Dear Church,
Paul wrote a word of encouragement to young Timothy, sent out to minister the gospel among the churches in Greece & Asia Minor.
Here is what he wrote in 2 Timothy 1:6-8,
6 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. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God."
Paul desired that Timothy would not be afraid. Paul’s concern was that that fear would keep Timothy from doing what God had called him to do (see verses 6 and 8). He did not want Timothy to be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus, but to share in suffering FOR THE GOSPEL. Paul is talking about more than feeling a bit nervous - he has in mind the kind of fear that would lead Timothy to deny Christ or stand by when he should be using the gifts that God had given him. God calls all of us, like Timothy, not to give in to the way of fear.
When does a fearful thought/emotion tempt you to ignore what God calls you to do?
What do you do in those situations?
In between Paul's reminder about Timothy's responsibility (v6) and the reality of suffering (v8). 2 Timothy 1:7 teaches us the Christian's reason for courage.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
How does this thought give you hope and courage?
First we are told God gave us a spirit "not of fear"
Brothers, the spirit of the Christian has been renewed by the Holy Spirit and is no longer characterized or defined by fear, rather the characteristics we have IN THE SPIRIT are the characteristics of power, love, and a sound mind.
Notice that this is true of ALL believers, this new spirit that is not characterized by fear is a gift to all whose faith is in Christ.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones comments on 2 Timothy 1:7.
“Here is the miracle of redemption. We are given our temperaments (or personalities) by God… all our temperaments are different and that also is of God. Yes, but it must never be true of us as Christians that we are controlled by our temperaments. We must be controlled by the Holy Ghost. You must put them in that order. Here are powers and capacities and here is your particular temperament that uses them, but the vital point is that as a Christian you should be controlled by the Holy Spirit. What is so tragically wrong in a Christian is that he should allow himself to be controlled by his temperament… temperament remains, but temperament no longer controls. The Holy Spirit now controls.”
In other words, we can't say "I'm fearful because that's my personality" or "I just don't have the strength in this situation." We CAN BE courageous.
Authors Wayne and Joshua Mack remind us “The world says, “the key to courage is self-confidence.” But face the facts. You aren’t that great; you aren’t that powerful; you don’t have control over all situations… Biblical courage is not based on foolish self-confidence. Paul doesn’t point Timothy toward Timothy. He points Timothy towards God. Think about the great resource God has given you. He’s given you the Spirit! You should be courageous, not because of who you are and what you’ve done, but because of who God is and what He has done!”
When we become frightened, worked up on the inside, thinking "I can't handle this ..." we start to lose hope. Now remember those who do not know Christ have no hope. No human being can handle the mess we're in because of our sin, but as Christian's, when we feel this way, we have forgotten how powerful the Spirit who is at work within us is, we have forgotten the resources available to us in Christ.
What has God given us in Christ?
Paul writes, "We have been given a spirit... of power."
What kind of power? Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:16-19,
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.
Notice that Paul doesn't pray for us to have more power, he prayed that we might know the power that is ours in Christ ... which is "immeasurably great."
Do you doubt the Spirit's power? Think about Roman's 8:11 which reads,
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
He, the Spirit of God, has conquered death; an enemy that no human can escape. So, take heart! No trial you face is too big for God.
Next, Paul tells Timothy, "we have been given a spirit... of love"
Did you know that 1 John 4:18 teaches us that the opposite of a spirit of fear is a spirit of love?
Listen to what God says,
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:18-20).
Perhaps this sounds counterintuitive, but we need to know that behind a life controlled by fears, behind the constant worry, we are too self-centred. We are thinking too much of ourselves. This is hard to hear, but the way to put off fear is to put on love.
Instead of protecting ourselves, to give of ourselves.
Instead of shrinking back from others, moving towards them.
Scripture clearly tells us that love is able to cast out all fear. Do you believe this?
Now is the time to stop thinking about you and the fearful situations you face, now is the time to start thinking about God and his love.
The apostle John calls us to be characterized by a spirit of love (seeking another’s best interest) - not selfishness. We are to be marked by an awareness of God's love for us, a true and deep love for him that overflows into love for others.
When you are in a frightening situation, do you reflect on God's love for you? Paul preached the gospel fearlessly, risking his life day after day. WHY? He tells us why in 2 Corinthians 5:14 "for the love of Christ compels us." We have the Spirit of love within us, so we need not be concerned for ourselves, for we are safe in the hands of God. With this in mind, let us love others and boldly use the gifts God has given us to display the love of God.
Lastly, we are told "we have been given a spirit... of sound mind" (also translated sound judgement, self-control).
Have you noticed that confusion and chaos are the companions of fear? The thought life of those who are afraid is all messed up, mixed around, and blended together into a tangled mess. The damage to our minds caused by fear is wild.
Joshua & Wayne Mack give an extreme example from their counseling experience.
"not going over a bridge out of fear that it won't support them, even though every day thousands of cars and trucks drive over that same bridge and it has never broken under the pressure."
A more common example is when our mind runs "worst case scenarios" until the problem becomes much bigger than whatever originally triggered our anxious thoughts.
To have a sound mind or self-control is to have a secure, properly prioritized mind, to be able to think clearly about your life (the good, the bad, and the worst of it all). To know what is important, to be wise in all situations, controlled, not by fear, but by the truth with love.
So remember brothers & sisters, God has given you a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.
Remind yourself often,
“He is able to do far more than I could ever ask or think and in Christ He is for me.”
“Because of Jesus, I am secure in His love, his love compels me to care for others even when that is costly and vulnerable.”
“He gives wisdom to those who ask, by the Spirit through the Word, He is able to clear up the confusion in my mind, so that I know what to do in any and every situation."
Let thoughts like these, renew your mind, and make you more like the Lord Jesus in whose spirit we are being remade.
Grace and Peace,
Matt
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