Passing the Torch – Who are you passing the torch to?

2 Timothy 1:1-5 
{1} Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, {2} to Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. {3} I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, {4} longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. {5} For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.

The last week we have looked at the idea of passing the torch of the Gospel to the next generation. When we look at the first 5 verses of 2 Timothy and place them in the context of the entire book, it is easy to see the desire Paul had to see the Gospel flourish long after his death.

There are some pretty important personalities found in these verses.
• Paul – An Apostle of the church, the missionary preacher to the Gentiles, the renowned theologian of the New Testament. A writer of multiple books of the New Testament.
• Timothy – An understudy of Paul, companion of the Apostle in his ministry. The recipient of 2 epistles of the New Testament.
• Lois and Eunice – Grandmother and Mother of Timothy, both credited in being major influencers of an influential preacher of the New Testament.

That is quite a list of heroes. Any of them would make great guest speakers at the next mission conference at our church. Paul would be a great guest preacher for one of our church’s Downpour services in August. Timothy could lead a church life seminar for pastors. Lois and Eunice would also do a great job at leading some parenting classes. Regardless of which person we invited, the multitudes would come to hear them, after all these are people in the Bible. They are heroes of the faith. Most of us think that compared to them we are just normal folks. If we could get them to come we would be excited about having such heroes in our midst.

Here’s a challenge. Instead of looking at some prominent heroes of the faith whose names are found in these verses, be challenged to place your own name in the passage. A major issue of the 2 Timothy is to guard the Gospel and a major issue of that is the passing down of absolute truth from one generation to another. To read 2 Timothy and not feel a passion in your own heart to guard the truth and pass the torch is to miss the point of the book. God wants you to be a hero of the faith. Here is the big question, “Who are you passing the torch to?” We are living in a day when we can no longer afford to view the principles and commands of scripture as things that the heroes of the Bible did, but perhaps they really do not apply to us. Who are YOU passing the torch to?

PRAYER
Lord help me to understand the grave responsibility I have to stand for truth. Help me to grow in my faith. Help me to pass the torch of my faith to those who will come behind me. Help me to view my life, all of it, as an instrument to be used for the building of your kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen.