2 Timothy 1:6–12

6 Therefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee through the putting on of my hands.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, 9 who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but in accordance with His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began,10 but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.11 For this I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles.12 For this cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day.13 Hold fast to the form of sound words, which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Chapter 1:16 tells us that Paul is in chains. Chapter 2:9 tells us he was in a place with criminals, an imprisonment as a criminal. Even so the Word of God, is not imprisoned. He knows he’s near his own execution, 4:6.

So it’s probably about 67 A.D. or so as he takes up pen chapter 4, “I have finished the course, I fought the good fight, I’ve kept the faith, I’m ready to be offered, this is it. And I want to say this before I go …” And he writes to Timothy because Timothy is the key to carrying on the work.

For over fifteen years Timothy had been Paul’s faithful missionary companion. trust Timothy as his “fellow-worker” (Romans 16:21).

When the first imprisonment was over, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus as a kind of “bishop.” Wide responsibilities were given to him

A few years earlier (A.D. 64), Nero had ordered the torching of his own capital city of Rome, which burned furiously for six days and nights. Not only the wooden shacks of the poor but also the stone mansions of the rich, the massive public buildings, and the magnificent pagan temples and shrines were gutted. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote, “But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor and the propitiations of the gods did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order by Nero. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace.”

True fear comes from faith; false fear comes from doubt. True fear is joined to hope, because it is born of faith, and because men hope in the God in whom they believe. False fear is joined to despair, because men fear the God in whom they have no belief. The former fear to lose Him; the latter fear to find Him. BLAISE PASCAL

Fear Creates What It Fears

Dr. Paul Tournier observes that “fear creates what it fears. Fear of war impels a country to take the very measures which unleash war. The fear of losing the love of a loved one provokes us to just that lack of frankness which undermines love. The skier falls as soon as he begins to be afraid of falling. Fear of failing in an examination takes away the candidate’s presence of mind and makes success more difficult.”*

Timothy was a real human being like us, with all the infirmity and vulnerability which that entails. To begin with, he was still comparatively young when Paul addressed this letter to him (4:12)—in his midthirties, which was still within the limits of “youth.” Second, he was temperamentally shy, needing affirmation, encouragement and reassurance (2 Timothy 1:7). Third, Timothy was physically infirm and suffered from a recurrent stomach problem (5:23).

Greatness was being thrust on Timothy, and like Moses and Jeremiah and a host of others before and after him, Timothy was exceedingly reluctant to accept it.

Facing Our Fears in the New Year

We face a future. the future has two handles: one handle is called fear, and the other handle is called faith.

Not all fear is bad. There is healthy fear and unhealthy fear, grounded fear and ungrounded fear, productive fear and nonproductive fear. There re self-preserving instincts that God has given us. In normal fears—there’s nothing wrong with the shot of adrenalin that you feel when you’re in sudden danger. That is a gift of God.

We are to fear God and that is a very healthy thing. You know, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of [wisdom].” (Proverbs 1:7) \

The electrician doesn’t quake in the presence of electricity, but he’s very careful how he handles those wires. We have that respect, that reverence for God. The Bible says in Psalms 89, verse 7: “God is greatly to be feared [and] the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.” (Psalms 89:7) We’re to have reverence for God.

Fear and Sin are Related

Adam’s first recorded words in the Bible after he had sinned are these: “I was afraid and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10) He had a theophobia, he had a fear of God, and it made him afraid of other things. Here was this fear that came within his heart. And, sin and fear are inseparably linked together.

The Spirit of Fear Has a Destructive Power

Fear and Forgetfulness

Paul is having to remind young Timothy of something he forgot: “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6)

There were some things that Timothy had forgotten. If there was ever a man that was blessed of God, graced of God, it was young Timothy. He was raised in a Christian home. He had a great mentor, a great teacher, who was the Apostle Paul.

So, what happened? He’d forgotten some important things. He had lost his focus, he was focusing on fear. The Bible shows us that Timothy was a man who was given to fear. We could call him “timid Timothy.”

In 1 Corinthians 16:10 Paul writes, “Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid for he’s doing the Lord’s work.”

We just know that he was a man with a fearful nature. His fears were not godly fears; they were not grounded fears. They were godless, ungrounded fears. Evidently, Timothy had so focused on his fear that he’d failed to see the blessings that Almighty God had given to him.

Paul said, “I want to help you remember, I want you to stop focusing on this fear.

Fear and Failure

Fear most often will prevent us from fulfilling what God has called us to do.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner.” (2 Timothy 1:8) Timothy wasn’t preaching the gospel like he ought to, fear was keeping him from it. He, who was meant to be a herald of the gospel, had become ashamed of the testimony of our Lord and his Christ. He was paralyzed by fear.

The Bible speaks of those who are in bondage because of fear. (Isaiah 14:3) There’s so many people who should be doing things for Jesus, and fears keeps them from it. Singers, musicians, teachers, etc. It is a spirit of fear that the devil has given to neutralize you. The devil knows he can never get you back. So, if he can’t get you back, he will try to neutralize you with fear.

“Because of my fear, I hid my God-given talent in the ground.” And, do you know what his master said to him? “You’re a wicked servant. You’re a slothful servant.” Matthew 25:26 “

Have you hidden a God given talent in the ground?

It appears that Timothy was in danger of hiding his God-given talent out of fear.

The Power of the Spirit of Faith Overcomes Fear

The Spirit of faith is the Holy Spirit. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but He has given us the Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you … tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) It means that God’s dear Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of power, He lives in you, and since He’s in you and He’s all-powerful, then why be afraid?

Do you know what makes us afraid? When we feel that we’re weaker than our enemies.

What enemy is there that should make us quake when we realize that within us and upon us is God’s dear Holy Sprit? Then, we don’t have to be afraid of men.

“Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Fear Him who’s able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

If you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ, then, you ought to be afraid.

His Love for Us Removes Fear

The Bible says that “perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18

We have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly. It’s God’s perfect love for me that casts out fear. His perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what He might do to us.

Our Love for Him Removes Fear

There’s nothing that will neutralize fear like your love for another person. Watch how bold a mother will become when her children are threatened. His love for me and my love for Him, what a powerful force that is to overcoming fear. The question is, am I loved enough, and do I love enough?

God Has Given Us Understanding to Help Remove Fear

The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 Also that He “hath given us the spirit of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

This word “sound mind” literally means a “disciplined mind,” a mind that has discernment, a mind of self-control. We are now able to see all the things the Devil tries to trip us with. We are often afraid of things that we ought not to be afraid of.

Fear is often false evidence appearing real. God has given us a Spirit of discernment, and turns the light on so we can see these things as they really are.

Faith Is the Answer

Paul is talking about the fact that he’s in prison, and he suffered, also. But, these things haven’t made him afraid. He says, “For the which cause I also suffer these things”, Timothy, you’re not alone. I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not terrified, I’m not frightened, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12. Paul knows that Jesus is greater than all of these things.

The future has two handles: has a handle called fear and a handle called faith. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalms 56:3)

How does this Spirit of power come into my life?

How does this Spirit of love come into my life? Where does this sound mind come from?

From the Lord. When does it become mine?

When I do what Paul did: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Have you made that commitment?

Our commitment to Christ and His to us will enable us to live out 2021 by faith and not fear.