Title: God-given
Contents
what God has given
2 Timothy 1:7-12
04. 11. 7, morning
Our enemy, the devil, is so crafty that he sometimes drives us to gaze into the past, thus trying to stagnate us. If that fails, the devil changes his strategy and makes us fear the future. As a result, it always stagnates us in the present.
Why do people worry about the future with fear? Of course, there are people who are temperamentally nervous, anxious, and good at surprises.
Paul himself had this symptom. (See 1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 7:5) He was a timid man by nature. On the other hand, there are people who are confident and confident.
Take the case of Timothy. At that time, Timothy was young (1 Timothy 4:12) and was not in good health. And often I was ill (1 Timothy 5:23). He was very timid and shy. In particular, he had a fearful heart.
Spiritual stagnation is caused by fear of the future, imaginary fear. Paul was in prison, and Timothy was worried about what would happen to him. There were worries about what might happen in the future, and worries about the mission they might suffer. So Paul spoke harshly to him. Paul told Timothy not to be ashamed of his sufferings and of his imprisonment (2 Timothy 1:8).
How can fear be treated?
The Bible always warns us not to worry about the future.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow" (Matt. 6:34) means "Do not sin by worrying too much about tomorrow." It is legitimate to worry about the future, but it is very wrong to be governed by it. Even the wisdom of the world tells us not to worry.
The apostle Paul first rebukes Timothy, saying, "God has not given us a spirit of fear." Timothy was then possessed by a spirit of fear. So Paul rebuked him. And God gives us “only power and love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
As a born-again Christian, we should not compare our weakness and lack of strength to the great vocation and great task that lies before us. What Paul would do for Timothy was to remind us of the grace that the Spirit of God has given us.
Paul also wanted to remind us that the future we care about and the future we actually see are fundamentally different. We need to think about suffering from a new angle.
The way we deal with our fears of the future is by reminding ourselves that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
Timothy was weak by nature, his enemies were strong, and the work he had to do was heavy. But he had to think of God's power, not his own weakness. The most important thing is that we must be governed by the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit controls even our temperament, it enables us to work in a unique way through our temperament. Please think deeply about what kind of spirit God has given us. We can work by putting a wish in us and the power to act. (Phil 4:13) This power means the power given to us so that the most timid can do everything, even death.
Peter - He was afraid to die and denied the Lord by swearing and cursing. (Matthew 26:69-75) But see him after that in the book of Acts (see Acts 4:19-20). The disciples of Acts were unable to do so on their own. But they were given a spirit of power. They themselves have become incredibly powerful people.
Thus, the Holy Spirit is a spirit of power, a spirit of love, a sober mind - (the spirit of temperance, wisdom, discernment, understanding).
There are things that God does not give us. This is a 'fear heart'. However, 'fear' appears only after humans have sinned. The essence of the fearful heart is that a human being who stands before God 'feels unnatural'. Dear all! Such a fearful heart is a heart that God has never given us. Believe that when you are set free in Jesus, all these fears will disappear.
1. God gives us some special graces to help us overcome our fears. It is a 'strong copper wire'. In today's text, verse 7,
The first is 'ability'. It refers to 'the ability to solve and overcome problems'. It is the power that created the heavens and the earth with the Word. It is the power of resurrection to raise the dead. This ability is the ability to do anything through Him who gives me strength, and to be able to adapt and be self-sufficient in any case. Power to cast out demons and heal the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus. It is the ability to heal a 12-year-old hemorrhagic patient just by holding on to the hem of their clothes. It is the power that will come true as you have prayed. It is the power to destroy Jericho in the name of the Lord and to bury Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea.
The second is 'love'. Love is the power that makes my life lively even in the midst of difficulties. Love is like warm spring sunlight that melts the frozen earth. Love has no smell and no shape, but it has the power to open a closed heart and connect the scattered things. That's why some people describe this love as an atomic bomb more powerful than any other weapon.
The following article was reported in a Canadian newspaper once. A woman filed for divorce in court. So, the presiding judge summoned his wife and husband to actually hear the case. "Why does the wife want to divorce her husband?" asked the judge. “Because it is painful to have to listen to my husband every day.” This was her answer. “Yeah, how bad are you at singing, so you’re getting a divorce?” The judge asked again. Then the wife answered, pointing to her husband. "This person knows only one song, and that song is called <I Like Being Single". Besides, the tune doesn't match at all, so I can't stand listening to it." It's an amazing story. Let's sing our love.
There was a young couple farming deep in the mountains. My husband went to town once a month to go grocery shopping. Each time the wife stayed with her three-year-old daughter and her newborn son. But one time, as soon as his wife picked up a pile of wood, a poisonous snake hiding in it bit her foot. The wife sensed the venom of the viper spreading throughout her body.
It takes three days for the husband to return. There is no neighbor to take care of these little children. Thinking that "these little ones could starve to death," the wife made a fire in a furnace to heat milk for the children and prepare food. Sweat poured like rain, but the fire continued. My mind was getting more and more confused. But the mother's last love continued.
A few hours later, the wife was startled to realize that she was still alive. The venom of the snake was dripping with a rain of sweat. If the mother had sat down and lamented, the husband would have found the bodies of the three families who had died miserably. Jesus loved us even to death on the cross. Perfect love casts out fear.
The third is 'a sober mind'. This is 'the mind to think carefully about the cause of this crisis'. And it is a heart that allows you to reflect and start anew. It is through these that we overcome fear. But everyone! Have you ever felt fear and just looked at these three strong ropes like someone who didn't know that they were God-given? Dear all! Our Lord tells us this. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). I hope that all the saints who overcome fear like this will become.
2. Let us suffer along with the gospel according to the power of God (:8)
If you go after a negative person or someone who is lazy and lazy, it will happen without you even knowing it. If I follow a passive person or someone who lives with resentment, the resentment cuts through my mouth. So I am always dissatisfied and tired.
If you are with God, it is the power of hardship. With the Gospel, even tribulation becomes grace. Because God works in them. The Bible says in Job 23:10, "But he knows the way I go; and after he has tried me I will come forth as gold." I want to give you a compliment this time. Chapter 1640 'Sorry'
Sometimes we are ashamed to be Christians. The Bible says
Verse 12: “For this reason I also suffered these things, but I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have trusted, and I am convinced that he is able to keep the things I have entrusted to me until that day.”
If we truly want to live by the grace and peace of God, we must suffer hardship and not be ashamed. There is no need to be ashamed. Suffering is nothing to be ashamed of.
How proud is Sekwang Church, the church community to which I belong?
How much is Jesus Christ, whom I believe, working on me?
Also, how bold are you about the gospel you are preaching?
3. It is the grace of the Lord that God saved us and called us.(:9)
“For God hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus from time immemorial.”
It is entirely by the grace of the Lord that we are saved from sin. Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sins. If I carry out my mission with myself, I will sometimes feel ashamed and helpless, but if I follow God's power, I will accomplish great things with the gifts that have been given to me.
It's not that I use my abilities just because I have them, I don't use them arbitrarily because I have gifts. It should be used worthy of the calling God has called.
We must obey God's will and grace in Jesus Christ. If you overdo it, you will become arrogant and follow your own desires.
What is more precious than our works than our judgment is to do it according to one's own will and the grace given to us in the eternal Christ Jesus.
Even if my actions are right, even if my thoughts come with wisdom, it is the grace of God that always works on them. God's grace is at work in all of us.
4. Please be sure that He is able to keep you.(:11-12)
Sometimes we intentionally hide that we are God's people. But to those who live by the power and grace of God, Christ is the pride, and the gospel is the power. So, do not be ashamed of me, a prisoner for the Lord.
Suffering is not something to be ashamed of, it is even more shameful to be ashamed of suffering. Our members stand up strong and bold even in the midst of hardship because they are confident that God is able to protect them.
We now have to change our thinking little by little. The body is old, but the mind is not. Thoughts don't age. Thoughts are new every day and should be fresh.
We have already been ordained as evangelists, apostles, and teachers. As long as we carry out our mission, God will surely and able to protect us. Therefore, we must carry out our missions stronger and more boldly. How can we enjoy grace and peace? Follow God's power. Do according to the grace you have given us. Be sure that he is able to keep him (verse 12).