The book of Second Timothy was written by the apostle Paul. It is commonly believed that this book was Paul’s final letter before he was beheaded for his faith.

Near the end of the book, the apostle Paul says, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6 – 8).

In his final days, sitting in a cold, dark, Roman dungeon with the words that I just read acting like his main point and with death looming over his head, the apostle Paul takes up his pen and he writes a letter to his young protégé in the faith; a young man named Timothy who was now pastoring the church that the apostle Paul had planted many years earlier in Ephesus.

With death looming over his head, the great apostle Paul writes what appears to be his last will and testament. And as he writes it becomes clear that he is not captured by thoughts of doom and gloom. The apostle Paul’s legacy will not be one that is marked by defeat, disqualification, or despair. Paul’s legacy will be marked by an unfading passion for the gospel as he remains faithful until the very end.

What would your legacy be if you received the horrifying news today that you only have twenty-four hours left to live? What would you be remembered for if the dash between your birth and your death was solidified tomorrow at 11:30am? What words would people use to describe you if you died tomorrow?

Think about these questions in terms of the church that you call your church home or your church family. Who, outside these walls, would notice if The Well ceased to exist tomorrow? What would we be remembered for? What words would people use to describe The Well?

When I think about men like the apostle Paul and Timothy, I think about men who endured faithfully until the end. I think about men who were so passionate about the gospel of the crucified, risen, and returning Christ, that that’s all that oozed out of them.

I see Paul and Timothy as men who were so concerned about reaching the lost with the message of the gospel that they were willing to sacrifice life and limb to ensure that people had the chance to meet Jesus. Am I this kind of person? Are you this kind of person? Look at the text with me…

2 TIMOTHY 1:1 – 7

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6For this reason I remind you to fan in to flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

#1: PAUL’S LEGACY (VSS. 1 – 3)

Think about the apostle Paul’s legacy as you look at how he begins this letter with these words: 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. What would you say about the apostle Paul after reading these opening words knowing that he was breathing some of his final breathes on this earth?

  1. The apostle Paul knew who and whose he was. He knew that he was an apostle (someone sent with a message from God), he knew that he belonged to God, and he knew that the promise of eternal life was absolutely rock solid because it was founded on the finished work of Jesus at the cross and the empty tomb (vs. 1).
  2. The apostle Paul loved Timothy deeply. He referred to Timothy as his beloved child and he wants nothing more than for Timothy to experience knowing God as his gracious, merciful, and peace-giving Father (vs. 2). Don’t miss the fact that Paul loved Timothy so much that he thanked God for him constantly in his prayers (vs. 3).
  3.  The apostle Paul had a clear conscience. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he stood in a long line of others who had served God faithfully until the end; he had nothing to fear as his dash between the dates became clearer (vs. 3).

The apostle Paul will forever be remembered as a man who knew who he was in Christ; a man who knew who he belonged to; a man who loved imperfect people completely; a man who lived with the confidence of a clear conscience because of the work of Christ at the cross and the empty tomb.

Do you know who and whose you are? Does your life reflect that you belong to Jesus? Can people see your love for God as you love others despite their shortcomings? Do you live your life with confidence in God’s ability to provide your every eternal necessity? What will your legacy be when your time on this earth is over?

#2: TIMOTHY’S LEGACY (VSS. 4 – 5)

Notice how the apostle Paul describes Timothy when he says, 4As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. Having a mentor who sees God’s work in you is one of the key factors to spiritual growth. We all need someone to root us on and to encourage us when times get tough. Your legacy cannot be built in isolation because legacies are not built alone. Think about Timothy’s legacy in connection to the apostle Paul…

  1. Paul remembers Timothy’s tears. At some point, the apostle Paul and Timothy parted ways so that Timothy could continue pastoring the church in Ephesus and the apostle Paul remembers how emotional young Timothy was on that day (vs. 4). Paul never questioned Timothy’s love for him because he saw it written on his tear-stained face the day they parted ways.
  2. Timothy filled Paul with joy. Sitting in that cold, dark, Roman prison cell, the apostle Paul longs for the joy of the presence of his old friend, Timothy (vs. 4). Paul has no problem naming the people who would not bring joy to his life in his final days (1 Tim. 1:15; 4:9 – 15) but he also gives credit where credit is due; Timothy is a man that he wants sitting by his deathbed.
  3. Paul is confident of Timothy’s sincere faith. Sometimes it’s easy to question the reality of your faith; especially when you become aware of some sin in your life. But the apostle Paul wants to ensure Timothy that he never questions Timothy’s faith because he has seen it with his own eyes, and it is as authentic and alive as the faith of Timothy’s own mother and grandmother (vs. 5).

Timothy’s legacy, according to the apostle Paul, is that of a man who loved others genuinely, filled others with joy just by being present, and possessed a kind of faith that was real and alive. Timothy loved well, was a joy to be around, and his faith was as solid as they come.

What would people say about you if they had the freedom to write an article about you? Would they say that your love for them was obvious? Would they say that you brought joy or sorrow to their life? Would they say that your faith never wavered or that they were uncertain about your faith? What will your legacy be when your time on this earth is over?

#3: HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE YOUR LEGACY? (VSS. 6 – 7)

If you’ve been listening to some of the questions I have been asking – are you this kind of person or are you that kind of person and what will your legacy be in light of Paul and Timothy’s legacies – then you are most likely in one of two places right now.

You are either giving yourself a pat on the back because you think you are knocking it out of the park, or you are beginning to despair because all you can feel is failure. Regardless of where you are landing at right now, the prescription is the same: You need to remember that you are probably worse than you think you are, but Jesus is greater! You’re worse than you think you are, and Jesus is greater!

If you can get yourself into that frame of mind, then it’s time to ask this question: How do I cultivate my legacy; or how do I improve my legacy? Paul’s final words to Timothy are instructions for cultivating or improving his legacy.

Paul says, 6For this reason I remind you to fan in to flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. No one ever grew a godly legacy by sitting back on his or her thumbs waiting for it to happen. Godly legacies don’t come to those who sleepwalk their way through life. Godly legacies come to those who take God’s gifts and steward them wisely, tirelessly, powerfully, and fearlessly.

Squandering a gift is not the way to receive more gifts. The gift of God that had been given to Timothy through the laying on of the apostle Paul’s hands, was the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.2 A godly legacy is the result of fearlessly and supernaturally overcoming every barrier that gets in your way as you surrender to the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

CONCLUSION…

The Holy Spirit is the one who gives you the strength to resist sin and to pursue godliness. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to everyone who surrenders and trusts in the work of our crucified, risen, and returning Savior (Rom. 8). The fruit of the Spirit at work in your life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5).

If you desire to have a legacy that endures until the end, a legacy that remains faithful until God calls you home to be with him, a legacy that oozes passion for the gospel, then you must consistently surrender to the voice of the Holy Spirit as he calls you to repent and believe in the finished work of Jesus at the cross and the empty tomb.

If you desire to be more faithful with your finances, more patient with your kids, more loving with your spouse, more engaged in ministry, more fearless in sharing the gospel, more consistent in your spiritual disciplines, more sensitive to those in need… fan in to flame the gift of God… for God gave us a Spirit (the Holy Spirit) not of fear but of power and love and self-control. And don’t forget that “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Rom. 8:14 – 15).

Your legacy… what will it be?

1 Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references in this paper are to the English Standard Version Bible, The New Classic Reference Edition (ESV) (Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, 2001).

2 R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell, 1 – 2 Timothy and Titus, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2012), 185 – 187.