Women of Faith
2 Timothy 1:1-5
Illustration: A young man was standing at the grocery store checkout line when he noticed an elderly woman in front of him. As she unloaded her grocery cart, she kept looking up and staring at him. After a few awkward moments, he asked, “Why do you keep staring at me?” The woman said, “I'm sorry, but it's just that you look exactly like my son who recently died.""I'm so sorry to hear that," the young man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you?""Yes," she said. “As I leave, if you would say, 'Goodbye, Mother' it would make me feel so much better because I need closure." "I’d be glad to do that for you," he answered. As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye, Mother!" After unloading his cart, the bill came to $147.50. "How can that be?" he asked the clerk. "I only purchased a few items."“Oh,” the clerk replied, "your mother said that you would pay for her." - Kent Crockett’s Sermon Illustrations, www.kentcrockett.com
Lois and Eunice were definitely not like that woman. We don’t know a lot about these two women. What we do know is contained in only a few verses in Second Timothy and in Acts 16. We know that they were both Jewesses. We know that Eunice was married to an unbelieving Greek and had a son Timothy. Lois was the first to become a believer followed by her daughter Eunice. Both were women of faith – faith that was genuine, communicated, and influential.
I. They had a faith that was genuine
A. 2 Timothy 1:5 “I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
B. “Unfeigned” is literally without play acting, without playing the part or without hypocrisy. It means to be genuine, unhypocritical and without pretense or deceit
C. Genuine faith, faith that results in true salvation, includes at least three main elements:
1. firm persuasion or firm conviction,
2. a surrender to that truth
3. a conduct emanating from that surrender. In sum, faith shows itself genuine by a changed life
D. John MacArthur comments that...”Faith, like grace, is not static. Saving faith is more than just understanding the facts and mentally acquiescing. It is inseparable from repentance, surrender, and a supernatural longing to obey.”
E. Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
F. W E Vine explains that a hypocrite was "a stage–actor; it was a custom for Greek and Roman actors to speak in large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of the voice" (Vine, W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. 1996. Nelson)
G. A rather pompous-looking deacon was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. "Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment's pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it's because they don't know you." - copied
H. According to verse 5, their faith “dwelt” or took up residence, made its home in them. In other words their faith had become a vital and integral part of their lives
I. Genuine faith is evidenced by works.
J. James 2:17 “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
II. They had a faith that was communicated
A. 2 Timothy 3:14-15 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
B. "From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures". How did he acquire this knowledge? Not from his father, for he was a Greek, and thought it "foolishness". Nor from his school, for he grew up in Lystra, a city steeped in idolatry. No; his knowledge of Scripture came from his mother and grandmother. - copied
C. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
D. Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote how during his childhood every Sunday evening his mother would read and explain the Scriptures to him and his brothers and sisters, and plead with them to think about the state of their souls and to seek the Lord. He remembers one time her praying, “Now, Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.” He wrote, “That thought of a mother’s bearing swift witness against me, pierced my conscience, and stirred my heart” – copied
E. As followers of Christ we are called to go into the world and make disciples. We are called to share our faith with others, beginning first in the home and then going into the world with the message of Christ.
F. Philemon 1:6 that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
G. Henry Morris in The Fight of Faith writes, “Faith which is genuine saving faith in Christ is not characterized simply by a single act of belief, but by a life lived in faith.”
H. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3a “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love…”
I. Genuine faith is a faith that is communicated not only in word but in both word and deed. Genuine faith both talks the walk and walks the talk.
J. Someone has said “Faith is like calories, you cannot see them, but you can see their results.”
K. Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of the great missionary Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor's saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received Jesus as his personal Savior. Whether we realize it or not, our example leaves an impression on others. – Jack Williams, Phoenix Gazette
III. They had a faith that was influential
A. One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, Mother asked 4-year old Johnny to return thanks. "But I don't know what to say!" the boy complained. "Oh, just say what you hear me say" his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and mumbled, "Oh Lord, why did I invite these people over on a hot day like this?" - copied
B. What we say and do has an influence on those around us but especially on those who are around us 24/7.
C. Paul may have led Timothy to faith by Paul but it was his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice who steered him to Jesus Christ
D. 2 Timothy 1:5 “I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
E. The godly influence and sound training of these two women laid the foundation for Timothy’s salvation through implanting the truths of Scriptures sowing the seeds of faith in his heart.
F. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, the will not depart from it.”
G. One day four ministers stood talking and, as so often happens, the conversation soon drifted to shop talk. "I prefer the King James Version of Scripture," said one, "for its eloquent use of the English language and accuracy." A second minister gave forth that no Bible could match the New American Standard for its faithfulness to the original Greek and Hebrew text. "That may well be," said the third, "but I prefer the New International Version for its contemporary language and easy readability." There was a thoughtful period of silence, and then the fourth minister said, "I like my mother's translation best." It was with some surprise that the others said: "We didn't know that your mother had translated the Bible." "Yes, she did," he replied. "She translated it into her daily life, and it was through her translation that I came to faith."
H. A man's life is always more forcible than his speech; when men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as pounds and his words as pence. If his life and his doctrine disagree the mass of lookers-on accept his practice and reject his preaching.—C. H. Spurgeon, in the Keswick Calendar. - Spurgeon
I. Lois and Eunice had an influential faith because it was a genuine faith that was free of hypocrisy and was communicated both in word and deed.
