Welcome to the summer! I pray that this season provides you with extra time for pondering the gospel and your public ministry of the gospel.

These days we hear a lot about drone warfare. Can you imagine what it must be like to have hundreds of enemy drones sent against your city in a given week? As Christians we face a barrage of attacks from the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Sometimes these attacks are overwhelming. They can be discouraging. We might even be tempted to be ashamed of our circumstances and calling. In 2 Timothy 1:6-14, Paul speaks strikingly about the triune God, his plan, his will, and his powerful working among us. This section begins and ends with a reference to the work of the Holy Spirit and leads us to a greater appreciation of his work in us.

⁶ διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν ἀναμιμνῄσκω σε ἀναζωπυρεῖν τὸ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν σοὶ διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν μου·  ⁷ οὐ γὰρ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα δειλίας, ἀλλὰ δυνάμεως καὶ ἀγάπης καὶ σωφρονισμοῦ.

⁸ Μὴ οὖν ἐπαισχυνθῇς τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν μηδὲ ἐμὲ τὸν δέσμιον αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ συγκακοπάθησον τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ κατὰ δύναμιν θεοῦ,  ⁹ τοῦ σώσαντος ἡμᾶς καὶ καλέσαντος κλήσει ἁγίᾳ, οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἰδίαν πρόθεσιν καὶ χάριν, τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων,  ¹⁰ φανερωθεῖσαν δὲ νῦν διὰ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καταργήσαντος μὲν τὸν θάνατον φωτίσαντος δὲ ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,  ¹¹ εἰς ὃ ἐτέθην ἐγὼ κῆρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ διδάσκαλος.

Translation: For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love, and wise living. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but share in this suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own plan and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity and has now been made manifest through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has done away with death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a herald, an apostle, and a teacher.

That is one, long, treasure-filled sentence, and we do well to ponder it piece by piece. Paul, Timothy, and all believers in this age of fulfillment are living under the cross. We take up our cross and follow Jesus. Suffering for him and his gospel does not drive us away from him. It draws us closer to him. Such suffering gives us greater assurance that he is ours and we are his.

Paul places our suffering inside its proper frame. We suffer for Jesus because we belong to him. Belonging to Jesus is a from-eternity thing, a now thing, and a forever-in-the-future thing. It is a powerful thing, a wrapped-in-love-and-overflowing-with-love thing, a wise-and-careful-living thing. The devil hates such things. The world sees no value in such things and is irritated by them. Our sinful flesh rebels against such things. The attacks of “the unholy three” cause us to suffer, but only for a little while.

Amid such relentless spiritual attacks, what fuels our fight of faith? A better question is who, not what. The Father who chose us, loved us, and called us to a holy calling. The Son who destroyed sin, death, and the devil on Good Friday and guaranteed life for his people through his bodily resurrection. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us, giving us faith, filling our hearts with God’s love, causing us to blossom with love toward others, and empowering us to hold onto and defend God’s truth. We stay in the battle because the triune God is in us, with his ongoing, active, and saving activity.

The Apostle’s words lead us to give thanks and praise to God. Who are we that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should give us one gracious blessing after another, forever? The Apostle’s words lead us to ask God for forgiveness for our doubts, our fears, and the many ways we put ourselves at the center of our public ministry. Jesus made atonement for these sins too. The Apostle’s words lead us to petition God for a greater spirit of power, love, and living that is truly wise.

¹² διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ ταῦτα πάσχω, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνομαι, οἶδα γὰρ ᾧ πεπίστευκα, καὶ πέπεισμαι ὅτι δυνατός ἐστιν τὴν παραθήκην μου φυλάξαι εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν.  ¹³ ὑποτύπωσιν ἔχε ὑγιαινόντων λόγων ὧν παρʼ ἐμοῦ ἤκουσας ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ·  ¹⁴ τὴν καλὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος ἐν ἡμῖν.

Translation: For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he has the power to protect what I have entrusted to him until that day. Hold fast the example of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Protect the good deposit by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

What is it that Paul entrusted to God? It could be a reference to the gospel and gospel ministry. It could be a reference to himself, his body and soul. Likely it is both; they are connected. This verse reminds me of Luther’s morning and evening prayers, in which we entrust all things to our God day in and day out. And at the end of those days, at the beginning of “the youngest day” (der Jüngste Tag), the first day of eternity, we will experience the full payment of his eternal grace to us, and we will praise forever the God who does all things well.

Suffering with and for Jesus is much easier to do when God frames it for us. Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we have been raised to life spiritually and will live as God’s child and heir eternally. This reality fills us with joy instead of shame, with boldness instead of cowardice, and with a fan-it-into-flame attitude instead of a let-it-slide attitude, even and especially in the midst of suffering.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, please bless all who serve in public ministry in our beloved church body. Refresh them by your Word and Spirit. Draw them ever closer to you and your eternal Son. Fill them with the good gifts of your Spirit that they, in turn, might fill up others; through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.