Who qualifies to serve God?

 

READ 1 Timothy

In today’s world, conflicts are often defined in confusing ways. For instance, if someone breaks a store window and loots the store, the issue should be that a law has been broken. However, the media or the public, or the lawyers, etc. make it an issue of skin color. It happens on the freeway when a driver is seen doing something like stopping in a merge lane or failing to signal their actions. The remarks blame this behavior as being a woman driver, or an ethnic person, or someone elderly.

This morning I’m noticing that the early church may have struggled with such confusion. To confront this, some passages of Scripture are plain, black and white even, in their descriptions of what is sinful and what is godly. However, no excuses are given.

That is, the Bible does not say someone sinned because they had a rotten childhood, or their IQ is low, or they had a bad day, or didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Instead, we all sin, doing things against the laws of God and motivated by a determination to ‘run my own life’ apart from obeying Him.

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. (1 Timothy 1:5–11)

To live with a pure heart, I need Jesus. I also must pay attention to my own sin. It is easy to point fingers but I cannot change myself, never mind anyone else. The only answer and solution is confession (agree with God) of sin and repentance (turn from it to God’s way of thinking, talking, living). This is a life-long process aided by the work of the Holy Spirit as speaks to my heart through Scripture. Speaking and listening to God in prayer is also vital, first for my godliness, but also for the lives of others. These verses make prayer primary and explain why:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (2:1–6)

In the rest of this reading, acceptable Christian behavior is described. However, some turn these descriptions into a gender battle, as if one gender is more inclined to certain sins than another. While we all have our ‘specific weaknesses’ they are no more related to gender than skin color, race, or background than who robs banks or kicks cats. We all sin and fall short — and that is an important point in the Bible. Also, sin is sin. A ‘white lie’ crosses the line of truth just like a ‘whopper’ does; who tell them are both liars.

The NT warns Christians about false teaching, that is, pushing lies about God, people, how to be saved, how to live as a Christian, and so on. This isn’t about who is doing it, their gender, color, or anything else, but what they are doing:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (4:1–5)

In those days, distinctions were made: Jew/Gentile, men/women, slave/free and we have distinctions too, but to describe sinfulness because of our distinctions is not biblical. In Christ, we are equal. In sin, we all fall short . . . and if sin is controlling my life, God wants that fixed before He will bless anything else I do or want to do. The doors to ministry are open only to those who are dealing with their sin and relying on Christ for their righteousness.