2 Timothy 1:3-10 - The Gratitude of Thanksgiving to God

 

The Gratitude of Thanksgiving to God

2 Timothy 1:3-10

When we cast our minds back and reminisce on the the wonders and works of our Lord and God in our lives and in the lives of others, it brings gratitude and thanksgiving to our hearts, minds, and souls to and for the God who does all things perfect and right, “… to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20) 

Paul was in this kind of moment in the Spirit when he began to pen this letter to Timothy, it would be his last letter to the church and to his beloved protege.  So let’s begin with the first portion of the text, “ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 

It was a part of the intrinsic and extrinsic attitude of Paul’s heart and life to give all praise and glory to the Father, and the Son through the Holy Spirit who so richly indwelled him. He began almost every letter with thanksgiving to God for his grace and mercy, for his omnipotent power and divine knowledge, wisdom, and insight that he imparted to all who believed and served God. Paul’s conscience was clean and pure before God as he continually lifted the supplications and petitions for the churches before our almighty and all loving God. His reflection of Timothy’s tears as they last parted drew Paul back to his desire to see Timothy one more time so that they could embrace and share in the holy joy of a compassionate and merciful Father. Timothy's sincere faith in Christ Jesus was the anchor in his life, which began in the devotion to Jesus in his grandmother and mom in Lystra and Paul saw the same vibrant faith, love, trueness, and allegiance that would be needed in the work of God. It was in this kind of faith, constant and committed, that brought Paul’s emotions to the throne room of Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven as he gave thanks.

Application - I want all who read this lesson to reflect on someone whom you know in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ponder the times of prayer, studying the Word of God, and possibly even discipleship with the one whom God has placed in your life. It is this type of moment your heart swells with love and emotion as you bring their names before the Savior, our holy Lord and High Priest who mediates at the throne of God for us.  

It is truly the desire of God our Father, our holy Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit of God for believers to remember and pray for those who are in the faith and in the spiritual battles against the enemies of God. Let us be like Paul who prayed and asked for prayer, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Eph.6:18-20) 

Paul told us to pray without ceasing “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ( 1 Thes. 5:16-18)

For this is God’s will for every believer. So let us hold unswervingly to prayer and thanksgiving for those who are in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” ( Heb. 10:23-25)

Last, Paul again refers back to the commission and command of our Lord to the work of God. Jesus told all who were his, that he would send the Holy Spirit who would indwell them and empower them for the work of God. Let’s read the last portion of the text, “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. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He 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.”

  It is in the hope and faith in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that Timothy would find his strength and boldness. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Fear can overtake us, but God is all-powerful and will offer us all the strength we need.” “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”  (Isaiah 41:10; 2 Thes. 3:3) (NIV)

The Holy Spirit would work in him to love others as Christ loved, and Timothy would bear the fruit of self-discipline, showing the working of the Holy Spirit that had permeated his life with holiness and temperance. 

The flame of the Holy Spirit’s gifting was evident and Timothy needed to let the power of the Holy Spirit be fanned into blazing coals of the gifting of God in his life. For Timothy was aware of Paul’s imprisonment and the fact he was going to Jerusalem and eventually to Rome meant that this was the fulfillment of Paul's life, but his  ministry would continue through the workings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who Paul had taught and discipled. Timothy had nothing to be ashamed of in following Paul’s example as Paul followed Christ, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1) 

Paul taught that in following Christ Jesus all would experience persecution and suffering, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12) Timothy was to continue in testifying of Christ and the gospel of salvation that saves all who believes “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Rom. 1:16)

In this great salvation by grace through faith “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:8-10) Paul knew that every believer in God was appointed to work for Him and to live holy lives because of His own purpose and grace. They were appointed to this life by God’s plan and purpose. Paul reminds Timothy and the church that God had planned this before the beginning of time and was revealed in the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.” (Eph. 1:4-9) 

It is through the inextinguishable light of gospel that all who believe in Christ Jesus for salvation can experience and understand his marvelous plan of salvation. For Paul taught that Jesus would come back and take us to be with him in His kingdom in heaven. This is the blessed hope of the church, amen!

“I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory…But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:50-58)

Application - God has sealed every believer with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption, but the subsequent works of the Holy Spirit were to empower us and equip us with His gifts for the ministry as witnesses and laborers in the work of God in proclaiming the Gospel to the world. It is the flaming Holy Spirit in our lives that gives us strength and boldness, not timidity. He gives us wisdom, knowledge, insight to the purpose and will of the Father, so that we can live self-disciplined lives before the world.

Jesus had told the disciples not to be ashamed of Him or the gospel “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32-33) And Paul reiterates this statement, “So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.” God is with us, Emanuel, He is in us through our faith and in the presence of the Holy Spirit. “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. (Eph. 3:12)”, through the indwelling Holy Spirit “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Rom. 8:9).“ 

Suffering for the gospel, is exactly what it means, the world and the enemy of God do not want the gospel taught or preached. For it reveals God and His Son, as well as His purpose and plan for mankind. The gospel is summed up in John 3:16-19, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 'Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

We don’t look to suffer or react to suffering as the world does. God uses suffering to refine us and purify us into godliness. Paul, Pater, and James all taught this and understood it in their lives. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” “But if you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing that punishment. But if you suffer for doing good and you are patient, this pleases God. This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did: “He never sinned, and he never told a lie.” People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. ( Rom. 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 2:20-24)

We suffer for the truths of God’s Word, not because of some worldly wrong that we are opposed to. The suffering and persecution that will come because of God’s Truth, we will endure and it will produce in us the godliness of Christ Jesus. All this power to persevere comes from the Holy Spirit of God. Now for we live and believe by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a mystery that all of this was planned by God before the beginning of time. He foreknew all who would believe and have eternal life in the Son. One day very soon, as God’s Word says, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28) This suffering and the signs and foreshadowing of his coming forth told through the prophets and the apostles, are for our comfort, as Paul told the churches, “...encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” “Therefore encourage one another with these words." (Heb. 10:25b, 1 Thes. 4:18)

Just as Christ came the first time to bring salvation to all who would believe, he will complete the work with the fulfillment of His promise to take all who believe in Him to be where he is in his kingdom in heaven. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (Jn. 14:1-3)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis