Beyond Reproach?

 

This morning it seemed a good plan to simply summarize 1 Timothy and see what God wants me to think about and pray about today.

Oppose false teachers, including those who devote themselves to endless genealogies that promote speculations.

Use the law to evaluate those who do not believe, it is not Christians.

Remember all that God has done for me and glorify Him, as Paul did:

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 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. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:12–17)

Hold fast to what God shows me without falling back into sin.

Pray for everyone that we may live in peace and remembering what Christ has done. 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. (1 Timothy 2:1–4)

Hold high standards for leaders and their wives, including myself. Learn quietly remembering that Eve was so easily deceived.

Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:11–14)

Know how to behave in the church practicing godliness and maintaining truth with great focus on what Christ has done.

Remember that some will depart from the faith and fall into sin, that includes not being thankful but giving in to demonic lies.

Teach these things to others, not myths but focus on godliness and hope in Christ.

Let not one despise my example, devoting myself to what God has given me to do. Use His gifts to do it and persist, keeping a close watch on myself and what I am doing. God will use it to save others.

Treat others as family members. Honor widows, particularly those who live out their faith rather than straying from God.

Honor elders and all in authority over me. Rebuke those who sin in obvious ways. 

Understand the false and sinful motivation of false teachers. Godliness with contentment is my goal.
Beware of the love of money as it leads to all kind of evil.

Vigorously pursue godliness. Jesus is coming — honor Him.

Great indeed, we confess, is the 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. (1 Timothy 3:16)

Charge those with wealth to be humble, generous, and good — storing up a more valuable treasure. 

Avoid false teachers who steer others away from faith.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:3–5)

PRAY: Lord, You know my heart and You know which of these teachings is most vital for me. I pray for discernment that I will not be deceived like Eve. Also, I pray for a deeper desire to pray, to share these truths to others, and to honor those over me and all others in Your family. Most of all, give me great desire to honor You and many opportunities to do that. 

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.