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!
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