“Bold and Unashamed”

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:3-14

Today, we begin a three week series based on what is, traditionally, the Apostle Paul’s final letter. It was written while he was in a Roman prison, and within a couple years, would be executed for his faith by beheading. As we know, Paul was passionate in his love for Christ, and in this letter, he was encouraging his young friend Timothy, who was pastoring the church in Ephesus, to live out his love for the Lord, too.

Timothy had been raised in a family of Christians, a family who Paul had come to know very well, and whose faith had been so powerfully demonstrated to the apostle. Timothy would join him in several missions, and Paul would gain an affection and trust for his young friend.

As we begin this letter, I encourage everyone to be open to experience the heart and soul and spirit of the apostle as he shares them with both his friend, and with us.

Read 2 Timothy 1:3-5

The first attitude that Paul is showing toward the Lord is Thankfulness. And this is because he has been allowed to serve his Living God, which, in turn, leads him to be introduced to other faithful people. And what is the basis for this thankful heart?

First, he sees his ministry as an honor given to him by God. He sees his conversion on that road to Damascus as God’s will, and certainly not his own. Salvation and call is always God’s decision, and never ours!

Second, he sees his call to mission as an accepted responsibility, not as an unwelcome demand. He had come to a full understanding of who Jesus Christ really is, and he realized that this is the One he had been trying to serve all of his life, but who he had totally missed in his excessive zeal for the law.

Third, he sees this responsibility to Christ as a privilege. At first, he had seen Christian faith as heresy - as the road to condemnation - but now, it has become the means to his salvation – both for him and for all who will listen to the words and witness that he offers.

This is the heartfelt life that all of us should strive for. He knew of Timothy’s faith, he knew of his trust in God, and he writes this letter to encourage him even more in his life of service. But this isn’t a responsibility between just Paul and his friend – it is something that all of us should be doing for each other. And why should we encourage each other? Galatians 3:27-28 tells us that we are to be one in Christ Jesus, and as “one”, we must support each other, encourage each other, speak and live in concert with each other.

And that is what faith in Jesus Christ calls us to do and to be.

Read 2 Timothy 1:6-10

Fan the flame of the Spirit until it is a full blown fire, for Paul knows, and writes, that this God-given gift is bold, and powerful, and loving, and full of self-discipline, and he wants Timothy to know the extent of this great gift, too.

It brings courage to the lives of all who will live for Christ, and we all will need it as we venture out into the mission field of earth. If we read of the persecution that Paul was subjected to, without him ever flinching or fleeing, we can understand the need for spiritual boldness and a courageous heart.

Paul says that this Spirit also brings power – which I believe is the authority to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. And anyone who has accepted this call seriously, will know that without Godly power and authority, our witness will have little chance of making a difference in the lives of those whom the Lord sets in our path.

But love is what separates God’s power, God’s courage, God’s Spirit from every attempt that the world makes to share and care for others. Romans 8:35-39 tells us that this love is ours, and that nothing in all the world, can take that love from us, except our refusal to use it to the Lord’s glory! You know the old saying – “Use it or lose it!”

And if this call isn’t enough of a challenge for us, Paul continues. He tells Timothy to never be embarrassed to offer his testimony to the people of earth, but that he should always be prepared to suffer as their hatred builds against the word of God. But this is where the courage and power and love of the Spirit comes to play out in our lives. Not only does it enable us in our life of witness, but it strengthens us in the stand we take for Jesus.

Read 2 Timothy 1:11-14

Paul wants his friend to know that this isn’t just some assignment that he will have to care for all by himself. The apostle has, himself, experienced everything that he is giving to this new pastor. His entire ministry has been one of boldness beyond anything that has ever been seen before. He knows that he has been led by the truth of Christ, and he has never hesitated in sharing it completely with others. And he trusts that the Lord accepts and endorses all that he has taught during his mission trips.

He is an example for all who come after him – Paul’s life in faith, and his service in the name of Jesus Christ, has been an inspiration for Christians during the many centuries since, and it should be a reason to motivate each of us in our walk of faith. But the question has to be asked – does it motivate each one of us? And if it does, what are we doing to grow the kingdom of God, and what risks are we willing to accept on behalf of Christ?

The truth is that as Christians in the US, the persecution that we should expect is nothing like what Paul and other believers in the 1st century had to endure. The most that we will ever see come against us is the animosity of unbelievers. Angry words, acts of disobedience, denial of Christ’s divinity, ridicule and insults are about the worse that any of us will ever experience. Compare that to Paul’s suffering from 2 Corinthians 11:21-30 – his very life was placed in danger time after time after time, and eventually, he would be killed for his faith. And yet, he never faltered in his call and ministry. Any suffering that we will be called to endure is miniscule in comparison to his.

And what about Paul’s words in the last verse of our passage – “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you…”. What deposit? What bond, what pledge, what gift has been entrusted to us?

Through faith in Christ, God has promised us countless blessings. We have been given eternal life through faith, and in return, have been asked to follow in the steps of Christ. We have been promised the blessings of the Holy Spirit and all that he will bring as we respond to the ministry and mission that we have been called to care for. We have been trusted to take a stand for Jesus and his word of life, regardless of the opposition that others may throw at us. God trusted Paul, he trusted Peter, James and John, as well as the other disciples, he trusted Timothy, and his mother Eunice, and his grandmother Lois, he has trusted his followers through the ups and downs of the past 2,000 years, and now he is trusting that each one of us will remain faithful to the call he places on our lives.

The Lord has made a heavenly deposit of eternal life in our name, and in return, he trusts that we will be faithful to him. Have we been as faithful to the Lord, as he has been to us?

Paul was just as bold and committed in the new life he was given by faith in Christ, as he had been in his life as a Pharisee. No fear, no hesitation, no second thoughts, no shame – just complete and dedicated joy at being allowed to serve his Lord.

Are we as bold and unashamed as Paul?