II Timothy 2  The first verse stopped me in my tracks this morning.. "You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."   

Strong in grace.  Paul ends almost every letter with the blessing - "Grace be with you." ( or something similar).   I have been reflecting on his testimony in I Timothy 1:12-15, where Paul tells of how he was "shown mercy" even though he was a "persecutor and a violent aggressor"; saying " and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love found in Christ Jesus." 

Grace - charis- graciousness; the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life; acceptable; benefit; favor;  gift; joy; liberality; pleasure; thanksworthy.  

Mercy - eleeo -  to have compassion; - by divine grace; 

Paul received mercy because of the grace of God. Grace precedes mercy.  It is the grace of God that leads us to obtain the mercy of God. 

"Grace be with you.. " is a prayer for what we most need.  It is a proclamation of Who God is and our utter dependance on Him to act according to Who He is - before anything else can happen.  " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... "  Paul prays in Ephesians 1.. "In Him we have redemption through His blood ,the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us." 

Paul says to Timothy and to us - ".. be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus..." 

We must be strong in His grace - to suffer hardship. To be a good soldier of Jesus. To compete to win the prize.  To receive the harvest that comes from hard work and diligence. To endure all things.. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. Amen. 

 II Timothy 1  Paul is in a Roman prison.  He is on death row. This is his last letter and it is addressed to Timothy, whom he considers his "beloved son".  Paul wants Timothy to know that it had been worth it all.. to follow Jesus - the suffering, the sacrifices, the isolation - everything that could have been.  For, he could still say, " I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience.. " 

Paul's first letter to Timothy gave a lot of instructions for the church organization.  This one seems to be more personal.  Paul longed to see Timothy again and hoped for him to come before winter.  He knew Timothy's family and legacy of faith. He had personally been part of Timothy's ordination, laying hands on him for the "gift" that came through the Holy Spirit. His love for Timothy is evident throughout this book. 

Paul encouraged Timothy, reminding him that he was given "a spirit of power, love, and discipline."  He encouraged Timothy to not be ashamed of the gospel, but to "accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News.. " ( v8 CJB) 

Paul reminds Timothy that they had both been "called with a holy calling... according to His own purpose and grace.. " 

Paul exhorted Timothy to  "retain the standard of sound words... " and to "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." ( v14) 

These personal words are great reminders for all of us.. especially in this day and age. 

We have also been given the same Spirit as Timothy - not of timidity, but of power, love, and discipline. may God help us to live in light of this Truth. 

We must also be strong and courageous, willing to accept our share of suffering for the sake of the Gospel. May God help us to be ready to share in Christ's suffering. 

We must also stand firm in the calling that God has on our own lives - Guarding the Word - this great treasure that God has entrusted to us through His Spirit.  May God enable us to be faithful guardians of His Word. 

We live, unashamed, in the One who brought us life and light, Jesus Christ our Lord. If we suffer, we do so for Him, knowing that it is in Him that we believe and know for sure that He " is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to Him until that day." 

Father, we know that grace, peace, and mercy come through Your Hands. You have given us life in Christ Jesus our Lord. May we serve You daily, with clear conscience, with firm convictions, and with the power, love, and discipline that You have provided through Your Spirit.  May we never be ashamed of the Gospel that is Your gift, a great treasure, that alone can bring the dead to life.  All praise and honor and worship to You, our Great God and Father and to the Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. 

"Grace be with you. "

 I Timothy 6 

 In the beginning of this letter Paul stated that the "goal of [his] instruction is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience and a sincere faith.." ( 1:5)  He went on to instruct Timothy to teach, live, guide, direct, and in every way relate to others from this firm foundation in Jesus Christ...  So that the church - every true believer- would strive to develop the character traits of "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.."   It is this pursuit, this  "good fight of faith" that lead us to  "take hold of the eternal life to which [we] were called." 

This final section continues with more practical examples: 

A slave with godly character will treat his master with honor, whether that master is a believer or not. 

A true  believer will not argue and bring friction and abuse upon those who have a  different opinion than him, but will seek the Truth. 

A true believer will learn to be content and thankful for what God has provided and not let the love of money lead them into evil things. 

A true believer who happens to be rich will not fix his hopes on his money, but will trust in God "who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy." 

We need to all have our eyes turned to Jesus, who is our hope, so we can "take hold of that which is life indeed."

"Do good.. be rich in good works.. be generous and ready to share..storing up for [ourselves] the treasure of a good foundation for the future.." 

Father in heaven, let our hearts be pure, let our consciences be good - according the the knowledge of the Truth, and let our faith be sincere, without any hypocrisy . Help us to live in all righteousness and godliness, fully surrendered to You, our blessed and Sovereign King.  To You we give honor and praise. Eternal Lord, we are Your children and Your servants.  We ask that Your will be done in us today and every day until we see You face to face.  O what a day that will be! May we stand firm in Your strength until then, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 I Timothy 5  Paul tells Timothy, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality." ( v21)

These principles include:

Treating older men like you would your own father and treating younger men like brothers. v1

Treating older women like your own mother and younger women as sisters. v2

Taking care of widows, discerning those who have real need and those who should be taken care of by their own families. v3-15 

Taking care of elders/pastors who serve faithfully. v17-18

Treating accusations with careful discernment. v19-20

In other words, "pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.." ( 6:11) 

Relationships in the church family are a testimony of God's presence or absence..  How we treat one another is so important.  The character and works of every member are out there for all the world to see..."... deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed." (v25) 

We are reminded here to take time to pay attention to our own attitudes and to the attitudes of the church as a whole.  Are we treating one another like family? Are we taking care of those in need? Are we encouraging each other in good works?  Are we holding one another accountable when there are issues?

Father in heaven, once again we find that what we need most is You!  We see churches fail so often and bring shame upon Your Holy Name because they fail to hold to Your Word and the principles that You have given.  Bring repentance and revival to Your people.  We seek Your Presence and look to You for the power to live godly lives that will exalt Your Name in all the earth. Shower us with Your Spirit, Lord God, like rain upon the dry and thirsty ground.  We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 I Timothy 4  Paul warns Timothy (and us) that there are two opposing factions at work in the world and yes, even in the church.  There is a spirit of "apostasy" - that will cause some to "fall away from the faith".  There are "deceiving spirits" and demonic doctrines, taught by liars- hypocrites, who have seared consciences. 

But, there are also those who "believe and know the truth".  True believers will receive God's gifts with gratitude, "for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer."  

Timothy's job was to constantly nourish the believers with "words of faith and.. sound doctrine". 

Paul uses some strong words to bolster Timothy in this work of serving the church.  It was not an easy job then, as it is still a demanding job today.  Paul says:

".. discipline  yourself for the purpose of godliness.." (v7) or as the CJB translates it - "exercise yourself in godliness... valuable for everything, since it holds promise both for the present life and for the life to come." 

"..labor and strive..  - because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. " 

"Prescribe( command)  and teach.. " 

Let your "speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity" be the example to all who believe.

Give attention to "public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching." 

"Be diligent about this work, throw yourself into it ,so that your progress may be clear to everyone." (v15 CJB)

"Pay attention to yourself and to the teaching... " v16) 

Like Timothy, every pastor or leader... and all the rest of us who are God's "priests"  must take care to follow these guidelines that Paul has provided under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Our Christian walk is something that we need to protect.  We need to persevere.  We need to be diligent. 

Father in heaven, help us to hear Your voice and to do Your will.  You are God alone and all things have come from You. We give thanks to You for the Word of Life that nourishes us so that we can walk in Truth and know You more and more.  By Your Grace, may we exercise godliness, strive for faithfulness, and live as an example of what a believer in Jesus Christ should be. Deliver us from lies and deceptions and all falsehoods.  Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake. You are our hope and our salvation and in You we trust.  May Your Name be glorified in all the earth we pray, in Jesus' name, amen. 

 I Timothy 3  In this chapter Paul gives Timothy instructions about leadership roles in the church.  It is very practical.  These are specifically targeted towards pastors, deacons, and deaconesses.. but they also give us insight into character traits that all of us, who call on the Name of Jesus, can and should develop in our own lives.. regardless of any position we have in the church.  As Paul says in verse 15, ".. I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."  

I Peter 1-2 also addresses the conduct of believers. Peter wrote, "But you are a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God.. " ( 2:9-10)  So, ".. like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;.. " 

Paul's letter gives us the specific details of what holy living looks like:

 We should  ".. be above reproach".  The greek word here is anepileptos - not arrested; inculpable; blameless, unrebukeable.  The Christian who is in trouble with the law or living a worldly, sinful life would not reflect the Light of Jesus in his or her behavior.  Yet, we know that all of us have sinned and fallen short of that standard at one time or another.  Thankfully, we have a Savior who has cleansed us and made us "blameless"!   As new creations in Jesus, filled with His Spirit,  we can now live up to the holy life He has called us to live. 

Paul addresses marriage and family conditions... ".. be husbands of only one wife and good managers of ... children.. " ( v2, 4, 12)  The emphasis here seems to be on moral conduct, dignity, and integrity in the family.  Our marriages are to reflect the mutual love and submission that Christ has for His bride, Paul tells us in Ephesians 5.  A broken home or failed marriage happens even to Christians.  It is not what God desires for us, but it is something that God can redeem us from.  As believers who desire to serve the Lord Jesus, we need to be careful how we conduct ourselves in our own homes, in our own marriages, and in raising our own children.  May we do ALL things for the glory of our Lord Jesus!

Our personalities, our dispositions, and even our emotions are reflections of the Lord Jesus whom we serve.  Paul says that being "temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable..  not addicted to wine, gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money...  dignified, not malicious gossips.. faithful in all things.. "(verses 2-3; 11) are specific attitudes that mark the believer's life. 

Again we can see that the lack of these qualities mar our testimony of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and King of our lives. When we  have a problem with anger, lose our tempers.. or are quarrelsome and argumentative..when we are  conceited or greedy.. we bring shame to our Savior's reputation as well as to our own. 

Paul reminds us of the Truth on which our lives are built and which are reflected in our conduct:

"He who was revealed in the flesh" - His incarnation

"Was vindicated in the Spirit" - His resurrection

"Beheld by angels" - His Exaltation

"Proclaimed among the nations" - His Proclamaion

"Believed on in the word." - Bringing Redemption

"Taken up in glory" - His ascension 

Our lives are built on the Rock.. the Cornerstone.. on Jesus Christ our King!

Father  in heaven.. may our conduct reflect only Jesus!  May our lives be surrendered fully, our hearts filled with Your Spirit, and lived out by Your power and in Your love.. so that Jesus is seen in each of us.  We ask this in the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen and amen. 

 I Timothy 2: 1-8  "First of all... "  Paul is writing to Timothy about leading the church. He has emphasized the need to stop all false teaching  (pursuit of any other means to try to find salvation) and  that all instruction should be for the purpose of "love from a pure heart and a good conscience and  a sincere faith."  The gospel message is the only message that will bring about these goals.  God, by grace, has shown us His mercy by sending Jesus Christ "into the world to save sinners.. " In Jesus we find faith and love. 

As we join with all believers, to fight the good fight, to keep " faith and a good conscience", then our first priority is prayer. " .. I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men."  

Entreaties - to plead with, beg

Prayers - worship ; earnest prayer and supplication

Petitions - intercession

Paul uses three distinct words to describe the kind of prayers that we are to make on behalf of others. "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come the the knowledge of the truth." ( v3-4) 

Paul wrote that we should pray for  "all human beings, including kings and all in positions of prominence ; so that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives, being godly and upright in everything..."

What or Who  keeps us from leading quiet, peaceful, godly lives?  This is who we are to make intercession for.. that they might come to the "knowledge of the truth".  That they might be saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.  That they might know "there is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 

Paul gives us some requirements for this kind of praying:

The CJB says it this way.. "Therefore, it is my wish that when the men pray, no matter where, they should lift up hands that are holy - they should not become angry or get into arguments." 

For women, Paul says, "Likewise, the women, when they pray, should be dressed modestly and sensibly in respectable attire, not with elaborate hairstyles and gold jewelry, or pearls, or expensive clothes. Rather they should adorn themselves with what is appropriate for women who claim to be worshipping God, namely good deeds." 

No pretenses. No arrogance. No prideful attitudes.  We are to come into God's presence with clean hands and pure hearts ( Psalm 24:4) We come in truth, in love, and in surrender to God's perfect will. 

Father, we give You thanks and praise for the grace that You have lavished on us, that we should be called Your children.  We desire Your will to be done, here in our lives, in our world.. as it is done in heaven. Teach us to pray, Lord. May we come to You with pure hearts to worship and adore You. May we come to lovingly bring intercession for the lost ones.. including presidents and senators and congressmen... for family and friends.. any enemies too.   May we be faithful to pray for those who have hurt us or have disrupted our quiet and peaceful lives.  As we begin this new year, Lord, start a new work in us.. may we be people of prayer more than ever before.  Fill Your church Lord, with the power of Your Holy Spirit. We plead with You in the name of our Mediator, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.