2Ti 1:7-9 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 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; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”
The book of Hebrews tells us it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31). The word used to mean fearful in this text is defined by Strong’s as formidable or remarkable. This is not a contradiction to Paul’s statement here in Second Timothy. This word fear means to be timid or to lack courage.
God has not given us a timid spirit. He has not called us to fear in the face of those who would question or doubt our testimony concerning our Lord. Instead, when we are relying on Him, we have a spirit of power. The word translated as power means miraculous strength.
God has also given us a spirit of love. This spirit of love is not about a feeling, but rather works with this miraculous power. Love, as meant here, is about having the disposition to do good and be kind. It is not an emotion but an action on the part of the believer.
God has given us a sound mind. We have the discipline needed to be kind and courageous. In other words, we have the mind of Christ. Jesus could never be accused of being afraid.
We have been given this wonderful power, this disposition to good, and the discipline to walk in this way for a reason. Using these tools that God has granted us, we find no shame in the evidence of our Lord in our lives. We are not ashamed to testify to His goodness and love. We are not ashamed of those whose lives are bound in the gospel of God’s only begotten Son.
Not only are we not ashamed of others, but we are not afraid to share in the hardships that may come in walking as Jesus’ disciple. We are willing and able to do so according to the power of God. In no way are we capable to do this in our own strength, but with God all things are possible. We do not do these things because we hope to gain salvation, but rather because God has granted us salvation.
Being saved to share the testimony of our Lord is not because of anything we have done. Our deliverance (saving) comes from God. This is true whether we are looking at living in Heaven for all eternity or dwelling in heavenly places in Christ Jesus in His kingdom here. God has saved us, and God has called us.
Our calling to walk in power, and love, and a sound mind is a holy calling. God designed and performed this calling. He has done these things for His own purpose. Our calling is according to His grace.
We did not arrive at any of this by our own determination. God purpose and grace was given to us. It has come to us by Christ Jesus and not by our own works. He has revealed His grace and purpose in us by the work of the Holy Ghost.
Finally, He has removed this so far from our abilities that we cannot claim any credit for what He has done. We received this in Christ before the world began. God’s purpose and grace existed before there was any such thing as time. His holy calling was determined by His own will before we even had a being.
May we always be awed by God’s determinate counsel and go in His power, love, and discipline, bearing the testimony of our Lord without shame!
