For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Power is dunamis, mighty ability, abundance, or mighty deeds. Love is agape, giving love, or unconditional love. Sound mind is discipline; learned obedience to God. Learned obedience to God is learning obedience to God and not traditions, nor the claims of others to represent God to you. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36). Indeed is really – “free indeed” means really free – not an idea or concept, but the manifestation of freedom in your life. The One Spirit, Who was given, brings power, love, and discipline. Those things are not separate, but of the One Spirit.
The Son has made you free. The Son was glorified by the Father when He fulfilled the purpose the Father sent Him to fulfill. The freedom of the Son is the freedom to choose to have power (or not), to love (or not) be obedient to God (or not). The Son has given us forgiveness, not so we can sin but so we can choose. When we find we have made the wrong choice, we can return to God because of grace. Our freedom is not a freedom to the bondage of fear or the bondage of sin. We no longer need fear our sins, or the one who tries to deceive us, or the one who tries to use our sin to hold us in his bondage, or death itself. We are free indeed. Is it God’s will that we use freedom to sin? NO! It is God’s plan to bring us out of sin and into a life where we call out, “Abba, Father.” We did not receive a spirit of bondage, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
The word discipline does not mean punished, it means to teach (or a field of study). God has given us a spirit of power, love and a strong mind. The Holy Spirit empowers us with a mighty ability to love and to learn. Learn what? To learn to trust in God – to learn God’s way – to learn to love – to learn to use the mighty ability. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:12). But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him (1 John 2:27). We are not called to punish or to be punished; we are called learn and to teach. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:19-20). We make disciples (followers of Christ (the Way) / disciplined) by baptizing and teaching.
Paul wrote to Timothy, “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13). The word doctrine means teachings. A doctrine is what has been, is being, and/or will be taught. Exhortation is the spoken word with the intent to encourage. Paul was asking Timothy to pay attention to the written word, to the spoken word of encouragement, and what is taught or has been taught. Paul is instructing Timothy to be disciplined – to be a disciple. In the next verse, Paul instructs Timothy to not neglect the gifts that are in him. The anointing will teach. Give attention to the written word, the encouragement from others, and what is being taught remembering not to neglect the gift within you; the anointing Who teaches – the Holy Spirit given and the gifts of the Spirit. The mighty ability (power) and unconditional love and instructed mind all come from the Holy Spirit into us to remove the spirit of weakness, hate, and a confused (untaught/deceived) mind. Praise God!
© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.