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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
1 Tim. 4
Paul told Timothy, “train yourself in Godliness.” (1 Tim. 4:7b). That tells me that Godliness isn’t something that happens naturally. While we don’t work for our salvation, we do need to work at becoming Godly. And that takes me right back to the idea of living intentionally. That means that we are careful about what we say and do, pay attention to our responses and reactions, and “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5b). We’re not just living; we’re living to glorify God.
1 Tim. 5-6
Several times in this letter to Timothy, Paul references those who depart from the faith. Some deny it, some turn away to follow Satan, and some simply wander away. On the surface, it seems like Paul is saying that people can essentially become ‘unsaved’. I firmly believe that we choose whether or not to accept, by faith, God’s grace for us through Jesus Christ. Yet I also see a lot of evidence in the Bible that God has the power to keep those who are His. So what does it really mean to “depart from the faith”? Honestly, I don’t think it is their own faith these people are turning away from. I think what they are turning away from is the message of faith, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, they are living and / or teaching in contradiction to God’s truth.
While we all wander off God’s path to some degree from time to time, if we are truly committed to His way of faith, His Spirit in us will guide us back on track. Some, however, come simply to test the waters. Or perhaps they are drawn to some aspect of the faith, but never fully accept or commit to it as a whole. I think of those who were drawn to Jesus’ signs and wonders, but never actually put their faith in Him. Or Judas, who maybe liked the idea of who he thought Jesus was, but turned away when he realized Jesus wasn’t what he thought.
The important part in all if this, I think, is for us to be aware. Paul was doing more than giving Timothy instruction on Godly living in this letter. He was teaching Timothy discernment. We practice Godliness so that we learn to stay on the right path. More than that, though, we need to learn to recognize those who are out of step with God’s truth so that we don’t follow after them. As Paul told Timothy, “…don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” (1 Tim. 5:22b). And, “But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” (1 Tim. 6:11).