II Timothy 1:5 “A Heritage of Faith” Mothers Day 2013

One of the things that has been very gratifying to Cheryl & I in recent years has been seeing our kids adopt some of our family traditions for their own. Cheryl especially has enjoyed talking with the kids on the phone during the holidays, helping them to get their cinnamon rolls to rise, or telling them how to make icing, or how to melt the chocolate to dip the Christmas candy in. But as good as that is, there is something more important we can pass down to our children than our best holiday recipes: and that is the heritage of our Christian faith. This is what we see in our passage for today, II Timothy 1:5:

“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”

Paul said to Timothy: I know that the faith you have did not start with you; it was passed down to you from your mother and grandmother. They had a “heritage of faith” in Timothy’s family that touched him, and through his ministry, many other people as well. This verse is a celebration of the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother, a celebration that we can share today. But there is also a challenge in it that each of us would do well to pay attention to.

I. You can provide a heritage of faith for your family.
“… the sincere faith within you … first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice …”.

Paul wrote to Timothy and told him that the faith he had, was the same kind of faith that had been in his mother Eunice, and his grandmother Lois before him. Acts 16 tells us that Paul took Timothy under his wing on his second mission trip, from the area of Lystra, which is in modern day Turkey. But Paul did not lead Timothy to the Lord on that trip, because it says that “a disciple was there, named Timothy.” So Timothy was already a disciple when Paul came on the second missionary journey. Perhaps Paul had led him to the Lord on his first trip. I Corinthians 4:17 Paul calls Timothy “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord”, so it hints that he may have led him to Christ, though it does not specifically state that as a fact.

But whenever his conversion happened, Timothy wasn’t the first one to believe from his family; Acts 16 says he was “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.” So Timothy’s mother had been a Jew, and became a Christian – most likely she was saved on Paul’s first missionary journey. Our passage in II Timothy 1 tells us that both his mother and grandmother were Christians before Timothy was. It says that the “sincere faith” “FIRST dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.” So Lois and Eunice were saved before Timothy was, and whether it was later in that first mission trip of Paul’s, or some time after, during the 4-year interval between Paul’s first and second missionary trips to Lystra, Timothy eventually came to the same faith that he saw that his mother and grandmother had. They passed their Christian faith down to him.

The heritage of faith was not limited to his salvation. It also included a life-changing exposure to the word of God in his youth. In II Timothy 3:15 Paul reminds Timothy: “From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” So Timothy’s mother Eunice was not a Jew in “name only”; she actually brought Timothy up from his youngest years with an education in the word of God in their home. Among my very first memories, from 3,4,5 years old, are those of my mother telling me stories from the Bible. Eunice did this same thing for Timothy. Even though his father was not a Christian, his mother taught him the word of God, which prepared his heart for the gospel message which Paul brought to Lystra. Eunice had blessed her son with a heritage of faith. She personally believed before him, and she taught him the word of God which had a huge influence on his life. She gave her son a heritage of faith.

Many people talk about trying to “leave their family something” and by that they usually mean something material: an inheritance, a large sum of money, or land and a home. Now those things can be good; Proverbs 13:22 says “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” That’s a good thing. But leaving them a lot of money isn’t the most important thing you can do for your family. Money is not their most important need. In fact, there are numerous examples of people who inherited money, and were just ruined by it. Money is not the most important thing you can leave your family; a heritage of faith is. A heritage of faith is something your family can build their lives on, and pass down to their children. There is nothing more valuable to pass on to your family than that.

A few years back Larry Burkett, the Christian financial advisor, was talking about his dad. He said he remembered when he was a boy, that his dad was an electrician, and he made a bid to rewire a house. When he got into the job, he saw that it was going to cost him three times what he had bid, because of some unforeseen problems. His dad went to the bank and borrowed the money, and did the job for the amount he said he would do it for, and never said a word to the homeowner. Larry Burkett said he never forgot the example that his dad gave him – of integrity, of keeping his word no matter what the cost, and that one example influenced him for the rest of his life. I don’t know whether his dad left him any money or not when died; but he left him something infinitely more important: a heritage of integrity and faith in the ways of God, which would impact his life as long as he lived.

What are you passing down to your kids? Do they see that kind of integrity in you? Do they see gospel faith in you? Do they see a genuine, consistent walk with God in you? Are you passing down to your children and grandchildren a heritage of faith?

One day a few years ago, when our son Michael was still very little, he walked by the blue chair in our living room, and said to me: “That is where Momma reads her Bible.” You just can’t substitute anything for that kind of godly influence! Cheryl has left him a heritage of commitment to the word of God that is going to influence him for as long as he lives! What are your kids seeing in you? Are you leaving them a heritage of faith?

This is especially important regarding salvation. I remember hearing the testimony of someone in our church who said, “I grew up in a Christian home, where we went to church every Sunday, and we read the Bible and prayed in our home, and as a result it was the most natural thing in the world for me, at a very young age, to accept Jesus as my own Lord & Savior.” Now, I understand that any time a person is saved, it is a miracle. But from a human perspective, it became “the most natural thing in the world” for them to accept Christ, because of what they had seen in their home. A heritage of faith lived in the home can be one of the single strongest influences in the members of the home coming to faith in Christ.

But there is one thing about passing on the heritage of faith: you can’t go to Wal-Mart or Target and buy it. You can’t order it over the internet. The only way you can give a Christian heritage to your family, is to LIVE it yourself. You can’t pass on to them something that you don’t have! There can’t be any “do as I say, not as I do.” That won’t work. You have to have a consistent, daily walk with God that is so real that your kids can see it, and know that it is not feigned or put on. Do they know that you pray? Do they know that you read your Bible? Do your personal ethics, and decisions reflect what you say is your commitment to the Lord? Many young men and women have rebelled against the Lord, and against the church, because they have seen the hypocrisy of their parents’ so-called “faith”, and have said, “If that is what faith is, I don’t want any part of it.” Examine your life this morning and ask yourself: “What is it that I am passing on to my kids?”

This Mothers Day should be a day for every one of us to rededicate ourselves to the Lord, to live in such a way that you will leave your family a heritage of faith. It is a day for each one of us to ask ourselves, am I leaving a heritage of faith and Christian character and integrity that will speak after I am gone to those who come behind me? Someone has said that so many of us are so busy “giving our kids what we didn’t have”, that we have forgotten to give them what we DID have – our faith in God, and the commitments to Him that made us who we are, and got us through those hard times. Don’t make the mistake of passing on to your family material things but neglecting to pass on the heritage of faith.

II. You cannot “coast” on your family’s heritage of faith.
“… and I am sure that it is in you as well.”

A Christian heritage is a great thing; and each of us should strive to have that for our family. But like any good thing, there are potential dangers in it.

I remember during an election a few years back there were a couple of people running for office whose parents who had been politicians before them, and they were asked if they thought they had an advantage because of that. I thought their response was interesting: they said, yes, there are some advantages, but that people may not realize that there are also some disadvantages in it that they might not have thought of.

The same thing is true of a heritage of faith. It is the most important blessing you can leave your family. Each of us should strive for that in our homes. But we should not ignore some potential disadvantages. There are not many, but there are some. One of them is that growing up in a Christian home can be a disadvantage to you IF you think that you can coast your way to heaven on the coat-tails of your family’s faith! If you think that because your mom and dad and grandma and grandpa and brothers and sisters and everyone you grew up with are all Christians, then that makes YOU a Christian, you are sadly mistaken. Each person must make his or her own individual choice to receive Christ as THEIR Lord and Savior. Paul said he was mindful that Timothy’s grandmother had the faith, and that his mother had the faith, and he said, “I am sure that is it in YOU as well.” But he didn’t take that for granted; he didn’t just “assume” that Timothy was saved just because his mother and grandmother were. Paul saw that Timothy had the “sincere faith” that was real “in him as well.” Acts 16 says that Timothy was well spoken of by all the believers in Lyconium and Derbe. Timothy’s faith was real, and personal, and was evident to others. He wasn’t just “coasting” on his mother’s faith.

It is the same for each of us. Jesus said “YOU must be born again.” (John 3:3) Each one of us must make our own personal decision to receive Christ. It isn’t yours because of anything your mom or dad or anyone else did.

James Dobson is one of those people who has a terrific “heritage of faith.” His father was a minister, his grandfather was a minister, so many of his family are in the ministry, and he had the “Focus on the Family” ministry for so many years. But at one point he said, even though so many in our family are saved, and are ministers, it does not automatically save my two kids, Danae and Ryan. He said he knew that they had to come to a time in their own lives when they admitted their sins, and asked Jesus to be their Lord & Savior. His “heritage of faith” could not save them. They could not stand before God and say, “My dad was James Dobson; he ran ‘Focus on the Family’!” God would say “I never knew you!” They had to make their own decision to follow Jesus. A heritage of faith without a personal commitment will not save you!

Bethan Lloyd-Jones was the wife of the great Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the English preacher. He was known throughout the world; his books are read by many to this day. Her grandfather was a minister, her father was a godly physician who took his family to revivals all over Britain, and she was married to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, probably THE leading pastor in Britain at the time. But one evening at a church meeting, she realized that although she had this great “heritage of faith”, she had never really made that faith personal, and if she died, she was not going to go to heaven, because although she had this heritage of faith, she had never made a personal decision to follow Christ. And at the end of the service, the pastor’s wife came forward to receive Christ. Some were shocked – it was the pastor’s wife! But her husband’s faith would not save her; she had to make that commitment for herself.

It is the same for each of us. No one else’s faith can save you. YOU have to come to a time in your life when you admit your sins, and you trust that it is Jesus’ death on the cross that saves you, and ask Him to be the Lord and God of your life. That is the only way anyone can be saved. No family ties, no religious person in your life can save you; only a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.

Husband, your wife’s faith can’t save you. Husbands are infamous for saying things like: “My wife tends to the religion in our home.” But the Bible makes it clear: your wife’s religious faith can’t save you; you must make your own commitment. The same thing is true of your children. Look at the child beside you – or think of your child in the nursery or children’s church, or that grandchild wherever they are. That child is not automatically going to go to heaven just because you are. They must make their own decision to receive Jesus as their Savior. You should do your best to teach them, and show them by personal example, what it is all about, but you can’t do it for them. It HAS to be a personal decision.

Years ago Billy Graham said: “God has no grandchildren!” You are either His child because of YOUR own personal relationship to Him, or you are not His child at all. You cannot “coast” into heaven on the heritage of your mom, dad, husband, wife, or anyone else. It is great if your mom and dad were super Christians; it is wonderful if your grandfather was a deacon or preacher. But their faith cannot save you. You must make your own decision. You must have your own spiritual birthday: “You must be born again”! “The sincere faith” Paul talked about must be in YOU as well!

Someone else’s heritage of faith will not save you; and YOUR heritage of faith will not save your children either. There must be a personal commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior for anyone to be saved. The heritage of faith can be a wonderful encouragement for family members to follow Christ – but it does not do it for them. There is “family plan” with God!

Many of you are familiar with the “family plans” that are available with many wireless phone accounts today. We have several of our kids still on our “family plan” which covers their phones. But what you need to realize is that there is no such “family plan” with God. Every person has their own individual account with Him. You are accountable for your personal rebellion and sins against Him. And you must come to a time when you realize that Jesus died for YOUR personal sins, and when YOU ask Him to be YOUR personal Lord & Savior. There’s no “family plan” with God; “God has no grandchildren.” You cannot “coast” to heaven on your family’s faith. If you have been, you have fallen prey to the danger of a heritage of faith.

CONCLUSION:
So: how do you need to respond to this? Some of you need to get started on a genuine heritage of faith. Joe McKeever was for many years the pastor of several Southern Baptist churches, and served as a Director of Missions in the New Orleans area; he is known nationally for his cartoon drawings which grace many of our Baptist publications. Several years ago he was reading about the life of one of the great pastors of old, who, when he died, his wife said of him that as great a man as he was in the church and in the world, he was a better man inside the four walls of his home. When he read that, McKeever said to his wife: “I want you to be able to say that about me when I die.” His wife turned to him and said: “Well then, you’d better get started!” I think that’s a good word for some of us today, for the heritage of faith. If you want it, “you’d better get started.” Start teaching the word of God in your home like Lois and Eunice did, and most importantly, start LIVING it in such a way that your family sees it, and knows that it’s real, so that they will want to follow it. And if you’ve never done it, get started today on your own personal commitment to follow Jesus as your Lord & Savior. Now’s the time; today’s the day, to get started on “Your heritage of faith.”