“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-7 ESV)
When I read this, the first question that came to my mind was, “What should I pray for all people, and for those in positions of rule and authority in the nations all over the world, and in my own nation?” Well, I know that I need to pray according to the will of God, and not against his will. But I hear so many people taking this that they should pray for God to bless certain people or particular nations or specific people who are in positions of political power. But is that what God intends? Does he want to bless all people?
So, then I got to thinking about the people in this world who are thieves, liars, murderers, adulterers, those who rape people and who take over other nations, and who steal from them, and who kill whomever they choose, and who commit horrific crimes against humanity. How should we pray for them? Well, would you pray for God to bless them? But this is what and who many heads of nations are, at least they are here in America. And this is what many professers of Christianity are, too, including many pastors.
So, how should we pray for them? Well, as we read here in this passage of Scripture it tells us that we should pray for them, for this is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And there you have it! That is the answer to my question. We need to pray for the salvation of the people of the world and for heads of nations, that they would come to the knowledge of the truth of God’s word, and that they would obey the truth.
And this is where it gets sticky. Many people, at least here in America, have a false conception of what it means to believe in Jesus Christ and to be saved from their sins. They see their salvation as deliverance from the punishment of sin (hell) and their faith in Jesus Christ as something that they can create in their own minds to suit their own purposes and their own chosen lifestyles. And thus so many of them make professions of faith in Jesus but they are still living for self and in sin and not for the Lord.
So, if we are going to pray for the people of the world, including for heads of nations, to come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ and to be saved from their sins, and to come to the knowledge of the truth of God’s word, then we need to be praying that they understand that faith in Jesus Christ comes from God and is persuaded of God and is gifted to us of God and is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So we don’t get to decide what this faith looks like. God does! His word does!
Therefore, if we look into the word of God (in context) we will learn that the faith required of us for salvation from sin is this God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ which leads us to be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are saved out of our lives of addiction to sin so that we can now live for the Lord in walks of obedience and in holy living, pleasing to God (see Romans 6:1-23).
And we also need to know the truth of what the word teaches regarding our salvation, that it is not a one-time thing that takes place in our lives and now heaven is guaranteed us regardless of how we live. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, then we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And we will be judged by God according to our works, and many will hear him say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Now, if you are at all paying attention to what is going on in the world and in your nations, and if you are listening to the Holy Spirit speaking truth to your hearts, you should be aware that we are living in the last days before the return of Christ and that end times prophecies are being fulfilled in our present world situations. And you should be able to see the moral and spiritual decline of what is called “the church,” at least here in America, and perhaps across the world, and that God is presently judging us.
So what we really need to be praying for the people of the world, and for professing Christians, and for pastors of “churches” and heads of nations is that they all come to genuine repentance (turning from sin) and that they surrender their lives to Jesus Christ to now serve him with their lives. We need to pray that they die with Christ to sin and that they now live to him and to his righteousness in holy living, in the power of God. For if they continue in sin, even if they profess faith in Christ, they will die in sin.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Video Talk
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Gracious Father
An original work / April 6, 2011
How great are You Father;
how great are You, Lord.
My heart so adores You;
Your mercy outpour.
Your love and your kindness;
Your gracious reward
Are treasures from heaven
that we can’t afford.
So, freely they’re given
and humbly received
When we bow before You
on penitent knee.
O gracious Redeemer;
my Master and King,
To You I owe everything –
my offerings I bring
With whole heart devotion,
to honor and praise
My loving companion
and friend for always.
It’s You I serve only,
to walk in Your ways,
So I have your promise
for all of my days.
https://vimeo.com/115878674
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