The Gift of God

2 Timothy 1:6-7 “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 gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Amplified Bible: 2 Timothy 1:6–7

6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

Before we dissect this passage we need to understand the context of this passage.

Paul is writing to timothy. (Spiritual Son)

Timothy is one of the dynamic pastors of that day, dealing with all kinds of spiritual difficulties.

Attacks from the enemy. (Spiritual Battles)

Paul is writing to Timothy and encouraging him to do something very significant.

Something we in todays culture have a very difficult time doing ......

And I guess they might have struggled with this is Paul and Timothy’s day and time as well

What is it? REMEMBERING

Paul writes to encourage Timothy to “Remember”

Look at what 2 Timothy 1:6 says “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,”

What GIFT is it that Paul is reminding Timothy of .....

2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”

Paul is reminding Timothy of his FAITH!

Faith is a Gift from God.

Definition - complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Faith is a supernatural gift of God (Ephesians 2: 8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Not only is it a Gift from God but it is a gift given from his ancestry.

Look at verse 5 - a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

So Paul says, (Vs 6) “For this reason I remind you ......”

“To fan into flame the gift of God”

Fan your Faith!

Paul wants Timothy to depend fully on the Spirit and allow him to empower his mission.

Chrysostom (Father and Patriarch of Constantinopel) wrote, “For it requires much zeal to stir up the gift of God. As fire requires fuel, so grace requires our alacrity (brisk and cheerful readiness), that it may be ever fervent.… For this grace it is in our power to kindle or to extinguish; wherefore he elsewhere says, “Quench not the Spirit” [1 Thess 5:19]. For by sloth and carelessness it is quenched, and by watchfulness and diligence it is kept alive.”

If the fire of the Spirit can be quenched, it can also be fanned into flames.

It’s interesting ....

Since the earliest days of the church, fire has been a symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16; Acts 2:3–4, 19).

The present tense of the verb shows that ongoing effort is needed to keep the fire burning.

Timothy’s faith is not waning, nor is he tempted to shrink back from his duty.

But positive reinforcement to continue on in the right way is always appropriate.

“Just because people are encouraged by someone does not mean that they are failing.

It can mean that they are being encouraged to continue despite the pressure” (Mounce 2000, 476).

God had done his part of supplying the gift of his presence and grace in Timothy;

Timothy needed to do his part in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

Timothy was given this gift by .....

“Laying on of hands”

The practice of laying hands on people was common in the early church for several functions, among which are:

(1) healing (see, for example, Mark 8:23 “And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”” );

(2) bestowing a blessing (see, for example, Mark 10:16 “And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” );

(3) making it possible for people to receive the Holy Spirit (see, for example, Acts 8:17 “Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” ); and

(4) setting people apart for certain functions (see, for example, Acts 13:3 “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” ).

This last function is in focus in the present context.

In the history of the church, the laying on of hands has become an important part of the rite of ordination, that is, of setting apart certain people for specific church offices. It is not altogether certain, however, whether in the present context the formal ordination of Timothy is meant or, less formally, his commissioning to a certain task.

Timothy received this Gift of God (Faith)

from God .... through his ancestry ..... and by Pauls laying on of hands!

This is what Paul is reminding Timothy of ....... This Gift!

Remembering where we have come from ....... being reminded of Gods gift ..... remembering what resides in us (Power, Love, self-control) .......

3 things is brought about by remembering for Timothy ....

Paul encourages Timothy to remember where he has come from .....

our heritage!

Long heritage of faith

Short heritage of faith

Paul encourages Timothy to “Fan into flame”

The Greek word is (Anazopyreo) sense is to revitalize; to rekindle

Not that Timothy was losing hope ..... stoke the fire! (Keep it burning hot)

Let that be what the Lord is reminding us today.

Paul reminds Timothy of what the Spirit of God brings ....

Power

The power (dynameōs) of the indwelling Spirit helps believers fulfill God’s purposes for them.

The Spirit provides the wherewithal for believers to face suffering with courage (vv 8, 12).

He enables them to live lives of godliness (3:15).

He endows them with a knowledge of the will of God and how to proclaim it (1 Cor 2:4–5; 4:19–21; 1 Thess 1:5).

He gives them the ability to live holy lives (Rom 14:17–18).

He inspires hope for the future (Rom 15:13).

He performs miracles through them (Rom 15:19).

He sustains them with inner strength from knowing the love of Christ (Eph 3:16, 20).

The Spirit of God also brings .....

Love

The Spirit also gives love (agapēs).

The gift of the Spirit validates to believers that God loves them without reservation and thereby enables them, in turn, to love others unconditionally (Rom 5:1–8).

Love holds the key central position in this short list.

It is the firstfruit of the Spirit from which all others derive (1 Cor 12:31–14:1; Gal 5:22–23).

Love is an outward expression that affects relationships with others (Gal 5:13).

Loves arises from faith in Christ (Gal 5:6).

It is evidenced through obedience to his commands (John 15:10, 12).

Love should characterize Timothy’s approach to the challenges in his ministry (→ 1 Tim 1:5; 2 Tim 2:13, 22).

The Spirit of God also beings ....

Sel-Control (Discipline)

Finally, the Spirit enables self-discipline (sōphronismou, only here in the NT, but with cognates (related words derived from the some root) in the other Pastoral letters—sōphroneō [Titus 2:6]; sōphronōs [Titus 2:12]; sōphronizō [Titus 2:4]; sōphrosynē [1 Tim 2:9, 15]; sōphrōn [1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8; 2:2, 5]).

It has the broad sense of right moral thinking.

It refers to controlling one’s actions by controlling one’s thoughts.

It involves prudence, balance, wisdom, and clear thinking.

Timothy needs the Spirit’s help as he stands firm for the gospel against increasing opposition.

From within the CHURCH!

I want to challenge you today ......... REMEMBER

Remember where you have come from.

Your heritage

You Journey

Remember to continue to STOKE THE FIRE

Remember the Holy Spirits POWER .... LOVE ..... and SELF-CONTROL.

This morning we are going to be a part of 2 young mens lives significant moments in their Spiritual journey.

They are going to be baptized in the faith.

I challenge them to never forget this moment.

Have them come forward.