Author Archives: Steve

God’s China Cabinets – 2 Timothy 2:20-21

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“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Many homes have a china cabinet that holds the “good” dishes and flatware. These dishes and eating utensils have been set apart and specially cleaned and shined so that they are ready to be used at meals prepared for holidays and special occasions. In the kitchen there are drawers and cabinets with assortments of plates, cups, pots, pans, and cooking utensils that are used for the regular preparation and serving of meals. The challenge Paul presents to Timothy is that of how he will be used of God. Timothy and all of us will be used of God, but will it be as vessels for honorable use or vessels for dishonorable use? We get to make that choice! If we choose honorable use, then we must cleanse or purify ourselves by laying hold of the provision of grace and redemption that has been given to us by God and flee evil and pursue godliness (vs. 22). Choose to be a vessel of honorable use just like those good dishes in the china cabinet, specially cleaned (holy) and ready for any special occasion (every good work)!

Kingdom Profitability – 2 Timothy 1:14

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“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” The Apostle Paul told Timothy to safeguard the gifts of the Holy Spirit that God had given him. Paul wanted Timothy to be bold in using the gifts of ministry entrusted to him through the in-dwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We, like Timothy, are all like branch banks with whom God makes a deposit of His Holy Spirit for safe-keeping in our lives. We safeguard the gifts and grace of God entrusted to us by using them! A bank doesn’t make money by keeping all its deposits in the vault. A bank makes money by putting its deposits to work making loans and investments. Remember the teaching of Jesus in the parable of the talents. A master left money for each of his servants while he was gone on a long journey. Two servants invested the money and made more for their master while the other buried the money in a hole in the ground. The servants that invested the money were considered faithful and were entrusted with more responsibility while the other servant was considered unfaithful and sent away. Jesus said, “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). To be faithful in the Kingdom of God, you must be profitable. Put the gifts of the Holy Spirit entrusted to you by God to work for the growth of His Kingdom.

Fighting Faith – I Timothy 6:12

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“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” Faith is a fight, no a battle, no a war. You have to fight for the faith and sometimes people get hurt; sometimes people get killed (see Hebrews 11). But it is a fight we should engage in, we must engage in because it’s a fight worth having–it’s a good fight. Fight to stay faithful to God and in so doing, take hold of eternal life–grasp on to eternal life and don’t let go. Fighting for the faith is a matter of fleeing from sin and vigorously pursuing godliness. You are fighting for faith in the One Who holds eternal life, “who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality” (vs 15). Contend for the faith because its end is eternal life with God, “who gives life to all things” (vs. 13).

The Straight Path – 2 Kings 22:2

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“And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.” Moses told the people of Israel before they entered the promised land that in the future they may have a king who shall be chosen by the Lord. And the king over Israel “may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:20). King Josiah was an example of such a king. Josiah rebuilt the temple and re-established temple worship in Judah according to the Mosaic law. Josiah did not deviate from God’s law–he stayed on the straight path of obedience to God’s law and did not turn to the right or left, and he reigned peacefully over Israel for over three decades (vs. 1, 20). There is a path through life that leads straight to God and your life will be blessed if you choose the straight path and remain obedient to Him.

Godliness Training – 1 Timothy 4:7-8

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“Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” The Apostle Paul tells Timothy that godlines requires training in the same way that one would train the body for a competitive sport. With godliness training a person receives eternal benefits–eternal life–while physical training only benefits a person in the present life. However, godliness training like physical training is rigorous and requires exercise and practice: “For to this end we toil and strive and suffer reproach” (vs. 10). So let us undertake the development of godliness in our lives with the same discipline that an athlete undertakes physical training.

Your Destiny, God’s Plans – I Kings 19:25

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“Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins.” Isaiah prophecied against Sennacherib, king of Assyria, at the request of Hezekiah, king of Judah. The Assyrians had already conquered Israel and its capital city of Samaria and now they were trying to conquer Judah. (They will fail in their attempt.) Sennacherib’s great mistake, however, was to imagine that what he had accomplished in all his military campaigns had been achieved in his own strength and not by the providence of God. In reality God had determined it long ago. God planned for Sennacherib to conquer fortified cities so his pride in his mighty accomplishments is only vanity. In fact, Assyria is merely the means to pronounce judgment on Israel for its disobedience. Similarly, God has determined plans and a purpose for your life–your destiny. Find out from God what it is and let Him use you to accomplish His will through your life.

God’s Good Intentions- I Timothy 2:1-6

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God wants more than universal salvation–He wants everyone to accept the free gift of salvation. This passage teaches us the free and universal offer of the gospel is to all human beings. This offer is a bona fide expression of God’s good intentions toward all human beings. First, the Apostle Paul urges that prayer and supplication be made for all people so that Christians may lead a peaceful and godly life (vs. 1-2). Then Paul declares that God desires for all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (vs. 4). Finally, Paul proclaims that Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all people (vs. 6). God has good intentions toward all people, but some people do not receive God’s salvation because they do not accept the free gift of salvation that has been offered by God. While God’s salvation is intended for all people, some people accept the free gift of salvation and some people reject God’s good intentions.

The Biggest Sinner – 1 Timothy 1:15

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“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15, ESV).

There was a popular television show called The Biggest Loser in which contestants compete to see who can lose the most weight in a certain period of time.

The Apostle Paul said that he could not imagine anyone being a bigger sinner than himself, possibly because of his previous persecution of the church.

Because Paul was a big sinner, when God saved him all of Paul’s sin was forgiven, which allowed him to serve as an example of the extent of God’s grace: “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost [sinner], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (vs. 16).

The Holy Spirit’s powerful conviction of sin cause most people who have received the saving grace of God to be predisposed to think of themselves as the biggest sinner.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24, ESV)

The Grace That Saves Us Teaches Us – Titus 2:12-13

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“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Our blessed hope is Christ’s second coming. So the grace of God by which we are saved also teaches us to live godly lives while we wait upon the second coming of Christ–saving grace becomes teaching grace. The grace of God that saves us also instructs us to live in a new way that prepares us for eternity. This change in lifestyle is rooted in our eager expectaton of the return of Christ. We should discard our sinful ways and live in a godly way in the present anticipating our eternal life with God in the future.

Proving the Gospel by Example – Titus 2:7-8

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“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” The Apostle Paul encourages Titus to become a living testimony of the gospel by being a model or example in word and deed of the gospel he teaches. Living out the gospel in one’s daily life through ethical behavior–honesty, respect, and wholesome speech–keeps Christians from providing any legitimate grounds for the gospel to be criticized and actually influences others to believe the gospel. By becoming a living testimony,you prove the gospel to those who don’t believe it and even to those who oppose it.