1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:1-7 NKJV)
We can hold on to our commitment to Christ through GROUNDING IN FAITH. Paul mentions the “genuine faith” in Christ that Timothy had received in his home that flowed from his grandmother Lois, to his mother Eunice, and now to him (v.5). This is the ground upon which a life, a home, and a church must be built--the solid Rock of Jesus Christ, whom we have received by genuine faith. Is yours a “genuine faith” that fits you for heaven? Peter urged, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble,” (2 Pet.1:10). Having your name on a church membership roll won’t matter if it isn’t written in heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I am haunted by the fact that some people who sat in the pews under my preaching will hear those awful words, “Depart from me.” If the foundation is not stable, then nothing else you do will stand.
Yours in Genuine Faith,
Dennis Thurman, Mission. Strategist
