05/18/2024 - The US is under physical attack by hostile elements on three fronts: 1) Unregulated borders admitting up to 5,000 illegal immigrants per day; 2) Proposal (D) to convey citizenship on 22,000,000 illegal aliens currently in the US; and 3) Mob violence at the elite American universities. (Goaded by a Marxists faculty; led by professional agitators and funded by elements hostile to America, many foreign.)
[1 Tim. 4:1-5] – Beware of False Teaching! – Paul’s lessons today may be subtle, pleasant or painful due to experiences in our earlier lives. Remember the card games we played as a youth (Pre-TV) These games played for fun taught us about life. For others, if an adult had a gambling problem those memories may be painful. Some opine all games of chance are sinful or sinful if it becomes destructive. Excessive gaming is associated with irresponsible, immoral or ruinous behavior.[v. 2-3] In the early church some members had experienced a pagan lifestyle that was destructive – wild sex, heavy drinking and long rolling parties. Pagans knew in their bones that humans were not made to live that way. When we give ourselves to gluttony (food, sex, alcohol, drugs) something within us dies. Even with recovery, they often are damaged to the point where any use or thought of use, is painful. Paul says their consciences have been branded and the very thought that somethings are OK and part of God’s good creation causes a visceral.
Key to our entire belief system is [Gen. 1] “God saw all that He had made and it was very good.” (Oft repeated) We must believe we are not to abandon humanity, but celebrate its rescue, redemption and remaking. Think clearly on this. Some Western philosophers want to say how good the world is based on the clean/unclean discussion. Paul took the position that nothing was unclean in and of itself. [1 Cor. 8-10]. This included the dietary restrictions he followed as a Zealot. The truth is: creation is good, created pleasures are good (proper and appropriate form and context) – to be received with thanksgiving, a major theme of [Colossians], from a loving God. This is the basis for rejecting idolatry – treating the created order as if it were divine, or conversely treating creation shabbily. By thanking God, we grow in stature. Those who reject creation are in the same camp as those who idolize it: they are deceitful and demonic. [v. 1] Staying on the path may be a challenge. With thanksgiving and God’s word, affirming the goodness of creation and with grateful prayer we hold the key to it all.
[1 Tim. 4:6-10] – Get into Training – This may be the closest we get to advocacy for physical conditioning in the NT. [v. 8] These are echoes of [1Cor. 9:24-27] Paul’s point is clear, genuinegodliness*, true piety requires serious training just as we see in athletics. Paul is clear; spiritual training is superior. When a person reflects God’s image one has taken himself /herself in hand and spiritual training is needed to develop as a human being. Paul calls this - life. Today this is a message most folks do not want to hear. Most folks want to be told that ‘spirituality’ is the sense of being in God’s presence, being surrounded by His love, and an awareness of a transcendent dimension in the comings and goings of everyday life. It is shocking to be told it is necessary to work in order to achieve spirituality. They are perfectly willing to accept the need for physical efforts, not spiritual. Paul does not outline what spiritual exercise might look like. He alludes to his own ‘struggles’. [v. 10] He understands the work of prayer, pastoral care and evangelism: is not a smooth, natural flow The work is more like a sculptor, one chip at a time. [v. 8] Or a laborer working to transform a plot of land from a patch of thistles to a garden.
We are all laborers in God’s garden and we were promised pain and sweat. [Gen. 3:17-19] Paul says we prepare for this not via physical exercise, but spiritual. We must prepare because the power of death, decay and deconstruction is so strong; that if the life, God wants to give to all of us, is to win, then it must involve and engage the energies of all working toward it. NB Those who struggle in their spiritual exercises, under God’s direction, do so to attain the life eternal of the promised new world, and the life that comes to meet us in the here and now.
Paul reminds us of who this God is and what He has done. He is the savior of all people, especially the believers. [v. 10] How do we interpret this? Options: 1) all will be saved, but those who believe the gospel already enjoy salvation and have a fuller salvation than non-believers; 2) Some will not be saved. God is the only savior for all and those who want to be saved will be saved by Him and the only people saved are believers; and 3) The word savior was used in the Roman Empire, applied to Caesar. But Paul designates God/Jesus [2 Tim. 1:10] and through them as the true savior the whole world will be rescued from decay and injustice. The entire world and all people are better off because of the saving work of God/Jesus. Since humans retain the right and the dignity to refuse God/Jesus’ offer only the believers who accept the offer will fully experience salvation.
We find the main command of these five verses in [v. 6]. The center of pastoral work, looking after God’s people, is teaching – feeding the truth in a clear, wholesome manner that is easily understood. Christian teaching is not an exotic, esoteric exciting event that appeals to those seeking a new ‘experience’. We must seek a nourishing teaching. If we have been getting in shape and training in godliness we will have a good appetite.
Godliness (n) deserves a special detour. It is the careful observance of or conformity to, the laws of God. The word appears only a few times in the NT, however the entire Bible could be considered to be a text on godliness. It is a foundational spiritual attitude and we should commit to building it into our lives. Without godliness naught else matters. Paul tells Timothy we need to pray for our leaders, so that we may live peaceful, quiet lives in godliness and holiness. We find Peter writing that to be godly is a privilege and duty of all Christians. Special talent is not needed! The fundamental aspect of godliness is not to manifest godly character, but to know it is the foundation on which Christian character is built. The NT word for godliness, originally, is a personal attitude toward God that results in actions that are pleasing to Him. In a single word - devotion. There are three essential elements: Fear of God; Love of God; and Desire for God. It is difficult, nay impossible, to put these elements into action unless we take time to walk with God. He becomes the center of our lives. Paul tells the Corinthians whether he eats, drinks or whatever, he does it for the glory of God. John informs us this is not wearisome. The element separating the kind person, the moral person from the godly person is - motivation. Amin
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