A Legacy of Faith

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said:

I cannot tell how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother. I remember her once praying, "Now Lord, if my children go on in sin it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold on Christ and claim Him as their personal Savior."

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A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. Her son's memory was blank.

Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world." The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world."

Bits and Pieces, August, 1989.

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Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity for us to express appreciation to that person who birthed us, reared us, and sacrificed much for us.

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Mother’s Day can be a hard day for some.

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For some, Mother’s Day is hard because their mothers have passed. This holiday is a reminder of that loss.

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For some, Mother’s Day is filled with mixed emotions because their mother wasn’t much of a mother.

Some have had mothers who were abandoned them or made bad choices with their lives.

In one church I pastored, a wonderful Christian man in his 60s or 70s struggled every Mother’s Day.

His mother had walked out on her family when he was young. He struggled to express any respect for her and then struggled with guilt for not doing so.

More than once during the time I pastored this church, this man felt like he needed to publicly tell his story of a mother who abandoned him. I wondered why he could not simply remain silent instead of telling such a tortured tale. But I guess the pain was too deep.

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So, I get it. Mother’s Day stirs up all sorts of emotions within us. Some feel pain. Many of us feel pride and gratitude. Maybe we feel like we have not demonstrated our love for our mothers well enough.

Our scripture for today points us to a mother and grandmother who left a great legacy of faith.

Timothy had a godly grandmother and mother. They were both Jews.

Timothy's father, however, was a Gentile. It is implied that he was not a believer. Despite this, Timothy's grandmother and mother, who both became Christians, passed on their faith to Timothy.

During Paul’s second missionary journey, when he visited Lystra, Timothy’s hometown, Paul asked Timothy to join him. Paul became a spiritual father to Timothy.

Later, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to pastor the church. Timothy was young. He appears to have struggled with timidity.

When Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison. This apparently was the last letter he wrote before he was martyred. In this letter, Paul challenges Timothy to remember his heritage of faith and pick up the baton of Christian leadership, boldly inspiring others to follow his courageous example.

In our text, after reminding Timothy of his godly heritage, Paul gave Timothy three instructions which by following both Timothy then and we today can establish or continue a legacy of faith in our lives and our families.

Big Idea: How can we establish or continue a legacy of faith to those who come behind us?

1. Fan into flame God's gift, 2 Timothy 1:6-7.

Let us read those verses again… 2 Timothy 1:6-7

2 Timothy 1:6–7 ESV

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.

In these verses Paul pictured “the gift of God” as a flame of fire sustained by burning coals or embers. They had burned so much that ashes had formed on the outside the embers and so the flame was beginning to die down.

“Stir up the fire. Fan it into flame. Get it burning hot again!” Paul exhorted his young protege.

This, of course, points to a common experience in life - even our spiritual life. When we begin something new, there is typically a passion or enthusiasm that excites us and keeps us motivated.

But over time, our passion and enthusiam dies down, even for the most worthy of causes - even for our relationship with Jesus Christ … if we do not fan it into flame again.

A great illustration of this is our experience after a campmeeting, a revival, youth camp, or even a seminar in which we are challenged to deepen our faith in Jesus.

For the first few days after such a spiritual event, we tend to ride a “high” of emotion and commitment to live for God. But all too often, the demands of life, the apathy of the world, and more lead to our passion draining away.

“Fan into flame the gift of God!”

What is this gift of God that was given to Timothy by the laying on of Paul’s hands? Bible scholars differ in their interpretation. Some have suggested that this points to ordination of a minister.

Others have noted that scripture teaches every believer is given gifts from God when we are saved from sin. Ephesians 4:7 says…

Ephesians 4:7 ESV

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Romans 12:3–6 (ESV)

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. … Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: …

Another way to understand what this gift of God was about would be that Paul was talking about the filling of the Holy Spirit. As we talked about Wednesday during prayer meeting, after Paul was blinded on the Damascus Road and spent three days in fasting and praying, God sent Ananias to this new convert to Christ with God’s call on his life to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

Acts 9:17 ESV

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

While all of these interpretations may be valid, our text, while not totally spelling out what the gift was, actually tells us some key pointers about what the gift of God Timothy receive was … and was not.

And… Paul’s wording suggests that this gift of God was not necessarily unique to Timothy, but is given to all of us.

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

As we noted earlier, apparently as a young pastor, Timothy struggled with timidity. Paul repeatedly encouraged Timothy to be bold in serving the Lord.

Furthermore, Timothy faced numerous daunting challenges. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he instructed him to teach the truth of God’s Word in response to false teaching and hypocritical living.

Paul instructed Timothy on proper worship and prayer, the qualifications for leaders in the church, how to minister to diverse groups, and warned him about greed and the love of money.

But God did not give Timothy … or any believer … a spirit of fear. Rather, God gave us a spirit, firstly, of power.

1. We are gifted by God with power.

Someone has written:

Jesus didn’t promsie to change our circumstances; he promised to give us strength to face whatever the world throws our way (Douglas Connelly)

The infilling presence of the Holy Spirit gives us power. We have power to live above willful sin. We have power to be true to Christ before an uncaring or even a hostile world. We have power to make a difference as we serve others in the name of Jesus.

2. We are gifted by God with love.

The love of God that redeems us from sin and changes us from a child of Hell to a child of God fills us to overflowing. Paul prayed for this when he wrote the church in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 ESV

and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

The love that God pours out on us is not for us to keep for ourselves, but is meant to be shared with others. I like to picture a cup into which water is being poured, but is not large enough to contain all the water from the pitcher. So the water splashes out of the cup.

In the same way, we truly are not able to contain all the love of God. Instead, God’s love splashes out and blesses others.

3. We are gifted by God with self-control.

The last word of 2 Timothy 1:7 as rendered by the ESV is “self-control”. The KJV renders it “sound mind.” The Greek word is sophronismos and has the meaning of “sound judgment, moderation, discipline, self-control.”

A key characteristic of the Christian life is that we are able to live under control through the power of the Holy Spirit. Self-discipline and holiness are not the same thing, but it is truly difficult for us to become more like Christ without exercising self-control.

And, a life out of control, subject to the whim of the carnal nature, is truly not a life of holiness.

God gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-control, but this does not mean that we will then necessarily live according to the power, love and self-control we have received. Rather, we must “fan into flame” this gift of God.

Like an athlete who is gifted with certain natural abilities must mature, tone, and strengthen that ability through dedicated exercise, so we, if we are to build or continue a legacy of faith, must “fan into flame” God’s gift to us.

How can we establish or pass on a legacy of faith to those who come after us? We must…

2. Share in suffering for the Gospel, 2 Timothy 1:8-11.

2 Timothy 1:8–11 ESV

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,

What does it mean to share in suffering for the Gospel? In our text we find three ways we are called to suffer…

1. We suffer for our commitment to God's Son.

2 Timothy 1:8 (ESV)

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,

Our commitment to Jesus Christ will show through how we speak and how we live. Paul’s challenge not to be ashamed to testify is a challenge to live a public testimony for Christ.

We must not hide our Christianness and only express it when we come to church or are with other believers. Rather, we must live Christianly at all times.

Does this make sense?

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The temptation here is not necessarily to go out and sin wickedly. Rather, it is a temptation to be silent and to go along with how everyone else thinks and acts.

There is no Christian secret service!

2. We suffer for our commitment to God's people.

2 Timothy 1:8 ESV

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

Yes, it would have been a lot easier for Timothy and other Christians to hide their connections to Paul. Maybe they could have found fault with some of what Paul said or did.

“If Paul would not have been so strident against sin, maybe he wouldn’t be in jail!”

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But to behave in such a way would be cowardly. The truth was that Paul had lived courageously for Jesus and he was suffering for the sake of Christ.

For Timothy to join in that suffering with Paul and with Jesus - for when we suffer for the name of Jesus we enter into Jesus’ sufferings - was a noble calling.

3. We suffer for our commitment to God's Word.

2 Timothy 1:8–9 ESV

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Our calling to suffering for Christ’s sake includes a commitment to the proclamation of the Truth and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As someone has written:

To refrain from speaking about God’s truth, to hold back from living it, is to regard the gospel with shame and dishonor. https://ref.ly/o/hntc73th/565240?length=1806

Therefore, if we are to begin or continue a legacy of faith in our lives and our families, we must be committed to the truth of God’s Word!

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We don’t like to talk much about suffering today. Indeed, some have argued that suffering is unspiritual. In truth, God’s Word teaches us over and over again that suffering is a necessary part of life and expected for the Christian.

Indeed, Jesus promised us that we endure suffering if we follow him. He said that the servant should not expect any better treatment than his master. So, if Jesus suffered (and he did), we should expect to suffer also.

But suffering for what is right, suffering for the name of Jesus, truly creates or continues a legacy of faith. What is the godly mother or grandmother remembered for so often? Is it not the dedication to prayer, even fasting, when life is rough?

When Robert Ingersoll, the notorious skeptic, was in his heyday, two college students went to hear him lecture. As they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, “Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?”

The other said, “No, I don’t think he did. Ingersoll did not explain my mother’s life, and until he can explain my mother’s life I will stand by my mother’s God.”

James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale, 1972, p. 381.

How can we establish or pass on a legacy of faith to those who come after us? We must…

3. Guard the deposit of faith, 2 Timothy 1:12-14.

2 Timothy 1:12–14 ESV

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Notice the progression of Paul’s thought in these verses concerning the deposit. First, in verse 12, he says he has been entrusted with a deposit.

Then in verse 13, he urges Timothy to follow the pattern of sound words he had heard from Paul (the deposit). Then, in verse 14, he commands Timothy to guard the deposit through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

1. We are entrusted with a deposit.

As followers of Jesus, we are entrusted with the teaching of the Gospel, the Christian doctrine.

Yes, we often think about being a Christian in terms of what it means “for me” - salvation from sin, relief from guilt, a better way to live, hope for life after death.

But our faith is not just for the immediate benefits for ourselves. Rather, our faith is a set of beliefs in God, instructions for living, and a way of thinking and living in the world that is unique.

Throughout history, our enemy has sought to destroy our faith by creating doubts about multiple aspects of our doctrine - whether it be about God as creator, God as holy and good, the reality of sin and the coming judgment, the meaning of grace and holiness, the truth of the resurrection, or any of a host of other questions.

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We have been entrusted with this deposit - the teachings of God - which we must guard and to which we must be true. Indeed…

2. We are expected to follow a direction.

2 Timothy 1:13 ESV

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

We live in a world that is very different from that of Paul’s. In Paul’s day, there were few copies of the Scriptures, which to them would have primarily referred to what we call the Old Testament today.

There were some copies of the various letters Paul and others had written to the churches, as well as the gospels.

Today… on your phone you probably have a Bible app with at least a dozen translations of the Bible, if not many more. We have multiple copies of the Bible in our homes.

The believers in the first century did not have that luxury. Due to this fact, God’s Word and the teachings of God’s Word were spread orally - by speech.

Therefore, Paul wrote Timothy to “follow the pattern of sound words that you have heard from me.”

This does not mean this instruction is out-dated for us today. Rather, we are to continue to follow the pattern of sound words we have been taught by others.

From generation to generation, of course, there are often questions about some of those “sound words”. Sometimes, it is difficult for people to understand the difference between the essentials of our faith versus individual preferences, opinions, and personal practices.

There is a difference between essentials of our faith, such as: the universality of sin, the substitutionary death of Christ, his resurrection, grace through faith in Jesus, and more; and personal practices such as what it means to dress modestly or preferences such as music styles or opinions about which translation of scripture is best.

We must be careful to hold onto and follow, even guard, the essentials of our faith. For the rest…

3. We are empowered by the Spirit for discernment.

2 Timothy 1:14 ESV

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

In all areas of doctrine and practice, the Holy Spirit who dwells inside us will give us wisdom to know what is truth and what is opinion. He will guide us in how we are to live.

This is truly how to create and sustain a legacy of faith. If we simply rely on our charisma, the force of our personality and our power to persuade those over whom we have influence as to what God’s will is for their lives, they may listen to us for awhile.

But, for our faith and doctrine to become conviction, it must be something that each of us believe and commit our lives to personally. This kind of dedication is a result of the Holy Spirit’s persuasion!

As we practice and demonstrate to others how to seek the Holy Spirit for guidance, we will see the results: people empowered by the Holy Spirit, drawn by their love for God and desire to be like Christ.

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There is a poem titled “A Mother's Influence”, which says:

I took a piece of plastic clay And idly fashioned it one day; And as my fingers pressed it still It moved and yielded at my will.

I came again when days were past, The form I gave it still it bore, And as my fingers pressed it still, I could change that form no more.

I took a piece of living clay, And gently formed it day by day, And molded with my power and art, A young child's soft and yielding heart.

I came again when days were gone; It was a man I looked upon, He still that early impress bore, And I could change it never more.

Source Unknown

Timothy had a legacy of faith - a godly mother and grandmother. Surely his life bore the imprint of their faith and godly example!

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But… God has no grandchildren!

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No, we are not Christians because mom or grandma or great-grandma loved God.

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Each of us must make the decision to follow Jesus Christ. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Our sin condemns us to death and Hell.

But the grace of God is offered to each and everyone. If we confess our sins and put our trust into Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, he will forgive us our sins, give us eternal life, and we will become the children of God!

As God’s people, we are then called to live a legacy of faith: fan into flame God’s gift, share in suffering for the Gospel, and guard the deposit of faith.

I challenge each and everyone of us today: whether you come from a long line of family who have served Christ or whether you are the first, establish a legacy of faith in your life and your family today!

Live wholeheartedly for Christ! Live unashamedly for Christ! Live conscientiously for Christ!