Title: Succession of Faith (2 Timothy 1:3-5)
Contents
Succession of faith (2 Timothy 1:3-5)
We believe in Jesus, we are saved, we taste the joy of heaven, and we live a happy life. However, if our faith is not passed on to future generations and ends in the present generation, our faith is selfish, fruitless, and inevitably condemned by God.
Let us pass on the legacy of faith to our children and descendants above all, so that our descendants can inherit the faith. When we renounce our heritage of faith, our descendants will be saved and become God's people, prosper on this earth, and live happily ever after in heaven.
Humans are influenced by the culture of society, but the fence of life, called the family, plays a decisive role in the formation of values. Families are determinants of human relationships, values, and behavioral norms. So, by looking at the family, you can know a person's personality.
I. Timothy, son of faith (2)
“To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Saints! We want you to raise the children you have given us in faith and raise them as people of God. Therefore, I hope that you will pass on the faith to your descendants and make a prestigious family of faith that carries on the generations of faith. And I hope that you will become parents of faith who give birth to children of faith through the gospel, nurture them through the Word, and train people of faith like Timothy.
II. Timothy's Faith (3, 4)
“I think of you day and night in supplications without ceasing to give thanks to God, who has served you since my ancestors with a pure conscience, 4 I want to see you because of your tears, so that my joy may be full.”
① It was a false belief.
In the text Paul says that Timothy served God with a “clean conscience”. A “clean conscience” is referred to as a “clean conscience” in 1 Timothy 3:9. .; Timothy was the owner of an unfaltering faith.
② It was a historical belief.
Verse 3 says, “To the God whom we have served since our forefathers.” One day, instead of a belief that arose out of nowhere, he had a deep-rooted belief that had a historicity that he had been serving since his ancestors. Saints! I hope that your home will become a training ground for faith and raise your children as the people of heaven.
Ⅲ. Timothy's Family Influence (5b)
“… This faith was first in your maternal grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that it is also in you.”
These verses show the importance of home education in passing on the faith to children. Women are given more character and opportunities to influence their children effectively than men. Timothy's mother and maternal grandmother set examples for religious education at home. Verse 5 also shows the historical or traditional character of faith. Indeed, Timothy's faith is a good example of the importance of home education. 2 Timothy 3:15 says, “And from childhood you have known the Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
God's Word makes us have right values. In other words, it allows them to have a God-centered worldview and to present their lives as God's tools. If this is formed from childhood, old age will not depart from the truth. Today's mothers must learn and practice the principle of 'Word Education' practiced by Timothy's mother. We must have a God-centered worldview through the Word of God.
IV. Encounter with the great teacher
Another blessing Timothy received was meeting a great teacher. In the world of science and faith, the discipline of a teacher is very important.
Ⅴ. Timothy of our time