May 25, 2023 | Be On Mission
The Heritage of Faith
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1(NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am 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.
6 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. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He 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, 10 but 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. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
Devotional
Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy about five years after the first one. Timothy was still a pastor in the church at Ephesus, but much had changed in the world. The city of Rome had burned, and many people suspected that Emperor Nero had done it so that he could rebuild the city to his own liking. In response, Nero blamed Christians for setting the fire, and began a policy of widespread persecution. Followers of Jesus were fed to ravenous animals, used as human torches, and tortured and executed in many other ways.
As part of this persecution, Paul was arrested for a second time by Roman authorities. He wrote this letter from his dungeon prison cell in Rome. Not long after writing it, Paul was most likely beheaded by the Roman authorities. The epistle of 2 Timothy is the last surviving writing of Paul.
In many ways, 2 Timothy reads like a deathbed conversation. Paul was aware of his own suffering and looming execution. What he wanted his protégé to hear and do is valuable for anybody who ponders leaving a legacy for future generations. I can picture a tear rolling down Paul’s cheek as he wrote, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (v. 13-14).
Think about those who introduced you to Jesus and discipled you in the faith. Perhaps people like your grandparents, parents, relatives, friends, pastors, and others are in the long line of those who have impacted your faith journey. Who is one that stands out? Imagine if that person wrote you a letter with the words from verses 13-14 in it. What would that mean to you?
How is your faith honoring those who have passed it down to you? What are some ways you could better honor their legacy?
Take a moment and write a note to someone who has passed the faith down to you. Thank God for their spiritual legacy in your life.
Poem
Our Constant Service
We pray for those who’ve wandered off
We pray for those in peril
We pray for those whose tears won’t stop
We pray for those at trial
We pray for those at the front line
For those in foreign mission
We pray for those just on the brink
God’s grace finally to hasten
We pray for those tending the sick
For miracles to happen
We pray for visions wise and true
For mourning hearts to gladden
We pray for courage when we tire
For patience in the struggle
We pray for those addiction bound
For those in constant trouble
We pray for leaders true to lead
With wisdom and discernment
We pray against false prophets’ lies
Strong shields of faith, deterrent
We sometimes pray without a word
Our silence God interprets
In fellowship with Christ commune
Our prayers, our constant service
