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 this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands.
3 sermons cite this verse
… Paul writes to Timothy and he says this. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. It would seem that he was letting his gift lay dormant because of insecurity, because of persecution, because Caesar Nero and the, you know, Paul's on death row. Stir it up. I prayed for you. I laid my hands on you. Stir up the gift. And then he says this, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but a power of love and of a sound mind. We often quote that, but we ignore its context. The context is a young man who's dealing with fear, insecurity. He's hesitant. He continues in the very next verse, Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. And then in 2 Timothy chapter 2, You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ. I think Timothy was experiencing fear. …
Let's go to work. In a minute, I'm going to read 2 Timothy 1, verses 6-7. But I want it to be known that this text, this scripture in 2 Timothy, really it's powerful all on its own. And for many of you, it's not unfamiliar. but I really want to take a minute and paint a picture of what's happening at the time that this text is written. Paul, who was one of the most devout Jews who persecuted believers of the way or what we now call Christians, has this encounter with the Spirit of God, this encounter with Jesus that radically changes him. And all of a sudden, the one who was once persecuting Christians has now had an encounter with God that instantly changes him. And now he is the most well-known evangelist. He's written half of the New Testament. He begins to preach the gospel all throughout Asia and all throughout that Middle Eastern Greco-Roman region. He begins to preach the gospel. And he's in this unique position because he has Roman citizenship. …
I love how Paul says it in 1 Timothy. He says, or 2 Timothy, he says, for this reason, I remind you to fan into flame. The gift of God. I love that it's a gift. Which is in you. Good news. The victory is in you today. Because you have access to the gift of God. And greater is he that is within you. That is in the world. And you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. and he wants to give you faith for the purposes and plans that he has for you today. Come on, would you say?