In God We Trust

2 Timothy 1:1-14

October 3, 2004

Money: people put their faith and trust in money, to protect them and solve any problems.

Money says, “In God we trust.”  What exactly do we trust God with?

In order to grasp the message of this brief book, we need to know something about its background. Here are four fast facts that will help us.

1) II Timothy was Paul’s final book.
Many people consider it his “last will and testament.”

2) When Paul wrote it, he was in prison, in chains, in Rome.
In II Timothy 1:16 Paul specifically mentions his chains. That’s not a metaphor or a symbol; it’s a statement of his incarceration in Rome. He was eventually sentenced to death and executed.

3) The church was in a crisis situation.
For the first 25 years or so after the birth of the Christian movement, the church spread rapidly across the Roman Empire. Although there were pockets of resistance and occasional persecution, the church by and large found a warm reception in many places.

That all changed in A.D. 64 when Nero burned Rome and blamed it on the Christians, ushering in a wave of general persecution across the empire. Suddenly being a Christian became a dangerous and sometimes deadly affair. As a result, many it wasn’t popular any longer to mention your faith in public. It was easier and safer not to get involved with Jesus or his followers. In addition, false teachers had crept into positions of influence in many local churches. From his prison cell, Paul saw all these ominous developments and knew things would get worse before they got better.

4) Paul is an old man now, and Timothy is his trusted young colleague. He loved Paul deeply and had been with him in many difficult situations. No doubt he felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities being thrust on him, and he was overcome at the thought of his mentor’s approaching death.

Paul’s final letter is a passing of the torch from one generation on to another.

One of the most exciting Olympic events is the 4x100 relay. Four men (or women) each race 100 meters, passing the baton as each runner finishes his part of the race. Coaches say that the most critical moment in a relay race is not the beginning or the end; it’s that split second when one runner takes the baton and places it in the hand of the next runner. If there is a bobble, or if the baton is dropped, the race will be lost. So it is with the Christian message. Each generation has a sacred obligation to pass the truth along to the next generation. Parents have an obligation to make every effort to see that their children follow the Lord. Church leaders have to look to the future or the church will die. The Christian movement is always one generation from extinction. It’s not enough to say, “I believe in Jesus.” We must do what we can so that the next generation believes in him as well. We must pass the truth along because we will not be here forever.

Here are the final words of a man who knows his days are numbered. Many people think that Paul died within weeks of writing II Timothy. He knows the end is clear. Paul’s work is done. Never again will he preach to great crowds. Never again will he stand on the Acropolis in Athens. Never again will he preach in Jerusalem. Never again will he visit the churches of Asia Minor. Never again will he sail the high seas. Never again will he preach on the streets of Corinth. Those days are gone forever. Life resolves itself into a few simple tasks:
Make sure the message goes on after he is gone, and make certain the torch is cleanly passed.

We can summarize Paul’s message in three simple statements.
I. Remember your heritage.
“I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers 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 have been 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” (II Timothy 1:3-5).

Paul’s first appeal to Timothy is to remember his wonderful spiritual heritage that goes back at least two generations. His grandmother Lois was a godly woman who picked up the torch of truth and handed it down to her daughter Eunice who passed it on to Timothy. In reminding him of this, Paul means to build some steel into Timothy’s soul. Those words coming from a beloved mentor would have a powerful impact on a young man.

We all have a heritage, a family tree. We all have a spiritual history—whether good or bad. We are Christians because someone influenced us to come to Christ, to put our trust in God. We all have others who make their mark on us and help us come to the place where we put our trust in Christ alone. We will be blessed and strengthened as we remember where we came from.

 

II. Rekindle your spiritual gift.
“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 God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (II Timothy 1:6-7).

This exhortation comes in light of Timothy’s wonderful spiritual heritage. “Timothy, God has blessed you abundantly. Don’t hide your light. Let it shine! Trust the gift that God has given you. Don’t live in fear, but let the Holy Spirit produce in you power, love and self-control.”

It is the divine equipping by the Holy Spirit so that we have everything necessary to live for Christ in this evil world. Paul doesn’t say, “Start the fire,” but rather, “Stir up the fire that is already burning inside.”

Everyone can do something for God, and most of us can do more than one thing for the Lord.

It’s inside you, put there by God. Don’t say, “Give me more faith.” Say, “Lord, unleash the faith I already have.”  “Lord, show me how to use what you gave me.”

If you can teach, teach. If you can help, help. If you can write, write. If you can sing, sing.
If you can cook, cook. If you can build, build. If you can serve, serve. If you can lead, lead.

 

III. Refuse to be intimidated.

“So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, trusting in the power of God, who 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. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (vv 1:8-12).

 

Note these two statements:
“Do not be ashamed” – v 8; “I am not ashamed” – v. 12
Ashamed of what? Of the gospel. Of the Lord. Of the Lord’s people. “Of me his prisoner.”
We all understand why Paul wrote these words. There are times for all of us when we are tempted to be ashamed of our faith. You may keep quiet at work because you fear what will happen if someone finds out. Or you may not speak out in school for fear of what others will say about you. Or you may play down your faith at a family reunion so you won’t offend anyone.

The sad part about it is that we are ashamed of the Good News that comes from God. It’s like saying, “I’ve got a cure for cancer but I’m ashamed to mention it because you probably won’t believe me anyway.” If a person had the cure for cancer, it would be criminal not to share the cure with others. But we have a cure for the cancer of the soul. How can we keep it to ourselves?

Verses 9-12 explain the reason for Paul’s boldness. We can be bold because of what God has done for us:
He saved us by grace. Grace came to us in Christ. Christ gave us the gospel.
Death has been destroyed. Immortality is now ours through Christ.
We know that we can trust in God who will take care of us to the end.

That’s why he comes to a triumphant conclusion in verse 12: “I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”

Note how Paul puts it: “I know the one in whom I have put my trust.” He doesn’t say, “I know what I trust,” though that would be true. And he doesn’t say, “I know how much I have trusted,” even though that is also true. He puts his trust in the living God.

As Spurgeon puts it, it is as if he says, “I know the person into whose hand I have committed my present condition, and my eternal destiny. I know who he is, and I therefore, without any hesitation, leave myself in his hands. It is the beginning of spiritual life to believe Jesus Christ.”

Paul puts his faith, his trust, in God who loves us so much he died for us, that we might have spiritual life and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

In whom—or what—do we put our trust?

Are we ashamed to tell others of the One in whom we trust?

He is the same one who calls us to his table this day.