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2 Timothy 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 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 the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Continue scrolling to read reflection.

By: The Rev. Michael Hinton

The world is fallen. It is cold and cruel, plagued by a persistent belief that death solves problems, specifically war and elective abortion. Herod killed babies when he heard of our Lord’s birth. The Jewish religious establishment killed Jesus when they felt threatened by him.
In the case of war we assume it is justified in cases of national defense, mutual defense treaties, and third party defense when civilization is threatened by barbarism.

But there is no defense for killing unborn children in the womb. What did they do wrong? Elective abortion is, in fact, an act of barbarism. It should so deeply prick the conscience of Christians that we are
constantly praying and wondering what to do about it.

The reason Christians so strongly oppose the culture of death is that we are born anew to the kingdom of life that we find in Christ. Life is the opposite of death! At any given moment a person is marching lockstep in the dark lines of those that go down to the pit, or he has broken ranks with the devil to leap and dance for joy in the happy party of those that love life and would see good days, following Jesus, the Lord of Life, who overcame death by His righteous life.

It is no accident that Paul referred to Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Lois and Eunice gave Timothy life in two ways, both physically and spiritually. Paul’s reference to his own Jewish ancestry is consistent with both the heritage of godly families and the great deposit of faith, which we should guard by the Holy Spirit, that is, knowledge of the Scriptures. It could be that people end the life of their own children because they do not feel that they have anything to give them. That breaks my heart! Through faith, forgiveness, and healing in the name of Jesus, anyone can be born again, able to receive and pass on the glorious life and hope that Christ gives us!