faith (2
Timothy 1:7). To remain true to
one’s calling in Christ requires,
1)
Having prayer support (2
Timothy 1:3-4) – We all need a prayer buddy or partner that lifts us up
daily to God in prayer and that we can go to when we have a need.
2)
Having sincerity of faith (2
Timothy 1:5) – Just because one can recite scripture or pray with eloquence
does not mean they have sincerity of faith.
Timothy’s sincerity of faith came from seeing the faith of his
grandmother and mother who had strong faith.
While Scripture does not supply details of their lives, their mention by
Paul must indicate Paul observed the strength and sincerity of their faith and
how it positively impacted Timothy. This
illustrates the importance of being with other Christians, whether they are in
our family or not because they supply an example of faith for us to
follow.
3)
Serving in the power of the Holy Spirit (2
Timothy 1:6-7) – Prior to leaving his Disciples to be with the Father,
Jesus commanded them not to immediately go out and minister, but to wait in
Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts
1:4-5,8). Jesus knew the heavy
persecution coming to the early church and that to remain true to their calling
to share the Gospel (Mark
16:15; Matthew 28:19-20) the Disciples would need a connection to God through
the Holy Spirit. The good news is that
anyone accepting Jesus as Savior has the Holy Spirit with them and inside them,
giving them access to this power when needed.
From this foundation of trueness to the calling of God in
one’s life, they have no need to feel shame.
However, we live in an ungodly world where we can expect resistance to
our remaining true to our calling and faith in God (John
16:33). One of the main tactics used
by the Devil in today’s society is the marginalization of faith. The secular world brands Christians staying
true to the Word as closed-minded and out of touch. Secular society tells Christians and churches
that God loves all people no matter their sexual orientation. This has escalated to lawsuits against
Christians refusing to bake cakes for gay weddings that destroy their
livelihood. Staying true to the Word of
God in the United States can now come at the financial cost of loss of one’s
source of income.
The truth is that Jesus died for those in the gay community
but He also hates the wickedness of homosexuality and those choosing to remain
in that sin (Psalm
11:5). God is love and already
demonstrated that love for humanity by sending his only Son Jesus to die for
the sins of humanity on the cross (John
3:16; Romans 5:8). However, God is also
righteous (Psalm
11:7) and does not tolerate wickedness in the world or in the life of a
person. God’s love for humanity is not an
open door to continue living in sin, using the cross as a blanket to cover sin
but an opportunity for one to reverse course in their lives and change. Please pray with me now to begin the process
of changing the course or your life,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, was
buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
The cross is not an excuse to sin but an escape from the
prison of sin that leads to separation from God. I encourage everyone reading this to diligently
study the Word of God and find a church teaching from the Bible so you can
resist temptation like Jesus did (Matthew
4:1-11). However, in our weak
moments we may give in to temptation but there is no need to fear for God
stands ready to forgive our sin (1
John 1:9).
A life lived true to one’s calling in Christ is a life lived
in obedience to God’s Word. While Satan
will try to derail us from this calling by making us feel out of touch and
closed-minded, believers must resist the temptation to compromise and stand
firm against wickedness. While this may
not be easy, the reward of eternity with Christ and having a clear conscience
of living for Christ is well worth the price.
May God bless everyone reading this post.
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