I wonder how many of us have a “child in the faith”? What are we doing to bring God’s children who have wondered far back to Him? I appreciate each of our donors who help us look for the lost sheep. I suppose I’m the “surrogate” parent. However, this ministry is here to help you personally find your “child in the faith”. Use our material and share it with all around you.
Countless Christians are about spouting myths, conspiracy theories and church doctrine. But all that energy will do nothing to make a “child of God”. Personal example of love, gentleness, respect and kind words will do more to heal a broken heart than all the clubs in our weaponry.
1 Timothy 1:1 to 1 Timothy 1:20
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, . . .
The majority of those who go into “ministry” have not been “called” by the “command of God”. There are those who just enjoy working with people and use “ministry” as an excuse. Then there are those who don’t want to work for a living. Then of course there are those who love money and power; working for a denomination and moving up the “chain of command” is ego stroking.
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am sure Timothy had his faults. I am sure he made mistakes. But I never hear of Paul chastising him in his letters. I wonder if we should be filled more with expressions of “grace, mercy, and peace” towards each other? What wonderful relationships we would have in our lives. Probably, half our ills would be solved with such an attitude.
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus,. . .
We all need to be “urged” in our lives. I know I do. It actually is comforting to know I am working in a team setting. Too much individuality can be dangerous in our lives. Timothy had molded his life into that of Paul’s. He placed himself under Paul as mentor, father, teacher and instructor. His example is what ours should be towards Jesus. But few are willing to humbly submit to anyone, let alone Jesus. Wherever Paul needed Timothy, Timothy was there.
. . . so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, . . .
The churches, denominations and pastors of the world today are not listening. They are way off the “one way” path and trudging through the swamp of human wisdom, ego and pride. Paul taught the doctrine of Jesus to be perfect, stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life. Jesus never taught church, tradition, sacrifices, services, rituals, rites or even grace. Instead of teaching grace, He lived it.
. . . nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
Genealogies! “My family goes way back for generations in the Catholic Church. I’m not going to change.” “My family has belonged to the Methodist church for generations. Why should I leave it?” “It was good enough for my great-great-grandparents to belong to the Seven-day Adventist church, I’m not leaving.” And so it goes. Endless genealogies have nothing to do with eternal life. The light our forbearers had was probably all God allowed for them at that time. But now, we have far more light and will be held responsible for living up to it or rejecting it.
That word “devote” is interesting. I know of whole churches, denominations and religions that are devoted to myths. Asked why they do certain rituals, rites and ceremonies in their churches and all they can say is, “It is tradition”. Myths! For many, worrying about food will kill them faster than the food they are worried about.
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Try telling that to someone hung up on her myth or genealogy. They probably won’t think you have love issuing from a pure heart and a good conscience. They may be offended and call the “thought police”. But it does take a “sincere faith” to be a “Timothy” and “charge certain persons not to . . .”. We must be very careful and make sure that what we are speaking comes from a pure heart and good conscience and sincere faith.
Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, . . .
“Vain discussion”. Wow! Have you been listening to the Left? Men can become women. Children can be mutilated? Good is bad and bad is good? Talk about “vain discussion”. The Left is under the complete control of Lucifer and he hates God and everything that God created. Talk about having “wandered away”. Yes they have! The above is about society, but what about the churches?
The churches have wondered away into vain discussion by claiming we no longer have to keep the Ten Commandments. They claim we don’t have to keep the one day of the week God commands us to remember to keep holy. They refuse to live in obedience because they claim we are saved eternally by grace. What nonsense!
. . . desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
How true! The churches, denominations and pastors of the world are all “desiring to be teachers of the law” and yet are truly “without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions”. The world is becoming worse that Sodom. The world is becoming worse than it was before the flood. This is the time to practice holiness and become perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping.
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, . . .
In other letters from Paul, when he talks about “law”, he is talking about church laws, circumcision and everything that goes with it. Why? Because those letters were written to new converts from both Judaism and Gentiles. Therefore, he had to keep them safe from those who wanted to impose on them their old “church” concepts and ideas.
But in this letter, Paul is talking to Timothy. He is now talking to him about the Ten Commandments. The “law is good, if one uses it lawfully”. Can the Ten Commandments be used “unlawfully”? Yes. People use it all the time to point fingers, turn their backs on people and to destroy lives.
. . . understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just –
Why is the law not for the just? Because the just love the law and obey it. If you are driving down the freeway and driving safely and responsibly, driving the speed limit, you are just and don’t have to worry about the blue and read lights of the “law” behind you.
– 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.
Law is for those who want to break it. It gives authority to God to punish those who want to hurt others by breaking the law. Don’t you want justice? God is a God of justice. But He also applies mercy when they repent and change their lives and are justified. Therefore, if you live a righteous life, you don’t have to be looking in the rearview mirror for the law to catch you. God is love. When you live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life, you and God are in “accordance with the gospel”. Therefore, as Jesus said, the law is not abolished, it is being fulfilled every day in our lives as it was in His.
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, . . .
Strength for what? For keeping the Ten Commandments! After becoming a Christian, he put his will on the side of Christ and God gave him the strength to obey the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Jesus “judged me faithful”. Not just for past sins, which were blotted out with justification, but for a present life of obedience through sanctification “to His service”.
. . . though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, . . .
That is correct. There is a difference between acting ignorantly and acting in rebellion. Once you know what is right and refuse to live in obedience to it, you are held accountable. But when you repent and change your life, you will receive mercy.
This is an Old Testament concept. Remember, Paul taught from the Old Testament. “And the whole community of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.” Numbers 15:26.
. . . and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
The wages of sin is death. One grace of God is keeping you alive in this physical world. But when you repent, turning from your sins and living as Jesus commands, then another grace kicks in “with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus”. That grace is salvation grace.
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.
Yes He did! He came into this world to save me, the chief of sinners. That is why I do not want to disappoint Jesus by breaking His law. Do I stumble, fall and trip? That I do. But I will not deliberately rebel against God and His Ten Commandments.
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.
How true that is in my life. “His perfect patience” is on display in me. This is shown so that others may know that they too can be forgiven and given the grace of eternal life when they submit to the Ten Commandments.
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Praising God, lifting arms and hands, jumping up and down in church and putting on a show to an imaginary “Jesus” whom you refuse to live in obedience to, will do you no good. God detests you. But when you learn to live by His grace, in perfect obedience to the Ten Commandments, that is something you will praise God for from a pure and quiet heart.
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
That puts a stop to the “once saved always saved” nonsense. Some were working with Paul, but left. They had the faith, and then made shipwreck of it by taking their eyes off the truth and putting them on the churches and the world. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus and His perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping character. Let us follow His example.