Sunday, February 5, 2017, 9:08 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Teach Them.” Speak, Lord, your words to
my heart. I read 1 Timothy 1:1-11
(NASB).
To Timothy (vv.
1-2)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the
commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy
and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
The book of Timothy is
considered to be a pastoral epistle – a letter written by Paul to Timothy, who
was his son in the Lord, a fellow worker with him in the ministry, and a
minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, all of what is taught in this
epistle may not specifically apply to all of us, yet the scriptures do teach
that “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So, we need to find out what it is that
we are to learn from this God-breathed letter, for God has given it to us, his
people, for a purpose.
I am a woman. I believe
scripture teaches that women are not to be in a position of authority over men
nor are they to serve in an authoritative position over men as their teachers
(instructors). So, I would not apply this passage of scripture to myself in the
sense that I am to usurp any authority over men instructionally, to where they
must obey my authority. I can, however, teach women and youth, and men can
learn from what the Lord Jesus teaches me through his word each day, if they so
choose to read what the Lord gives me to write, or to listen when I give
testimony to my faith.
As well, we read in scripture
that we each have an assignment from God within the body of Christ, and as each
part does its work, we cause the body to grow up in Christ. And, we read that
we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. We are to “Let
the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God” (See: Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). So, there is
a sense here that we can learn from one another and encourage one another in
the faith. As well, women are given the gift of prophecy, as are men, and this
gift is for the purpose to edify, encourage, exhort, warn and comfort the
believers.
Strange Doctrines (vv. 3-7)
As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain
on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere
speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience
and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned
aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though
they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which
they make confident assertions.
So, within the confines of
the teachings of scripture concerning spiritual gifts and roles of men and
women, there are multiple avenues from which anyone of us can warn against the
teachings or the believing of what is false. Right now, for instance, the
internet here in America is wide open for us to be able to share Jesus Christ
and his Word with all who would listen, and with whomever would choose to learn
from what we share each day from God’s Word. We can write personal blogs or we
can post Biblically-based writings on various Christian-based websites, or, in
person, we can share what we are learning from God’s Word in Biblically-based small
groups, which are discussion-oriented, and where our input is welcome and
invited.
For me personally, the Lord
Jesus called me to this ministry of writing out what he teaches me each day
from my time with him in his Word and to post it on the internet, and that is
what I have been doing nearly daily for the past 10+ years. So, that is what I
do out of obedience to my Lord.
Now, with regard to the
subject at hand, the “strange teachings” that are being taught today under the
guise of Christianity are far and wide, but let me mention just a few here. I
believe the biggest threat right now to Christianity and to the gospel of salvation,
as taught by Jesus Christ and his NT apostles, is what I would call a false
grace gospel. This false grace gospel teaches an unbiblical faith that is
human-based and not of the Spirit of God. It repeats words of men in a prayer
to God, after which the person is congratulated for now becoming part of the
family of God, and promised heaven when they die no matter what transpires from
that moment on.
There is no turning from sin
in this prayer of “faith,” and no commitment to following our Lord Jesus in
obedience to his Word, but the Bible teaches that when we believe in Jesus
Christ we die with Christ to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness
of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph.
4:24). We are born anew (or again), not physically this time, but spiritually.
The old is gone. The new has come. We lay aside our old lives of living for sin
and self, we are transformed of the Spirit of God in the renewing of our minds,
and we put on Christ and his righteousness (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 6:1-23; Eph.
4:17-24).
God’s grace is not a free
license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. Jesus did not die
on a cross for our sins so that we would continue in sin while claiming heaven
as our eternal destination. He died that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave
his life up for us; and he gave Himself up for us to redeem us from every
lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own
possession, zealous for good deeds. In fact, his grace, which brings
salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to
live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s soon
return (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; Tit. 2:11-14).
The other serious threat to
Christianity and to the gospel of our salvation right now is a teaching that
all people are to be united, and that we all worship the same God, no matter
what religion we adhere to. Those people, who are pushing this, desire that we
all join hands together across the globe and sing “Kumbaya,” no matter our
religion and no matter our chosen lifestyle. They are trying to bring the world
under a totalitarian global government and a one-world religion – all under the
authority of the beast of Revelation. And, if we do not comply, and we do not
conform to their desired goals, we are tagged as hateful, bigoted, intolerant
and as teachers of works-based salvation, even though we are teaching what
Jesus taught.
The Lawless and Rebellious (vv. 8-11)
But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it
lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but
for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the
unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers
and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and
whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel
of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
When Jesus Christ died on the
cross for our sins, and he put sin to death on the cross, and he rose
victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death, he did not do so in order that we
would live in a lawless state where we would feel empowered to do whatever we
want without penalty. When we believe in Jesus, we not only die to sin, but his
Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us so that we now have God and his living
Word within us, in our hearts, and we should no longer desire to do what is
contrary to God’s Holy Word. When we were enslaved to sin, scripture teaches,
we were free from the control of righteousness. But, now that we have been
freed from slavery to sin, we should now be bond-slaves of Christ’s
righteousness (See: Ro. 6:1-23).
We should not need to have the
law telling us what not to do, because we have that law now written in our
hearts. In other words, the love of God within us compels us to want to do what
is honoring to our Lord, and to reject what we know is wrong (what is sinful).
Yet, for those who are still living according to their sinful flesh, and not
according to the Spirt, they need the law instructing them what not to do. And,
yet, the New Testament repeats over and over again, even to Christians, that we
should not be idolaters, perjurers, liars, thieves, adulterers, homosexuals, and
murderers, etc., because many who profess to know Jesus as Savior are still
living as though they have not been cleansed of their sins.
So, many professing
Christians need to still be taught what it means to be a follower of Jesus
Christ, and what it means to be saved from our sins, and to walk in his Spirit
and no longer according to the flesh, because many of them have bought into
this false grace gospel which appeases sin in the flesh rather than puts sin to
death, so that we can now walk in holiness and righteousness. As well as we
need to share the truth of the gospel of our salvation with those who make no
profession of Christ as Savior at all. For many are walking in darkness and
need to be brought into the Light.
Teach Them / An
Original Work / May 24, 2012
Based off various scriptures
Open up the blinded eyes of
Those who walk in sin’s darkness.
Turn them to the light of Christ
And to His righteousness.
Turn them from the pow’r of Satan.
Turn them to the peace of Christ,
So they may receive forgiveness
And eternal life.
Teach them to put off their old selves
And their former way of life,
And to put on their new self,
Reborn to be like Christ;
To not copy worldly customs;
Be transformed in life and mind;
Obey freely His word in them,
Pleasing unto God.
Teach them how to love their neighbors
Truly as they love themselves;
Be a witness; share the gospel;
Satan’s lies dispel;
Comfort all who mourn in sadness;
Share Christ’s love and joy today.
Do this through your life and witness
For your Lord always.
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