“God has not given us a spirit of FEAR (deilia: cowardice, weakness), but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
THESE ARE OUR GOD GIVEN ATTRIBUTES:
- POWER: (dunamis: an inherent force. Flowing from a person to give them the ability to do supernatural things, like miracles or morally excellent acts) Jesus promised, “…you will RECEIVE POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON YOU; and you shall be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8) “…for His DIVINE POWER has GRANTED TO US EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)
- LOVE: “The three most important things to have are faith, hope and LOVE…the greatest (meizōn: maximum, utmost) of these is LOVE (agapē: a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return).” (1Corin.13:13) Another way to explain agapē: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE.” (1 John 4:7-8)
- SOUND MIND: (sōphronismos: an admonishing or calling to wholeness of mind) “…do not be conformed to this world but be TRANSFORMED: (metamorphoō: to be changed by God into another form) BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may PROVE: (we prove it because our thinking has been miraculously changed) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
This is all true because He who “…has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to HIS OWN PURPOSE and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus BEFORE TIME BEGAN…” (2 Timothy 1:9) “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. YOU WERE THERE WHILE I WAS BEING FORMED in utter seclusion! You saw me BEFORE I WAS BORN and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” (Psalms 139:14-16)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham