The Sound Mind of Christ

Have you ever found yourself in such a frightening situation that it pushed your “panic button”? Some people face that kind of fear because of a dreadful circumstance. Others may fear failure, rejection, illness, or death. Children often fear the dark and want their parents to hold their hand as they walk into a dark room. Whatever you fear, you don’t have to handle it alone by working harder, trying to control things, living in denial, or worst of all, backing away from God and His promises. God does not give us a spirit of fear. 

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Challenges that seem beyond our abilities and make us feel inadequate aren’t intended to make us fear, but rather to drive us to our Lord Jesus Christ Whose grace is sufficient, so that we develop a God-confidence that cannot be shaken. As we honestly admit what we’re afraid of, our fear can actually draw us closer to the Lord than we ever thought possible. Reading God’s promises in the Bible gives us assurance that we are not alone in this fearful circumstance. God has promised to be with you in every situation and to never leave you or forsake you, so you can put your trust in Him. He is the source of our courage and security, as the Holy Spirit gives us His power, love, and a sound mind. He alone can turn our fear into faith.

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A word study of 2 Timothy 1:6b-7:

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NASB: kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you…for God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

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Amplified: stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you…for God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

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NLT: fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

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Living Bible: stir into flame the strength and boldness that is in you…for the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.

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Phillips: stir up that inner fire which God gave you…for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind.

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Wuest: keep constantly blazing the gift of God…for God did not give to us a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

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Young's Literal: stir up the gift of God…for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

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Kindle afresh (anazopureo from ana = up, back or again + zoos = alive + pur = fire) means to keep in full flame. Stir up the fire. Add fresh fuel. Cause something to begin again, to reactivate or to cause to begin to be active again. The present tense conveys the sense of progressive, continuous action. Keep kindling the gift afresh or make it your aim to continually keep it at full flame.

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Gift (charisma from charis = grace, English = "charismatic") means a gift of grace (the result of grace), an undeserved benefit. The suffix –ma, indicates the result of grace and refers to that which is freely and graciously given. 

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Spirit (pneuma from pnéo = to breathe) means a blowing (wind), a breathing (breath) and can refer to the seat of the inner spiritual life of man, capacity to know God.

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Timidity (deilia from deilos = fearful, timid) means lack of mental or moral strength, timidity (lacking courage, self-confidence, boldness or determination), reticence (inclination to be silent or uncommunicative in speech), cowardice (lack of courage or resolution) or shameful fear that is generated by weak, selfish character. The picture is one who is in a state of fear because of a lack of courage or moral strength. Deilia is never used in a good sense, whereas another word for "fear" (phobos) can be used in either a good sense (fear of the Lord) or a bad sense.

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Power (dunamis from dunamai = to be able, to have power) power especially achieving power. It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. Dunamis is the root from which we derive the English word dynamic, (synonyms = energetic, functioning, live, operative, working) which describes that which is marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change. That which is dynamic is characterized by energy or forces that produce motion, as opposed to that which is static. Another English word dynamite, is derived from dunamis and since dunamis is used by Paul to describe the "power of God," some have suggested that the gospel is "God’s dynamite". This is misapplication of this English derivative in an attempt to try to picture the lifesaving power of the gospel. Dunamis does not refer to explosive power, as if the gospel will blow men to bits but as discussed above, it refers to intrinsic power. The gospel is dynamic, God’s dynamic, and so is powerful in the transformation of human lives.

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Love (agape) describes the unconditional, unselfish, costly love that God is (1Jn 4:16) and which God shows (Jn 3:16) and which was "poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" at the time of our new birth (Ro 5:5). Agape love is produced in the heart of the yielded, surrendered saint by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) and has as its chief ingredient, self-sacrifice for the benefit of the one loved (Jn 3:16).

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Discipline or "sound mind" (sophronismos from sophron in turn from sozo = save + phren = mind) so literally this word describes "a saved mind" or "a sound mind." Not only is such a mind secure and sound but it carries the additional idea that this mind is self-controlled, disciplined, and properly prioritized. Sophronismos describes sound-mindedness in action and the opposite mindset is one predisposed to excessive self-indulgence or lack of good sense. Sophronismos describes the individual marked by a sense of sobriety (temperance, moderation), sound judgment, exercise of prudence, moderation, prudence (prudence includes the ability to govern and discipline oneself, sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs, skill and good judgment in the use of resources, caution or circumspection as to danger or risk).

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Pastor David Jeremiah writes: “We have been released from the spirit of fear by the Holy Spirit, who has placed us in the body of Christ. We have received the Spirit of adoption. This adoption provides for every believer release from the bondage that he once knew. The picture that Paul uses is the contrast between slavery and sonship. Slavery, with its fear and isolation, stands for our old lives before knowing Christ. We are told by the writer of Hebrews that Christ died that He might destroy the one who had the power of death and release those who were subject to a fear of death (Hebrews 2:14–15). The perfect love of God has cast out the fear to which we were once enslaved (2 Timothy 1:6b-7; 1 John 4:18). Anything that involves a believer in fear of bondage cannot possibly be the work of the Holy Spirit of God. It must come either from his own heart of unbelief or as a temptation of the evil one. Our sonship implies perfect spiritual liberty and the absence of all legal features which would bring us once more under the Law."

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Have you ever found yourself in such a frightening situation that it pushed your “panic button”? Some people face that kind of fear because of a dreadful circumstance. Others may fear failure, rejection, illness, or death. Children often fear the dark and want their parents to hold their hand as they walk into a dark room. Whatever you fear, you don’t have to handle it alone by working harder, trying to control things, living in denial, or worst of all, backing away from God and His promises. God does not give us a spirit of fear. 

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Challenges that seem beyond our abilities and make us feel inadequate aren’t intended to make us fear, but rather to drive us to our Lord Jesus Christ Whose grace is sufficient, so that we develop a God-confidence that cannot be shaken. As we honestly admit what we’re afraid of, our fear can actually draw us closer to the Lord than we ever thought possible. Reading God’s promises in the Bible gives us assurance that we are not alone in this fearful circumstance. God has promised to be with you in every situation and to never leave you or forsake you, so you can put your trust in Him. He is the source of our courage and security, as the Holy Spirit gives us His power, love, and a sound mind. He alone can turn our fear into faith.

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Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your Word that promises Your presence with me, giving me Your resurrection power, Your agape love, and the sound mind of Christ. You have said that when I’m afraid, at the very point of my anxiety, I can put my trust in You and experience Your peace and protection. I am able to accomplish what You ask of me only through Your power. Thank You for Your Word because in it I learn that You are my sufficiency! May my confidence always be in Your finished work on the cross. No matter what dark and frightening circumstances I may face, help me to trust You and stir into flame the strength and boldness that Your Holy Spirit gives me every day. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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Look up – Meditate on 2 Timothy 1:6b-7. Pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

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Look in – Meditate on 2 Timothy 1:6b-7. Pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: “Because God is ______________, I will ______________.”

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Look out – Meditate on 2 Timothy 1:6b-7. Pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.