Go! And Live in God’s Power, Love, and Self-Discipline - 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
Dean Courtier
Introduction:
Fear is a thief.
It steals joy, peace, purpose, and boldness.
Some of you walked into this room today carrying fears you’ve never spoken aloud—
fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the future, fear of illness, fear of death, fear that God may not come through for you.
But the Gospel boldly declares: You were not created to be driven, defined, or destroyed by fear.
Because God has given His children something far greater.
Today, in our Go! And… series, God speaks to us through a single, powerful verse that has fuelled missionaries, comforted martyrs, strengthened pastors, and empowered ordinary believers for almost two thousand years.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT): “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
This is not motivational poetry.
This is divine truth.
This is a command and a calling.
This is God’s declaration over every believer who belongs to Jesus.
Let’s unpack it.
1. “Not a Spirit of Fear” — Understand What God Did Not Give You
Paul writes this letter from a Roman dungeon, awaiting execution. Timothy, his young protégé, is leading the church in Ephesus—a hostile environment with persecution rising and pressure mounting.
Paul reminds him: “Timothy, fear is not from God.”
The word Paul uses for fear is de???a? (deilias)—meaning cowardice, shrinking back, abandoning one’s calling under pressure.
Paul says: “Timothy, you may feel afraid—but you are not a coward, because God didn’t make you one.”
Romans 8:15 (NLT): “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit…”
Paul contrasts two identities:
Fearful slaves
Adopted children
Fear enslaves.
The Gospel liberates.
Fear today often wears subtler masks:
Anxiety about finances
Worry about children
Fear of sharing your faith
Fear of stepping into God’s calling
Fear of standing for truth in a culture of compromise
But God says: Fear is not from Me. Reject what I did not give you.
The Caged Lion
A lion in captivity was released into a wildlife reserve.
But when the cage door opened, the lion didn’t move.
He had lived caged for so long that he forgot what freedom felt like.
Many Christians live the same way.
Jesus has opened the cage…
but fear convinces us to stay inside.
John Piper once said: “Faith is not a feeling; it is the choice to trust God even when fear screams louder.”
Piper is right—faith is choosing truth over terror.
2. “But of Power” — God Has Empowered You by His Spirit
The word for power is d??aµ?? (dunamis)—the same root used for “dynamite.”
It is resurrection power, the power that raised Christ from the dead.
Acts 1:8 (NLT): “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses…”
The power God gives has a purpose: witnessing—living and proclaiming Jesus boldly.
Timothy was facing intense opposition—false teachers, spiritual darkness, persecution.
Paul says: “Timothy, you’re not powerless. You’re Spirit-filled.”
This power is not the loudness of your personality; it is the strength of the Holy Spirit.
You can forgive, because the Spirit empowers you.
You can share your faith, because the Spirit empowers you.
You can endure suffering, because the Spirit empowers you.
You can resist sin, because the Spirit empowers you.
Charles Stanley said: “The Holy Spirit’s power is not for extraordinary Christians—it is for every Christian living an ordinary day.”
The Christian life is impossible without the Spirit—and unstoppable with Him.
3. “Love” — God Fills You with a Love that Drives Out Fear
The Greek word is ???p? (agape)—self-sacrificing, Christlike love.
Not sentimentalism.
Not politeness.
This is Divine love poured into human hearts.
1 John 4:18 (NLT): “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.”
Fear shrinks the heart.
Agape expands it.
The early church didn’t conquer Rome with swords—
but with love that astonished the world.
A love that cared for the sick when others fled.
A love that welcomed the broken.
A love that forgave their persecutors.
This world is full of division, outrage, bitterness, and anger.
But Christians are called to love with a supernatural love that proves Jesus is alive.
The Nurse in the Plague
During the Roman plague, a Christian nurse served dying pagans who cursed her faith.
When asked why she risked her life, she said:
“Because I am loved by Christ, and His love leaves no room for fear.”
That is the love God wants to release in us.
Tim Keller wrote: “The Gospel is the only story where the hero dies for the villain.”
This love changes us.
This love emboldens us.
This love conquers fear.
4. “Self-Discipline” — God Gives You a Renewed Mind and Sound Judgment
The Greek word is s?f????sµ?? (sophronismos)—meaning a sound mind, self-control, spiritual clarity, and disciplined thinking.
Romans 12:2 (NLT): “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
Fear controls those who have surrendered their minds to it.
But God renews our thinking.
Self-discipline in the Spirit means:
Taking captive anxious thoughts
Training the mind with Scripture
Saying no to sin
Saying yes to righteousness
Living with Gospel focus instead of emotional reaction
R.T. Kendall said: “The highest level of spiritual warfare is trusting God with a renewed mind.”
And I say: The battlefield of fear is the mind, and the Word of God is our weapon.
5. The Gospel — The Source of Power, Love, and Self-Discipline
Why can believers reject fear?
Because Jesus conquered its root—sin and death.
The Gospel Message:
Jesus lived the sinless life we failed to live.
Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Jesus was buried.
Jesus rose from the dead in power.
Jesus ascended and now reigns as Lord.
Jesus offers forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
Because Jesus lives, fear dies.
Because Jesus reigns, we can be bold.
Because Jesus saves, we can live free.
This is not motivational therapy—
This is Gospel reality.
6. A Call to Action — Go! And… Live Fearlessly for Christ
Go! And… reject fear.
Go! And… walk in power.
Go! And… love boldly.
Go! And… live with a disciplined, Spirit-filled mind.
God has already equipped you.
Now step into what He has given.
7. Invitation to Salvation
If you are not saved, listen carefully:
Jesus Christ did not die to make you religious.
He died to make you new.
Repent—turn from sin.
Believe—trust Jesus as Lord.
Receive—His forgiveness, His Spirit, His new life.
Pray in your heart:
“Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin. I believe You died and rose again. Save me. Be my Lord. Make me new. I give You my life.”
If you prayed that sincerely, Jesus has saved you, forgiven you, and transferred you from fear to freedom.
Benediction / Exhortation:
Go now in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Walk in the love of Christ.
Stand firm with a renewed, disciplined mind.
Live boldly, courageously, fearlessly—
for God has not given you a spirit of fear,
but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Amen.
