Grace + NotOneSingleLittleBittyOtherThingAtAll

We are so messed up. Thank God for grace.

The new believers in Ephesus were pretty messed up too. Timothy was there to try to straighten them out, but he was discovering that this was no small task. Paul wrote him a letter detailing all of the things Timothy needed to know and remember and that's the book of 1 Timothy. We have it divided into chapters and verses, but really, it was originally just a letter written to Timothy from his mentor, Paul. These two had been trying so hard to spread the good news of what Jesus had done just 30-40 years before, dying on the cross and rising from the dead to bring salvation to anyone who believes. But they were constantly faced with the messed-up-ness of the people around them. At that time, it was culturally acceptable to worship many different gods, so the concept of ONE God was pretty foreign. Many people were still convinced that they needed to keep the Law (those first five books of the Old Testament), so the concept of a Savior was totally incomprehensible. And that he would offer something called grace? Unheard of. Timothy was preaching a brand new message.

Paul had laid out directions for how to organize the new believers. He told Timothy some things that the men should be doing and some things to tell the women. The purpose of these rules was to bring order to the church so that the gospel could spread more effectively. Paul also told Timothy about some requirements for pastors and deacons and their wives. Paul knew something crucial...if the Church was in chaos, the good news of grace would stop spreading, so keeping order was important. 

When Paul finished telling Timothy about how to organize the people of the Church (1 Timothy 1-3), he went back to talking about false teachers and false ideologies that were being taught (1 Timothy 4). He said that in later times, which is basically the entire time between the ascension of Jesus into heaven and his return one day, many would depart from the faith. The fancy word for turning away from God is apostasy. It's been happening for centuries. We got into a pretty good discussion during our Bible study time about apostasy...We good Baptists like to say "once saved, always saved" as our stance on the eternal security of the believer. But if Paul is saying that one can "depart" from the faith, that implies that he must first be IN the faith, right? And if he's in the faith, he can remain or he can depart? If that's true, as one of our ladies put it, then nobody's safe! Seems like maybe our doctrinal belief has been a little fuzzy. Let me try to clear the muddy waters.

The answer here comes down to semantics. Being in THE faith is not the same thing as being saved, having a personal faith. Check out Hebrews 6:4-6... 

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt." 

This is another passage of Scripture that says that people can fall away. If you read closely enough, you'll see that these people have been enlightened (they've heard the gospel), they've tasted the heavenly gift (they know all about Jesus), they've shared in the Holy Spirit (they've seen the Spirit active in their midst, often through other believers), and they've tasted the goodness of the word of God (they've heard Scripture). In other words, they've been in THE faith. This Scripture mentions nothing of having a personal faith in the grace of Jesus Christ, which is the only requirement for salvation. So you see, a person can be in THE faith and then fall away, turning to other gods. One can be in the faith without having a personal faith of their own. In even simpler terms, they knew all about God but they never accepted His gift of salvation, so when they fall away, they were actually never saved to begin with. 

This can be pretty confusing and make you really question your salvation, right? Good! It's GOOD to question and search for an answer in Scripture. Ask yourself this: Have I accepted God's gift of grace (meaning that he is your Savior and Lord)? If the answer is yes, hooray! You're saved! If you feel more like you're just in THE faith, going through the motions, coming to church or Bible Study, but not having a faith of your very own, stop right now and get right with God. Tell him you want his grace, you're thankful for what he did on the cross and you're ready to make him your boss. He'll save you right now!

Now back to 1 Timothy 4.  Rules can be good if they're used to create balance and order in the church or in the home. But if you tie following the rules to your salvation (which is legalism), you are saying that God's grace-gift isn't free. Many teachers in Ephesus were teaching salvation through Jesus but they were also saying that rules had to be followed in order to receive that salvation. Paul puts a stop to those rumors, emphasizing that everything created by God is good and it is to be received with thanksgiving because all created things point us back to God! That's not to say that all rules are bad or that we won't display a changed life after salvation. Disciplines are great for keeping order in our personal lives, but we must not elevate those disciplines and make them "laws" for ourselves, tying them to our salvation. Jesus came to fulfill the law so that we can live in freedom, simply abiding in Him! 

Think false teaching only happened back in Ephesus in AD 40? Think again! Just flip on the tv and you can find many preachers and teachers delivering messages of health, wealth and prosperity. They, like the false teachers in Timothy's day, take the truth of Scripture and twist it ever so slightly so that many don't even recognize their own deception. In 1 Timothy 4:6-16 Paul tells Timothy what a good servant looks like. He charges Timothy to put all of these things before the church. Leaders in the church must point out false teaching and behaviors that are inconsistent with God's ordered design for the church. They're brave enough to do what's hard. We should never turn a blind eye to the misrepresentation of Scripture. We are responsible for confronting false teachers, just like Timothy did. Another trait of a good servant is that he is "constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following." Ministers need to be grounded in the Word, making their own spiritual renewal and growth a priority.

Paul warned Timothy about irreverent, silly myths and old wives tales that were being taught. Like I said before, they were so messed up! Those people didn't know what the truth was and the teachers weren't helping at all. To be able to discern the false things from the true things, a believer must be solidly grounded in the truth of God. We have something that first century Christians didn't have - the Bible. The Old Testament and The New Testament! Most of us have multiple copies in print as well as access to the Bible on our phones, Kindles, iPads and computers. We have NO valid excuse for not  having a deep knowledge of God's word. How will we know the truth from the lies if we don't know what's true?

And then Paul goes right into talking about training ourselves in godliness. Nobody ever just wakes up "trained". It takes a lot of work! If I tried to go out tomorrow morning and run a marathon, I'd collapse after the first few blocks because I haven't trained for it. But my friends who have trained for marathons can proudly wear their medals because they trained and finished the race. Training in godliness takes daily exercise in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, meditation, etc. And the good news is, physical training is of some value here on earth, but training in godliness has eternal value! It will last even when we get to heaven! Get out there and train!

Paul says in verse 10, "For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."  Jesus came to save us ALL. But unfortunately, some will not believe. Those of us who do believe have our hope set on the living God! What a privilege it is to believe! However, we do not believe and then add works to our faith, just to make sure. We do not believe and then make up additional rules for righteousness. No! We just simply BELIEVE.

Paul insisted in verse 11 that Timothy command and teach these things. Grace was no side issue. Legalism was no weak enemy. These things were matters of life and death. And they still are today.

Paul reminds young Timothy that chronological age does not necessarily bring spiritual maturity. The issue for leadership is never age, but spiritual development. We are all younger than somebody! Age doesn't matter, but some people do get hung up on those numbers. So set an example in speech and life (the observable aspects of life), in faith and love (the essence and evidence of the Christian life), and in purity (both sexual conduct and integrity of heart).

And he's not done yet! Paul gives some more instruction to Timothy regarding public gatherings of believers and worship services. They should devote themselves to the public reading of Scripture. They needed to be reminded that Scripture was the very breath of God! Remember, they didn't have access to the entire Bible that we have today. But we have access to it all. Sometimes it can get a little stale when we see it in a daily devotional reading or scroll past it on Facebook. But it's an important, life-giving, useful thing and we are not to neglect it. Scripture was especially important then, and equally as important now, because as they faced false teachers, the public reading of Scripture defended against falsehood. Preaching and teaching the Word encourages, instructs, exhorts, warns and explains. The point is not to create some rigid rules, but to encourage the body and allow God to reveal himself through His Word.

Every believer has been gifted by the Holy Spirit and with that gift comes responsibilities in the Church. Timothy's gift was probably given when he was "ordained" with the laying on of hands by the elders. This was Paul's way of affirming God's call on Timothy's life and it serves as a good reminder to us that we are not to neglect our gifts. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? The Bible says all believers have gifts. If you don't know what yours is, or if you know but you're not using them, let me challenge you to find out and start using them!

Paul wraps up this section by encouraging Timothy to endure. Be diligent, persevere, abide in Him. This ministry is your life, not a job. It takes endurance! A life growing close to God cannot be hidden - everyone will see your progress (the authentic presence of Christ in his people). That's why we endure! 

Paul reminds Timothy to keep a close watch on himself and on the teaching.  He was charged with refuting the lies of the false teachers and preaching the truth of Jesus Christ. In so doing, he was responsible for both himself and his hearers. Salvation is no light matter. "Salvation is a process. It has a beginning point at conversion and its full realization when we are united with Christ. In between is the process of becoming more Christlike in our person and behavior."

In the time between Christ's ascension and the time he returns, some people will get confused, fall away and follow false teachers who make up all sorts of rules and laws for salvation. Paul wanted Timothy (and us!) to understand what he was (we are!) up against! It is our job as Christians to point out the falsehood and point people to Jesus Christ and the free gift of salvation he offers. To do this, we have to train ourselves in godliness and remember to use the gifts the Spirit has given to us. We do this so that news of the gospel can spread and people can hear of God's grace. 

The precious promise here?

Grace + NotOneSingleLittleBittyOtherThingAtAll.

Pastors and Deacons and Wives...Oh MY!

If you missed Bible Study on Wednesday night, never fear, you're in the right place now! I'm sure you're DYING to know all about it, so I am here to tell you everything you missed. We had some good, lively discussion about 1 Timothy 3. So grab yourself a Bible and a cup of whatever it is you put in your cup, sit back, relax and dig into God's Word with us.

First things first...remember these things: Paul (radically converted missionary to the Gentiles) is writing this letter to Timothy (Paul's "understudy") after Paul left Timothy in Ephesus (pagan city full of false teachers and confused people). This letter contains lots of instructions about order in the church and all the things Paul wants Timothy to remember to tell the people. Christianity is a brand-spankin'-new concept to these people. Remember, Jesus had died on the cross and rose from the grave a mere 30-40 years prior...these are first-generation believers we're reading about here.  They didn't have the Bible we have today, just the first five books (that's called The Law), which laid out all of the things they had to do and sacrifices they had to make to be good enough and please God enough for him to not rain down fire on their poor little heads. Paul and Timothy's message of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus (a man they had possibly heard of, but most had never met) seemed absolutely insane to them. On the other hand, most of them were used to following strange, unseen gods, so many jumped on the bandwagon pretty quickly and concocted their own special little blend of "religion". To say they were a mess is an understatement.

Jump right in to 1 Timothy 3:1. "Overseer" in the Greek (the original language of the New Testament)  is "episkopos", which means "to watch over". Remember the Old Testament story of Joseph and Potiphar? Potiphar was a very prominent and powerful man with a large household. He had a lot of confidence in Joseph and put him in charge of his household. He made hime the "overseer". That's the same word used here in 1 Timothy, only Paul is talking about "overseers" in the church. Today we call them pastors. In those days it wasn't always a desirable thing to be a pastor. Christians were being persecuted and pastors were front and center in that. Some pastors were using the office for personal or financial gain. In other cases, false teachers gave the role of "pastor" a bad name. Paul wanted Timothy and the church to know that being a pastor was a noble task.

But because being a pastor immediately thrusts the man into the spotlight of society (then and now!), there were and are certain character qualities he must possess and certain behaviors he must display. He had to be blameless, above reproach, a one-woman-man (that's the literal translation of "husband of one wife"!), sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. In short, the pastor should have one treasure: God himself. And that should be evident in every single area of his life. With the one exception of having the ability to teach, all of these character qualities are traits that every Christian should aspire to! But all the more so if you desire to be a pastor.

We like to put other qualifications on our pastors today. But it is not enough to be a good speaker, an efficient manager or have a charismatic personality. Verses five through seven give us the Pastor's Test. He must manage his own family well. If he can't exercise leadership at home, he sure can't lead the family of God, can he? He must not be a recent convert. Spiritual maturity develops over time, so a recent convert is not mature in the faith. Satan could trap him with pride that way. He also must have a good reputation with outsiders. That means the unbelieving world should look at him with respect! Without a doubt, FBC Gonzales has a pastor that is handsome, charming, funny and sweet, (I could go on, but I will leave it there!) but more than that, we are blessed to have a pastor who meets all of the qualifications for a pastor listed in 1 Timothy 3.  How blessed are we?

And now for the deacons... The title of "deacon" is "diakonos" in the Greek, and it can be translated "servant" or "minister".  Interestingly enough, the same word is used in Mark 9 when Jesus is talking to his disciples about who would be greater in the kingdom...He says, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant (diakonos!) of all." Deacons should be dignified, worthy of respect, not double-tongued, sincere, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain and they should hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Know what that last one means? It means they should walk the talk. They should live out their faith in their actions. FBC Gonzales is blessed to have many deacons who do just that!

The test for the deacons, like the test for the pastor is not one that is written, but one of public scrutiny. A deacon is also a one-woman-man who must manage his household well. Deacons and pastors lay their lives out before God and everybody and try their best to live the way that 1 Timothy 3 says they should live. Bravo, men!

And then Paul addresses the wives. He tells us we should be worthy of respect, dignified, not malicious talkers, slanderers, sober-minded, temperate, faithful in all things and trustworthy. Whew! No pressure, right? But can you imagine a church with leaders and wives like the ones we've seen here in 1 Timothy? What a happy, united, God-honoring group of people to be a part of! One of our Bible-studiers who happens to be a deacon's wife told us a little trick she tried for a while to help herself hold her tongue. She put a stretchy bracelet on one wrist in the morning when she woke up. Every time she caught herself talking maliciously, thinking negatively or being untrustworthy, she would move the bracelet to the other hand. She said she was amazed at first at how often that bracelet switched hands, but as time went on, she would look down and see that bracelet and remember to follow Christ. Sometimes we really just need a tangible reminder of how we are to live to bring honor to God.

Paul wanted to add a few more ideas about what the church is, how God sees the church, how we live as the church and how Christ relates to the church. In verses 14-15, Paul points out that the church is God's household and that it is the church of the Living God (God's not dead, right?), a pillar and foundation of the truth. And here's a great quote for ya:

"The purpose of Paul’s instructions on order, worship, and leadership was to make vivid the high calling of the Christian and the church—their remarkable way of living as individuals and as a group—to the glory of God." 

Get it? Their purpose was SO not about THEM. It was all about the glory of God, the mission of God...getting the good news to everybody! 

Paul ended this section of his letter with a hymn that was probably well known in first century Christendom. Paul uses this hymn to call us to pay attention to the importance and calling of the church. He says that this is the great mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh, 

vindicated by the Spirit, 

seen by angels, 

proclaimed among the nations, 

believed on in the world, 

taken up in glory. 

Ah, Jesus.

So what are his precious promises here in the first three chapters of 1 Timothy? If we would refuse to conform ourselves to the patterns of this world but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds, if we would take off the old self and put on the new self, if we would follow these instructions for order in the church that are not meant to squelch our spirits but are meant to glorify His Spirit and give us abundant life, then we would see the gospel spread, the church grow and our friends and neighbors and family and kids and old folks and all the generations come to JESUS.

That is the most precious promise of all.

Know Your Place!

TRUE OR FALSE: Paul was a Jew.
TRUE OR FALSE: Paul was a Roman citizen.

If you answered TRUE to both of these, you are smarter than me! God has a way of keeping us humble and he certainly doesn't want us to start thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to. So on Wednesday night when I taught our group of ladies that Paul was NOT a Jew, God was quick to correct me through them! Scripture points to the fact that Paul was a Jew (Acts 22:3) and a Roman citizen (Acts 22:29). And one of our ladies emphasized to us that because God took a man who was both a Jew and a Roman citizen to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, both Jews and Gentiles were able to understand his message more clearly. He could relate to both sides of the aisle in this circumstance. God's plan is so far-reaching, even when we don't understand it.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love studying the Bible with these women on Wednesday nights? If you ever have the opportunity to join us, I encourage you to come! You will be so blessed and challenged!

If you haven't read last week's blog over 1 Timothy 1, now would be a good time to back up and read it. But to put it in a nutshell for you, Paul wrote the letter, 1 Timothy, after he left Timothy in Ephesus and continued on his missionary journey. Paul wanted him to correct the people that were teaching false doctrine. Not only were some teachers teaching idol worship and pagan rituals, but many were teaching that following the Old Testament law was still a requirement for salvation. Jews and Gentiles alike were confused by the false teachers. Paul's message was that Christ came to the world to save sinners and that he was the foremost. Having been a persecutor of Christians before his salvation experience, he had become an example of God's power and patience.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 is a call to depend upon God by praying for others. Paul's message was that Timothy should be praying fervently for the spread of the gospel. Paul wanted the good news to spread to the Gentiles. He knew that prayer was the fuel for his journey and he wanted Timothy to know that too. In the same way, those of us who follow Christ today should also be praying diligently that the gospel would spread to all nations.

Paul also encouraged Timothy to pray for authorities in government. Paul knew that when a government operates well, it is a significant ally to the gospel. Governmental leaders and policies have a direct bearing on our freedom to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (not for our own comfort and enjoyment, but for God's glory!) Proverbs 21:1 says "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases". Living a holy, godly life is pleasing to God. God wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the ruth. But does God save everyone? No, he doesn't. God's plan is for the evangelization of all nations and peoples, but he will never force someone into a relationship with him. He has given us the freedom to choose whether or not to follow him. Sovereign will vs free will is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. God certainly has a plan for us, but he will never force himself on us.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 is a call to depend upon God by confessing who Christ is. If we want to see the spread of the gospel in our lifetimes, we must first gain a solid understanding of who Jesus really is and why he came. Verse 5 says there is ONE God and ONE Mediator between God and man: Jesus. Some people discard truth for sincerity in the name of tolerance, believing that there is a god, but he can be found many different ways. (John 1:1, 14) Jesus is not one among many. He is the one and only! 

Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all men. Are you ready for a Greek lesson? Here ya go: The Greek word, antilytron, meaning loosing or freeing, was often used in reference to buying a slave’s freedom. Do you know who the slaves are in this analogy? YOU. ME. WE are the slaves, Jesus is the ransom! Jesus was the substitute spotless lamb that replaced all of the sacrifices offered in the OT. And not only was he the perfect sacrifice, he came at the perfect time. Galatians 4:4 says “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

1 Timothy 2:7 is a call to depend upon God by remembering who we are. Paul told Timothy of his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. God radically changed his life by knocking him to the ground, taking away his sight and telling him exactly where to go. In Acts 26:17-18, Paul tells of his encounter with God and his specific calling to take the gospel to the Gentiles. His message to Timothy was this: Have confidence in your calling. Paul knew people would challenge the message of the Gospel – Jesus being the sole means to salvation and that salvation was for all people, Jews as well as Gentiles. He knew that Timothy would need to be confident in knowing that he was called to spread the gospel there in Ephesus. We need to have confidence in our calling as well if we want God to use us in the spread of the Gospel message.

This chapter takes a turn at verse 8. Paul was very concerned about keeping order in the church. The rest of the chapter is a call to order in the church. 1 Timothy 2:8 details some important instructions for men. The Greek word here for "men" is aner (ah-nair), which referred specifically to males, not the general term used for mankind. Paul said that men everywhere should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Keep in mind that lifting the hands emphasizes holiness, not physical posture. As usual, God was more concerned with the heart than he was with outside appearances. If anger and quarreling exist between men in the church, there is a spirit of disunity, which prevents the spread of the gospel.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 was a call to order with instructions for women.  Paul told Timothy to instruct the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety. Braided hair, gold, pearls and costly attire were disrupting and interfering with worship in Ephesus. Many wealthy women were flaunting their attire and jewelry before the poor. Men were being distracted by the visual stimuli. Rather than letting their beauty come from the outside, women were to adorn themselves in good works, which is proper for women who profess godliness. Paul wanted the women to know that  good works won't save you, but they do call attention to God and promote worship.

The last area Paul addressed in his call to order was spiritual leadership. This topic can get a little touchy - I want to present to you several ways of interpreting this passage. Pray through it, research it, ask God to give you eyes to see and understand the truth here in this passage.

Paul tells Timothy that women are to learn in quietness and full submission. Quietness here means peaceableness. Women are to be peaceable. It seems that some of the women in the church at Ephesus were causing quite a stir. Full submission means that women should be willing to surrender questions of spiritual authority to men. Paul also writes that women may not teach or have authority over a man. They must remain silent. Some believe this was purely cultural and there is no application for today. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that there are NO errors in it. There is always application today! We have to look at the context here. This is specifically about spiritual leadership in the church, not in other situations. It doesn't mean that women can't be CEOs or president of the United States. Paul was writing specifically about women in the church. (There are other places in Scripture that address women and men in the home. This is about the church!) 1 Thessalonians 4:11, another of Paul's letters says to women, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” This is the kind of “silence” Paul was requiring of women in the church. Women are to rest in the sovereign teaching and will of God. 

Verse 13 addresses the order in creation that shows the role structure God intends. Adam was formed first, then Eve. This shows a hierarchy from the very start, even before sin entered the picture. One of our ladies put it this way: If a woman and a man are standing in the rain, the man holds the umbrella over the woman. That doesn't mean the man is better or the woman is less, but the man is the leader that can be God's instrument to shield and protect the woman! The difference between life before and after the fall is that these structures and positions of authority changed from joyful harmony to festering conflict. 

Eve was deceived by the serpent in the garden. Adam’s sin was intentional. He took the fruit from Eve. It is highly possible that this reference to Eve’s deception is a link in understanding Paul’s concerns—women in the Ephesian church were usurping the authority of the church leaders. Perhaps they were also being carried along by the deceptions of the false teachers.

Are you ready for verse 15? This verse can get a little bit confusing. I was rocking right along in my study of 1 Timothy 2 until I came to this verse and it STUMPED me for a while. "Yet she will be saved through childbearing- if they continue with faith and love and holiness, with self-control." Let me make one thing very clear. This does not refer to earning justification and salvation through childbearing. 

One possible explanation: The unity in the church at Ephesus would increase by women embracing the submissive role that God has given them, which is exemplified in bearing and nurturing children. Remember, women in the church at Ephesus had started to focus on their attire, had become loud and a bit "catty" with each other and were distracting the men from worship. Paul may have been saying here that if the women would focus on their children, which is their primary calling in this life (remember the first command in the garden to "Be fruitful and multiply?"), then unity in the church would increase and through their obedience to their calling they would be working out their salvation (Phil 2:12). 

Another possible explanation: “Saved” is used in the sense of progressively coming to experience all the aspects of salvation. As we embrace our God-given roles as men and women, we will be working out our salvation. (Phil 2:12) Paul didn't mean that childbearing would be a salvation experience, but that it would be a part of growing in the faith as they experienced their purpose of childbearing.

Another possible explanation (and my personal favorite!): The "she" in this verse might refer specifically to Eve. "She" would find salvation in childbearing because salvation himself would come from her lineage...JESUS. 

Agree? Disagree? It's ok. Our Bible study time is a great time to talk, share, discuss and learn.

To Sum It Up:

God desires order, peace, and holiness in our lives, in our worship, and in our relationships within the church and our communities. This reflects the order, constancy, and righteous character of God. When we live this way, God is revealed and people will embrace him as Savior.^[1]

In other words, order in the church is important. It's important for men to take their place and have confidence in the calling of God on their lives. It's equally important for women to take their place and have confidence in the calling of God on their lives. When everyone is focusing on fulfilling the roles to which God has called them, His purpose can be fulfilled in spreading the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike. When we know who God is, who Jesus is and who we are, and we are faithful to fill the roles he has for us, all will hear the good news of his salvation.

---

^[1] Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, pp. 167–172). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Precious Promises in 1 Timothy

Our Wednesday night ladies Bible study just kicked off a new semester and we are going to be studying 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus and Philippians. I'd love for you to study along with us or use these blogs to catch up if you miss a session. Today we're studying 1 Timothy 1. The words in bold are the words used to complete the blanks in our outline in class. I used the Holman New Testament Commentary and the ESV Study Bible.

Today's Precious Promise comes from 1 Timothy 1:15. Paul writes "The saying is "trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost."  Paul is an example of God's magnificent grace - If God can save Paul, He can save you too! Nothing is too much for Him!

Many scholars believe that 1 Timothy was written in the mid 60s A.D. Christianity was a relatively new idea in that day. Jesus died around the year A.D. 33, so people had only been following Jesus for 30-45 years. First generation Christians were still alive. The only "Bible" they had was the first five books of the Old Testament, the law, and Paul and other Christ-followers were teaching that people no longer had to follow the law to be saved because Christ came to fulfill the law. It was a completely new idea to many people! To set the scene for you, Paul and Timothy had been traveling together, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They'd come to Ephesus and Timothy stayed there while Paul continued traveling as a missionary. Paul was very concerned about false teachers in the church and wanted Timothy to teach them the truth. 1 Timothy is Paul's first letter to Timothy in Ephesus.

Hope and salvation are the themes of this letter. Paul greeted Timothy "by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope" to emphasize those themes. Paul closes his introduction in verse 2 by saying "Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." Grace, mercy and peace are all unmerited good will from God toward those who believe. Paul and Timothy were definitely recipients of God's favor.

Paul was very concerned about false teachers. The culture of the day included lots of idol worship and pagan belief systems. Remember, Christianity was a brand new thing! Many people were teaching completely false doctrine, but many others were teaching things that were a combination of pagan and Christian theologies, which made people even more confused as to what to believe. What was true then is equally true now: If Christians become grounded in the truth of their faith, false teaching can be stopped before it spreads. If we can learn what the Bible says and then learn to obey it, we are less prone to deception. Instead of controversy, our lives should be marked by love, first for God, then for others.

Paul explained to Timothy in verses 6 and 7 that some of the teachers of the law had come to the point at which they didn't know what they were talking about any more. They wanted to sound smart and to have a following, but the things they were teaching were not the true Gospel of Jesus. Just as it was true then, it is true now: The church should hold its leaders accountable, requiring orthodoxy in doctrine and purity in faith, so the church may be preserved in unity and love.

So what good was the law then? Was it still important to the church after Christ had come to fulfill it? The purpose of the law is to draw clear parameters for godly living, to show us what God is like, and to point us to our need for salvation. In short, the law points us to Jesus! Every single rule, every single story in the Old Testament points to our need for a Savior. It points to Jesus! The law is still very important in the lives of believers today, not because of our need to follow it, but because it points us to Jesus. When we see how impossible it is for us to every measure up to God's standard, we recognize our need for a Savior.

The good news of God's saving mercy and gracious forgiveness through Jesus Christ is, indeed glorious! It is a treasure from God. The law was written for sinners, which is all of us! No longer are we bound to a set of rules that we must follow. We are free in Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!

Paul goes on in 1 Timothy 1:12-17 to tell us how awful he had been before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus that day. We know that he was a persecutor of Christians - he had given his approval to the stoning death of Stephen, he had thrown many Christians in prison and had had others murdered. He was the worst of the worst...until he met Jesus! No one is beyond the scope or power of God to save and recreate into his likeness. God is extravagant in his love and mercy. God made an example for us in Paul so that we would know just how far his grace and love and mercy extend - if He can save Paul, He can save us too!

God's truth obligates the believer to live responsibly and faithfully. There are grave consequences for those who turn aside from God's truth and calling. False teachers will not be tolerated by God.

To sum it up, adhering to true faith and doctrine results in changed lives, which becomes evident in our behavior and church unity. When we become involved in what is false or wander from the goals of the faith, this also becomes apparent in our behavior and in our hearts. Stay the course, sister! Dig deep into God's Word so that you will be able to stand firm and discern the truth for yourself.

Do you recognize the false teachings of today? How can we defend ourselves against them?
Since the law is "made not for the righteous," does it serve any purpose in a Christian's daily life? Do we still need to teach the law at church? Why?

In what sense does the law point to grace? Do people with "greater sins" need more grace than other do to be forgiven?

What lessons in gratitude can we learn from Paul's statements about personal grace and salvation How will true gratitude influence us when we are tempted by habitual sins?

Write a one-sentence doxology of thanks to God for your salvation.

Discuss ways people shipwreck their faith. How can we stay the course ourselves?


Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol.9, p. 159) Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers

Life On Mission

It's the New Year! 2015...when people carry cell phones in their pockets to ensure that they are constantly reachable, buy cars that can drive themselves, and watch tv on televisions that are smarter than their human operators. In an age with so many modern conveniences, do you ever wonder why we are so busy, so tired, so worn out, stretched so thin?

Think about your New Year's resolutions - did you make any? I admire people who make resolutions: lose weight, save money, exercise, spend less, spend more time with family, go to church, read the Bible, get organized, read more. So many admirable goals...I wouldn't last until January 7th! I'm keeping it simple this year by sticking one goal in my little head, and honestly, it's not new. This year, I want to live my life on mission, which means I will share the gospel more. That's it. So I'm going to try my goal out on you, dear reader. Ready?

This is today's Precious Promise - Romans 10:9-10 says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Thank you, Jesus!

1. We're all sinners, you and me and Mother Theresa. We do bad things that go against God's perfection. (The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.)

2. Sin separates us from God. Because of our sin, we deserve eternity in hell. But the good news is that Jesus died so we don't have to pay that price - he paid it for us with his death. We can now spend eternity with him! (That comes from Romans 6:23, which says that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord!)

3. The way to "get saved" from that awful punishment of hell is to believe that God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and to follow him with your life, making him your boss. (Because if you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That's Romans 10:9-10.)

It's that easy...so why, oh why do we resist? If the GOSPEL, which by definition means GOOD NEWS, is in fact, good news, why do we hesitate to share it with others? I asked a group of ladies that very question and it came as no surprise that their answers were the same as mine. "It's awkward." "I don't want to be seen as a fanatic, a holy roller." "I don't know how to turn the conversation around to it." Do you want to know my biggest reason for not sharing the gospel with people I know? I think they're already saved. Well, he goes to church...She's a really good person...He grew up in this town...Her parents were founding members of this church...Everyone in his family goes to church...SO THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY SAVED. Wrong.

The root of all of these excuses we use for not sharing the good news? We think that this life is all about us. Oh sure, if we are in Sunday School, we know all the right answers. We know that life is about glorifying God, walking with him, prayer, Bible study, being active with the church. But how do we live in real life, Sunday at noon when we walk out of the church doors until the next Sunday morning when we walk back in? That's the evidence. How we live shows what we think this life is all about: my marriage, my kids, my grandkids, my house, my car, my money, my health, my clothes, my church, my vacation, my plans, my dreams, my goals. Newsflash, my friend: LIFE IS NOT ABOUT YOU.

I read a great book by Dustin Willis and Aaron Coe called Life on Mission. In it, the authors say, "The first step in living a life on mission is a step toward the Father. If our souls are satisfied in him, we can turn our eyes away from ourselves. By grace we can stop being self-absorbed. Instead we will identify people who desperately need the hope of Jesus." How can we pour ourselves out, in the name of Jesus, into the lives of those around us if we haven't first been filled up by the Father? Drawing near to Him guarantees a shift in focus from ourselves to Jesus Christ, who promised to give us everything we need to love others.

My cabinets are filled with Christmas cards, featuring pictures of perfect, smiling children with their loving, happy parents. These cards always make me think of the American dream- a happy marriage, a big beautiful house, a nice car or two, several beautiful children, maybe a dog and a cat. Your dream might look a little different. Just think about the things you desire, the list of things you’d get if you could place your order for the exact things you wanted. When we acquire these things on our “list”, we bow our heads and pray and thank God for all of our blessings. But quite often these "blessings" are the things that actually distract us from our walk with the Lord. Our "blessings" distract us from sharing the Gospel because we focus on the gifts, rather than the Giver.  That doesn’t seem like much of a blessing! That seems more like a burden. Have you ever thought of your blessings as burdens before? Most of us wouldn’t consider our children or our spouse or our grandchildren as burdens.  And I’m not saying they are either – the Bible says that children are gifts. But go with me for a minute – consider all of those things in your life to be a burden to you – a distraction that keeps you from fulfilling God’s purpose in your life. After all, in Phil 3:7-9 Paul writes that everything that was to his profit he now considers loss (TRASH!) compared to knowing Christ. He says, “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” In Matthew 5 Jesus didn’t preach “Blessed are those with big houses, Blessed are those whose kids make your Christmas cards look good, Blessed are those who took awesome vacations this year, Blessed are those who have great health. ” NO! He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...blessed are those who mourn...blessed are the meek...blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...blessed are the merciful...blessed are the pure in heart...blessed are the peacemakers...blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness..." Jesus' definition of blessing sure looks different than the American Dream.

Last year our church read the book, Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer. The author did a study of churches that had died, closed their doors and ceased to function as a church. He looked for common denominators among them in hopes of helping other churches that were declining and headed toward the same fate. In his book he says, “The deceased church, somewhere in its history, forgot to act upon the Great Commission.  So they stopped going.  And making disciples.  And baptizing them.  And teaching them…Perhaps it is more accurate to say the church decided not to act upon Christ’s command.” The Great Commission is not a choice! It’s not a suggestion! It’s a COMMAND! We must go, but we really don't need to go far.

Here’s the test that will show us if we are living life on mission: Let’s put our relationships on a target. Those people closest to us are in the center of our target. These are our best friends, our immediate family. The next ring of the target is for our good friends and family, people we know and love, but not our very best friends. The next ring is our acquaintances. We know these people by name or by face, but we may not have ever had a meaningful conversation with them. We couldn’t tell you much about them and they couldn’t tell you much about us. We say hi when we see them, but that’s about it. The final ring holds all of the strangers, all of the people we run into that we don’t even know.

So think about your target, especially the rings closest to the center – your close friends and family, your good friends and family and even some of your acquaintances. How many people on your target have a relationship with Jesus? All of them? (Time to get closer with some new people!) None of them? (You’ve gotta get busy!) More importantly, have you ever even thought about how many of them know Jesus? Most importantly, have you ever shared the gospel with them? OUCH.

So what do you do? How do you start to live life on mission? Through the years, churches have adopted many different ways of encouraging people to share the gospel – going door-to-door used to be a big thing, but in 2015? Knocking on someone’s door unannounced and uninvited would be considered by some to be very rude. People in 2015 are generally very private people. (Thank God we don’t necessarily have to knock on any more doors!) So where do you start in your efforts to join God in His work and be a disciple-maker? Willis and Coe say, "The short answer is to start where you already are. Go where you already go. Just go with new eyes." Well that sounds easy enough.

 We all have many people that fall into each of the sections of our targets. Willis and Coe wrote, "God has placed us in our environments with these people because he wants to use us to reach the people around us. He is already at work there. Being on mission is not about going to a specific place – it’s about being intentional where you are." Acts 17:24-28 says that he places each of us in the exact places and times he wants us to live so that we would seek him. So what does that look like?

Think about the people in your closest circle on your target. Start there. Does your husband walk with Jesus? Do your children? Your grandchildren? Your sisters and brothers? God has placed you right where you are in your family so that you can share the Gospel with them. It may sound something like this: “Honey, I know you see me going to church all the time. I want you to know that I want to share that part of my life with you. Knowing Jesus has made such a difference in my life. He has changed me in so many ways and I want you to know him too.”

Now think about the people in your next circle.  Do your good friends know Jesus? Your co-workers? Your extended family? Here’s how it might sound for you to share Jesus with them: “I’ve really been enjoying my Bible study group that meets every Wednesday night. I’ve been learning so much and I love the ladies that are there. We’ve been talking a lot about sharing our faith and it always makes me think of how I never really talk about what I believe. I just want you to know that I’m going to try to talk about that more – Jesus has changed my life and I want other people to have a chance to know him too! So if you ever have any questions or want to come with me to Bible study, just let me know.”

Now think about your acquaintances. That cashier at the grocery store that you see all the time – does she know Jesus? Your mailman- does he know Jesus? Your neighbors down the street – do they know Jesus? This is where we can get a little creative. Why not bring a batch of homemade cookies to your neighbors' house? Or leave a gift card in the mailbox for your mailman with a little note inside? Little acts of kindness can open the door for you to have more meaningful conversations about Jesus. But don’t let it end there.  Use your small act of kindness as a doorway to share the gospel with that person.

Don’t forget that inviting someone to church is NOT the same thing as sharing the Gospel. Now, hear me say this- inviting people to church is a GOOD THING! But it won’t save them.  People need to hear about what Jesus has done for them – the GOSPEL. If they place their faith in Jesus, HE will save them! They might do that at church, but most people will make that decision because of a relationship that they have with YOU. Another quote from Willis and Coe..."As we invest in the lives of people, we help them continue to take the next step toward Jesus, with the hope that one day they will become a reproducing everyday missionary as well." A reproducing everyday missionary - what if the world was full of those? There would be a lot less people worried about their Christmas card pictures, that's for sure.

"When we combine our natural rhythms and passions with the gospel and use them to build relationships, powerful things can happen." (Willis and Coe) Take this example: Our family decided to participate in our local soccer league this year. Chris loves sports and he loves to coach, so we signed the twins up for pee-wee soccer and we signed him up as the coach. We were excited about the season, but the driving force behind our participation was an interest in building relationships with the moms and dads of the kids on our team. To our delight, we were placed on a team with another family from our church who was equally excited about the possibility of building relationships with those families. During and after the season our two families had many experiences to witness and minister to the families on our team. None of them have come to know the Lord because of us (yet!) but God knows which seeds were planted in our community.

Who has God placed around you that He may be calling you to be on mission with? Think of specific names. Are there ways your passions or natural life rhythms may focus God’s mission for your life? What group of people is God leading you to focus your mission efforts on? Growing in the gospel will move you from identifying those around you who need the hope of Jesus to investing your life in theirs.

I've learned an incredible lesson over the last few years. My skull is thick and it's taken a long time for me to get the idea, but I've got it now, for sure. Every year, Chris leads teams of people from our church on mission trips. He's been to China. He's gone several times to Germany to do baseball camp. One time he texted me a picture of himself at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on a long layover on the way to Dusseldorf. At the time, I was less than amused as I sat at home, literally covered in little children. Last year, he took a team to Tacoma, Washington, where my brother and his family serve as missionaries, to serve along side The Pathway, the church my brother pastors. I was so jealous that he got to go and I didn't. Four of our kids are small right now and because we have so many of them (six!), one of us really needs to keep the home fires burning. Obviously, that's me. God showed me last year that this is no small task. I have little people living in my house that know a lot about Jesus, but they don't KNOW HIM yet. I tell them every day how much he loves him. They pray every night, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for their sins. But they don't KNOW HIM yet. So what better mission field for me than the one down the hall from where I sleep every night? I'm right where he wants me, right where he's working, and I don't even have to put my shoes on! If we are not living life on mission every day, right where we are, we are really missing out, and so are the people around us. God has placed you right where you are, right around the people you know, in this very time, in order for you to share Him with those very people. Liveyour life on mission!

Coe, A., Willis, D. Life On Mission: Joining the Everyday Mission of God. Chicago, Moody Publishers, 2014. Print. Get "Life On Mission" on Amazon

Rainer, Thom. Autopsy of a Deceased Church:12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive. Nashville, B & H Publishing, 2014. Print. Get "Autopsy of a Deceased Church" on Amazon

These Precious Promises

Allow me to introduce myself. 

I'm Amber, wife to Chris, mother to Matt, Jake, Karalyn, Katie, Kylie and Ben, plus two little babies I never got to meet. I'm a pastor's wife, chef, chauffeur, housekeeper, finder-of-all-missing-things, seamstress, homework-checker, errand-runner, grocery list maker and shopper, couponer, story reader, piano player, worship leader, encourager, kisser of owies and washer-of-all-the-little-people. 

Now before you get the wrong idea about me and place me on a pedestal of some sort, let me shoot straight with you. We've eaten out three times this week (and by eating out, I mean I slung a paper bag with some fried food in it towards my kids and told them to eat up). My husband does all of the morning drop-offs while I mope around in my slippers and robe, mourning the loss of my beauty sleep. My house is a WRECK and has been since Christmas. I don't know that I could find anything amidst all the chaos right now. The last thing I sewed for my daughter came apart at the seams. My kids don't ever have homework, so checking it is the easiest thing I do. I haven't made a list for groceries in quite a while, so we are eating whatever is in the freezer, or more accurately, whatever is in the sack I throw at my kids. I DO ROCK THE COUPONING. I dread bedtime because reading those stories takes FOREVER. I don't get to play the piano for my own enjoyment nearly as often as I'd like. I feel so incredibly inadequate as a leader of worship in our praise band. Encouraging is sometimes hard for me because I just want to smack you and tell you to get over it. Getting bandaids for all those owies is one of my least favorite things. Seriously, you don't need a bandaid for something I can't even see. I hate bath time so much that we bathe the kids on a pattern. If Bath Day is A and No Bath Day is B, we do ABABAB some weeks. But many others we do ABBABBBBBABBBBBBBB. Grab a wipey and get yourself clean, I say.

So most days I feel totally inadequate and like I am failing completely. So when I come across a verse like this, I cling to it with everything I am. 

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:4)

Word.

Divine power. Godliness. Glory. Excellence. Precious and very great promises. Divine nature.

His word is so full of precious and very great promises. And He gives them to us so that we can participate in the divine nature. We are not slaves to sin any longer. We are children of the One True King, partakers in the divine nature, co-heirs with Jesus Christ himself. Hallelujah.

I don't have to be all the things that I think I have to be. You want to talk about corruption because of sinful desire? That's me, trying to Be All and Help All and Save All and Serve All and Do All. If people look at me and think, "Wow, she's got it all together!" they don't get to see Jesus in me. Anything good you see in me is Jesus, because I am corrupt.

So what are these very great and precious promises? They are scattered in the pages of God's Word. Throughout Scripture, we find a treasure trove full of precious promises, things that God has promised He will do for us, his beloved. The greatest promise of all? 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." 

That's John 3:16, in case you don't know. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die so that we don't have to spend eternity apart from him in Hell. We get everlasting life. What an incredible promise! He gives us everything we need for life and godliness here on earth and he gives us eternity with him...IF we believe. 

Oh, these precious promises.