Strength of Spirit

Biblical Strength of Spirit

Christian Strength From God

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our thought provoking and interesting Biblical Strength of Spirit Bible study taking an in depth look into Christian Strength From God. The absolutely intriguing message will truly bring a smile to the lips and heart and shine the LIGHT of Truth upon your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk path.

Biblical Strength of Spirit Truth
Christian Strength From God Explained

Greetings! Prepare yourself for yet another interesting letter from Paul to Timothy. As you may remember from the Book of Acts, Paul spent time in prison for his enthusiastic faith in Christ, and he was in prison at the time that he wrote this second epistle to Timothy. Back in those days, although the world was blessed with the New Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ, the New Testament of the Holy Bible wasn't written yet. The Gospel was spread by word of mouth. There wasn't any form of media like we have today, no newspaper, television, radio, periodicals, computers, telephones, or satellites.

So you have to put yourself in Timothy's shoes before you read this letter. He was a disciple living in Galatia and Paul, the chosen Apostle of the Gentiles comes to his town. Now, that alone would be an honor, but Paul asks Timothy to go out and preach with him, and establish churches! After that, Paul asks Timothy to organize the church in Crete, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Now, he's not only got communications with Paul that are few and far between, but he's also out in the middle of the ocean, which probably makes letters and visits even more rare.

Biblical Strength of Spirit Source
Christian Strength From God for You

Okay, so you can probably now appreciate how cherished a letter with words of admonition and encouragement from Paul would be to Timothy. It may have been years between visits or letters (especially considering that Paul was then in prison), and with the importance of a strong foundation for Christianity, Paul made certain that the content of his letters were thorough and effective. He begins:

From Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of (eternal) life which is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dearly beloved son. (Remember in Paul's first letter to Timothy, we discovered that Paul didn't mean biological son, but spiritually.) Grace, mercy and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve, as did my forefathers, with a clear conscience, that I always remember you in my prayers, night and day, missing you greatly, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy when I remember the genuine Faith that is in you, which began first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I'm convinced that is in you also.

Biblical Strength of Spirit Vow
Christian Strength From God Concerns

Remembering your tears ... Sometimes, just knowing that someone cares, makes things easier to tolerate. Paul wasn't saying that Timothy was a cry baby. But rather that he was touched by Timothy's compassion for him, because he was in prison.

For this reason, I remind you to stir up (awaken) the gift of God, which is in you, by the laying on of my hands.

The gift of God that Paul is talking about is the Holy Spirit. Paul is telling Timothy to renew his own spirit by adhering to the Holy Spirit of God, to remain exhilarated about spreading the Gospel. He goes on:

For God hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. So don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, his prisoner, but be a partner of the afflictions of the Gospel, being dependent on the power of God.

Biblical Strength of Spirit Forever
Christian Strength From God Now

In other words, Paul is saying, Now I want to remind you of something, Timothy. God gives us the Spirit of power and love and a sound mind, so don't worry about me (which is the spirit of fear), but instead, keep churning up that spirit of power that God gave you, which is the Holy Spirit inside of you. That's the power (strength) and love, and sound (healthy, strong) mind.

Maybe Paul sensed or was informed that Timothy's enthusiasm wasn't 100%, perhaps because of his concern for Paul. He may have been afraid that he may end up in prison too, after all, he was following in Paul's footsteps. Or he may have just been so saddened for his dear friend that his spirit was weakened.

Well, Paul begins his letter by saying, Ah ah ah ... Don't you be worried about me or shy about spreading the Gospel for any reason, but by the power of God, stand up for it. Search for that Holy Spirit that God put inside you and stir things up! Paul continues:

God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works (because of things we've done) but according to His own purpose and Grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now manifest (made known) by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. And for this purpose (the Gospel) I am appointed a preacher, and an Apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Biblical Strength of Spirit Gift
Christian Strength From God Blessing

This is the reason also, why I suffer these things (imprisonment, persecution, etc.), nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, because my faith in Christ is steadfast and I'm persuaded that He is able to preserve the souls I've brought to Him until their final salvation.

Keep the wisdom that you've learned from me, in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing that was entrusted to you, keep by the Holy Ghost that lives in us.

This you know, that all those who are in Asia have turned against me, including Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he was often kind to me and wasn't ashamed of my chain (imprisonment), but when he was in Rome, he searched for me eagerly and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. As you know very well how much he helped me in Ephesus.

So, Paul starts out his letter telling Timothy to be strong in spirit, because God chose him to serve. Paul considers himself the Lord's prisoner, not in a criminal way, but as a servant, and you can tell that he's proud of it. He wants Timothy to understand this.

Biblical Strength of Spirit Conclusion
Christian Strength From God Summary

The bottom line of this first chapter is to be a partaker, be a partner, share in the afflictions of the Gospel. Don't fear anything. Tap into your Holy Spirit. He is yours. God gave Him to you as a gift. Use His power through you for everything good. Stir it up! Use your compassion to glorify the Lord, not to mope around and be sad.

Next time, we'll find out what else Paul tells Timothy and how we might apply it in our own lives today, right here at Daily Bread.

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