“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ 

Paul encourages Timothy not to be ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ, but to proclaim Him boldly. Fear had gripped his heart, and when there is such fear, there is no power to flow against the current of the world around us. An acronym for fear is: Fear is Faithless Energy and Retreat. Paul did not want this for Timothy; he did not want Timothy to feel ashamed of Christ. Paul points Timothy to a wonderful resource that every believer has, and that is the Man in the Glory! The term Christ Jesus is used at least seven times and refers to the Lord Jesus in heaven at God’s right hand—a place of power, authority, and resource for every believer, no matter what chaos may exist in their culture.

Paul understood Timothy’s fear, but he encouraged him by sharing his own experience and confidence, saying, “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12). In this verse, Paul reminds Timothy—and us—that we need personal knowledge of our God. He could say, “I know whom I have believed.” Then he reminds us that there must be personal conviction: “I am persuaded that He is able to keep.” Third, Paul encourages us to have personal commitment: “Keep that which I have committed.” Paul’s confidence was not in himself but in his God, who is able! This speaks to the power and might of our God.

When our focus is on Christ and His power and might, we will be able to hold fast the pattern of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13). The idea of having a pattern of sound words carries the thought of an outline in our minds and underscores the importance of knowing what we believe and why we believe it. Peter reminds us, as followers of Jesus Christ, to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). To do this, we need to know what we believe and why we believe it. This has never been more needed than in our culture today.

Anchor For Today:
The world needs a clear, concise message of hope, and Christ is the answer for the chaos.