Paul loved Timothy like a son and wanted him to be prepared to walk this life without his faithful guidance as he knew he would soon be executed.

Paul knew Timothy would receive the letter with sorrow, yet he longed to fill his young friend with hope.

Real hope.

In this hard moment, Paul sets out to remind Timothy of the genuine faith (2 Tim 1:5) that was in him and that God had not given Timothy a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7).

Not only would Timothy mourn his friend, but as a fellow Christ-follower in a time of severe persecution, Timothy surely had to wonder if Paul’s fate would become his own.

He knew Christians were being torn in two by lions and strapped to poles, doused in oil and lit as “Roman candles”.

But Paul encouraged Timothy, (and his words are to encourage us) when worry and fear threaten to consume you, remember what you know and walk in the truth of it.

Remember what you know.
Walk in the truth of it.

Oh friend, right now, in this hard world, where being a Christian is increasingly maligned, we have to deliberately, intentionally, remember what we know to be true about the gift of God that is in us (2 Tim 4:6).

Because the Savior died in our place and paid for our sins, those who call Him Lord have been given a great gift! We have been given eternal life!

In this letter, unlike all the other letters Paul has written, he opens with the words “according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:1).

LIFE!

Paul was reminding Timothy as he faced an earthly death, and he reminds all who have called upon the Name of the Lord to be saved, that because of Jesus, we have the promise of LIFE!

Jesus is LIFE!

To be absent in the body is to be home with the Lord! (2 Cor 5:8) because of Jesus!

There is hope in this!

And because this life is not our home, we should expect to feel like aliens and strangers here (1 Pet 2:11).

Certainly, as biblical principles are increasingly maligned and ridiculed, and wrong is celebrated in our culture, you should be bothered.

Let me be clear, if what God calls wrong doesn’t seem wrong to you, you need to examine yourself to see if you are truly in the faith (2 Cor 13:5).

Is Jesus truly your Lord and Savior? If so,He is your hope.

Remember what you know to be true! Walk in that! Tell others about that!

For those who have the gift of God, through His Son Christ Jesus, those who have surrendered their life to Him and call Him “Lord” have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind!

Remember that!
Walk in that in this day!
Then get up, and do that again tomorrow!

readTimothy

I highly encourage you to read 2 Timothy on your own. Also, look up the referenced verses above. God’s Word is so good! It’s life to your soul!

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