This post was last updated on December 29, 2025

Day 305, Year 1

Genuine Faith

… “When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” (2 Timothy 1:5 NKJV)

The quality of faith is crucial for people to continually believe in the Lord Jesus. This faith must be genuine to be a true and effective faith. Otherwise, it is a fake or false faith. The word “genuine” in Greek anupokritos means “unfeigned, undisguised, sincere, or without hypocrisy.” Indeed, believing in Jesus can be pretending or false. On the contrary, the author, whom I believe is the Apostle Paul, praises the kind of faith that is not hypocritical, inherited from the maternal grandmother and mother of the recipient Timothy. It is likely that they developed this unfeigned faith from following the Old Testament. Paul was convinced that the unfeigned faith of Timothy’s mother, etc., was also in him. However, this seems to imply that the honesty and innocence of heredity can also be lost. For instance, David and his son Solomon show that David is faithful to God, but Solomon was not. In other words, genetic influence on the quality of people’s faith across generations is obvious but not absolute.

Some people have learned hypocrisy from evil societies, families, or specific groups. If hypocrisy is not removed, it will be difficult for people to truly believe in Jesus. As mentioned above, there are many reasons for the hypocrisy of Pharisees, etc., including inner double standards, lack of courage to face the truth, lack of faith in God, greed for money, and so on. These problems make them hypocritical.

The verse today encourages Timothy to follow the example of his mother and grandmother in keeping and even strengthening his own genuine faith. In fact, we can also learn from other Christians about how to remove hypocrisy so that our faith can become genuine and sincere. This includes reading the biographies of spiritual believers or learning from those who humbly seek the Lord at all times. Meanwhile, believers who are easily corrupted by others must do everything in their power to counteract the influence of hypocrites. Genuineness and sincerity come from knowing and believing in the truth, and adjusting our hearts accordingly. As we know and practice the truth more, we become increasingly truthful. Then, we move further away from hypocrisy. Indeed, the dishonest heart may lead some to deceive when disguising faith in Jesus. In fact, honesty nurtures trust. In the same way, moral integrity often precedes spiritual faith.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel like you grew up in an honest and sincere family? If not, what can you do to be more and more honest and sincere?

2) Imitate the honest and turn away from the hypocritical. Is this difficult for you to do? If so, how do you overcome them?