15
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet
for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ
might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those [a]who would
believe in Him for eternal life.
The
19th Century American Hymn Writer, Fanny J Crosby wrote these wonderful words
Blessed
assurance, Jesus is mine!
O
what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir
of salvation, purchase of God,
Born
of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This
is my story, this is my song,
praising
my Saviour all the day long;
this
is my story, this is my song,
praising
my Saviour all the day long.
Perfect
submission, perfect delight!
Visions
of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels
descending bring from above
Echoes
of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect
submission, all is at rest!
I
in my Saviour am happy and blest,
Watching
and waiting, looking above,
Filled
with his goodness, lost in His love
We
have looked at the phrase, in 1 Tim 1:16, For this reason I found Mercy,
today we will start to look at the
phrase The Justification and sanctification of believers through the finished
work of Christ and we will start to look
at the doctrine of Justification and then next week we will follow on by
looking at the doctrine of Sanctification. But what do we mean by Justification
?
Simply
put, to justify is to declare righteous, to make one right with God.
Justification is God’s declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous,
based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who
receive Christ
We
are justified, declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation.
Justification does not make us righteous, but rather pronounces us righteous.
Our righteousness comes from placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus
Christ. His sacrifice covers our sin, allowing God to see us as perfect and
unblemished. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ's own
righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God's demands for perfection;
thus, He declares us righteous—He justifies us.
Justification
is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he a) thinks of our sins as
forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us and b) declares us to be
righteous in his sight
Westminister
Confession of Faith,
Chapter
XI
Of
Justification
I.
Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies;[1] not by infusing
righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and
accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or
done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the
act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their
righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto
them,[2] they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith;
which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.[3]
II.
Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone
instrument of justification:[4] yet is it not alone in the person justified,
but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but
works by love.[5]
III.
Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those
that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to
His Father's justice in their behalf.[6] Yet, in as much as He was given by the
Father for them;[7] and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their
stead;[8] and both, freely, not for any thing in them; their justification is
only of free grace;[9] that both the exact justice, and rich grace of God might
be glorified in the justification of sinners.[10]
IV.
God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect,[11] and Christ
did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their
justification:[12] nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit
does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.[13]
V.
God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified;[14] and
although they can never fall from the state of justification,[15] yet they may,
by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of
His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their
sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.[16]
VI.
The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these
respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New
Testament.[17]
Now
let us examine the Scriptures in regards to Justification
1. Romans 3:21-26 21 But now apart [k]from the
Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law
and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus
Christ for all those [l]who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all
[m]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift
by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God
displayed publicly as a [n]propitiation [o]in His blood through faith. This was
to demonstrate His righteousness, [p]because in the forbearance of God He
passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of
His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the
justifier of the one who [q]has faith in Jesus.
2. Romans 5:1-11 Therefore, having been
justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2
through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in
which we stand; and [b]we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only
this, but [c]we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings
about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character,
hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
3. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the
right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a
righteous man; [d]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to
die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [e]by
His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while
we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much
more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [f]by His life. 11 And not only
this, [g]but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received the reconciliation.
4. Romans 5:12-21 12 Therefore, just as through
one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread
to all men, because all sinned— 13 for [h]until the Law sin was in the world,
but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from
Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the
offense of Adam, who is a [i]type of Him who was to come15 But [j]the free gift
is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many
died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man,
Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came
through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one
transgression [k]resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift
arose from many transgressions [l]resulting in justification. 17 For if by the
transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who
receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in
life through the One, Jesus Christ.18 So then as through one transgression
[m]there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of
righteousness [n]there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as
through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through
the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 [o]The Law came in
so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would
reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
5. Galatians 2:16-21”nevertheless knowing that
a man is not justified by the works of [n]the Law but through faith in Christ
Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by
faith in Christ and not by the works of [o]the Law; since by the works of
[p]the Law no [q]flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while seeking to be
justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then
a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I rebuild what I have once
destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.19 For through [r]the Law I died
to [s]the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and [t]the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if
righteousness comes through[u]the Law, then Christ died needlessly
6. Romans 8:29-35 29 For those whom He
foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so
that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He
predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and
these whom He justified, He also glorified.31 What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely
give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the
one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died,
yes, rather who was [l]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also
intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of [m]Christ? Will
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?
The
5 Faithful or Trustworthy Sayings found in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus, and
we have focused our attentions on 1 Tim 1:15-16
looking at the importance of Justification and Sanctification for us the
Believer, now will follow on by looking at The Endurance of The Saints.
2
Timothy 2
New
Living Translation (NLT)
A
Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
2
Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ
Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many
reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will
be able to pass them on to others 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good
soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of
civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And
athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking
farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about
what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.8 Always
remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the
dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I
am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot
be chained. 10 So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation
and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
11
This is a trustworthy saying:
If
we die with him,
we will also live with him.
12
If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If
we deny him,
he will deny us.
13
If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.
14
Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop
fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who
hear them.
An
Approved Worker
15
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a
good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the
word of truth. 16 Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless
behavior. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer,[a] as in the case of
Hymenaeus and Philetus. 18 They have left the path of truth, claiming that the
resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned
some people away from the faith.19 But God’s truth stands firm like a
foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”[b]
and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”[c]20 In a wealthy
home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and
clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones
are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special
utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for
the Master to use you for every good work.22 Run from anything that stimulates
youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and
peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure
hearts.23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that
only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind
to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently
instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s
hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses
and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do
whatever he wants.
In
the Christian Life, we have ups and downs and times when we feel we’re in the
valley and at other times we feel we’re on top of the mountain, and at other
times we feel all at 6’s and 7’s and neither up or down, all of us know that
the Christian Life isn’t a rose garden! We face both challenges and
opportunities every day, sometimes when live gets too difficult we wonder why
and if we’re meant for the Christian Life?
The
easiest thing in live is to give up or indeed hitting the pause button, yes it’s important to reflect and relax but
once we have done that it’s time to move forwards once more.
Romans 5:1-4 ESV
5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by
faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we[c] rejoice[d] in hope of the
glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character
produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
2
Peter 1:3-9 NIV
3 His divine power has given us everything we
need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own
glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious
promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very
reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness,
knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to
mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is
short-sighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their
past sins
Ephesians
3:16-21 Nasb
16
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded
in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the [m]saints what is the
breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ
which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of
God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [n]forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews
12:1-4 NLT
12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the
life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the
sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has
set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who
initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he
endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of
honour beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful
people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not
yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
1
Timothy 1 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of
Christ Jesus our hope,
2
To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace,
mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Timothy
charged to oppose false teachers
3 As I urged
you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command
certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote
themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial
speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith. 5 The goal
of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience
and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to
meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know
what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
8
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the
law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly
and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or
mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practising
homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever
else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11
that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he
entrusted to me.
The Lord’s
grace to Paul
12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me
trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a
blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I
acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The
grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a
trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I
was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display
his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and
receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only
God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The
charge to Timothy renewed
18 Timothy,
my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made
about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on
to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered
shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander,
whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
What to do
with your personal prophecies,from Elim
Missions
1 Timothy
1:18-19
You
may have a Bible where you underlined that important verse which spoke to you
all those years ago. You may have a plaque on the wall or a fridge magnet where
the quotation is a voice in your house. You may have a journal with that
prophetic word given to you in a church service was written down in excited
enthusiasm.
So what
should you do with them?
1. Remember
them.
2. Tell
someone else about them and ask them to remember too.
3. Follow
them, aligning your life with them.
4. Be
inspired by them and helped in life by them.
5. Let them
cause you to hold on despite your struggles.
We
like the prophesies but we need the "instruction in keeping with the
prophesy".
The IVP New
Testament Commentary Series
Timothy's
Standing Order: Stay and Fight (1:3-20)
When
it comes to heresy or even misguided enthusiasm in the church, it is fairly
obvious that history repeats itself. Early misconceptions about Christ and his
relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit (was he really human or did he
just seem to be? was he simply adopted by God because of his moral purity? was
he really divine?), from which heretical movements developed, are still with us
today in popular quasi-Christian movements well known for their vigorous
proselytizing. The denial of the deity and resurrection of Christ currently
fashionable in parts of Christendom also presents parallels. Spiritual
elitism/enthusiasm, confusion about the times and subtle systems of
interpretation—things that characterized certain Gnostic-Christian communities
and troubled earlier New Testament churches—can also be found in certain
quarters of the modern church. Justification by works (legalism) is yet another
modern delusion (even in some "evangelical" churches) with roots
going back well before the time of Pelagius in the fourth century. A close look
at our situation will uncover many points of contact with the situation Timothy
was to face in Ephesus.
Heresy
is to the church what treason or sedition is to the state—a divisive force made
treacherous by the fact that it begins within the organization and exploits
lines of trust and positions of authority. In the church's experience, false
teachers often rose to prominence within the Christian community. Once censured
by church leaders, they and their followers could choose either to repent or to
depart. Much of what the early church fathers wrote was in response to false
teachers who had departed and continued to challenge the faith with their own
"enlightened" versions. Strangely, given all the emphasis on
interpretation and knowledge, the appeal and staying power of any such cult
often owed more to the personality or charisma of the leader(s) than to its
distinctive doctrine.
Yet
heresy is a term that needs to be carefully defined. As Harold O. J. Brown
points out, the term, originally meaning "party" (Acts 5:17),
gradually took to itself negative connotations as it was applied to factions
that had deviated or split from the apostolic faith (1 Cor 11:9; Brown 1984:2).
But the term is used so loosely today (as it has been down through history)
that still further definition is necessary. Heresy in reference to a doctrine
denotes one "that was sufficiently intolerable to destroy the unity of the
Christian church. In the early church, heresy did not refer to simply any
doctrinal disagreement, but to something that seemed to undercut the very basis
for Christian existence" (Brown 1984:2). Some today (as, again, down
through history) would place things like infant baptism or tongues-speaking
into this category. Yet to judge from the New Testament and the early fathers
of the church, the early church's greatest concern was for deviations in
doctrines pertaining to God and Christ and the nature of salvation and
justification, because the very substance of the gospel message and the salvation
that rests on it lies in these things. Teachings that tend to characterize and
distinguish the various Christian denominations (views about baptism,
Communion, church government, gifts of the Holy Spirit and the role of women in
ministry, among others) may certainly be held to with passion, but the
differences here derive mainly from biblical passages capable of more than one
reasonable explanation. The term heresy is not appropriate in this latter
context.
As
Paul saw it, heresy posed a dual threat. It endangered the church and
individuals who would be drawn into error, perhaps beyond the reach of
salvation. It threatened the church's evangelistic mission in the world, by
contaminating the gospel. Thus Paul's charge to Timothy is equally a charge to us.
The
logical structure of 1:3-20 recommends that we consider it as a unit.
A
The Charge to Timothy to Oppose the False Teachers (vv. 3-5)
B
The False Teachers (vv. 6-7)
C
The Law: Mishandled by the False Teachers (vv. 8-10)
C'
The Authorized Doctrine (vv. 10-11)
B'
The Testimony of a Faithful Teacher (vv. 12-17)
A'
The Charge to Timothy Repeated (vv. 18-20)
Paul
denounces the heresy forcefully at the outset by introducing a contrast between
true and false. False teachers are contrasted with Paul. False doctrine and
misuse of the law are contrasted with the genuine gospel. And opening and
closing charges to Timothy bracket this contrast. This juxtaposing of true and
false and instructions to Timothy will carry on through the whole of the
letter.
The IVP New
Testament Commentary Series
Committed to
the Gospel and God's Plan of Salvation (1:15-16)
With
the turn in thought that occurs at this point, Paul continues his contrast of
the faithful teacher and the false teacher. In teaching false doctrine, the
false teachers are diverging from the authorized gospel and God's plan of
redemption (1:4). In contrast, the faithful teacher will follow Paul in fully
affirming God's plan.
First,
at the center of this plan is the gospel message. Paul was fully convinced of
its reliability. He signals his commitment and calls others to do likewise with
a formula, Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, and a
succinct statement of the gospel, Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners. As he clearly states here, the basis of salvation is the historical
ministry of Christ. As he has stated elsewhere (1 Cor 1:18-31; 2 Tim 1:10),
this "ministry," executed in the past (Christ came), continues in the
present day to be effective in the preaching of the gospel. This is God's plan:
salvation is linked solely to Christ and the message about him. Commitment to
anything but the apostolic gospel is heresy.
Second,
God's redemptive plan is imperturbable, as Paul's own experience taught him. It
reaches to the depths of depravity. Paul's self-confessed pre-Christian history
(as the worst of sinners [v. 15], a reference to his persecution of Christians
[v. 13; compare Gal 1:13]) made him, ironically, the perfect illustration of
the effectiveness of the gospel, the boundless grace of God and the
inexhaustible patience of Christ (v. 16).
Third,
the readers are reminded that salvation requires "belief" in Christ
(v. 16). Furthermore, Paul's language (believe on him) indicates that he means
personal faith in Christ, not simply adherence to a dogma. In order for this
kind of belief to occur, the gospel must be kept pure.
Finally,
the ultimate goal of the plan of salvation is eternal life (v. 16; compare 4:8;
6:12, 19; 2 Tim 1:10; Tit 1:2; 3:7). Paul's connection of ideas makes it clear
that the believer's personal faith in Christ is the necessary stepping-stone to
the ultimate goal of eternal life. It is this plan of salvation that Paul's
life verified.
Most
of us would be reluctant to do what Paul has done here. We are certainly no
match for the apostle. But humility aside, each Christian's spiritual history
is filled with poignant reminders of God's grace and mercy. While it will not
do to live in that past, from time to time we must take our bearings from it as
we move forward on a path that may not be clear. Paul's testimony of his
personal encounter with Christ demonstrated the power of the approved gospel.
Paul knew in his heart and was fully convinced that this message was true. And
it is essential that every Christian share this conviction borne out of
experience. We must remember, however, that this proof cannot be based solely
on a mystical encounter with God; it must be backed up by a changed life (v.
14). Could the false teachers with their version of the gospel make the same
claims as Paul? No! God's salvation plan is linked solely to the Christian
gospel. It requires faith and produces a new manner of life.
The IVP New
Testament Commentary Series
Timothy,
Fight the Good Fight (1:18-20)
Before
moving on to instructions to the whole church, Paul returns to underline
Timothy's standing orders concerning the heretics. It is this purpose of
instructing Timothy that controls the entire first chapter. The instruction of
verse 18 is the command of verse 3 and all that has followed. Now, however, in
repeating the charge to Timothy, Paul speaks to him as to the minister whose
special calling by God carries with it special obligations.
The Bible
Panorama
1 Timothy 1
V 1–2:
SPIRITUAL SON
Paul writes, as an apostle, to his spiritual son, Timothy, and reminds him of
the need for grace, mercy and peace from their common Father and Saviour.
V 3–7:
FAITHLESS FABLES
Timothy is urged to stay in Ephesus in order to correct the teaching of fables
which produces no faith. Edification, love, good conscience, and sincere faith
are the results of good doctrine being taken in the right spirit by the
hearers. Timothy is to resist those who pervert the truth.
V 8–11:
LEGITIMATE LAW
The correct use of law is to show sinful people their need for a Saviour.
Sinners of all types need sound teaching in a gospel context. The law gives the
foundation to enable the recognition of the need for forgiveness.
V
12–14: GOD’S GRACE Paul records his thankfulness for God’s grace which has
saved him from his former life of blasphemy, persecution and insolence, and has
put him into Christian service.
V 15–16:
‘ALL ACCEPTANCE’
Paul recommends to Timothy a saying which is ‘worthy of all acceptance’. It is
simply that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. Although Paul
sees himself as the chief of sinners, he recognises that, through his
conversion, God is showing His longsuffering to other sinners. If God’s
longsuffering can bring to salvation such a rebel as Paul, this is an
encouraging pattern for other sinners, who come to believe on Christ.
V 17:
MARVELLOUS MONARCH The thought of God’s grace to Paul leads him to praise
Jesus Christ as King, whose attributes belong to God alone.
V 18–20:
WAGING WARFARE
Paul urges Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and keep his conscience and
his faith as priorities. Others who have rejected this counsel have shipwrecked
their faith. They have been put out of fellowship (the meaning of ‘delivered to
Satan’) so that the sin of blasphemy, resulting from their ignoring of
conscience and faith, may be terminated ultimately when the discipline of being
put out leads them to repentance and faith.
Dictionary
of Bible Themes
7944
ministry, qualifications for
God,
who calls his people to minister, also equips his people. The chief
qualifications are a response to God’s call, faithfulness, godliness and
Christlikeness.
God
calls people to minister
Qualification
is by call, not gifting or achievement Dt 7:7-8 See also Dt 9:4-5
God
calls those who the world regards as weak or foolish 1Co 1:27-29
Feelings
of inadequacy to God’s call are common Ex 3:11 Moses; Jdg 6:15 Gideon; 1Sa 9:21
Saul; 1Sa 18:18 David; 1Ki 3:7 Solomon; Isa 6:5 Isaiah; Jer 1:6 Jeremiah
Responding
to God’s call to minister
Readiness
and availability 1Sa 3:10; Isa 6:8
Faith,
rather than natural talent or moral perfection, is required Heb 11:1-2 See also
Ge 27:19-24 Jacob was a deceiver; Nu 27:12-14 Moses and Aaron disobeyed God.
David committed adultery and murder: 2Sa 11:4,14-15
1Ki
11:9-13 Solomon disobeyed God’s command.
NT
ministers are recognised by call rather than their achievement
The
Twelve Mt 10:1-4 pp Mk 3:14-19 pp Lk 6:12-16 The Twelve, including Peter and
Judas, failed Jesus Christ at critical times.
Paul
Ac 9:15; Ac 26:6; 2Co 4:7-12; 2Co 12:7 Though greatly gifted, Paul was kept
humble by his sense of unworthiness, difficulties and disappointments and his
“thorn in the flesh”; 1Ti 1:16
Ministry
in the NT is described as service
Serving
God Ro 1:9; Jas 1:1
Serving
Jesus Christ Ro 1:1; Jude 1; Rev 1:1
Serving
the gospel Eph 3:7; Col 1:23
Serving
the church Ro 15:31; Ro 16:1; 1Co 16:15; 2Co 9:1; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7,25
Ministry
is described in terms of its source, content or nature
Its
source It is of the Spirit: 2Co 3:6,8
2Co
4:1 It is from God.
Its
content Ac 6:2-4 the word of God; 2Co 5:18 reconciliation
Its
nature Apostolic: Ac 1:25; Gal 2:8
Ro
15:16 priestly
Various
ministries are equally linked by qualifications of character
Ac
1:21 the replacement for Judas; Ac 6:3 the Seven Overseers: 1Ti 3:2-7; Tit
1:7-9
1Ti
3:8-13 deacons; 1Ti 6:11 Timothy
The
personal qualifications for ministry
Faithfulness
1Ti 6:11-14 Timothy; 2Ti 4:7 Paul’s claim for his own ministry “faithful” is
the sole description of the ministries of Epaphras and Tychicus: Col 1:7; Col
4:7
Godliness
Ac 8:21 Simon was not right with God. Timothy: 1Ti 6:11,20-21
Christlikeness
Ac 1:21-22 The replacement apostle for Judas had to have been with Jesus Christ
from the beginning.
Some
Scriptures on Christian Ministry.
Ministry in
the NT is described as service
1.Serving God
Romans
1:9New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
9
God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my
witness how constantly I remember you
2.Serving Jesus Christ
Romans
1:1-6New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called
to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – 2 the gospel he
promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his
Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through
the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his resurrection
from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and
apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith
for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to
belong to Jesus Christ.
3.Serving the gospel
Ephesians
3:7-12New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
7
I became a servant of this gospel by the
gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am
less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to
preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain
to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept
hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the
church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he
accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we
may approach God with freedom and confidence.
4.Serving the church
Colossians
1:6-14&25 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
6
that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing
throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day
you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras,
our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[b]
behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying
for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[c] 10 so that
you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing
fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being
strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may
have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the
kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and
brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins…. 25 I have
become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of
God in its fullness
III.
The nature and purpose of ministry from the Encyclopedia of The Bible
A.
Ministry as mission. All ministry, whether of Christ or the Church, is divine
in its origin and sanction. In the fourth gospel Jesus characteristically
refers to Himself as having been sent by God, thereby claiming both a general
divine commission and specific divine authority for utterances and actions
which sometimes outraged the religious scruples of His contemporaries (John
5:36, 37; 6:29ff.; 7:28, 29, etc.; cf. Matt 15:24; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48;
10:16). He employs the same language when commissioning His disciples to carry
on His ministry after His Ascension (John 20:21). The Church’s ministry is a
mission, and in rendering its service to the world the Church demonstrates its
obedience to the command of its Lord (Matt 28:18-20).
B.
Ministry as service. To describe the Church’s ministry, the NT writers chose
out of various possibilities the word διακονία,
G1355, a familiar term for lowly service, which they apply indiscriminately to
the service of all believers alike. The comprehensiveness of this term is
brought out by its wealth of association in the NT. Apostles and their
co-workers are διάκονοι of God (2
Cor 6:4; 1 Thess 3:2), of Christ (2 Cor 11:23; Col 1:7; 1 Tim 4:6), of a new
covenant (2 Cor 3:6), of the Gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23), of the Church (1:24,
25), or in an absolute sense (1 Cor 3:5; Eph 6:21; Col 4:7). Ministry likewise
is a διακονία,
G1355, of apostleship (Acts 1:17, 25), of the Word (Acts 6:4), of the Spirit (2
Cor 3:8), of righteousness (3:9), of reconciliation (5:18), of serving tables
(Acts 6:2), and of financial aid for fellow believers in distress (2 Cor 8:4;
cf. 8:19, 20). It is received from the Lord (Col 4:17), who calls all His
followers to participate in it (Eph 4:12). It should be noted that Christian
ministry is not exclusively oriented to the spiritual, but encompasses the
physical dimensions of life as well (cf. Rom 15:25).
The
spirit of humility which animates Christian ministry, already evident in the
term διακονία,
G1355, is intensified when believers are called “slaves” of Christ and of God
(Acts 4:29; 1 Cor 7:22; 1 Pet 2:16; cf. Rom 12:11; 1 Thess 1:9). No ground for
human vanity and pride remains when even apostles bear the name of slave (Rom
1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1). Yet where gratitude reigns in hearts redeemed by the
Lord who took the lowest place of service in love (Phil 2:7, 8), offering His
life as a ransom for His own (Mark 10:45), even the calling to be His slave is
gladly embraced as the noblest, most privileged vocation of all.
Called By God from The Oswald Chambers Daily Devtional
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who
will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." —Isaiah 6:8
God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying,
“…who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for
everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears,
and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. “Many are called,
but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). That is, few prove that they are the
chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God
through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their
ears opened. Then they hear “the voice of the Lord” continually asking, “…who
will go for Us?” However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, “Now, you
go.” He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God,
and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could
only be to say, “Here am I! Send me.”
Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you
or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without
irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence
of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew
4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we
too will hear what Isaiah heard— “the voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we
too will say, “Here am I! Send me.”
Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning
point--a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go more and
more toward a slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and
more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest--our best for His glory."
--Oswald Chambers, from the My Utmost for His Highest
Be
Blessed today
Yours
by His Grace,for the sake of His Church
and His Kingdom
