“Knowing Christ is the best thing that has ever happened to me, although winning the US Open was a pretty good second.”
Call to Gospel Work
The Call to Gospel Work (2 Timothy 1-7)One of the worst moments in sport is when you drop the baton in a relay race. The team may be the fastest in the race. They may be leading but when the baton falls to the ground the race is over.
Last week we noted that Paul was writing to Timothy to encourage him to keep going to the end. He starts by calling him to gospel work. To help him he offers five encouragements.
• Real hope (v1-2)
• Real ministry (v3)
• Real faith (v4-5)
• Real gift (v6)
• Real Spirit (v7)
Timothy came from a strong believing background. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2Timothy 1:5. Paul also refers to his own ancestors.
It is as if the they are in a relay race stretching back through the Old Testament No one has yet dropped the baton and the race has been a long one! Paul has run his leg well and now wants to pass the baton on to Timothy. He wants a good, clean changeover!
Paul has also identified the danger that Timothy will, at a critical moment, drop out of the responsibilities of Christians leadership because the personal cost will be too high. No matter how long we have been Christians (in Timothy’s case from infancy) or how well trained (Timothy had been trained by the notoriously perfectionist Paul), we can fall into sin and give up.
Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to “to fan into flame the gift of God” (Verse 6) should challenge and encourage all of us. No one ever said it would be easy to represent Christ in the world of sport. People are watching you every day and waiting for you to fall – even trying to trip you up perhaps. Believe in the truth of the gospel and keep going.