Publisher's Synopsis
For the person who just became a new creature in Christ this is what I see: New life in Christ is a journey. It is a process. It is all about transition- from where we to where God wants us to be; yet in reality, it is the discovery of where we already are now that we are in Christ. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men!" The apostle Paul taught that "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He has before ordained that we should walk in!" (Eph. 2:10) When writing to a young pastor whom he had mentored he wrote: 1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that labors must be first partaker of the fruits. 7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. (II Tim. 2:1-7) Timothy at some point became a Christian. In his opening greeting to Timothy (who he called his "dearly beloved son"), Paul wrote these words: 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When 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. II Tim. 1:1-5) Timothy was a person who had the privilege in his life of enjoying a heritage of faith! What Timothy had was not just a common belief in Jesus, but an "unfeigned faith!" An unfeigned faith is a faith that is not tainted and polluted by religious tradition! We could say that he was a third generation Christian (although we know that God has no grandchildren, only sons and daughters!) But Paul reminded him of his heritage of faith. He wrote of the "unfeigned faith" that first dwelt in his grandmother Lois, then in his mother Eunice and now in him! There is so much truth here! We can see that a woman had found Jesus and had become his disciple. And she had not only become a disciple, but a disciple maker! She had imparted the faith that was in her to her daughter, who also became a disciple and a disciple maker! She in turn had passed that same "unfeigned faith" into her son Timothy who became a disciple of Jesus and a student of the ministry of the apostle Paul! Timothy had used the gift that had been passed on to him through two generations wisely. Now he was becoming a leader in his own right. As Paul writes to him, allowing himself to use him to impart some finishing touches to God's work of art, he writes in Chapter 2 of his personal letter to Timothy, "And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." So we can see in this that in the early days of the church, discipleship was the pathway to leadership! Timothy had followed this path and now he was stepping up to the plate to fulfill the role of leadership that God had prepared for him to walk in! In this book we are going to study these principles and by the help of the Holy Spirit we will impart them to all who are ready to become the leaders that God would have them to be!
