(2 Tim 1:8b) “…..be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;  (9)  Who hath saved us,…..”  Do we really need more motivation than this to be willing to bear whatever comes to us in this life? Are our hearts too hard; do we love Him so little; are we so ungrateful as to treat Jesus’ sufferings in our place as something owed to us – or, in some way – not enough? “Lord, give us hearts of gratefulness. Help us to love you in a sacrificial way worthy of You!”  

(2Ti 1:8) “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;”  Isn’t our thinking skewed? “Afflictions”, persecutions – we desire the Lord to keep us from “any kind” of troubles, much less persecution! We act like people unto whom He owes something, not the other way around. God help us to get our thinking straight.

 (2 Ti 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  Living in a sin-prone body, living in a sinful world, has naturally resulted in our thinking being distorted. Fear is the result of wrong thinking. It is only through the renewing of our minds through the guidance of He Who is living within us (the Holy Spirit), seeking through searching God’s Word to bring our thinking in-line with His, that we can live in peace rather than fear.

(2 Ti 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  One cannot read the epistles, nor the Gospel of John, without understanding the Holy Spirit inside us prompts us to love others. You see, He does two things for us. He constantly reminds us of how much the Father and Son love us, but also asks that we allow Him to love those He died for……..through us! 

 (2 Ti 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  As a saved person, I have received in the Holy Spirit the Spirit of “power”; not the power to do as I will, but as I ought. It is the power to stand for what is right, to say what is right, and to do what is right. It is also the power to resist what is wrong! Therefore, (Pro 3:5) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6)  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  

 (2 Ti 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  Fear of death, which binds men in this life (Heb 2:15) has no hold of me! The power of the Spirit of God will deliver me from Satan’s hold upon my heart (love) and this world’s influence upon my thoughts (sound mind)! Praise His Name for His unspeakable gift (2 Cor 9:15)!

 (2Ti 1:6)  “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. (7)  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  This is a reference to salvation, which is the Gift of God (Rom 6:23 and many others).  Though housed in bodies of weakness, the Spirit of God is not weak, desires to love through us, and desires to make us think right – that is, in alignment with God’s Word. The only thing keeping Him from working in your life is….you.

(2Ti 1:5) “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”  “Unfeigned”: without hypocrisy. Faith is not a profession; it is action based upon belief. It is not what we say that counts before God. It is what we do based upon our trust in Him. I ask you, “Is this the kind of faith you live?”

(2Ti 1:4) “Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;”  Timothy was sent away from the imprisoned Paul because God’s people had need of guidance. It hurt Timothy to leave him and certainly hurt Paul who must have drawn comfort from this man’s love. In this life, the work of the Lord is to come first before ourselves and at times our own family. Why? The Lord God and the souls of others is why each of the saved are still on this earth.