"Make-Up Monday" - 2 Timothy 1:7 (Part 2)

And now, we come to part two of my attempted exegesis of, well, this verse. I will be focusing on the latter
part, namely, "...but of power and love and self-control."

We learn next that this is a Spirit of power (Acts 1:8; Is 40:28-31; Rom 15:13). This sort of ties in with the previous point I made, for if we fear the Lord and, having His Spirit in us, do His will, we have nothing to fear,
which is power indeed (Prov 16:7). Another facet of this is the power of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, and
then to enable us to walk in holiness (Gal 5:16).
  Thirdly, it is a Spirit of love. Through the Holy Spirit, God has given us the ability to love Him (1 Jhn 4:19), and
others (1 Jhn 4:7-8), with a true and selfless love. Remember that, apart from God, we humans are dead in our
sin, unable to love the One who made us (Eph 2:3). Though fallen man can and does love family, friends, and
others, Jesus showed us a different kind of love:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,

and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you,

what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?

Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" - Matt 5:43-47

This is a completely foreign concept to our sin nature, one that goes against everything our self-obsessed flesh

demands. Another good portion of scripture pertaining to this is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

  Finally and fourthly, this Holy Spirit is a Spirit of self-control. As I mentioned in passing earlier, one of the 

core ministries of the Holy Spirit is to guide our steps, to show us the right way to go (Is 30:21), and to teach

us self-control, among other things (Titus 2:11-12). While we, as fallen creatures, have to learn, re-learn, and

keep learning self-control, I want to point something out here. This power of self-control is built into, it is one

of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). We do not work to acquire that power, only to apply it. In other words,

the tool is there for us to use. For any of us that struggle with sin, seeming to find victory far away, we need

not fear nor despair, for Christ has already won that battle. Through His death, all those who believe die to

sin (1 Pt 2:24), and by His resurrection, they are raised to new life, to that which is above (1 Pt 1:3-5). Satan

is defeated, but he still tries to deceive us into thinking that he's in control. Yet, "he who is in you is greater

than he who is in the world". This Holy Spirit is indeed God Himself, living in our hearts, and has this power

and these attributes because He is God, infinite and eternal (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Jhn 3:24; 1 Pt 4:14). Let us never

forget this, nor "neglect such a great salvation (Heb 2:3)" but "offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence

and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:28-29)".