1 Timothy Series - Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely

 

Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely

1 Timothy 4:9-16 

This is a good question to ask ourselves and others. “What is the motivation for striving and laboring in our lives?”, and “Is it in the hope of man’s abilities and dreams or is it in the hope we have in our God, the Lord Jesus Christ?” So let’s answer those questions through the Word of God that is the only truth we have that is absolute and immutable. Let’s read the first portion of the text, “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.  

Paul again relies fully on the truth of God’s word and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word of God is the revelation of the blessed hope of the church. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." (Rom. 15:4) Paul knows the trustworthiness of God’s Word and how it is the only source of truth and hope that we should accept into our lives. For many false teachers, prophets, and apostles were out in the world spreading heresies and false doctrines about God and hope and salvation, but true hope is only in His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Paul had already revealed the mystery of Jesus Christ in the letter to Timothy, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” (1 Tim.3:16)

And it was this foundation that Paul wanted Timothy to build upon. For Jesus is the cornerstone of the foundation for all doctrines of the Church for the body of Christ.

This was the driving force for the Church in Ephesus and all churches who taught and held to the truth in scripture. Paul taught Jesus Christ came in the flesh as both fully man and fully God. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:15-17) He was filled with the Holy Spirit (vindicated), ministered to by angels from the Father, he preached and taught the truth in Scripture. He was believed in, was crucified and resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father in glory. Paul also taught Timothy and all others that one day God the Father would send His Son Jesus to gather up his bride, the church, in the last days. 

It was these truths that Paul taught as doctrines for all believers in the churches, and it was these doctrines that Timothy was to holdfast. For this is the only hope: Jesus Christ, who is the living God and Savior especially for all who would believe in Him. This was non negotiable, it was a command from God the Son. 

Application - How we need this godly standard on holiness and godliness in the churches today. For we have turned, strayed away from the solid foundational cornerstone of Jesus Christ as the standard, For it is popular to have an experiential and empirical understanding of scripture and then make them up into the doctrines for the church. This is why we are seeing such schisms and false doctrines perpetrated in many churches. They are fragmented in their understanding of the standards of God set forth in the works and person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Paul and Timothy, we are to hold steadfast to the Word of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit, the only infallible, inherent, immutable, and absolute truth, and to the works of God and the teachings of Jesus when he walked on this world. 

The Bible is still the key text that we get our doctrines for every message and sermon on salvation. God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are our blessed hope. For Peter and Paul spoke by the Holy Spirit  when they said “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].” (Acts 4:12 AMP) and “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Rom. 1:16 NIV); "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13) And “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach— because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].” For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer]. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.” (Rom. 10:8-13 AMP)

Last, Paul exhorts Timothy to stand firm in His faith and calling in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit through the prophecy given by the elders. So let’s read the last portion of the text, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

It was the attributes of the Holy Spirit filled life that Timothy was to exemplify in his life. He was not to be swayed by irreligious men or those who were elders in the church. Timothy’s life would speak for itself, for it was the Lord Jesus who had chosen him, and it was Paul who had discipled him in the truth of the scriptures and the teachings of Jesus. Timothy was to lead the church in the disciplines and the sound doctrines of the faith and the attributes and the demonstrations of the fruit of the Holy Spirit: in love, faith, and purity.

Timothy was to daily dedicate himself to the public reading of the scriptures, to the preaching and teaching of Jesus and the teachings from Paul by the Holy Spirit. Timothy’s life was to be transparent before others to the work of the Holy Spirit in him. He was to give himself wholeheartedly in both his private time and his public time. The time spent wholeheartedly with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was to be the barometer before men of his growth and maturity in his faith in Christ. 

Lastly, Paul told Timothy to guard his life and doctrines closely because he is to be persistence and consistent in the truth of scripture. The holding to sound doctrine was paramount in a climate of heresies, myths, assimilation of various religious teachings into the gospel, and the dilution of the truth of scripture by the world. Paul had spoken and written on several occasions about battling to preserve the truth. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5) 

Paul knew that a teacher of God’s word was to be held accountable for his teaching and for those who he was teaching and discipling. “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1)

Paul also knew there were those who had strayed or abandoned their faith by teaching unsound doctrines. For Paul taught the teaching of heresy meant the loss of salvation. “For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God's light; they tasted heaven's gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; they knew from experience that God's word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.” (Heb. 6:4-6)

Application - Again we are in the last days before the return of Christ to whom Peter, Paul, the prophets, and even Jesus taught and preached. One of the key elements of these days is the apostasy of the church augmented by lawlessness. Paul taught the Thessalonians that there would be a great falling away over false doctrine (deception), loss of love for the Truth (God’s Word), and rebellion. “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction…For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thes. 2:21-3,7-9)

Like Timothy, the lives of believers, especially those who lead and teach must be Holy Spirit filled, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and be transparent as we lead the church in the disciplines and the sound doctrines of the faith and the Holy Spirit attributes: in love, faith, and purity. 

The Word of God must never leave our minds or hearts (Col. 3:1-4). Like David we should pursue the Word of God with all that we have in us. “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water…Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart…With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” (Ps. 63:1b, 119:2,10)

It is the Word of God that keeps us from error and straying away and abandoning the faith. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:12-13)

Now to the two questions at the beginning of the lesson: “What is the motivation for striving and laboring in our lives?”, and “Is it in the hope of man’s abilities and dreams or is it in the hope we have in our God, the Lord Jesus Christ?” 

So what is it that we are striving and laboring for? Is it our will or His, our words or His? Are we trying to build a kingdom for Jesus or are we earnestly seeking to enter into the kingdom he has made for us? Only each person can answer this for themselves.

Now the second question, “Is it in the hope of man’s abilities and dreams or is it in the hope we have in God the Father, and the risen Lord Jesus Christ?” There is much spoken amongst men about our hope in Christ Jesus, but Paul was very clear in his teaching to all believers in Christ Jesus. The blessed Hope of the church is fulfilled promise in Jesus Christ, “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, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

So the next question we need to ask is what Peter asked of believers, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” ( 2Pet. 3:10-13)

We are awaiting the Blessed Hope, the arrival of our Lord and God Jesus Christ for his church, the body of Christ. It should be our motivation to be godly and holy people, a spotless and blameless bride prepared for the groom of heaven. This will take forbearance, perseverance, and strength through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit as we await the gathering of the church to her Lord Jesus Christ. 

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis