I
Know Whom I Have Believed
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 the Spirit God gave us does
not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 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. 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, 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. And of this gospel I
was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 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.
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.
2
Timothy 1:6-14
Sometimes we fail to
recognize that God – the only perfect One, the only One who can change hearts
and lives – transforms us over time. Then the Holy Spirit reminds us of how
Paul encouraged Timothy to embrace his on-the-job training, persevere in faith,
and use the gifts God had given him. Timothy could be courageous because God,
his power source, would help him love and be disciplined as he continued to
grow and serve those within his sphere of influence.
Christ saves and empowers
us to honor Him with our lives, not because we have special qualifications but because we’re each
valuable members of His family.
We can persevere with
confidence when we know our role is to simply love God and others. Christ’s
role is to save us and give us a purpose that extends beyond our small vision
of the world. As we follow Jesus daily, He transforms us while using us to encourage others as we share His love and truth
wherever He sends us.
Knowing
our power-source personally gives us confidence in our role as servants of the
King.
Our
Daily Bread – April 28, 2018