Men, Step Up!

1 Timothy 2:12-15 - Men, Step Up!

Paul’s purpose for writing this letter is found in 3:15 – so that we would know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God. He wants the church to reflect the purity and orderliness of His creation. In other words, the church is to operate by the standards that He established. We all have a role to fill, and in the church, as it is in our families, when we don’t accept our role and perform our responsibility, everyone suffers.

This is a touchy subject, and I assure you, I have no desire to make women into second-class citizens. I have a wife, two daughters, and two granddaughters, and I want them to be honored in every way. But I want to honor God more. I want them to be fulfilled in every way, but the only way they will ever know true fulfillment is to follow God’s way. I believe that was Paul’s desire, too.

I know it seems that Paul was trying to set the women’s movement back even farther than it was in his day, but I don’t believe that’s true. As I stated previously, Paul wanted women to learn in the church – something Jewish women were never allowed to experience in the Temple or synagogues. So what is Paul saying to our 21^st Century culture?

First, Christian women are to be submissive. I know that is a dirty word in our world today, but truthfully, it is what God has called all of us to be. Jesus was submissive to the Father. Our submission to Jesus is required. And all Paul is calling for in these verses is to recognize the roles that God created us for. Submit to God’s plan.

In verse 11, Paul’s command for silence should be understood as submission to the authority of the spiritual leaders in the church. It’s part of what makes a woman beautiful. You have to understand that the powerful women of Ephesus were used to getting their way, and some of them wanted to be the pastor of the church. Paul said, “No!” As he wrote in chapter 3, the pastor’s role belongs to a man – that’s not my teaching; it’s God’s plan. I honestly don’t believe that Paul was prohibiting women teachers. In Acts 18, we read that both Priscilla and Aquila taught. In 1 Corinthians 11, we see that women prayed and prophesied in the church. I think his prohibition was against women serving as the Senior Pastor of a church.

I will admit that I don’t fully understand all that Paul has to say in vv. 13-15, but we will talk about that later. You see, God’s plan from Adam’s creation was for Adam to be the leader of his family. He wasn’t, and sin entered the world. Adam wasn’t called to be the head of his family after the fall; he was the leader from the beginning. The organizational chart was always intended to read God – Adam – Eve. Adam was given that role by God. Unfortunately, when Adam stood by and allowed Eve to listen to the serpent, the chart changed: Satan – Eve – Adam. Not God’s plan. Had Even not been the one to take the lead and Adam the follow, things may have been different. That is why following God’s way is always best.

Now to take on the hard verse, Paul said that Eve was utterly deceived and that Adam wasn’t. Do you know what that means? Adam willfully chose to sin. Eve did so because the serpent convinced her that he was telling the truth. Not Adam. He purposefully rebelled against God. He knew better, but he did it anyway. Maybe it was because of his love for Eve and he knew the outcome of her sin. Who knows? Here is the point: God’s plan is for the man to lead his family. When he takes the backseat, bad things happen!

Behave Yourself in Church!

1 Timothy 2:8-15 - Behave Yourself in Church! 

Remember, it’s all about holiness. That is important. Paul told Timothy that we are to live holy lives so that others will see that we have been set apart for our Heavenly Father. If we look, act, talk, and dress like lost people, lost people won’t see any reason to change. So Paul wrote these verses to the women at Ephesus so that they would know the importance of standing out in the world – but not in a way that called attention to their sexuality. From clothing to hair to jewelry, Paul said, “Be modest because you are a woman professing godliness.” Rather than focusing on your looks, practice good works. That’s the best way to get noticed. With that in mind, notice Paul’s intention – the goal is not only not to look like the world, but also to minister to lost people.

As you might guess, there were other problems in the church at Ephesus. Understand, there were wealthy, powerful, prominent women in the church. We know that because of Paul’s admonitions about dress previously. Only the wealthy could afford such fashions. With wealth and power, there is often the feeling of privilege. Whether man or woman, the idea is that if I’m the one paying the piper then I have the right to name the tunes. Control. Authority. That is the issue here.

Hold that thought for a second because I want you to understand something about these verses. Women read it and suppose that Paul was bringing his Jewish consideration of a woman’s role into the church. Many have accused Paul of being anti-woman. “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission,” he wrote. Sounds like he was telling the women to keep their rightful place as second-class citizens, doesn’t it? But he wasn’t. In Judaism, women didn’t have the right to learn. They couldn’t be in the synagogues or the Temple with the men. In actuality, Paul was demonstrating that in the church, women were accepted into the congregation. The problem was that many of these women had become outspoken to the point of causing problems in the church. It is likely that they had begun interrupting the teachers – so much so that Paul felt the need to address the situation.

As with all Christians, women must learn. The best way to learn is to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about. Paul was encouraging these women to embrace their role in sharing the gospel by focusing their minds and learning the essentials of the Christian life. That is what the words of the apostle mean. In the NKJV, the wording is that the women are to “learn in silence.” The word for silence would be better translated as “quietness” because the emphasis is more on the attitude or spirit with which she was to learn. Paul was not demanding silence but a teachable spirit. The idea of submission? Well, all of us are expected to be submissive to our Christian leaders. Paul’s warning was good for all of us – don’t abuse the leadership of the church by disrespectful actions. Simply put – behave yourself in church!

Ladies, Be Different!

1 Timothy 2:8-9 - Ladies, Be Different!

Now we get into some tough/ticklish verses. Please know that everything that I say comes from a heart of love: love for the Father and His Word and love for the people God has given me the privilege of serving. The tough stuff doesn’t start in v. 8 – this one is easy. Paul wanted everyone to pray. That is a given. He has said that over and over. This time, he mentioned that they should pray lifting up holy hands. The idea is that of the psalmist who said, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord but he that has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-4). The only way to enter the Lord’s presence is with our hearts cleansed from sin. It is all about holiness, and Paul was telling his readers to pray with holy hands lifted before the Father as a symbol of our pure and holy hearts that come from confession of our sin and forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus.

Paul’s point in these verses was to emphasize the need for holy living in the midst of an unholy culture. We are to be so different, set apart from the worldly culture, that no one could ever confuse us with the lost world. What good is all the praying that we are to do for the lost world (2:1-7) if we don’t model the Christian standards of holiness? Why would people see the need to change if we look and act just like them? Understand, we may take offense at the things Paul is about to say because in our culture, women have the same rights as men, but we must understand Paul’s reasons for saying these things. Let me give you the version according to Ben Hayes: “Women, don’t be like the prostitutes serving in the pagan temples of Ephesus.” This is Paul’s message.

You see, in the pagan worship rituals of that day (just like in the Old Testament), the temples employed prostitutes to lure men in under the guise that these false gods wanted to satisfy their every need. We could talk about some of the things that went on in these temples, but then I would have to rate this post NC-17 and check your ID before you continued to reading. It was that bad.

It is very likely that Paul’s appeal to the women had more to do with them being set apart from these pagan prostitutes. Don’t look like them, dress like them, or act like them. We could stand a bit more of that in our day, too. Men and women dressing modestly is pleasing to God. Men and women looking more like Jesus and less like the world is pleasing to God. Men and women acting more like Jesus and less like the world is pleasing to God.

But there is another angle that has to be considered. It is obvious from Paul’s writing that there were women in the church at Ephesus that came from wealthy families. Powerful families. And Paul reminded them that they should not flaunt their wealth or their beauty because that can become an issue of pride – setting themselves above others – and both Jesus and Paul teach that we should esteem others better than ourselves. It can also drive those less fortunate away from the gospel. So over the next few days, I want to look at these verses knowing that there are two words Paul used that speak volumes: propriety and moderation. Both of these words refer to matters of sex. The first means to show reserve and the second means to master one’s appetites. Be different! That is the key.

One Way

1 Timothy 2:3-7 - One Way

Why should we pray? Because it is pleasing to God, and after all, that is the goal of every Christian, right? But notice how Paul described God in v. 4. He is the One who desires for all men to be saved. So if that is what pleases God, our prayers should include lost people. We should pray for them specifically by name. I personally believe that prayer is God’s way of opening up men and women so that they will be ready for the gospel. It is the equivalent of plowing the ground to prepare it for the seed. When we pray for the lost, God begins to open blinded eyes so that they can see the truth and understand things they never could before. And when I pray for the lost, I pray that God would put into their paths Christians who will demonstrate His love and speak His truth into their lives.

This is so important, my friends, that Paul reminded Timothy and us that there is only one way to be saved. In our world, the false teachers are on the brink of a great victory. They are quickly convincing people that all religions lead to the same God and that salvation is for everyone. That is not true. There is only One Man who can bring us into God’s presence, and His name is Jesus.

Look at how Paul described it: there is One God. Not many Gods. Only One. And God is not Allah or Krishna or Buddha. He is Yahweh. Yahweh is the only true God and His Son is our Mediator. You cannot make any of these false gods fit this description. The premise that every religion leads to God is false, and when you begin with a false premise, you end with a wrong conclusion. For example, I could say, “All preachers are skinny.” That is a false premise. However, if that is my premise, then the logical conclusion would be that since I am a preacher, I am skinny. Well, I think you see my point. This is what the false teachers are trying to do by telling us that all roads lead to heaven. This false premise then makes it okay to believe what you want to believe and to worship what you want to worship. The Bible says that will send you straight to Hell.

Do you know the major difference between our God and these false gods? Our God provided a Mediator who sacrificed Himself on a cross as the ransom for all our sins. Jesus died to pay the price for the sins of every person to ever live. His blood can cover them all, but it only covers the sin of people who accept His gift. Have you accepted His offer? You can. Simply tell Him that you want to. Pray and admit to God that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and that you believe Jesus is that Savior who died on the cross for your sin and rose from the dead on the third day. Ask for forgiveness and surrender your life to His Lordship. There are no magic words; that’s why the Bible says that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” He knows your heart. Call on the Lord. His name is Jesus.

One final word: it was for this very reason that Paul had been called, commanded, and commissioned as an apostle. His job was to proclaim these truths to all people, especially those who weren’t Jews. It’s our job, too!

We Pray Because....

1 Timothy 2:2-4 - We Pray Because....

It’s the right thing to do – prayer that is. We should, as Christians, be continuously making intercession for all men and especially for our leaders. Paul even told us in v. 3 that it is good and acceptable in the eyes of the Father and the Son. But there are even “better” reasons than just saying that it is the right thing to do.

Paul told us to do it so that we can live quiet, peaceful lives characterized by godliness and reverence. I see these as the internal and external dynamics/results of a powerful prayer life. Prayer gives us peace. Quite honestly, prayer moves our hearts into the hands of God so that we know that everything will be taken care of. Prayer really does change the one who prays. And as God answers our prayers, He gives to us the assurance that no matter what happens, we are in His hands.

Don’t misunderstand. Paul was not indicating that Christians who pray would be without conflict in their lives. In those days (and in ours), that is an impossibility, but we can choose, by God’s power, to respond in a quiet and peaceful way. For most of us, that requires a heart change. What Paul is telling us is that within the church, we must do away with strife and discord so that the world will see unity – standing together – in the midst of the storm.

Paul went on. He mentioned godliness and reverence. Again, this is the inner transformation that takes place because of prayer. The words Paul used are hard to translate into English. “Godliness” in this instance means “to live knowing realistically what is required in life with respect to God.” It’s about a proper relationship – a life lived in total submission and respect for our Heavenly Father. It’s also about respecting ourselves and each other. “Reverence” seems to indicate a graceful dignity. So you see, all of these characteristics refer to a lifestyle that would appeal to those who are hostile to the gospel. The truth is that you catch way more flies with a teaspoon of honey than you can with a gallon of vinegar. And that is always our goal – to bring lost people into the Kingdom. It’s why we worship, pray, study the Bible, minister, give our money, do missions, etc. Everything we do as Christians must be focused on reaching the lost because God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell (2 Peter 3:9), but they will if they don’t accept Jesus. And Paul reminded us in Romans 10 that they cannot accept Jesus unless someone tells them, and God has chosen you and me to do the telling!

Pray!

1 Timothy 2:1-2 - Pray!

So we are to pray. That’s what Paul told us in v. 1: pray for everybody with all kinds of prayers (see previous post.) I don’t know that I would say that Paul covered every type of prayer in v. 1, but if we as Christians practiced these four types of prayers, we would see a powerful work of God in our lives, our families, our churches, and our world! We talk about prayer way more than we pray, and that is our problem. Perhaps it was Timothy’s problem, too, because Paul laid out a great plan for him to follow! Look at what he did. Pray in these four ways for all men, kings, and all who are in authority. So Paul answered the question, “For whom are we to pray?” Everybody! No one should be beyond the prayers of God’s people: family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, the waitress at the restaurant, etc. Everyone needs prayer! Lost people, saved people, atheists, and agnostics need prayer. Gay people, straight people, all need prayer. But especially, Paul said, kings and those in positions of authority. We need to pray for our leaders, and that includes our bosses and our spiritual leaders. At this particular time in our world, it definitely means that we should pray for our political leaders because they need the wisdom of God to be able to carry out the duties of their offices.

Some of you might say, “I’m not going to pray for my leader. He is the worst we’ve ever had. He’s evil. He’s incompetent. He’s… whatever you might add to that sentence.” But I want you to understand something. When Paul wrote these words, Nero was the Emperor of Rome. He was a wicked man who had his mother and brothers executed to secure his throne. He was afraid they were going to take it away from them, so he had them put to death. This was the man who dipped the bodies of Christians in hot wax and set them on fire, using the light to illuminate his dinner parties. And Paul said, “Pray for him.” Wow! You think your leaders are bad!

Even when we do not agree with the policies or practices of our leaders, we should still pray for them. Maybe even because we believe they are evil, we should pray for them even more. There are two reasons that I say this: God will either work in the hearts of the leaders to change them, or if perhaps you are in the wrong, He will change you. He can overrule a wicked heart – even ours – if we let Him.

Prayer is the Key

1 Timothy 2:1

The word “therefore” pops up in an interesting place. You see, when Paul used it he was basically saying, “Because of what I have just written, this is what you need to do.” Look at what he had just written: Timothy was to put a stop to the false teachers who were wasting time; Paul was saved by God’s grace even though he was the chief of sinners; Timothy was the man for this fight because he was a man of good conscience and faith. What I gather from that is Paul was telling Timothy that there wasn’t anything wrong in this church that a healthy dose of salvation couldn’t cure. No matter how bad it was, no matter how evil certain people can be, God’s grace and church discipline can change everything.

So based on all of this, Paul said, “Your first priority, Timothy, is to pray!” That is the best advice for every Christian and especially for pastors. You remember the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well, it applies in this passage but with a slight change. “When the going gets tough, Christians start praying.” Of course, we are supposed to be praying always, but certain situations require intense, fervent, extended times of prayer.

Look at how Paul described his exhortation to pray:

·         Supplications – requests for self and others. He told Timothy to share his needs with God. The root of this word means “to bind,” and Paul was telling us that in prayer, we are binding ourselves to the will and way of God. Since this word is focused on special needs, it comes from a deep burden that moves us to pray and accept God’s will.

·         Prayers – while this is the general word for prayer, it refers to the act of worship that accompanies prayer. Some say that inherent in the word is the position of prostration – falling on our faces before God. Perhaps Paul was talking about those times we simply come into the Lord’s presence just to spend time at His feet because we love Him, so we fall on our face to worship Him. It is imperative that we practice this kind of prayer so that we know God and He changes our hearts.

·         Intercession – this is about taking the needs of others before the Lord. This is bold praying on behalf of others. In Scripture, the word is used of a person who pleads with a king on behalf of a friend. Literally, through prayer, you enter into the situation and stand in the gap to keep the enemy away.

·         Thanksgiving – not the holiday, but praying with an attitude of gratitude. But folks, this isn’t an even or a concept; it’s a lifestyle. It isn’t a ritual; it’s part of our daily lives. The truth is that no prayer is complete – and no life is complete – without spending time giving thanks to God.

So our #1 priority is prayer. It is one of our primary weapons of warfare, and without it, we can accomplish nothing.

Naming Names

1 Timothy 1:20 - Naming Names

Whoa! This verse is something else, isn’t it? Paul does something that would have landed him in court today. He named names: Hymenaeus and Alexander. These two men had sailed straight into the rocks. Their faith was shipwrecked because they had rejected it. It is very likely that these men were the ones responsible for the fables and genealogies mentioned before. These guys were not just wasting time; they were leading people astray. But Paul had a solution: “I delivered them to Satan.” Wow! Now you may have wanted to tell someone to go to the devil before, but this is way beyond that. Paul said, “I personally delivered them.”

Don’t take this literally. He didn’t load them onto donkeys and drive them there. Nor did he kill them. How did he do it? Church discipline. This is the same apostle who wrote to the church in Thessalonica telling them to discipline the troublemakers there. Remember what he said? Do not keep company with them. Isolate them from the church so that they will be taken out of the protective fellowship of the church. The purpose of this is so that they will recognize their sin and return to the true faith. He said the same thing in 1 Corinthians 5. He commanded the church to deliver a sexually immoral man to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved.” Paul’s indication is that in doing this, physical illness may be involved as well as guilt and shame. Too often, we ignore this fact that God can use physical ailments to discipline His people. Paul said that was the issue in 1 Corinthians 11 when the church was not approaching the Lord’s Supper in the right spirit – many were asleep, he said. That is code for dead. I listened to a pastor recently tell a story about a member of his church who shook his finger in the face of one of the church’s ministers “telling him off.” The next week, he cut that very finger off with a saw. Coincidence? Probably not!

Let me pause here a second and remind you of something that I say over and over again to people who are going through difficult times. Not all difficulties and illnesses are God disciplining His people. We get sick and have rough situations confront us often because we live in a sin-filled world. We are a fallen people. However, sometimes God uses these things to discipline us. Hebrews 12:6 tells us that God disciplines those He loves, and when He does, He lets us know that He is disciplining us. What good is it for a parent to spank a child or put them in time out and not tell them the reason? That would just be mean. So if you begin to sense that your difficulties are God’s discipline, ask Him. He will tell you.

For Hymenaeus and Alexander, the goal is that they would learn not to blaspheme God. They needed to stop insulting God through words and deeds. I often talk about people playing games with God. By that I mean several things: pretending to be something they are not; saying one thing and doing another; refusing to take seriously the calling God has placed on our lives. We have to learn that God means business, and we must be about His business. What is that business? Saving sinners. How are we going to do that? By proclaiming the good news of salvation to the lost. When is that going to happen? When Christians are being taught the Word of God seriously, take its message to heart, and begin to make disciples.

The Word or the World?

1 Timothy 1:17-20 – The Word or the World?

This might have been a strange way to divide this passage, and I know that verse 17 fits with the previous verses. Paul is praising God for the simple fact that Jesus came to save sinners. He is the only hope for a lost world, but He is more than able to take care of our needs. So having proclaimed this truth, it is only natural to break out in son praising the God who made a way for us to be saved. So Paul offers a doxology – giving glory to God. Look at what he says.

He is the King! Not “a” king. He is THE King of the universe. He is King above all Kings because He holds the heart of every ruler in His hands. He puts them in their positions of authority (Romans 13) for His purposes to be accomplished. But He is also the King because He is eternal – His kingdom never ends. He is immortal – the King never dies. He is invisible – even though you cannot see Him, He is there. He is God, and He alone is wise. Yes, there are wise men among us, but compared to God’s wisdom, their wisdom is nothing. And this is the doxology part – to Him be honor and glory forever and ever.

What a word of praise! This was a word that Timothy needed to hear because Paul was coming to him as an emissary of God. His message to Timothy carried the full weight and authority of the throne of heaven. So again, he reminds Timothy of the charge he had already given him. It is almost as if Paul issues an edict that comes directly from God telling Timothy that he is to be the leader of this church, and he is to tell these false teachers to stop wasting time and leading people astray.

Timothy had a lot going for him. At some point in his life, someone had prophesied over him, and it must have been a powerful testimony of how God was going to use him. He was going to fight the good fight just like Paul had done. Why? Because he had faith and a good conscience. He believed God, and he acted accordingly. He was living out his faith – what every Christian must do.

But in this church at Ephesus, there was a group that had rejected the faith. They had gone off course and sailed straight into the rocks. By their own choice they had become shipwrecked as it pertained to their relationship with God and the Truth.

There are so many professing Christians doing this today. They reject the truths of God’s Word simply because it doesn’t fit their desires or their understanding or the culture in which they live. They choose to ignore whole passages that speak to sinful lifestyles because they don’t want to feel convicted or because they don’t want others to think that they are intolerant, unloving, or bigoted. My friends, don’t do it! Choose the Word over the world! Choose faith over fables that lead astray! Choose God’s grace over groups that are demanding to be accepted in spite of the teachings of Scripture.

God's Show and Tell

1 Timothy 1:15-17 – God’s Show and Tell

Chief Sinner! That was Paul’s opinion about himself, and it is easily understood. He had fought God – literally rejecting the Truth and resisting grace. Beyond that, he had set out to destroy the early church by arresting Christians and having them imprisoned – possibly even having them killed. So he had to believe that he was the worst of the worse. But he wasn’t! I am. And you are. Since all sin is fighting against God and all sin is evil, all sin is the same. That makes me the chief sinner. And that makes you the chief sinner, too.

The good news is this: just as Paul obtained mercy, so, too, can we. We simply throw up our hearts and hands in surrender to His grace, and all that was before is wiped away. God removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. The blood of Jesus covers our sin, and God chooses to never remember it again.

But why does God do this? The correct answer is, “Because He loves us!” His unconditional love wants only for us to be in a love relationship with Him, so He makes it possible. “However,” Paul said, “I obtained mercy for a reason.” In other words, God had a purpose for saving Paul. Or perhaps better stated, God saved Paul for him to accomplish something. Here it is: to be God’s show and tell.

Do you remember show and tell? In the early years of elementary school you had to bring an item to school, stand in front of the class, and talk about it. It was your initial training in public speaking, but that’s not important here. For Paul, it’s like God wanted to take this enemy of the church, transform hi into a friend and powerful servant, and show everyone what He could do. It isn’t about Paul; it’s about Jesus. It’s about His ability to save and transform, but even beyond that, it’s about His longsuffering and immensely patient Spirit that pursued Paul even while he was persecuting Christians. God is saying, “If I can do this with Paul, know that I can do it with you.” Paul became a pattern for those who would come after him.

Know this: God pursues us. His Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. He sends someone to us to show us how to be saved, and He does it all so that He might use us to accomplish something as well.

Salvation was the greatest moment of Paul’s life, and the same is true for everyone who comes to know Jesus. To know that your past has been forgiven, your present has been empowered, and your future has been assured is to know the meaning of love, peace, and joy. And notice what Paul did as he was writing this letter. Just remembering what that day was like caused him to break out in celebratory praise of the One who saved him. How do you feel when you think back to that day? Are you so overwhelmed by joy that you can’t contain it? God wants you to be so that you, too, can be His show and tell.

Jesus' Mission Statement

1 Timothy 1:15 - Jesus' Mission Statement

This is one of my favorite verses in all of the Bible. If you are around me much, I say that about a lot of verses. This one is special to me, however, and not just to me. It is special to millions of Christians. No doubt it had become a favorite saying of Christians in the early church, and Paul took it to make it part of Holy Scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul called it “faithful” and “worthy of acceptance.” What exactly does that mean? It means that, like all Scripture, it is trustworthy. In fact, Paul makes this particular claim five times in what are called the Pastoral Epistles. These letters (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus) are geared more to pastors than anyone else.

But these five sayings aren’t just for pastors. They are cherished teachings of the church that when trusted and accepted lead to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. These sayings have the power to transform lives. Look at this first saying: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” If Jesus had been caught up in our modern day push to develop mission statements, this would have been His. I can see it now: Emmanuel Evangelism Ministry – Come to save sinners!” I know that is kind of silly, but it sums up Jesus’ mission.

It is easy for us to lose sight of this very specific purpose because Jesus did so many things. He taught powerful lessons that help everyone who chooses to follow them. He did amazing miracles that changed the lives of all He touched. And everything He did was for the purpose of bringing lost people into the Kingdom of God. We need to learn from this in the church: everything we do should be for the purpose of leading lost people to Jesus because only He can save.

So take this to heart: Jesus came to save sinners. That is why He died. That is why He rose again. It’s all about sins being forgiven, but that only happens when we admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. That Jesus is the only Savior that died for our sins. That salvation is His gift to all who believe in Him and confess that He is Lord.

Look at that last phrase. Paul claimed for himself the designation of “chief sinner.” But do you want to know the truth? Every lost person feels that way when they come under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of what your sins have been, when you recognize that you have rebelled against Perfect Love, you cannot help but feel the overwhelming guilt and shame that makes you believe that you are the worst of the worse – that no one else could possibly have broken God’s heart like you have. But the good news is that all of that disappears in a flash when Perfect Love washes awayyour sin and replaces it with His Righteousness.

The Power of Testimony

1 Timothy 1:12-14 – The Power of Testimony

Do you know that your most powerful weapon in your spiritual arsenal is your testimony? In Revelation 12:11, John wrote that when Satan attacks God’s people, the devil is overcome by “the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony….” Carman, a Christian musician from the 80s and 90s has a song that says something like this: “When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.” You see, our testimony as Christians is that our past is in the past. It is covered by the blood of the Lamb, and no weapon formed against us will stand. Verse after verse in the Bible tells us that we are victors because we are in Christ Jesus. When the temptations come, remember your testimony. When you have those moments where you doubt your salvation, remember your testimony.

But there is another powerful aspect to this weapon. When it comes to your testimony, you are the expert. You know everything there is to know about what God saved you from, how He saved you, and what your life has been like since you have been saved. With that information, you can tell anyone how to be saved.

As I read these verses, I can almost picture the apostle as he remembered and recounted his own testimony. A sinner, guilty of blaspheming God, who did everything in his power to destroy the early church, but then he had that amazing encounter on the road to Damascus. It was a visit from the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. His sins were forgiven, and he was commissioned as an apostle to the Gentiles. And he knew that this is the message that we must teach. This is what is important – not fables and genealogies. Teaching people the Word of God so that they can be saved is what matters.

Paul also defended his apostleship in a roundabout way. I know that he is thankful for all that Jesus had done for him. Bringing him out of darkness to walk in the light of Christ’s love. Transforming him into the new creation that he was. Enabling him to serve in the ministry because Jesus had found him faithful.

For every minister who reads the words of Paul – stop and realize what he was doing. Again recounting his testimony. Why is that so important? Because there are times when we need to go back to that moment when we know that Jesus called us into ministry. We need to remember that this isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. We must remember every time we are ready to give up or when we begin to doubt our calling that He is the one who called us and empowered us to do what we do. And in those moment, we must remember that He didn’t invite us to become ministers – He put us there. And it is by His exceedingly abundant grace, faith, and love that we can carry on. By the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.

Know Before You Teach

1 Timothy 1:5-11 - Know Before You Teach

Teaching the truth of God’s Word always results in the love of God displayed. But for young Timothy, getting the Word out was difficult. Some had chosen to ignore the Truth and teach useless things. They had strayed from the Truth – in their teachings and in their lifestyles. They had stopped teaching and just started talking. Idle talk, Paul called it. Some of that happens in every Sunday School class. Someone starts talking and before you know it, class is over and the lesson was never begun. That isn’t what Paul was talking about. In this case, the teachers were presenting opinions, not facts. Irrelevant concepts, not life-transforming truths.

Look at Paul’s choice of words in v. 7. “…desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.” Folks, it is true that teachers learn more as they prepare to teach, but you cannot teach that for which you have no understanding. For example, I could read you a textbook on nuclear physics, but I cannot explain to you what it all means. I have a rudimentary knowledge that might meet the needs of most elementary school students, but I can in no way impart understanding that matters. These people were trying to teach the laws of Judaism without having any concept of what it meant. Even worse, these people didn’t even have a clue as to the purpose of the laws they were trying to teach.

 

Jesus made it clear -- He came to fulfill the law not to destroy it. In Him, the law was made complete. He lived out the law perfectly, then He offered Himself as a once-for-all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. Once He died and rose again, the law had been completed. Its purpose had been fulfilled.

Here’s the thing: teachers must understand that which we declare to be truth, but we must also have a grasp of the purpose of that truth. These men had neither. So Paul reminded Timothy and us that the law is good if we use it lawfully. In other words, it must fulfill its purpose. What is that purpose? To reveal the sinful nature of man. That’s why it is not for the righteous. Righteous people are those cleansed by the blood of Jesus and are no longer under the law. As Christians, we obey God because we love Him and want to please Him. His Holy Spirit takes His Word and illuminates our hearts so that we know when we have sinned. But for lost people, those who are living in sin, the law is a mirror that reveals to them their true nature so that they might understand that their only hope is Jesus.

Motivations, Actions, Beliefs

1 Timothy 1:5 - Motivations, Actions, Beliefs

The purpose of the commandment is…. Do you have any idea to which commandment Paul was referring? I think I do. Perhaps Paul was talking about the Great Commandment which is to love God with all our beings and to love others as ourselves. You can see how that might be behind all that Paul said to young Timothy and is kind of self-explanatory. Or perhaps he was talking about another commandment. Our problem is to decide which one. But before I tell you what I think was on his mind, let me give you this truth: Every true doctrine in God’s Word results in love. It is always imperative that we keep this in our hearts and minds. The entire Word of God is a love letter from the Creator of the universe to His creation.

So with that in mind, let me tell you what I think Paul was saying. He had just given Timothy a “charge.” In my last post, I shared with you that that was Paul authorizing this young minister to command these false teachers and troublemakers to stop wasting time and leading people down the wrong path. Paul wanted this church at Ephesus to teach no other doctrine than that which he had taught them and to stop wasting time on myths and genealogies. Lots of people don’t take “commands” very well, and they would certainly question how this behavior results in love, but it does. Here is the reality. When we focus on the truths of God’s Word, love is always the outcome. You see, every book, chapter and verse of the Bible points to Who God is: love. God is love. When we teach the Word, we are teaching love.

But look at how Paul qualified this love. It comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. These three phrases speak of motivation, actions, and beliefs. Let’s look at each one of these for just a moment.

If our hearts are pure, our motivations are right. We do what we do for the right reason – because we love God and want to serve only Him. It isn’t about doing what we want to do but what He has commanded us to do. Remember what Jesus said? “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Our hearts are made pure by the blood of Christ, but they remain pure by our choice to please Him.

If our consciences are good, that means our actions have been right. We have done what we are supposed to do in the way we were supposed to do it. You know it’s true. When you misbehave, you feel guilty. That is the evidence that your conscience is working as it leads you back to doing the right things.

And if your faith is sincere, if we truly are seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, love wins out. If we believe what the Bible says and our faith is in God’s promises, we will live holy lives than not only please God but also demonstrates His love and power. When His love and power are demonstrated, lost people get saved and saved people grow stronger. I’m not sure that anything is more needed today than for God’s people to believe God’s Word without compromise. We are being assaulted by the forces of Satan in an attempt to coerce us to leave the Truth behind, and it is working. Every day we see more and more Christians pushing to accept that which is sinful as acceptable – twisting God’s Word in the process. We must stand firm for the sake of those who need to know the love of Jesus.

Wasting Time

1 Timothy 1:3, 4 – Wasting Time!

Young Timothy had a tough job. In the church at Ephesus where he served as pastor, there were a number of challenging issues that could overwhelm a seasoned pastor. For this young man, it was almost too much. His health was being affected because the stress was so great. Let me let you in on something. The greatest stress in a pastor’s life is not facing up to the persecution and ridicule that comes from outside of the church. Pastors take that in stride because, once again, lost people act like lost people because they are lost. No, the greatest pressure and often the strongest attacks come from within the church. Timothy’s problems were false doctrines that had to be dealt with, issues with public worship, and lack of mature Christian leadership. As we come to these in this letter, we will look closely at each one.

The main reason Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was to address the false doctrines being taught in the church. In Acts 20, Paul had warned the Ephesians that some of their own people would try to lead them astray. Later in this chapter of 1 Timothy, he named two of them. Life in Ephesus was hard enough for Christians because of all the occultic practices that flourished there; how could they possibly defend against heresy coming from inside the church, too? Paul knew it was going to happen and that it had happened, so Paul urged Timothy to charge these false teachers not to teach false doctrines. The word “charge” literally means to give stern orders with full authority. In other words, they were to cease and desist immediately. Perhaps some of his Sunday School teachers had stepped outside of the approved curriculum and started teaching their own belief. They were teaching things like fables and endless genealogies – idle talk and legalism. Yes, the legalists were back trying to lead others astray. The problem was that they didn’t even understand the law they were trying to teach.

These fable to which Paul referred were false tales and speculative ideas that refuted the teachings of Paul. Perhaps they were fictional distortions of the Old Testament stories from creation forward. Genealogies could have been efforts by these “Jewish” teachers to trace their heritage back to the Patriarchs. Whatever they were, they were a waste of time and energy that shifted the focus away from what is important – God’s Word!

Have you ever been part of a Bible Study where one or two people dominated the discussion? You end up talking about anything and everything but the Word? That’s what was happening and Paul had commanded/authorized Timothy to put a stop to it because all these activities do is stir up arguments and prevent godly teaching. When the devil wants to get into a church, he doesn't confront them directly. He doesn't say that "God is dead" or that "Jesus didn't really die." He sends in his minions to simply waste time, and my friends, we don't have any time to waste. We must be about the Father's business of teaching the Word! We must never allow anything to prevent that.

God Loves Homosexuals, and So Do I!

God Loves Homosexuals, and So Do I!

I feel the need to go a different direction with my blog this morning. Those of you who know me well would agree with the statement that I am about to make – I think. I am a lover, not a fighter. Please don’t take that in the wrong way. I just mean that I love people, and I hate conflict. One of my biggest problems is that I avoid confrontation too much. Perhaps that is because I believe that God wants Christians to be peacemakers – that’s why Jesus blessed peacemakers. The apostle Paul wrote these words in Romans 12:18 (NKJV): “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” I endeavor to do this with all my heart, but I must say that Paul hit it on the head: if it is possible. Sometimes it just isn’t. Sometimes you have to stand for what is right regardless of what others think or say or do. And sometimes you end up in a confrontation that you don’t want to be in but in which you have no choice. I have found myself in this position quite a bit lately, and for a peacemaking man of love, that makes like difficult.

So again, let me be clear: I love people. I love people of all colors, shapes, and sizes. I love people who are Christians and those who are not. I love people who fit into all different categories. I even love homosexuals. I do! From the bottom of my heart, I love homosexuals. If I didn’t, then I would not be in this confrontation because I would just keep my mouth shut. You see, love demands that you warn someone who is heading for disaster. For instance, if you see a car unknowingly racing toward a cliff and certain death, you would naturally do everything in your power to warn them. You might even jump right into the path of the oncoming car trying to stop them. Love demands that you do everything.

So here it is: according to the Bible that I believe with all of my heart, homosexuality is a sin. It is not an unforgivable sin, but it is a sin just like adultery, lying, murder, stealing, etc. The good news is that God doesn’t grade sin on a curve. What I mean by that is that one sin is not worse than another. The bad news is that God doesn’t grade sin on a curve. In other words, one sin is not better than another. The truth is that the Bible tells us that sin is sin, that all of us sin, and that because of sin, we are spiritually dead. Spiritual death means that we are separated from God, and unless we are brought to life spiritually, our eternal destiny is hell. Folks, I’m not making this up – it’s in the Bible. So do you get the picture? It doesn’t matter what your sin is, without taking God’s remedy for death, you will spend eternity in hell.

With that in mind, understand what I said earlier. If I didn’t love homosexuals, I would just keep my mouth shut and I would let them die in their sin and go to hell. But I can’t do that. Yes, that earns me the title of being a homophobic ignorant intolerant bigot according to some (and that’s the nice way of putting it), but so be it. I would much rather take the rants of some angry people than to disobey my Heavenly Father who tells me to love people knowing that they will hate me.

And by the way, let me tell you about God’s remedy. It’s Easter. That’s right. It is Easter. It is the celebration of the fact that Jesus died on Calvary’s cross for all of our sins but then was raised from death. He paid the price so that we could be forgiven and made alive to spend eternity in heaven. Yes, that means that our lives must change, but the good news is that He is the one who does the changing. He changes us. He makes us alive. And all you have to do is to accept His gift of life. It’s that simple.

So to those of you who are Christians, don’t give up like these governors are doing. Keep fighting the fight to love all people. And to those of you who think I’m an idiot, just know this: I love you too much not to pass on God’s warning to you.