![]() Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-7 NKJV Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, [2] To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. [3] I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, [4] greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, [5] when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. [6] Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [7] For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. As a spiritual father, the Apostle Paul took the job of making disciples seriously. We get a glimpse of Paul’s commitment to raising up the next generation of disciples in the advice that he gave to Timothy. In this text, Paul challenges Timothy to raise his level of human effort. (This Pauline challenge lands in the middle of a theological quagmire. Where does the sufficiency of God end, and the effort of human flesh begin? Even asking the question is a problem in some theological circles) Let me try to bring some clarity to the question. The gift of God was “in” Timothy. We know from what Jesus told us, that the Holy Spirit was living “in” Timothy. What this means is that everything Timothy would ever need, in terms of his spiritual life, was already resident in Timothy. What would it take to “stir up” the gift of God in Timothy’s life? It would take human effort on the part of Timothy. While synergism is considered heretical by some followers of John Calvin (when it comes to the miracle of salvation), synergism (which is man cooperating with God) is necessary in becoming a disciple of Christ. It starts with Jesus’ call: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34b NKJV) Jesus is calling the person, who wants to be His disciple, to take action. “Deny yourself.” “Take up your cross.” “Follow Me.” These are actions that the Holy Spirit empowers us to undertake, and actions that we choose to take. God is living in us by the Holy Spirit, and obviously, we are living in the body that is defined as “us.” What an interesting composite are the followers of Christ. Earthen vessels filled with the power of the Almighty Creator. How does a follower of Christ access the power of God? They flip on the switch. They “stir up” the gift of God. They are being diligent. They are drawing close to God. What is my point? The sufficiency of God makes your spiritual life possible. God’s side of the spiritual equation is complete. Now it is your turn. God will give you the strength to pick up your cross, but it is up to you to make the decision to do so. The power to live the life God has called you to is already living in you…time for YOU to get stirring! Author’s Note: I believe that we are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is a work of God. So, I’m not injecting synergism into the salvation conversation. However, most of our preaching is synergistic in that “we” are constantly calling people to take action. You can call it whatever you want to call it, but “praying the sinner’s prayer,” “committing to read through the Bible,” “volunteering to teach a Bible Study,” “creating time for a daily quiet time…” All of these actions are a result of human choice.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
September 2022
Categories
All
|