Living it Together 3

3I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

This first part of this final letter of Paul is very much concerned with  confidence in the Christian faith. Paul encourages confidence in God despite seeing his end and suffering almost alone. A co-worker in Rome, Demas, has “deserted me and gone to Thessolonica”, says Paul. Another co-worker in the gospel in Rome “has gone to Galatia, and also, “Titus has gone to Dalmatia” he says. Only one remains with Paul in this last part of his work and life – Luke (2 Tim 4:10).

Joy in suffering for the gospel
So, despite his suffering and loss, Paul thanks God for his life and says to Timothy, “Recalling your tears (presumably when they last separated) I long to see you (Timothy) so that I may filled with joy”.

You can feel the pain and the longing of a man who has fought the good fight and now waits to receive the reward of Jesus’ final affirmation and call home to rest. You can sense the strongest bond between “father” and “son” as the father finally departs and the son takes up the mantle for which he has been trained.

As the mentor and “father” speaks to his “son” he even asks Timothy to come and visit him one more time (and bring with him Paul’s cloak that he left with another co-worker, Carpus in the city of Troas some time earlier – 2Tim 4:13) Paul wants to sure up Timothy’s faith for his ministry, which is under pressure and may be flagging a little.

So, we are speaking about confidence – confidence to live without fear or shame in Jesus in our time and place. Paul points Timothy to three streams from which he can draw confidence to live this faith-life together. We are directed to put your confidence in God’s presence and activity in your life prior to this day.

Remember God’s Old Testament people, and for us, his New Testament activity and tradition. Paul says he serves God as all the Old Testament people did(v3). Paul points to Timothy’s mentors and sponsors in the gospel. Paul affirms Timothy as one who has inherited his Mother’s and Grandmother’s strength and faith.

Paul directs Timothy to remember God’s call on your life. Paul encourages Timothy to remember what God has chosen him for, set him apart for and given him. He speaks of Timothy’s ordination to the pastoral ministry – by Paul’s own hand. “Fan that into flame”, encourages Paul.

For all of us we might encourage each other to remember the Rites of the church; the things God does in the public worship service of God’s people, baptism, Holy Communion, Blessing, Absolution, Confirmation, Marriage, installations to vocation, installations to church roles/callings, rites of transition for the young and rites of belonging in a community – like our Welcome to Membership, rites of grief and loss: funerals. These are tried and tested and they are stable and long-term – things to put great stock in for a long-term living of the gospel faith.

These gifts are what transform our “spirit of timidity into a spirit of boldness and confidence to live in Jesus – in love and self-discipline and God’s power (v7).
We are encouraged here today as Timothy was then to live free from shame, because God has called us and saved us and made us holy in his sight. Confidence comes from God’s call on our life. God’s call overcomes shame.

And finally, confidence in faith comes from God’s presence in other people
Paul raises up his own experience of God’s calling and his response to it. He has done this before, but now for the last time it seems. He tells again of God’s calling on his life to be a “herald and ‘apostle’ (or ‘sent one’) and a teacher” (of the good news of Jesus’ freedom, love and grace of God, not by one’s works but solely by God’s grace and love).

Paul has “believed and obeyed”, he says. Paul has not just toyed around with faith as a theory or something to get into when you feel like it – he has been captivated by it, submitted to Jesus’ word on things and done what he heard God telling him to do in his Word.

Paul has reached the end and the reward of a life well lived and faith fulfilled. He tells Timothy to keep on track and give it all he has got, as Paul has done. A faithful life is possible and really the only life to truly live.