Friday - James 1 - Pure Religion

 

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LAINLY & simply put, religion is a system of worship. Satan has contrived many useless systems of worship. But that doesn't negate the one true system that was designed by God Himself. The story of redemption (as narrated in Scripture) is a grand presentation of the gospel of God's grace. It is the story of God restoring His relationship to His fallen creation. It is a presentation of the true doctrine of the one & only true & acceptable religion in all of history. Our religion, though it has worn various names throughout the millennia, has always centered on the complete sufficiency of sincere repentance & genuine faith in our Creator. Even in the days of Adam, Eve, Abel & Seth, it is apparent that faith in God and "calling upon His name" was the central tenant of true spiritual worship (Genesis 4:4, 26 & Hebrews 11:4). And, while every follower of God has obtained forgiveness & righteousness by faith (not by works), true faith has always produced a moral effect. Whether we examine the religious perspective of the aforementioned Abel, or of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Jonah, the Assyrians in Nineveh (Jonah 3:5), or of Peter, Paul and John – in every case there was an acceptance of God's authority & goodness (James 1:17-18). In every case there was repentance & faith that produced some kind of spiritual fruit (Hebrews 11). Religion that doesn't affect real change is hollow and false.

Thursday - Hebrews 13 - Holy Birdshot

 

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NY attempt at combining all of the principles in this chapter into one cohesive thought will likely be somewhat lacking. Still, there are a few themes that rise to the surface here. For one thing, these are the particulars that extend forth from the general principle of putting-faith-into-action, which we found in Hebrews 12. Still, this chapter seems to be something of a shotgun approach. Not that there is anything wrong with diversity in a good message, it's just that this approach is a bit different than most of the 1000+ chapters that we have studied together so far.

 

Let's take a couple of the dominant themes & focus on them briefly. It is certain that our horizontal relationships matter much in our spiritual walk. The author of Hebrews challenged his readers concerning their attitudes & actions toward others: toward their spiritual siblings (vs. 1), strangers (vs. 2), suffering servants (vs. 3), spouses (vs. 4), good religious mentors (vs. 7, 17 & 24) & even toward false teachers (vs. 9). This is not new news. Loving God & loving our fellow man go together (see the 10 Commandments, or Matthew 22:37-40).  God is merciful to the merciful. He forgives the forgiving. He gives to the giving. He loves the loving & helps those who are willing to help others (Luke 6:38, Matthew 25:40 & 1^st John 4:21). Being righteously spiritual or godly without being moral & kind is a paradoxical impossibility. Do you & I want to walk with God? To succeed, we must change how we treat those around us (unless you are already doing it right, of course).

Wednesday - Hebrews 12 - Time for Action

 

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HILDHOOD isn't intended to be a permanent condition. Being a student is supposed to lead to mastery & application. Strong discipline should develop good character. In virtually all areas of life there is an appropriate period of initiation followed by a time of development. But at some point, we must expect to reach a plane of maturity & readiness to venture further. This is especially true in the spiritual realm. Of course, we have to be instructed in the orthodox doctrines of the gospel. There is a beginning stage in our spiritual journey (when we do not even know what to do, much less how to do it). But there is also a time when we need to get up from our spiritual school desk & implement the principles of faith that we have learned. There is a time for less talk & a lot more action. This chapter is a passionate call for action. Consider the specifics.

Hebrews' author calls us into action in many ways. “Set aside those things in your life that distract you from serving Christ faithfully (vs. 1). Fight against sin and temptation as if it was your mortal enemy – because it is (vs. 1 & 4)!  Set your face like a flint, with your eyes fixed on Christ (vs. 2). With diligence & purpose, follow Christ's example and follow His instructions. Expect God to contribute continually to your spiritual endeavors through both positive & negative reinforcement (vs. 5-11). Embrace these divine interventions. Serve God energetically (vs. 12) & with precision (vs. 13).  Constantly consider what your testimony means to God & to others (vs. 14). Guard your heart against bitterness, selfishness, self-righteousness, callousness & casual involvement (vs. 15-17).” Our salvation has put us in a spectacular position (vs. 18-24). Our demeanor should match our place of privilege.

Tuesday - Hebrews 11 - Convinced to Commit

 

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EBREWS 11 is one of the tallest mountains on the landscape of Scripture. If there is any chapter that is aimed at the salvation and continued service of the elect, it is this one. Most notably, this chapter is full of Old Testament examples of men and women who believed God's promises, and who were thereby accepted by God Himself. From Abel to Sara, from Moses to Rahab, from Samuel to all "the prophets" – all are listed here as believers who through faith were able to please the Almighty God of the Bible. It is quite a "Who's Who" of biblical characters and the evidence of their spiritual confidence (in God, not in themselves). It is not an exhaustive list though. There are some great people of faith who did not get their names in this "Faith Hall of Fame" but whose lives make the same point. And, that point is that living by faith is the only right and wise way to live.  It is the way to obtain a good report.

 

These righteous characters obtained their righteousness by faith, and they are witnesses to the fact that every human should proceed in faith in every situation. Faith is the key to everything eternal (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the key to understanding truth (Hebrews 11:3). It is the key to our relationship with our Maker (Hebrews 11:6). It is the key to obtaining those things that God has promised to give us (Hebrews 11:13). Faith is the key to heaven's gates (Hebrews 11:14-16), the key to our value as a person (Hebrews 11:38) and the key to success in life (Hebrews 11:39). Faith is the key to perfection, to salvation, to life and death. In coming to God, the skids of God's mercy and grace are greased by faith. 

Monday - Hebrews 10 - The Sea of Forgetfulness

 

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HERE are things we want to remember forever and always (vs. 24-26, 32 & 35). Then there are other things that we want to (and need to) forget. The same is true with God. He will never forget His promises to His people (Psalm 12:5-7 & Hebrews 10:23), but on the other hand, He guarantees that He will forget our sins (vs. 17). In this context, forgetting is the most wonderful thing imaginable. 

 

There is still a problem though. While God is willing to cast our sins behind His back; to remove us completely from the presence of our guilt (Psalm 103:12), on our own, we can't forget our guilt (Psalm 51:3). Under the Old Testament system of repeated sacrifices, the reminders of guilt were part of the religious routine (Hebrews 10:3). Obviously, if we are to have complete spiritual victory, there had to be some way that was better than that.  Living without consciousness of past sins would certainly be a key to spiritual happiness and personal peace, as well as godly fellowship. But how do we reach this lofty goal? It seems impossible. Yet, a full application and a full understanding of God's forgiveness can certainly clear a guilty conscience. Knowing that we have truly been absolved of all of our guilt; that we have nothing to fear even in God's holy presence, and that we are fully accepted by Christ – these realities are powerful and permanent. Hebrews 10:12 & 14-18 teaches us that through Christ we have both real forgiveness and the abiding feeling of being forgiven. The Holy Spirit resides within us convincing us of our acceptability in Christ. 

Friday - Hebrews 9 - Shadows vs. Substance

 

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OLOSSIANS 2:16-17 teaches us that the tangible religious rituals with which we are familiar are not the substance of spirituality; they are only representations of it. Specifically, the exterior requirements of the Old Testament "are a shadow of things to come..." But once you get to Christ Himself, then you have obtained the very substance of spiritual truth. In other words, everything points to Christ. In fact, in the previous chapter we saw that the priests & their sacrifices were of no immediate significance (apart from the fact that they served as "the example and shadow of heavenly things.") You could say that they were replicas, but they weren't the real thing (Hebrews 8:3-5 & 10:1). Christ is the real thing. In fact, if we consider the teachings of Christ in John 6:53-64, it becomes apparent that even concerning the incarnate body of Christ, it is not His physical flesh & blood that we must receive.  It is the words of the gospel that He has spoken that we must internalize (see John 6:63 specifically). Like we saw in Hebrews 8, it is in the heart & mind of a man (where faith is) that fellowship with God is established & our eternal destinies are determined (Hebrews 9:14).

 

In this chapter, the words "figure" (vs. 9 & 24), "signify" (vs. 8) and "pattern" (vs. 23) stand out in the teaching of the difference between what we can see & touch, & what we know by faith. Don't imagine that the 2 arenas are unrelated though. In every case, there are physical things that express & represent spiritual realities. And, insofar as these physical things point to something greater, they matter. But, apart from their eternal & heavenly meaning, they do not matter. In fact, they can even become distracting idols.

Thursday - Hebrews 8 - A New Deal

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HE Old Testament includes a forecast of the coming of a New Testament (Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Hebrews 8:8-12). Of course, throughout the Old Testament there are constant prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. Jesus is this Messiah. He is the Christ; the Elect of God; the Chosen One; The Anointed of God (Isaiah 42:1, Matthew 16:16, Luke 23:25 & Acts 10:38). Everything in Bible points to redemption, and without a Redeemer, there could be no redemption. Jesus is our Redeemer. He is our Savior; our High Priest and minister of the New Testament. And, what is this New Testament that replaces the old one (Hebrews 8:13)?

 

The New Testament is a new deal between God and Israel; between God and all of humanity. It is a new and better arrangement than the Old Testament. The word "testament" means "covenant or agreement." Synonyms for it are "contract, treaty, promise, pledge, bond and pact." So, in the Old Testament there was an arrangement under which God promised to do certain things for Israel, if they would "simply" obey His laws. It was not so simple though. It was agreement that they could not keep (Acts 15:10). In fact, Paul wrote in Galatians 3:24-25 that actually God only ever intended for the Law of Moses to bring us to our knees in humility. It was never imagined by God that the Old Testament could be a sufficient  standard  for  a restoration of peace between Him & mankind. He knew that humanity could never live up to His standards. But the possibility of men being convinced by the Law (that we need someone to rescue us) was obviously worth all the trouble of issuing the Old Testament.  But now we have a new deal; a much better deal!

Wednesday - Hebrews 7 - The Power of an Endless Life

 

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 priest is supposed to be a spokesman for God. A priest is supposed to have the ability & right to communicate with God for others. Of course, we know that during the days of Moses, God Himself ordained a family of priests in Israel from the tribe of Levi. Aaron (Moses' brother) became the father of a long line of sacred ministers who stood between God & the people. The Jews to whom this book is addressed would have been very familiar with the role of the Levites in worship & sacrifice. And, the Jews properly reverenced these men very highly for the sake of their office. But here we find that the priesthood of Aaron's family is neither the only, nor is it the highest order of priestly privilege.

There were indeed priests prior to Aaron. In fact, it seems that the eldest son in every godly pre-Aaronic family was something of a priest within his own house. It is worth noting that Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac & Jacob all made sacrifices to God & communicated with Him in ways that matched the fulfilling of priestly duties. Moses' father-in-law (Reuel) was a priest too (Exodus 2:16). As we see here, there was a mysterious priest who lived in Old Testament times to whom Abraham paid tithes. His name was Melchizedek. And indeed, Christ Himself is the greatest of all priests.  His eternal priesthood is far superior to the priesthood of every previous priest.  

Tuesday - Hebrews 6 - Apostasy, Salvation, Assurance & Security

 

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AVING spent five chapters looking at the perfection of Christ, it is apparently time to look in the mirror. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a simple proposition. In fact, the author of Hebrews calls the gospel doctrinal "milk" (Hebrews 5:12-14). However, once the gospel has been presented, understood, & accepted, there is an entree to be served as well. And, this dish is not for those who have no spiritual teeth, no spiritual habit of discipline, & a weak spiritual stomach. Essentially the question for a professing Christian (one claiming to be saved) is, "Did you mean it? Is it real?  Were you (& are you) serious in your devotion to Jesus Christ? Are you a genuine saint, or are you just experimenting?" (2^nd Corinthians 13:5).

 

Don't get me wrong, salvation is a straightforward proposition. However, according to Jude 1:4 and 1^st John 2:19, there are individuals who are not believers yet they are gathering physically with the church. These people are not immediately detectable in our midst (Matthew 7:22).  In fact, as you read through this chapter it becomes apparent that many unbelievers in the congregation do not even realize that they are unbelievers. Their true identity is revealed eventually, not immediately. Many of these people become apostates (unbelievers who have previously professed faith in Christ but who actually remained in unbelief, which becomes apparent when they forsake the gospel altogether). Thankfully, at some point, unbelievers in our midst may be convinced truly. Others pass in blindness from this life, thinking erroneously they are safe. 

Monday - Hebrews 5 - Fear & Obedience

 

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 have no problem seeing how fear and obedience fit necessarily into the spiritual life of any believer. Due to our smallness and God's greatness, it is perfectly reasonable that we should fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In fact, this simple prescription is postulated plainly in both the Old Testament and the New (Deuteronomy 6:2, 1^st Peter 2:17 & 1^st John 5:3). But what do you do with the realization that Jesus Christ "learned obedience" and had His prayers answered "because He feared" His heavenly Father (Hebrews 5:7-8)?

 

It is true that Christ's experience in this world, from the cradle to the grave (or better, from His conception to His ascension) was somewhat different than ours. Still, the sameness of our experiences is just as significant as the differences. He was certainly "compassed with infirmity" just like the rest of us (Hebrews 5:2 & 4:15). However, there were distinct differences in His experience. Christ was tempted (just like we are), yet He never failed. That's different. And, in the case of Christ learning obedience and fearing His Father, again there are differences. Jesus didn't learn obedience after having a habit of disobedience. That's the way we do it. Jesus learned obedience and submission after having had only absolute command and authority. In other words, prior to His humiliation (Philippians 2:6-8), the divine Son of God didn't and couldn't "obey" in the sense that we do. God is the boss. Bosses don't obey. They are the ones who demand obedience from others. But Jesus 

Friday - Hebrews 4 - Unprofitable Preaching

 

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HAT is it that makes some gospel preaching fruitless? Not “what makes preaching in general fruitless?” Preaching without the gospel is senseless, & we should expect it to be fruitless. But assuming that the gospel is being preached, any failure is in the listener. Verse 2 does not say that the preaching of the gospel is unprofitable or ineffective in some instances because (for example) the preaching style is. When the true gospel is preached yet no one responds, the problem is a lack of faith in the listeners (vs. 6). Truth without faith brings deeper guilt (or worse, spiritual cynicism). Attempts at faith without truth is only misguided foolishness. But together, humble faith & the gospel changes lives.

 

Now, if a man has no faith, what does he have? The answer: his deeds. And, THAT is a problem (Isaiah 64:6). Our deeds (good or bad by our own estimation) do not lift us up to God. Our works can never add one nanometer to our spiritual elevation. Righteousness is imputed. To those who hear & heed, we rest in God's promises & in His goodness (rather than depending our own puny efforts – vs. 10). This is the aim of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of God's salvation (by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ). But again, if the audience has no faith, then the good news only increases our accountability; our culpability. Without faith accompanying the gospel, the blame on us is only intensified.

 

Now, what if a man's faith is lacking, waning, or absent altogether? Hebrews 4:11 says, "Labor to enter into that rest." Coming to Christ in genuine faith is the most urgent endeavor a person can undertake. Obviously. the author of Hebrews is not promoting a works salvation. But he is pointing to the necessity of sincerity. 

Thursday - Hebrews 3 - Consider Christ

 

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CCORDING to Dr. James Strong, the word "consider" in vs. 1 means "to discover, perceive, behold, or to observe fully." So, when the author of Hebrews calls on his readers to "consider Christ" as the"Apostle & High Priest of our profession," then what he is inviting us to do is to examine more thoroughly the full significance of Christ's identity, as well as His mission.  Christ; this man, who is also God; this God, who is also man, is the appointed messenger from His Father to us, & from us to the Father.  He is faithful in these roles: faithful to His Father (vs. 2) & to us.

 

Now, the most spectacular thing about Christ is not just that He is faithful; reliable; dependable; perfect. The thing that makes His faithfulness special is that He is not an underling. Moses, for example, was a relatively faithful servant of God. But Jesus is the faithful Son of God. Moses did a good job working in his allotted station among men, but Jesus is the Maker of stations, and of men.  Moses was a good man of faith in the midst of many men who all belonged to God.  Christ is the owner of all good men of faith. 

 

A big difference between Christ & all of the holy prophets who came before Him is that because of His ministry, the urgency & necessity of a positive response from us is intensified exponentially. As we will see later on in Hebrews, resisting Christ's offer of salvation is the most damnable of all infractions in this era (Hebrews 6:4-8, 10:23-38 & 12:15-29). God can & will forgive any & every other  sin,  but  if we see Christ; if we understand His offer of salvation from sin, yet we turn away in unbelief, there is no other hope (vs. 12). Without Christ, a man is forever lost (1^st John 5:12 & John 3:36).

Wednesday - Hebrews 2 - One of Us

 

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FTER a whole beautiful chapter (Hebrews 1) describing how Jesus and our heavenly Father are one, now we find ourselves in the middle of a chapter that describes how Jesus is one of us. Humanity is certainly higher than the animal kingdom (Hebrews 2:7), but we are lower than the created angels of heaven. Whatever we are, we are not divine. Yet God became a man. Knowing the humility, pain and suffering to which He was subjecting Himself, God still entered into our sin cursed world. He didn't just "imagine" what it would be like to be limited like His creations, He actually did it. God literally experienced being human. In fact, Christ's incarnation was permanent. He is still one of us (Luke 24:39). He (Jesus Christ) experienced human suffering firsthand (vs. 10). He tasted death for all of us (vs. 9). In fact, our unity with Christ is so spectacular, it is certain that we don't quite comprehend just how close we are to Him (read verses 11-12). God became a man. Call it the hypostatic union, the incarnation, the "great mystery of godliness" - whatever the title, Jesus is not only the exalted Son of God, He is also the willing Son of Man (vs. 16).

Tuesday - Hebrews 1 - The One We Worship

HEBREWS 1 is certainly a marvelous exaltation of Jesus Christ. I mean, He is who He is whether we know it or not, but it sure is precious when the Father pulls back the curtains of eternity and shows us a little more about Himself. Among the great theological realizations that should enamor us is the beautiful Father/Son relationship between the first two persons of the eternally existing Trinity. Not only does this description help us to understand the eternal divinity of Christ, it also clarifies some other things about His identity, personality, and activity. Of course, there is naturally a complete inadequacy in us when it comes to understanding the transcendent nature of the Godhead, but the precious samples given here are certainly more than enough to keep us worshipping appropriately.

In this chapter, we get to read a small portion of the transcript of a conversation between God (the Father) and God (the Son). In fact, in Hebrews 1:8-12, God addresses God (which is a little confusing to us; but the ineptness is in us, not in the conversation itself). In other words, so what if God talks to God (and they are three persons, yet there is only one God). Our inability to explain this description of the reality of who God is has no bearing on whether or not it is accurate. It is accurate.  Accept this by simple faith and intuition (Romans 1:20 & 1st John 5:7). God is who He is, whether we can analyze Him to our satisfaction or not. Which, of course, we can't (Job 9:10, Romans 11:33 & Isaiah 55:8-9).

Monday - Philemon - An Example of Forgiveness

 

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HE story here is simple. Paul was a prisoner in Rome. In that prison he met a young man named Onesimus (vs. 9-10). Onesimus happened to be a runaway slave. His former master was the man to whom this letter was addressed. Onesimus' master was Philemon. It is apparent from the text that Paul witnessed to and won Onesimus to Christ while they were in prison together. And, by God's grace, Paul and Philemon were already friends. So, although Onesimus became a positive and willing companion to Paul while in prison with him, after his release Paul sent him back to his master. However, this letter (sent in Onesimus' hand) was a passionate request from Paul that Philemon would refrain from punishing Onesimus for his dereliction. And above that, Paul called on his friend Philemon to treat Onesimus with every kindness, as if Onesimus were really Paul himself. And, the key word here is the word "receive" (vs. 12 & 17). Paul wanted Onesimus to be received.

 

Now, how could Philemon receive Onesimus? How could he readily & generously accept Onesimus without also forgiving him. The forgiveness that Paul expected from Philemon is apparent in the context. And it is important to note the foundation upon which this forgiveness & acceptance was to be offered. It was all for love. Paul testified confidently about Philemon's love for Christ, for the saints, & for Paul in particular. Paul expected Philemon to include Onesimus under his umbrella of kindness (vs. 9 & 16) – especially since Onesimus had professed faith in Christ (Galatians 6:10). Onesimus was no longer just a slave. He was a Christian brother.

Friday - Titus 3 - The Gospel Train is Loaded

 

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OHN 3:16 is commonly referred to as "the gospel in a nutshell." And, in Ephesians 2:8-10 we can read (in just a few verses) a marvelous summation of the gospel and its aftereffects. But here in Titus 3 we have what amounts to almost an entire chapter devoted to a clear description of the gospel of God's grace, and all that follows. Let's call this the gospel train.

 

Now, a train has a proper order to it. It would be strange indeed if one were to see a boxcar or two rolling down a railroad track all by themselves. Or, if there were never any cars, only. That would not make sense. But, if you see an engine pulling some cars (and in olden days, at last the caboose comes by), well that is what you would expect. That makes sense. Even so, in God's plan of redemption there is a proper order. This order is seen in this chapter.

 

At one time, we were all foolish sinners (vs. 3). The love of the Savior appears on our sinful scene though (vs. 4), and God regenerates the sinner, saving us from our sin & sealing us with His Spirit (vs. 5-6). As justified saints, we are the permanent possessors of the very life of God Himself (Titus 2:7). As God's children, we are obliged then to honor Him continually with our deeds (Titus 3:1, 8 & 14). The plan functions that way. That's the way it was designed to look.

 

Now, good works cannot precede salvation (Isaiah 64:6).  Then again, salvation doesn't travel the tracks of God's grace alone (Revelation 14:13). While our good works most certainly do not contribute to our redemption, they do demonstrate it.

Thursday - Titus 2 - The Need for Good Followers

 

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 leader is rather useless without followers. A conductor without an orchestra can't produce beautiful music. A supervisor without a work crew can't get much done. The same is true in the church. The church needs good leaders, for sure. But everybody can't be an Indian chief. The church needs braves. That's the point of this chapter. As Titus preached the truth & led his congregation in the right direction, Paul called the membership in his church to follow him. And, everyone has a role in this. No matter what your age or position, we each have a responsibility to contribute to the continued proper direction of our own church.

 

Notice that the proper behavior of the individuals in the church is part of the soundness of the doctrine of the church (vs. 1 & 10). In other words, doctrine does not only relate to who God is & what He has said & done, doctrine has to affect & include our morality & attitude or it isn't worth anything. Men & women, old & young; servants all – whoever you are & whatever your station, God has a standard & plan for how you can be a blessing in the church (vs. 2-10). All of us who are redeemed are important and useful in God's program. As we follow Christ and as we follow the human leaders He has given to us (Ephesians 4:8 & 11-13), we can grow in grace, and God's name can be magnified.

 

So sobriety, gravity, temperateness, soundness of faith, love, patience, holiness, honesty, discretion, chastity, goodness, obedience, incorruptness, soundness of speech, fidelity – these are all qualities that Paul promoted & expected within the fellowship of the saints (vs. 2-10). It is God's holiness manifested in us that makes our gospel believable (vs. 12). We have been saved from sin, & we have been equipped to serve the God of all righteousness (vs. 14). There is no room for resistance (vs. 15). Followers follow.

Wednesday - Titus 1 - The Need for Good Leaders

 

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VEN good Christians need a leader. Certainly, humans in general are in need of noble leadership. It is the way God made us. We all look up. Everyone yearns for something or someone greater than us; someone specifically to whom we can defer. Ultimately, we are looking for someone to worship, and that is (of course) God Himself. He is our capital "L" Leader. As the old song goes, "He leads me, 0h blessed thought! 0h words with heavenly comfort fraught.   Whatever I do, wherever I be... it is still God's hand that leads me." But how does He lead us? And where? And why?

 

Certainly, we have a God-given inner gift, commonly called our conscience. It is our moral compass. It has been tainted by the fall, so it certainly can't save us.  But it is still present and at the least tells us that there is a difference between right and wrong, and that (generally speaking) we should do right. But God leads us in more ways than that. The Bible is a marvelous guidebook. It is intended to give us direction in life, and more importantly, in death. The Holy Spirit also guides us. He is our Guide (Romans 8:14). Still, we each need a leader with skin on him. This is partly why God became a man (1^st Timothy 3:16). Christ is our physical example & leader. He is our Savior, yes. But we are also called upon to follow Him. Who does one follow? The leader! Yet we realize that He has ascended to heaven. He will return, but in the meantime we all still hungry for visible leadership. And, we will all serve something or somebody. One way or another there will be someone to whom we look in this life; always an example & ideal that we will emulate (Romans 6:16).

Tuesday – 2nd Timothy 4 - Preach the Word; Fight a Good Fight

 

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REACHING may be generally acceptable. But preaching the Word? That is most certainly not always appreciated (vs. 2-4 & 1^st Thessalonians 5:20). There is a difference. Preaching is simply a form of communication. The form is not threatening to the devil. But, the Word of God is a threat to all evil. Satan and all who follow him despise the truth. Satan is the father of lies. He fights vehemently against the proclamation of God's truth. He surely doesn't mind passionate preachers who are preaching their own agenda (2^nd Corinthians 4:5). But, a clear presentation of divine revelation is a mortal threat to that fierce old fiend. So, Paul challenged Timothy to "Preach the Word!" When it's convenient, and when it isn't – the Bible must be preached. When it is appreciated and when it is resisted, it still must be preached. When the preacher feels good about it and when he doesn't, the truth must still be preached (2^nd Timothy 4:2). The good with the bad; comfort and reprimand; patiently, yet consistently – the truth of the Scriptures must be preached (1^st Corinthians 1:21).

Monday – 2nd Timothy 3 - Dangerous Days & the Way to Survive

 

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ROM the day of Pentecost until now, we have been in the last days. At any moment, Christ could have come to rapture His church, & He still could. Still, it has been 20 centuries since He left us. We have to wonder if maybe we are in the last of the last days. If this is the last era in the section of human history that we might call "the kingdoms of this world," and if the fullness of the kingdom of God is 2000 years closer than when it was promised by Christ Himself, it seems reasonable that we should all be that much more attentive than ever before to the possibility of the abrupt arrival of the end of this age. Especially when we read the description of the way things will be in the last days. And, when we look around us & see a thorough correlation between revelation & reality, we should be driven to lift up our heads in anticipation of our full redemption & adoption (Luke 21:28 & Romans 8:23).

 

Perhaps it is all too common for believers to look at the world around us with an attitude of condemnation (vs. 2-4). And indeed, there is a place for that conversation (Hebrews 11:7). The world we know is not expected to get any better.  Morally and spiritually, the world is indeed decaying. But instead of just talking about how awful Satan's kids are (which is true), there are 2 other things that we should do; things that are far more beneficial. First, we should evaluate ourselves. And second, we should focus more and more on the Scriptures. Those 2 things are enough to keep us busy.

Friday – 2nd Timothy 2 - Truth & Holiness

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HE relationship between truth & holiness might not be immediately obvious, but it is there nonetheless. It was the lies of Satan that polluted the connection which we had with God in the Garden of Eden. Now, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). The solution for our perpetual lack of holiness is a divine infusion of gracious truth into our souls. Jesus said, "The truth will make you free" (John 8:32).  It is logical therefore that as Paul wrote this 2^nd challenge to young Timothy he spent some time passionately promoting the propagation of truth, along with a high standard of holiness.

 

The dissemination of divine revelation has an evident order and chronology. The old prophets certainly played a vital role in laying a firm foundation of gospel truth (for example: Isaiah 45:22, 52:10, 53, Habakkuk 2:4, Genesis 6:8, Deuteronomy 18:15 & 18, etc.). John, Jesus, and the apostles built a sturdy bridge of gospel doctrine. God used Paul then to expound the nature of the gospel extensively in his many New Testament epistles. Among these fine treatises is this letter to Timothy.  Timothy was a single link in the great gospel chain (vs. 7-8), but he wasn't the last link. Paul reminds Tim (in verse 2) that he was responsible for passing the gospel along to others, who in turn would also need to teach others.  And, here we are today, some 2000 years later, still believing & preaching the same good news. Christ's mission was to restore us to that secure place of trust & righteousness. As believers, we should always function under the correct assumption that God is good & right. He does all things well. His plans are perfect. His words are reliable. His strength is infinite.

Thursday – 2nd Timothy 1 - Following Our Calling

PAUL was called to be an apostle. He was given a spiritual blessing by the laying on of hands (Galatians 2:9, Acts 9:17-18 & 13:3). He received healing, the Holy Spirit, acceptance from the church, and a charge to ministry in this way. And, he passed this blessing along to others. Here in this 2nd letter to young Timothy, Paul reflects briefly on Timothy's ordination into the pastoral ministry (vs. 6 & 14). Of course, Paul was neither the source of Timothy's salvation nor of his ministerial calling. In fact, even though Paul could look back at the faith of his own spiritual forefathers (vs. 3), & although he could also point specifically to Timothy's good religious heritage, both the salvation & the calling of Paul and Timothy are credited directly to Christ. (1st Thessalonians 5:24)!

The spiritual power which we possess (as God's children & as His loyal servants) is a product of great & precious promises of God, which are fulfilled in Christ (vs. 1, 7 & 8). He is the caller (vs. 9). We are mere instruments in His hands; tools with which He can accomplish infinite good as we yield to Him. Paul had been appointed by God as an apostle & a preacher of the gospel to the world outside of Judaism (vs. 11). What a commission! What a precious & potent message we carry too (vs. 10)! Most importantly, what a magnificent & benevolent master for whom we speak (vs. 12)! These realities demand of us that we stick to the straight & narrow path – preaching truth faithfully & lovingly (vs. 13).   Will we face opposition as we serve Christ? Certainly (vs. 15)! But then again, we should also expect to enjoy wonderful fellowship (vs. 16-18). We have been called out of a hostile & sinful world, but we have also been brought into a wonderful world of faith, fellowship & holiness (Hebrews 12:22-24). Our calling is a calling worth following.