HOLD AND GUARD
2 Timothy 1:13-14 NLT
13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
Whoever has insinuated that Christianity is for the weak must have never read the Bible. Oh, sure, we came to the Lord in the weakness of our inability to save ourselves. We were too weak to live righteously before God. So, as far as our salvation is concerned, Christianity is for the weak; all mankind is weak. But to live this life requires commitment and strength.
Paul, writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, is encouraging him to hold on to the pattern of solid teaching that Paul provided. This teaching is founded in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Paul was encouraging Timothy to use the teachings he had learned to shape his beliefs and actions. My mother used to sew when I was young. She would use a pattern to cut the cloth. If she moved outside of the pattern, the clothes would not look right. Paul instructed Timothy to use the teachings as a pattern for life. And the teachings would always include faith and love. By faith grounded in love, Timothy had a strong pattern for living.
And Paul reminded Timothy that there was supernatural help available when it came to guarding the truths, the teachings that Paul had shared. The Holy Spirit lived in Timothy and would help him not veer off the pattern. The Holy Spirit would help teach Timothy what truths to guard. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and would instruct Timothy as to how to guard the truth and reject lies and deception.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, there was not a wealth of resources available to remind Timothy of what he had been taught. Timothy had access to the Old Testament scriptures and may have taken notes on Paul's teachings. But Timothy would have to depend on the Holy Spirit to bring to his memory what Paul had said. Timothy did not have downloads or YouTube sermons to rely on. So the Holy Spirit's help was a necessity. Paul put confidence in the ability of the Holy Spirit to help Timothy hold on and guard the truths that had been committed to him.
APPLICATION
We are in a different situation than what Timothy faced with respect to having access to resources. But we still have to hold on to the pattern of the scriptures and the teachings we have heard. There are many voices in the world, and many of the voices that come to us are not founded in truth. So, we must hold and guard the truth that is based on God's Word.
Just as Timothy depended on the Holy Spirit to help him stay within the pattern and guard the truths he had been taught, we still need the Holy Spirit's help today. The Spirit of truth is vital to us staying on course. He helps us cut through the noise and the distractions and focus on what is true and in line with the scriptures. Our culture and environment are different from Timothy's, but we still have to hold on and guard the truths we have received.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for the sound words and teachings I have received. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who lives in me and helps me to guard the truths in Christ Jesus in faith and love.