God Wants Fearless Men
Paul told Timothy, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7). It seems from verse 6 that Timothy was reluctant to use the gift that God had given him. Was Timothy being intimidated? We are not told but in 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul told Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season. Paul wanted Timothy to preach the whole counsel of God whether it was popular or not! God does not succumb to political correctness and neither should we.

Each Christian should not have the spirit of fear. Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). John said that the cowardly would have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Rev. 21:8). Hence, those who are cowards concerning God's word will be lost!

After Paul told Timothy not to have a spirit of fear, he told Timothy to have a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). Strength is involved in power. "A wise man is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases strength" (Prov. 24:5). Man's power from God comes through the Gospel. Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom. 1:16). Man is to have a spirit of love. Why? God is love (1 John 4:8). Man is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26).

Therefore, man should love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Also, man should love his neighbor as himself (Matt. 22:39). God wants brethren to have a sound mind. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "sound" as "complete, intact, entire." A sound mind has a solid foundation. Our solid foundation is Jesus Christ. We are to be complete, intact, and entire in Jesus. 2 Peter 3:18 says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." How do we grow in grace? The more we know about Jesus, the more we know about His grace (love). Knowledge comes from the root word "know." The more we study God's word, the more we know about Jesus. Paul said, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). Studying God's word is hard work. It takes time and effort.

God Wants Men Faithful to the Lord
Jesus is the Bridegroom. The church is Jesus' bride. Jesus wants His church to be faithful to Him. Who makes up the church of Christ? We know that Jesus' church consists of Christians (Acts 11:26). Paul said to the brethren at Corinth, "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). Paul arranged the marriage of Christ to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:2). The Corinthians were to keep themselves pure as a chaste virgin would keep herself pure for her husband. As brethren, we are to remain faithful to our Bridegroom. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). In an ancient Jewish wedding, the bridegroom would go to his father's house after he had made a covenant with his bride. He would prepare a place for his bride at his father's house. After the bridal chamber was prepared to the father's standards, the bridegroom would be told by his father when he could return for his bride. The church of Christ is waiting for the return of the bridegroom (Heb. 9:28). Jesus said in Matthew 25:1-13 that we are to be like the five wise virgins and be prepared at all times for the coming of the bridegroom. We are to remain faithful to the Lord (our Bridegroom).

Jesus will remain faithful to us. Paul said, "If we are faithless, He (Jesus) remains faithful" (2 Tim. 2:13). Jesus told the church at Smyrna, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). As a chaste virgin to the Lord, the Christians are to remain faithful to their Lord.

Are you faithful to the Lord? Paul told Timothy, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry" (1 Tim. 1:12). Paul said that he was reliable for the Lord. Can Jesus depend upon you? In the last letter that Paul wrote, he told Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
The Christians who are faithful to the Lord are the ones in whom the Lord can trust and on whom He can depend. Can the Lord rely upon you? When no one except God can see you, do you remain faithful to the Lord? A person's reputation is what other people think he is. A person's character is what he really is. You may fool some of the people all of the time but you cannot fool God any of the time (Heb. 4:13). He knows when we are faithful and He knows when we are not faithful to Him.

God Wants Men Faithful to His Word
Our faith comes from hearing God's word (Rom. 10:17). Paul told Timothy, "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 1:13). Paul continued, "But you (Timothy) must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them" (2 Tim. 3:14). Do you believe that the Bible contains the word of God? I saw a sign upon the bumper of an auto in front of me that read, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." I agree with two-thirds of that statement. It should have read, "God said it; that settles it." If God said something in His word, that settles it whether I believe it or not. God's word is forever settled in Heaven (Psa. 119:89).

God's word is profitable for man. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). If we remain faithful to God's word, it will profit our souls greatly (Rev. 2:10). The word of God is like a roadmap from earth to Heaven. It is our GPS. God's word has been recorded in our language so we can study and meditate upon it day and night (Psa. 1:1-2). In the Sermon on the Mount recorded for us in Matthew 5-7, Jesus is talking to common people (Matt. 4:25). Throughout this sermon, Jesus never said to these people, "Have you not read?" He always said to them, "You have heard. . . ." When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees He always said to them, "Have you not read?" (Matt. 12:5). Why did Jesus make the difference between the two groups of people? Jesus knew that the Pharisees had access to God's word on a daily basis whereas the common man did not. The common man would hear the Law of Moses read to him at the Synagogue on the Sabbath. On one occasion we have recorded for us where Jesus read at the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus read to the common man. The common man did not have the Law of Moses available to him in writing. What do you think Jesus will say to us at the Judgment since we have access to His word in writing? He will say to us, "Have you not read?" Why? Because we have His word recorded for us in our language. Ignorance of God's word is no excuse (Acts 17:30). We have to know God's word to be faithful to His word. Do you spend more time studying God's word than you do watching television or surfing the internet? Which is more important?

How can we claim that we are faithful to the Lord without being faithful to His word? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). We cannot separate Jesus from His word. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17). Jesus died for His word. Stephen died for Jesus' word. Paul died because of the word of God. Other Apostles and brethren have died because they were faithful to the word of the Lord. Would you die for the word of the Lord? We are fast approaching the time in the United States where you and I will have an opportunity to show our loyalty to the word of the Lord! Today in the USA, God's word is becoming more and more politically incorrect.

God Wants Men Faithful to the Church
Why should Christians be faithful to the church? In the church God will receive glory (Eph. 3:21). The Lord adds daily to His church those who are being saved (Acts 2:47). The church is the Lord's body (Col. 1:18). In the church we partake of the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7), sing praises to God (Eph. 5:21; Col. 3:16), pray (Eph. 3:14-21), we give of our means (1 Cor. 16:1-2), and are taught (Acts 20:7).

The church is the kingdom of God. Christians are in the kingdom of God. Shouldn't we be faithful to the King and His kingdom? Jesus gave His life for His church. He purchased her with His blood. If the church was important enough for Jesus to die for her, we should be faithful to her. Paul told the Ephesian elders "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

Are you faithful to the church? Are you faithful in your attendance? Do you enjoy worshiping with those of like precious faith (2 Pet. 1:1)? Are you faithful in teaching others the importance of the church? Are you faithful in supporting the work of the church (Eph. 4:11-16)?

Conclusion
God expects His children to be fearless, faithful to the Him, faithful to His word, and faithful to the His church. God tells us that He will never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand (1 Cor. 10:13). Do you believe Him?