A Living Faith

2 Timothy 1:1-10

In this letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul is writing from prison. He’s pretty certain that his time in this world is short. And so, he writes a young Timothy with some parting words of guidance and encouragement. The whole idea of this letter is to encouragement Timothy to fan the flame of his faith and use the gifts the Holy Spirit gave him. And so, one of the first things Paul does is remind Timothy of his spiritual roots in the faith. 

Paul says, “I am reminded of your sincere faith (Timothy), a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” Paul is reminding Timothy of the spiritual roots of his faith. This faith lived in his grandmother; this faith lived in his mother. And now, this faith lives in Timothy. Noticed how Paul says this faith lives in them. It is a living faith.

In Galatians 2:20 Paul will say, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; (so that now) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Living faith is revealed in the follower of Jesus Christ whose life and faith are inseparable, so that Christ is revealed in how they live.

Here’s one way to look at what Paul is doing: Paul is reminding Timothy of his identity in Jesus Christ. First and foremost, before he is anything else, Timothy belongs to the family of Christ by the Holy Spirit that lives in him. Sometimes, when a child has grown old enough to leave the house and go out with their school friends, their parents might say something like this: “Now don’t forget where you come from. Don’t forget who your family is. Don’t go out there and act like we didn’t raise you right. Remember, who you are.” That’s what Paul is doing. He is reminded Timothy of his identity in Jesus Christ. Whatever we might be, we are first and foremost sons and daughters of God in Jesus Christ. We are called to live accordingly.

Paul says to Timothy, “For this reason (i.e. because of the deep roots of your faith) I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you…” Rekindle the gift that is in you. Think back to the fireplace or the woodstove, back on the day. Back in the days when you had to have a home-fire burning, you would get up in the morning and have to rekindle the flame You would fan the flame to hot coals again. That’s what Paul is saying. Rekindle the gift of God in you. Fan the flame, Timothy, of the fire that is within you.

Timothy’s gift was much like Paul’s. Part of why Paul is encouraging Timothy is because Timothy is to carry on the flame, so to speak. He has been tasked with following Paul in teaching the faith, proclaiming the gospel. But, the thing to remember is that every single follower of Jesus Christ is gifted by the Holy Spirit. So, what Paul says here to Timothy applies to all of us, across the board. 

“Rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands.” When a person is baptized, whether as a child or an adult, someone who is a part of that body lays hands on that adult or that child and prays for them. They pray that God’s grace and Holy Spirit would be in them and with them, and that the Holy Spirit would equip them with gifts for service.

That laying on of hands represents the deep, spiritual roots of our faith, which has been handed down one person at a time from Jesus Christ to us. "Timothy, rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of hands, for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” We have not been given a spirit of fear or cowardice. We have been given a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.

I am sure as Paul is saying this, he means for Timothy to think about those he knows who have these qualities. Paul isn’t recommending abstract virtues to Timothy. He saying, "Look around you, Timothy. Look at your mother, your grandmother. Look at me, Timothy. Are we afraid? Are we timid in the faith, or are we bold? Are we mean-spirited and hateful, or do we have the love of Christ within us? Are we foolish and out of control, or do we have discipline?" Basically, Paul is saying, "Timothy, follow in the footsteps of your spiritual ancestors."

Don’t be ashamed, Timothy. Don’t be ashamed of the testimony about Christ. Don’t be ashamed that your teacher is prison. Don’t be afraid, and don’t be ashamed. Instead, rely on the power of God. That one statement is the key to this passage. Rely on the power of God. How is Timothy supposed to be bold and have love and have self-discipline? By, relying on the power of God.

And it’s at this point that Paul pushes Timothy’s spiritual roots all the way back to before the beginning of time. Right? Timothy, "rely on the power of God, who saved us and called us not according to what we’ve done, but according to God’s own purposes and grace. And this grace? This grace was given to us in Jesus Christ before the ages began." That’s how deep the roots of Timothy’s faith go. That’s how deep the roots of our faith go. They go all the way to the very heart of God. Rely on the power of God, Paul says. Why? Because the grace you have been given comes from the infinite heart of God.

So, Paul anchors Timothy’s faith as far back as possible. Timothy is grounded in God, even if he doesn’t know it. The foundation of his faith is certain, all he has to do is trust God's power. All he has to do is have faith in God who loves, creates, redeems, and sustains. Paul anchors Timothy’s faith as far back as possible, all that way back to God. And then he stretches his future hope as far forward as possible.

He says, "This grace, given to us before the ages began, has now been revealed in Jesus Christ, who abolished death, and brought and immortality to light through the gospel." Timothy’s faith stretches back through time to the very heart of God, and his future stretches forward with no end. The obstacle that stood in the way of Timothy's hope and future has been abolished. Death has been abolished. Timothy's future in God is life and immortality.

This is Paul’s last words of encouragement to a young Timothy. "Timothy, don’t be afraid, be bold, be filled with the love of Christ and do the work you have been given to do. Don’t be afraid, don't get discouraged, don't give up for you were always in the heart of God and your life will always be with God. And, for course, what is true for Timothy is also true for you and for me.