1st Timothy Series - Non-negotiable Teaching - Absolute Truth

       

Non-negotiable Teachings - Absolute Truth

1 Timothy 6:1-10 (ESV)

Paul, Peter, John, the apostles of Jesus called themselves bondservants of Jesus Christ. (Col. 1:7, 2 Pet. 1:1, Rev. 1:1) For a bondservant was a slave that gave their lives to servitude to a master free of will, they were marked with an earring on their ear(s) as proof of ownership. As christians, we chose to serve Christ, much as an indentured bond servant (slave) would to a master. Paul likened this to the new life in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:15-23; 1 Cor. 7:22) as the mark of ownership. So whether someone was an actual slave (or a bondservant) they were set free by Christ in salvation and are now bondservants to Christ, who placed his seal (the Holy Spirit) on their lives.

So let’s look at the first portion of the text, “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.”

Paul knew Timothy would have those who were slaves and those who were slave owners in the church. He wanted the church in Ephesus to understand that all who have received forgiveness and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior were bondservants to Christ, just like himself. Paul didn’t lay claims to ownership of his own life but that he had willingly given his life like a bondservant to serve Jesus, he pledged himself wholly to the service of Jesus as Lord and master of his life. Paul was adamant about living a life fully committed to Jesus, (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (Philippians 1:21) “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”, and the life of a bondservant was an excellent example for the believers to understand their commitment to Christ and yielding to the Holy Spirit. 

Paul wanted all believers (freemen and bondservants) to regard their master as worthy of all honor. Jesus was worthy of all honor and Paul knew how this honoring would enhance the understanding of the teaching of Christ and the acceptance of the gospel. For the gospel was reviled by those who saw the disobedience or the arrogance of the bondservant towards their master. These bondservants didn’t give of themselves fully to Christ. He was not the full master of their lives, they wanted to continue to have control of their own destiny. Paul understood that a bondservant who balked at the master’s will or command was unfit for service, both in the physical and the spiritual life. Respect was due to the master and to all others in authority, and didn’t benefit the gospel or their love for God the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit.

Application - Over forty years ago, I made the choice to follow Jesus as my master and Savior. It was his calling to me to follow him as my Lord and master that has sustained me all these years, yielding to his commands in obedience to the Holy Spirit that had sealed my life in Him. I became a bondservant to Jesus, and it is a choice I have never regretted. But like Paul and all the other apostles and disciples we are called to yield our lives to Him as Lord and Savior. This is not a popular truth today. For many are still given to the call of the flesh as master, and its actions reviles the truths of the gospel. “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” (Gal. 5:17)

If we are to truly be his disciples, then we will submit to our Lord as Master, and we as bondservants. For our actions are seen by the world and it reflects on God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings in the scripture.

Next, Paul exhorts Timothy to the urgency of all that he has taught him and has written him in this letter. Let’s read the last portion of the text, “Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Paul knew that there were others in the world who were teaching a different gospel, sending false letters or teaching false doctrines claiming that they came from Paul (2 Thes. 2:2). There were false apostles and false teachers in Ephesus who would come behind Paul and try to infiltrate the churches with false teachings and doctrines to steal the converts away. Paul had to address this in Thessalonica and Corinth as well. Paul wanted Timothy to be as gentle as a dove but as wise as a serpent as Jesus taught the disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matt. 10:16 ESV)

Paul was equipping Timothy on how to handle someone who came in with a different gospel than the gospel Paul had preached and taught: birth of the Son of God/the ministry of salvation and forgiveness through the Son of God/ the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ/ and the ascension and return of the Lord Jesus Christ for the church. Many, as John the apostle had stated in his letters, men had the spirit of antichrist at work in them, for John had lived in Ephesus for a time before his imprisonment and exile. These false teachers would say that Paul’s teaching and gospel were inadequate in some way and need to be supplemented with works or further teachings or that Jesus was only a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit, and not fully God as well. These false teachers or apostles were an anathema, and were to be cast out of the church. Paul addressed other issues as well pertaining to these he considered as an anathema, “He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”

Last, Paul exhorts Timothy that the believer should be content in whatever and wherever God has placed them for this would develop godliness in his life. “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Paul is citing Solomon from Eccleciastes (5:15) on the possessions on earth. For Paul knew and practiced godliness through the disciplines of a life of prayer, of trusting God by faith, meditating on the Word of God like king David, obeying God in all circumstances, yielding completely and dependently on the Holy Spirit, and forgiving others as Christ forgives. These were the habits that Paul wanted Timothy to demonstrate in his life of godliness. For as Solomon stated we truly don’t have control over anything of God, we are to live from day to day in contentment for what God has given. 

The wolves that Jesus foretold had come, the false teachers and false apostles with an underlying focus on the desires that came with the love of money. It would be the trap that would plunge them into every kind of evil that inevitably lead to a depraved and sinful life of cravings for the world and to the temptations of Satan to worship him and he would give them all the riches of the world, “the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”( Matt. 4:8-9) 

Application - We are living in the end days as Paul, Peter, and John wrote in their letters to the churches. We must be disciplined in sound doctrine. We are seeing many who do not have any idea what doctrines they are to believe and will fall for whatever is told to them or feels good to them. It is the responsibility of the pastor and its leaders to have established and developed statements of faith (doctrines) for the church to know and understand from scripture. There are churches who have been in denominations that have established doctrines and there are those who are unaffiliated (non-denominational) who have no accountability to scripture because they have not established what they believe. Key doctrines that should be established are the doctrine of scripture, of the Trinity, of God, of the Holy Spirit, of Christ, of man, of salvation, of the church, and of eschatology. These are essential for the church to know what they believe and hold firm to. 

Next, we must be content in our lives with Christ Jesus. He is our provider, sustainer, our all in all. Faith requires that we trust in the One we believe in and have given and surrendered our lives to Him. We can’t strive to live in godliness without obedience to the One who gave it all to purchase us from sin and death. Like Paul and Timothy, we must commit ourselves to  godliness through the disciplines of a life of prayer, of trusting God by faith, meditating on the Word of God, obeying God in all circumstances, yielding completely and dependently on the Holy Spirit, and forgiving others as Christ forgives. 

Last, we need to be aware of the times in which we live and the soon appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ for the church. Jesus spoke in Luke 18:8b, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” We need to know what we believe and have established it in our lives and in whom we believe. Then we can know if we encounter false teachers and doctrines.

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