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Power, Love and a Sound Mind




When confronted with fear, a commonly quoted scripture is 2 Timothy 1:7, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." It's comforting to know that God has given us these things, and that the fear we feel is not from the Lord. What's even more comforting and cool is when you use a little logic and apply this scripture to other scriptures. Let's examine more closely the three things we are told that God has given us:

Power
Acts 1:8 says that "I shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon me." Then 2 Corinthians 12:9 says that "power is perfected in our weakness." So that means that when the Holy Spirit comes upon me, I am perfected in my weakness and the Holy Spirit is perfected in me as well. Not only am I perfected, but that power--the Holy Spirit--actually is the Kingdom of God on earth. I Corinthians 4:20-21 says that "the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power." This means that the kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. This is further confirmed by Romans 14:17, which says that "the kingdom of God...is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." So therefore, kingdom of God = power = Holy Spirit.

Love
I John 4:8 tells us that "Love is from God," and that "God is love." This is speaking of God the Father. If it were Jesus or the Holy Spirit, then John would have delineated between the three. There are countless scriptures that speak of God's love for us, the most famous is John 3:16, when God the Father gave His Son: "For God so love the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." But it's so important to remember that it's not only an action the Father shows toward us, but it's who He is. He embodies love. The Father = love.

A Sound Mind
The Greek word used in 2 Timothy for sound mind is sōphronismos. This word means an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind, to moderation and self-control (Strong's). So some translations say "self-control" instead of a sound mind. But let's look at the word sōphronismos a little more deeply. It's a compound word--which is two words put together to make one word. The first part of the Greek word is from sodzo, which means to be delivered or saved. The second part of the word is from phroneo, which refers to a person’s mind, logical thinking, will and emotions. What is our soul comprised of, but our mind, will and emotions. So the word sōphronismos literally means "to save my soul!" Who is the One who came to save my soul? Jesus. A sound mind = Jesus.

The Trinity
So back to 2 Timothy 1:7. We are told that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." When we apply logic to this statement, it tells us that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but He gave us the Holy Spirit, the Father and Jesus. When I think about this scripture and the deeper meaning of what God is telling us, it ignites a passion in me that can't be contained. God speaks to us so much more deeply than just the mere words on the page. I am continually in awe of how magnificent and glorious, imaginative and omniscient our God truly is!
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