160508 Generational Faith

2 Timothy 1:3-14 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. ⁴ As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 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 God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, ¹⁰ and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, ¹² which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. ¹³ Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

The apostle Paul points out Timothy’s genealogy of faith. I have done some geological research over the years. I have found that many times there is a confident trust in God that carries on from generation to generation. Hebrews chapter 11, verse six, tells us that it is absolutely impossible to please God without faith. The chapter goes on to list many historical figures who walked by faith not by sight. Let’s look at Paul’s encouragement of Timothy based on three generations of faith.

Paul and Silas came to Derbe and Lystra during Paul’s second missionary journey and there he found a disciple named Timothy. Timothy’s mother was a believer but his father was a Greek. Timothy had a good reputation among the Christians and Paul took him on as a student. Timothy was with Paul when the gospel was first brought into Europe. Paul was able to add to what Timothy had already learned from the…

Faith of his mother and grandmother. Let’s look at Paul’s account found in 2 Timothy 3:14-17. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Paul did not have to change anything in Timothy’s foundational faith. Paul had taught Timothy based on what his grandmother and mother had taught him. When he writes to Timothy, “continue in what you’ve learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it”, Paul is speaking of those two faithful ladies in Timothy’s past. “From whom” is plural not singular so it does not refer to Paul it refers to the ladies of Timothy’s upbringing. They didn’t just teach him good manners they taught him the word of God that is always profitable.

One of the greatest needs in our world today is for the family to teach the sacred writings that are able to make one wise for salvation. Children need to learn, from their parents, how to be born again.

I recall a time when a young couple came to church with their firstborn child. She was a beautiful baby. Her mother introduced her to me and said to her baby, “This is Pastor Bray and he will teach you about Jesus.” My response was, “No, I will teach your parents and they will teach you.”

Our homes need to be places of spiritual learning. Too often, even in Christian homes, very little is taught and if there is teaching the Bible is seldom the subject.

There needs to be a basic premise upon which we teach. Therefore I suggest…

The aim is love. Let’s look at 1 Timothy 1:5. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Love is central to Christian truth. For example in John’s first letter the word “love” occurs 46 times. John tells us that we know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers (1 John 3:14). He goes on to define love. It is Jesus laying down his life for us and therefore we should lay down our lives for the brothers (1 John 3:16). Going further John tells us that whoever loves, with God’s kind of love, has been born of God (1 John 4:7). We are encouraged by John to take the love of God that he has given to us and love one another (1 John 4:11). In truth, John tells us that God is love and his love is made perfect in us (1 John 4:16). And lastly, but certainly not finally, perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).

The aim is love…

That comes from a pure heart. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:22-23. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³ since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Timothy was brought up by two godly women who took the love of God and poured it into his life. They taught him the Bible and that is a good starting point in anyone’s education. The Bible is enough because it contains all the words of God that he intends his people to have. In complete unity with Paul, Peter tells us that we are born again through the living and abiding Word of God. Peter wants us to see that the believer’s personal faith, or trust in God, is the means God uses to keep his people pure and safe. The gospel is powerful enough to break through sin and hardened opposition. The gospel can break through and awaken faith in the hearts of unbelievers. Love from the heart is that…

Which gives us a good conscience. Let’s look at Hebrews 9:13-14. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Looking to the Old Covenant we can see that God gave us many illustrations of the kind of cleansing we need. With the shedding of blood, God tells us, sins are forgiven and new life begun. So beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden mankind saw that sin resulted in death. In order to cover Adam’s and Eve’s nakedness animals had to die. The Bible says that God covered them with skins. I believe those skins were fresh and bloody. Afterward, when anyone became aware of sin in their life, an altar would be erected and an animal would be offered as a sacrifice on it becoming a substitute for the sinner. All of those animal sacrifices were symbolic of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Under the New Covenant the blood of Jesus Christ purifies our conscience and empowers us to serve the living God. It was the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross…

That results in a sincere faith. Let’s look at Hebrews 10:19-25. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The new and living way for mankind to enter into the presence of God is through the Lord Jesus himself. Since we have such a great high priest over the house of God we can draw near with a true heart and assurance of faith. Since Jesus is our mediator we are given confidence to approach God in prayer and to live the Christian life as Christians not worldlings. We do not come into God’s presence as strangers, guests or laypersons. We come into his presence as priests. We can be confident that we are what Peter called, “living stones” that are built into a spiritual house and a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-5). Because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us we are able to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.

Thinking back to Paul’s words to Timothy we see that…

It is God who saves us. This is certainly supported by John’s Gospel in John 1:11-13. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus came to his own property, or nation, and his own people did not receive him. For everyone who does receive and believe it is God who gives the power to be saved. Salvation does not come about because of anyone’s good works. Salvation comes about by the will of God. It is God who saves us and

It is God who calls us. Let’s look to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:4-9. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— ⁶ even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸ who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the early days Paul had been one of the strongest opponents of Christianity. In fact, he was given arrest warrants by the Sanhedrin to go to Damascus and arrest anyone that exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul who, at that time was named Saul, was not promised an easy time of it. God sent Ananias, one of the disciples at Damascus, to lay his hands on Paul and pray for him because he had been blinded on the way. God said, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:16)

When God calls us into the fellowship of his Son we are not promised an easy life. I know that the world seems to be filled with teachers who promise “a rose garden”. The truth is different. In the words of Isaac Watts, old hymn, Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God? Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord. I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

Our aim is love that comes from a pure heart that gives a good conscience and results in a sincere faith. We must remember that it is God who saves us and calls us into his service. We need to…

Let faith go on generationally.  Let’s go to 2 Timothy 2:1-2. You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul had referred to Timothy as his “true child in faith”. Now he calls on Timothy to take what he has learned from Paul and entrust it to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. There are four generations here. Paul being the first generation who transmitted faith to Timothy making him the second generation. Timothy is then instructed to pass on the faith to a third-generation who would then continue the process into the fourth-generation. There have been thousands of generations since.

My story is a little different but is still one of generational faith. Let me tell you about it briefly. At the time of my birth, so far as I know, no one in my family had ever been delivered by a doctor. My grandmother Bray was the midwife in the local community. After many hours of labor it seemed that my mother would not be able to deliver and probably would lose her life along with mine. Someone went into town several miles away to get the doctor and bring him out. My father said that he left the house and went for a walk along a cow path through the woods. Without knowing what else to do he began to pray. He believed in God but had not put his faith in the Lord Jesus yet for salvation. He said that as he walked along praying he asked God to protect my mother and me. He then promised to serve God. He didn’t know that you can’t make such deals with God. He just did it!

When the doctor arrived he soon set things right and in the early morning hours of November 1, 1938, I came into this world having been promised, by my dad, to the Lord. As soon as it was daylight my dad drove into town and bought a Bible. I believe that prayer of my father led to my salvation and ministry.

The world we live in is not a good place to grow faith. And though we often think that it’s worse now than ever before it’s really just a continuation of what always has been. William Wordsworth said it best, “The world is too much with us; late and soon, getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” That worthy poet lived and wrote some 200 years ago. And 2000 years ago James, the Lord Jesus’ brother, wrote, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4) How do we demonstrate our spiritual investment? If Jesus is your Lord it will be reflected ultimately in how we display our loyalty. Is he your Lord? Have you come to him with faith based on his grace? Today can be your day.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.