The Christian Life: A Study in 2 Timothy
Living without Fear
- Timothy 1:1-18
Turn to 2 Timothy 1. As we turn another page and look to Paul’s second letter to Timothy, Paul the apostle has suffered even more as a believer. His circumstances in life would likely not be chosen by any of us, yet in reality he is one of the greatest examples of a courageous man of God in the entire Bible. Paul writes a few of his letters while in prison, but he is only under house arrest and was given some freedom and eventually released. Yet the fascinating thing about this second letter to Timothy, he was now actually confined in prison and was near the end of his life. In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul tells us that he is being treated as a criminal, and therefore, some have called this letter, Paul’s last will and testament.
So, what we discover here in this book, is Paul giving his last wishes to the young Elder Timothy, who may not have had the same tenacity as Paul. And Paul, knowing that his time is short, holds back no punches and lays out for Timothy some no-nonsense direction about the Christian life. Therefore, over the next few months, I want to discover Paul’s heart in a series entitled “The Christian Life,” as 1 Timothy focuses more on the church, while 2 Timothy focuses more on the individual Christian. So, this is where we will be going over the course of the summer months into September, while I work over the summer on a series that we will begin and have already started into later in September or October, which I am greatly looking forward to in the book of 1 Samuel. Yet this morning we will start into 2 Timothy considering the theme “The Christian Life.”
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I unceasingly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, having remembered your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, being reminded of the unhypocritical faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that it is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of either the witness about our Lord or me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been manifested by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Hold to the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
2 Tim 1:1-14 (LSB)
One of the underlying themes of 2 Timothy is the sense that Paul was concerned about Timothy. Partly for his physical well-being, but we also see Paul concerned about the spiritual progress of Timothy. We see this throughout the book, as Paul continues to bring up weaknesses in Timothy’s life and points them out to him: (1:8) do not be ashamed Timothy; (1:13) hold to the standard of sound words which you heard from me Timothy; (1:14) guard the treasure which has been entrusted to you Timothy; (2:15) do your best Timothy to present yourself as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth; (2:22) flee youthful lusts Timothy and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, purity; and (2:23) Timothy, have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations, you know Timothy that they breed quarrels.
So, the question becomes in this second letter is how would Timothy accept such direction. Would it not have been nicer for Timothy if Paul had written him a letter and said, love what you’re doing Timothy! But Paul was not afraid to challenge and confront Timothy in love if needed, as bigger than the friendship of Paul and Timothy, was the well-being of Timothy’s spiritual good and the spiritual good of the church. And this morning the theme of Paul’s concern with Timothy is found specifically in verse 7:
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline.”
2 Tim 1:17 (LSB)
The message of Paul to Timothy and the message of this first section to us, if we could put it in one statement is this: If the Christian is going to fulfill the Lord’s calling, there is no room for a spirit of fear. Fear is one of those challenges that can virtually make us ineffective. I have told you before that I am afraid of heights. Anne would go near the edge of a cliff, I would not. I am like the guy thirty feet back saying to the dog, hey Ted, don’t go near that edge!
Well, I am sure that each of us has certain fears that hinder us from time to time from doing something we should be able to do. And that is all fine in the things in life that are not that important. Being a pastor does not require me to climb a roof. Yet fear concerning spiritual things can be a great hindrance to you and me in ministry and to your spiritual growth. For it does not matter whether you are a pastor, Sunday school teacher, a Christian Mom, Christian Dad, high school or college student; the kind of Christianity that exhibits fear that Paul is speaking about here is not from God, and it is not how we have been designed by God to lead, to show forth the greatness of God to our children, church, or at the workplace. Timothy, God has not given to you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and a spirit of love and a spirit of self-discipline.
And notice how Paul begins this letter to Timothy. He begins by saying (vs 2) grace, mercy, and peace, these things are yours Timothy as a believer in Christ. Paul was reminding Timothy in his challenge to him not to live with a spirit of fear. That Timothy, you have been given divine grace from the Lord. In other words, Timothy, the Lord has granted to you favour, that you did not deserve. The favour of forgiveness and the favour of being a child of God; so, there is nothing that you need to fear, Timothy. Timothy, you have also been given divine mercy from the Lord. The judgment and the punishment for your sinfulness Timothy have been erased. Not only have you been given what you do not deserve, all the blessings of God because of grace, but you have also been spared all that you do deserve because of the Lord’s mercy. And finally, Timothy you have been given the divine peace of God. The understanding and knowledge that all is well between you and the eternal Father. Your relationship with Him is completely restored. You have peace Timothy with the One who created all things, the One who is from eternity past. Therefore, these are things that you possess and you can celebrate Timothy, as these are things which the world does not possess, but these things have been given to you.
Do you see the danger here for Timothy as well as the danger for you and me? To have been given all this by the Heavenly Father and then not live with a high measure of contentment, celebration, and confidence for what the Lord has done. Listen to Paul here (vs 3) “I am grateful to God.” Where is Paul writing this letter from? In prison, in chains, destined for likely some horrendous death, as post-New Testament writings inform us that Paul was beheaded in Rome by Nero, likely less than a year after this letter. Yet Paul had far too much excitement for the things of God, for the sovereignty of God to be overly concerned with his present circumstances. And imagine Timothy as he read these words from his mentor.
“[A]s I unceasingly remember you in my prayers night and day,4 longing to see you, having remembered your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.”
2 Tim 1:3b-4 (LSB)
Timothy, though he was likely greatly skilled as a preacher, though he had many advantages in the ministry, was being trained in the deep spiritual truths of the ministry by Paul. And Paul, though he never expected to be released from prison, the thought of Timothy coming to see him, filled him with such joy. And Paul reminds Timothy of his godly heritage, how both his mother and grandmother had come to the truth of the gospel believed in Christ for their salvation. Yet the gospel demands that each of us, personally, one by one, come to know Christ, repenting of our sin, and committing to live for Christ; as Paul (vs 5) commends Timothy of his sincere faith, not just that of his mother and grandmother, but of his own individual commitment to Christ.
So, what is Paul doing here with Timothy? A younger Christian who has not come to a place in his life that enjoys the same confidence and the same boldness that Paul enjoys tries to assure Timothy that this spirit of fear that Timothy is experiencing, is not what the Lord had designed for him as a Christian. Now we know that as part of our Christianity, we can often be fearful in ministry, especially when we begin something new, as part of our confidence grows as we gain experience. But that is not specifically what Paul is speaking about here, as there is a healthy nervousness at times when we step out in faith. I get a little uptight about preaching at times. And there is nothing wrong with being a little nervous about the things we do, for it is good to work hard and be well-prepared. And nervousness can often motivate us to do the work of preparation, as the more preparation I do, the less nervous I am, as there should be some healthy lack of confidence in ourselves.
But this fear of Timothy that Paul is concerned about is not so much connected with Timothy and his abilities. But what Timothy needed and what Paul was referring to was warning of the danger of not being fully convinced of God’s sovereign plan, or convinced of God’s sovereign control, or God’s specific design for each believer. So, this is part of the reason that Paul begins this letter to Timothy in the way in which he does, by including some very confident statements: (vs 2) Timothy the Lord has extended grace to you, mercy to you, peace to you; (vs 3) Timothy, I have been praying for you; (vs 5) I am reminded Timothy of the wonderful heritage you have received; and (vs 6) I remind you Timothy to kindle afresh or fan into flame the gift of God in your life. Fan into flame Timothy that confidence of being fully convinced of God’s sovereign plan, God’s sovereign control, and God’s specific design for you. And think of how that might change your perspective if you had a complete confidence in God’s plan, God’s control, and God’s design. In other words, Timothy get going, for you have been given everything that is required for you to do ministry.
Now this does not mean that everyone needs to preach, or that everyone needs to be a deacon or teach the ladies’ Bible class. No, this is about your calling by the Lord, whatever that is. To be able to do without fear so that you may accomplish all that the Lord desires. So, look with me as Paul will begin to deal with some specifics, (vs 8) don’t be ashamed Timothy about our Lord.
“[W]ho has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”
2 Tim 1:9 (LSB)
God desires specifically Timothy to use you, and He did not choose you because of your works, but because He has a specific purpose which includes you, Timothy. Are there challenges Timothy? Sure, there are. And Timothy, I know the dangers we face, I know the challenges of the culture we live in. I am aware of the persecution that is happening all around us. I know this is not the thriving Israel that many of our forefathers enjoyed many years ago. But Timothy, God has specifically called you for this purpose, and to be fully convinced of God’s sovereign plan and control. For God had Timothy right where He wanted Timothy, as He has you and me.
In verse 11, Paul reminds Timothy that God called Paul to be a preacher, apostle, and teacher. And if anyone could say that this is not working well, it would be Paul. As Paul was facing death daily. Lord, obviously this is not the ideal plan for my life. Lord, I am not enjoying the wonderful Christian life, for I am sitting in chains and awaiting martyrdom. But listen to Paul (vs 12) after saying that he has been called to be these things he says, for this reason, I also suffer these things. See Paul’s biblical understanding that the challenges he faced were not because he was outside of the Lord’s perfect plan for his life. No, his bad predicament was because he was in the very middle of God’s perfect plan for his life, which is why he suffered as he did. He continues:
“[B]ut I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
2 Tim 1:12b (LSB)
See, Paul’s source of confidence in overcoming fear was not in his situation, for it was not a good one. Paul’s source of confidence to overcome fear was not in himself, for he has stated many times throughout his letters the great limitations which he had. But Paul’s source of confidence to overcome fear came from the fact that he knew and believed in the One who could be trusted to enable him to accomplish all that the Lord desired that he would accomplish. See, Paul himself actually had a healthy fear, it was not the fear of doing ministry. But 1 Corinthians 9:27 tells us that he disciplined his body so that he would not be disqualified from doing ministry, and Timothy needed to learn that.
“For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.”
2 Tim 1:6a (LSB)
The importance of Timothy in not being paralyzed and eliminated by this unwarranted fear caused Paul to say to Timothy to “kindle afresh” or “fan into flame” the gift which you already have. Often when we have campfires, sometimes that wood gets itself in a certain position and the flame diminishes. And pretty soon, instead of this nice blazing fire, all that is left is this smouldering wood, that is creating more smoke than fire. And though it is still burning, it is so slow, it is really ineffective. This is what Paul is explaining to Timothy, that though the fire is still burning, though there is still ministry being accomplished, it is ineffective, and therefore so little is actually being accomplished spiritually. So, he says to Timothy, you need to get that fire blazing. You need to help it thrive and accomplish all that it can, so that it shines so much brighter, and gives a much greater light in the darkness.
And Paul would want to challenge us with the same encouragement, as all of us who know Christ, have been especially gifted. And he says, fan into flame those gifts. Elim Bible Chapel, we do not need any more gifting. We just need to fan into flame the gifts you already have. What if God sent us a letter and said, Elim Bible Chapel, you have everything you need to be a thriving biblical church. I also see (vs 9) that the Lord has a desire to use every believer for His own purpose, that we would be like Paul and fear being disqualified from being part of the purposes of God. Is that a burning passion within you? And not to be content to be the player that sits at the end of the bench and is never sent out on the ice. So, how can we summarize this passage for us this morning, to enable us to live for Christ, and serve Him, without a spirit of fear?
- Know Your Calling (vs 9a)
Verse 9, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling.” Understand your calling in Christ. Know that your salvation is proactive by God, it is not by accident. That the very fact that you are a Christian, a child of God, is part of His divine plan. Timothy was directed to Christ through the loving ministry of his grandmother and mother. This was not by mistake, as God orchestrated all those events. And however, you came to Christ, when you were convicted of your sin, when you heard the message of Christ, and realized that you needed a Saviour. This was all part of the Lord’s plan, it was not by mistake or accident. Paul says that plan was something which God determined “before the ages began” or “from all eternity.” It was not only determined that you could come to Christ, but that you would come to Christ, so know your calling.
- Know the Lord’s Purpose for You (vs 9b)
Middle of verse 9, “but according to His own purpose.” Now you might say Mark, that is very difficult, not so much. As I believe it simply begins with a question like this, Lord what would you have me do? Well that becomes obvious in most of our lives, for where has the Lord placed me? You are a Mom with children, then strive to be a biblical mom and wife. A Dad, then strive to be a biblical Dad and husband. Child or teen, then strive to be a biblical teenager. In the workplace, then strive to be a biblical worker. You claim to be a believer, then strive to live like a strong biblical believer. If you have a desire to teach Sunday school, then begin to pray about it. Or you believe the Lord may be leading you to take some Bible school course, then take a course, as God is not going to strike you dead for taking a course.
And know your purpose within the culture. You know, I am getting tired of complaining about the culture, as all it does is promote fear. Let’s start to drop that one. You know Moms and Dads, you do not have to fret and worry about circumstances and situations you cannot change or have no control over. So, don’t live with fear regarding your children. For the Lord knows exactly your situation, the situation of the world, even in today’s society, and therefore, look with anticipation at what the Lord may do with your children. If you are a Mom or if you are a Dad, then do that well, spiritually. For the circumstances around cannot keep you from being a godly, biblical parent. Therefore, do not live with a spirit of fear. This is your calling, to be a biblical example. Young person, do not fear the world or the things in the world. Jesus said, I have overcome the world. True, your life will be different from your parents and certainly your grandparents. Yes, things have changed, that’s okay, the Lord knows that; yet this cannot stop you from using the unique giftedness and opportunities that the Lord has given to you.
See, Paul’s life was not determined by his circumstances or the direction of the culture. If it was, it would have driven him to become bitter and dissatisfied with his lot in life. True, our changing society can cause the Christian to become paralyzed or can even be used by the believer as an excuse for not thriving as a Christian. But Paul’s life was determined by the purpose of God for him, and not by his circumstances. And his availability and desire to allow God to use him, which made Paul a blazing fire for the gospel. Know the Lord’s purpose for you.
- Know the Blessing of Obedience (vs 13)
Verse 13, hold on to the standard of sound words that you heard from me, Timothy. For if you are knowingly disobedient to the Lord Timothy, you will get stuck there, you will just smoulder. If the Word of God has convicted you of doing something or if the Holy Spirit is convicting you of a sin or something in your life, and you are unwilling to respond in faith, you are going to smoulder and not burn. So, Paul was lovingly pushing Timothy and the assumption is that because of fear Timothy was somewhat reluctant to do all that the Lord had called him to do.
For some of you, you are not even at the place that Paul is addressing, as you are afraid to become a believer. It might be because of the cost of things that you know you would have to give up. Or you might have been pretending to be a believer for a long time, and the fear for you is acknowledging that or admitting that before others. For some of you, it might be the fear of being baptized as a believer. You know you are saved. You’re even convinced of the biblical teaching of believer’s baptism, but you are afraid to be baptized. For some Moms and Dads, it is just too easy to blame the culture or bemoan the circumstances around your family, and that fear has limited your fire to just some smouldering.
That same fear has limited your light in the workplace. For some it may have meant a fear to speak, so you remain rather silent about Christ, or as Paul has said, sometimes (vs 8) being ashamed of Christ. For others, it has meant more of a denial, where you have not only remained silent about Christ but where you have actually in ways become part of the language and fun of the ungodly culture. For some of you, you have been convicted to become part of a ministry, but you fear what it might cost you, time for yourself, and time with your family. Maybe the Lord has been convicting you to give more of your finances, but the fear of the costs is obvious, isn’t it? Have I hit everyone yet somehow? Do we understand what Paul is trying to teach Timothy? How fear can paralyze us from being fully part of the purposes of God. Now Paul does not leave Timothy with nothing. After telling him to not fear, look at the strong directive Paul gives to Timothy three things.
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline.”
2 Tim 1:7 (LSB)
In other words, this is not about you Timothy just gritting your teeth and bearing down and getting things done. No, it is not that! This is about allowing God to work through you Timothy with great power. Listen closely folks to what Paul told the Christians in Ephesus.
“[S]o that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength.”
Eph 1:18-19 (LSB)
The power of God is in each believer. Therefore, it is not something that we do not have, it is something we already possess in us. Power to accomplish all that He desires to do in you. Would you allow fear to suppress that power already in you? And he says love. The ability to love those who love us, and the ability to love those who hate us. The ability to love those that are so easy to love, and the ability to love those who are far more difficult. Don’t ever fear loving someone. And don’t allow your love to be only warm smouldering, but fan it into flame. And the Lord has given us the ability to be self-controlled, to order those things in our lives which are of most importance, to be able to prioritize opportunities for His glory. And this kind of discipline brings confidence and understanding, and it allows us to accept struggles and disappointments.
Now you might be thinking that this passage is all about those who are greatly gifted using their gifts for the Lord. Yet I was reading the parable of the talents. The one given five, served and earned five more. The one given two, served and earned two more. But the one who received the one talent? Maybe you are thinking, that is me, as I don’t feel I am greatly gifted. But what did he do with it? Nothing, but he buried it. Why? It says he was afraid. Let’s pray. Father we are grateful for your plan in our lives, and though the evil one would want us to live in fear as believers, a life characterized by smouldering, so that we would experience dissatisfaction, regret, and a life with little meaning. But Lord, would You replace that fear in our lives with power and love and self-control, that we would be a people of satisfaction, joy, and purpose, fully ablaze to the glory of God. “His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus; He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” And all God’s people said, amen.