QT 30 Jul 16, 1 Pet 1:6-7, Are we really thankful for salvation, then why do we not honor God with our faith?

1 Peter 1:6–7 (ESV) — 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

NOTE: Life is hard, even for the believer. Faith does not keep you from trials, but it does give you something to rejoice about, that it will all be eminently worth it in the end. No pain, no matter how great, can ever disappoint us when compared to eternity. ALL of our tears, the pains of past hurts will be gone, because they will be overwhelmed by the life to come. I do wonder why our faith needs to be tested. It is important to God. And faith that is tested, results in praise and glory and honor to God. We lift up the God when we live by faith. We prove our thankfulness when we obey. We honor the one who gave up so much for us so that we might have life. Of all the things we ought to do in life, this is the least we should do given the salvation we have obtained.

QT 27 Jul 16, 1 Pet 1:3-5, God's new work: new resurrected bodies and a living hope

1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

NOTE:  The first question is, "what has God caused us?" Did he cause us to be born again, which would inviolate our free will, or did he cause us to be born … to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? I changed born again to born because sometimes the phrase carries too much baggage. In this case, God's work is in allowing another birth, but instead of to death, to a living hope. Jesus's death and resurrection from the dead is God's work for us. He has paid for our sins, and we can now live forever, not as spirits, but with real bodies that are untouched by original sin. That is the work God caused for us. He has given us life and promised us new bodies in a new kingdom. He has brought it to pass. He caused it.

QT 26 July 16, 1 Pet 1:1-2, Foreknowledge explains Predestination (I know; it's simplistic)

1 Peter 1:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

NOTE: My simplistic view of terms such as elect, election, predestined, predestination, etc, is explained in this very simple word, foreknowledge. It gives man complete choice to accept or reject salvation and it explains how God could elect or predestine people. It means "advanced knowledge." God knows how we will respond to the gospel and how we will live even before we live it. Paul in his treatise to Rome puts it at the first step in every other step of salvation:

Romans 8:29–30 (ESV) — 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

It all starts with foreknowledge, then precedes to predestination (not the other way around). From there, it goes to sanctification, calling, justification, and glorification. But it all starts with God's advanced knowledge of his creation.

QT 25 Jul 15, 1 Tim 6:20-21, Paul's closing words: Stick to the book!

1 Timothy 6:20–21 (ESV) — 20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

NOTE: "The irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge'" -- wow. These are Paul's closing words to Timothy. Alone, these could leave many people wondering about what Paul is referring. But in context, Paul has already gone into detail. Some of it includes myths, extra-biblical information, genealogies that false teachers were spreading. It is enticing things that are not supported by the word of God. Our teaching needs to be based on the word of God. Theology, which includes bringing in other sources of information cannot abrogate or override the word of God. Our foundation is the word. As I begin teaching a Sunday School class, it is a good question to ask myself as I evaluate my teaching. How close am I sticking to the direct meaning and teaching of the bible? Am I strolling into areas of extrapolation that don't really have any basis of truth? I need to be careful, because it is not hard to fall into that trap. What is the point of the passage and how can I communicate the main point? That is my focus.

QT 20 July 16, 1 Tim 6:17-19, Being rich is not a sin, but misusing wealth can be

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV) — 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

NOTE: God is not against being rich. The scriptures clearly teach not to be obsessed with the desire for riches. We are to be content with what we have. But if we are rich, that is not sin either. Once again, we need to be content, which can be just as difficult when rich as when poor. Why? Because the rich can go out and buy / replace things on a whim, and that is not showing contentment, Also, the rich are not to be haughty, which seems to be the single most obvious trait of the rich, thinking that they are better than others because they are rich. Nor should they place their trust in riches. Their faith must be in God and that is difficult for the rich. Job's riches allowed him to fix things, including his children's indiscretions, but we can't put our trust in the power wealth gives us but in God's power to work in life and through people. The rich want to rush out and fix things with their wealth, especially in regards to their children, because they can. It is hard to hold back when you can and let things run their course. It is very hard indeed. It is okay to enjoy what God has given. We should use those gifts in good works, opening up our home or possessions as needed for others. Sometimes, we need to give to others those things that we really don't need. True life is not found in riches but in our treasure in heaven. There life will be full and right. But, if we are rich, we have a responsibility, actually a charge, a command, to use it wisely.

QT 19 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:13-14, The final charge: obedience

1 Timothy 6:13–14 (ESV) — 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,  …

NOTE: No one seems to have a good argument for what the "commandment" is that Paul is referring. Some have suggested that it is the gospel, or the way of life as a believer. Another suggested it relates to the various charges in the book concerning teachers, and issues in Timothy's own life. One last thought would be Jesus' command to love one another, for by this all men would know that we are his disciples. But whatever God has called us to do, it is a commandment, they are not suggestions. It could be compared to your boss asking you (telling you) to work on some project. We do not get to pick and choose, and then tell our boss, "I decided to work on other things." A military commander does not give orders to his commanders with an expectation that they will do what they choose to do (although circumstances do give commanders the prerogative to change orders, but they better have a very good argument). So as God calls us to do or change our life, we need to be obedient to Him. Unlike earthly leaders with imperfect knowledge, God has perfect knowledge and so there are no good reasons for choosing a difference course of action.

QT 18 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:12, We need to TAKE HOLD of eternal life

1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV) — 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

NOTE: What is eternal life, beside living forever? It has always been a quality of life (abundant life) as well as life that never ends. It starts the moment we make the good confession, putting our faith in Jesus Christ for the taking away of our sins. How do you take hold of eternal life? Even though it starts immediately, one can continue to live like those in rebellion, and miss out on the abundant aspect of eternal life. Only when we live as God intended, according to his word, can we truly experience the peace and joy that God promises. Too many people settle for partial faith and continue to walk in the ways of the world, bringing upon themselves many pains.  We need to put away the past, the sins, and the philosophy of life that destroyed our life, and put on Jesus, his life, his nature, and his philosophy. We need to seek God with all of our hearts, and love others as Jesus did. Only then can we know life as we were intended to know it.

QT 14 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:11, Do we plan how to be men of God?

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) — 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

NOTE: In contrast to pursuing riches and the resulting pangs, Paul encourages Timothy to pursue spiritual values. I can't say that I have ever thought about this list of seven pursuits (seven, because flee is a negative pursuit). So what are some practical ideas?

1. Flee the pursuit of money. Increase my giving. It is hard to fall in love with money if I am giving it away.
2. Pursue righteousness. Doing the right thing even when it is hard. Showing integrity at work and not cutting corners.
3. Pursue godliness. This means becoming like Jesus and most importantly it means loving others. Make time for other people. Get out of my comfort zone. Invite people over to dinner or take them out for lunch.
4. Pursue faith. For myself, faith grows as I continue to grow in the word of God. Finish reading through the bible for this year. I'm stuck in November of a 12 month plan. That will make 12 times I have read through the bible which is not very good considering I have been a Christian for 40 years.
5. Pursue love. I obviously don't know the difference between godliness (being like Jesus) and love. Godliness is much broader. But for love I need to focus on serving others. That is how Jesus showed the full extent of his love. Also obedience to God's commands are how we show are love to him.
6. Pursue steadfastness. Interesting, where am I not steadfast? Possibly in letting my emotions dictate purchases at times. Maybe in self-control or a lack of self-control. I give in to my body too often and I need to say no to the desires of the flesh.
7. Pursue gentleness. This is a heart-felt desire and love of mine. It may be the one thing I do well. But I still have a habit of thinking other drivers are idiots when they cut me off on the road. Even if they don't know my response, I need to cultivate a kinder thought toward them.

This is a useful exercise for anyone desiring to walk with God.

QT 13 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:6-10, The danger of always wanting more

1 Timothy 6:6–10 (ESV) — 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 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. 10 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.

NOTE: Not many people really believe that the desire to be rich can cause them to fall into temptation and into many senseless and harmful desires, that ultimately ruin their loves. All of us want a little more money than we have. Which is interesting, because nearly all of us have a little more money than we once had. Meaning, that we always want more, and our only redeeming quality is that we want just a little more. But even that is not true given the many people who buy lottery tickets. They want a lot more but will also take a little bit too. Money drives much of our lives and for that reason can be a great danger. The response is to develop a culture of contentment. But that is easier said than done. How do you be content, especially when you don’t have to, that is, when you do have the ability to get things or to get more money? I'm not sure of the answer completely. One thing would be to set goals for your money such that it forces you (me) to be content. One such goal is to increase my giving faster than I increase my earnings. If I get a 5 percent pay increase, then I might increase my giving 20 percent. In that way, my giving grows as a percentage of my income. Another goal would be to establish retirement goals such that we are setting aside more money for the future. Maybe we can serve supporting missionaries and visiting them in our retirement without burdening the church. Goals like these curb our spending and consequently force us to learn contentment. Others things to do would be to never buy on the spur of the moment. Always take a day or two to consider a purchase. The bigger the purchase the more contemplation and prayer. Do I really need this new thing? Is my old thing really not sufficient or am I just getting it because I am not content? Whatever we do, there is a danger that we must face of not being content.

QT 12 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:5, Depraved minds teach the health and wealth gospel

1 Timothy 6:5 (ESV) — 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

NOTE: What stands out to me in this verse (which is missing its context but is essentially self-explanatory) is that there are teachers out there who believe godliness is a means of gain. Paul is not talking spirituality as we can tell in the greater context, since godliness is one of the things he lifts up. No, Paul is talking about people who believe that there is financial gain to godliness, either by teaching it or as a philosophy of life. This sounds like the health and wealth gospel, and these teachers are depraved in mind and deprived of truth. They teach garbage. There are certainly advantages to living life as described in Proverbs since those are general truths and wise counsel, but there is NO New Testament promise of wealth or health (in this life) for obedience. In fact, one could make the argument that Jesus promises persecutions. There is a promise of giving up things for the kingdom, which will result in 100 times greater in this life or the life to come. It doesn't say which, and the premise is on giving up, NOT getting.

QT 11 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:3-4a, Teachers have an amazingly important responsibility

1 Timothy 6:3–4 (ESV) — 3 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, 4 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,

NOTE: Teaching the word of God is a solemn responsibility. It is not to be taken lightly. God has given us the message and it is contained in his records, the bible. To teach other things beyond the word of God, as God's word, is to suggest that the teacher knows better than God what a person needs to live in this life. That person is puffed up with conceit, he actually thinks he knows better than God what is good for his students. I've heard people say the bible is outdated, which is the same conceited saying; as if God could not provide wisdom that is timeless. Paul also says, that a person who teaches extra-biblical knowledge as doctrine understands nothing, which is an amazing statement. Why? Because, God's word is the true foundation for life and a life that is lived outside of that foundation will fall far short of what God designed us to experience. We are wrong if we think alternate lifestyles will yield the abundant life we so desire. Only when we follow his handbook will we experience what he designed and created us to know and realize. God's teachers are the persons God has entrusted this responsibility. We must not fail to build up the body with sound biblical instruction.

QT 10 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:3-7, Application of God's word has great gain

1 Timothy 6:3–7 (ESV) — 3 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, 4 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, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

NOTE: Godliness, in my mind, has always seemed similar to righteousness (or right-ness), living to God's standard. Godliness is living like God. But most of the Biblical dictionaries define it as devout practice and appropriate beliefs of God OR, piety, behavior of a religion, OR reverence for God and respect for the beliefs and practices related to him. The third turns me off because it is so vanilla and does not seem to result in action. Both the first and second definition, while similar in some ways, also emphasize practice of a belief or behavior based on beliefs. In which case, godliness is doing or living as God commands us to do and live. The definition then tends to also be similar to application, putting God's word into practice in your life. Verse 6 makes a lot of sense in that vein. There is great gain when we practice the teaching of God's word. It is not financial or wellness, but spiritual change that makes our character more like God and improves our witness to this world. The not-so hidden secret of the Christian life, obeying God changes a person completely.

QT 9 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:1-2, Out witness is affected by how we honor our bosses

1 Tim 6:1-2 (ESV) 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. 2 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.

NOTE: While the issue centered around slaves and masters, it was for the most part analogous to employee and employers. The difference being the required yoke of service, i.e., the contract. That doesn't seem to concern Paul. His concern is our actions and our witness. Nowadays people change jobs quite often. Loyalty is much less important because individual concerns outweigh other issues. We really do live in a narcisstic society. We don't really care about our place of employment, especially once we have left. We don't have the concern we should for our bosses. We are mainly concerned about ourselves, and that is not right. Our witness to our bosses can be greatly enhanced by a concern for our place of employment and its success. Not so we can get better bonuses, but because it is right to feel such. It is no wonder that Christianity's influence is dying so much in this country. We no longer know how to work or serve or even live for others. We are a mess.

QT 8 Jul 16, 1 Tim 5:24-25, Justice WILL be exercised

1 Tim 5:24-25 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

NOTE: I think it bothers us that we do not see justice now, I mean, right now or at least very quickly. It is not right, we scream--I've been hurt and the other person is not affected in any way (we think). And the worst part is that we are correct that there needs to be justice. It is not right and it demands justice, but no justice is seen. John Piper has a great thought on this topic. For every injustice, there are two possibilities. One, the person is a believer and Jesus died on the cross for his or her sins. In no way do I want to demean Jesus' death which also paid for all my sins. It is sufficient. I believe it is sufficient for all sins. Two, the person is not a believer, and consequently, the depths of hell await the person if he does not repent. And I cannot improve in any degree upon the justice shown there. In fact, I can't improve on either two options. In the end, I am just thankful that mercy has been shown to me. Like Paul, at times, I want to say, I am the worst of sinners.

QT 7 Jul 16, 1 Tim 5:20, Does God hate unbelieving sinners?

1 Tim 5:20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

NOTE: For the believer, we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God. But God takes a strong line against persistent sin. For the believer, he acts as a Father, and promises discipline. Hebrews is a story of God's discipline toward believers who were discarding the faith. Yes, the discipline can lead all the way to physical death, as described in the Hebrew passages talking about fire, the coming burning down of Jerusalem that was fulfilled in AD 70, for those believers who chose to identify with their former faith instead of their new faith. They did not lose their salvation, but they lost any opportunity to bring glory to God through service.

But what about the unbeliever, the person who has never asked Jesus to be their savior (to take their sin upon his body). Well, we know that Jesus loves the world, which is a slightly different thing to say than God loves sinners. And we know that the first mention of emotional pain in the bible is when God is "pained" because of the sin of the people on earth (sin caused pain in God's heart), and he decides to destroy most of mankind in a flood. In this latter case, the issue may be that God knows how destructive is sin and how we fall so far short of who we could be, that it pains him to see ourselves so blinded. We also know from Psalms and Proverbs, that God not only hates some very specific sin but in certain cases, the sinner, specifically murders or those who pervert justice or liars. Still Psalms, a book about the emotional heart of a believer, and Proverbs, a book about general principles of truth, are hard places to build a theology. But Jesus' words alone should cause us to worry, especially when he pronounces woe to the person who introduces others to sin, suggesting that they would be better off with a millstone around their neck and thrown into the sea. So clearly there is specific actions against those unbelievers who through their sin fight against God. Another example would be Jesus' words toward Judas after his betrayal.

But this could be a very painful subject, especially for the mother of a possibly unsaved child who is engaged in persistent sin. Who would want to hear that God hates their child which they still love so much?

We are not God's children (unless we have been born again), we are God's creation. When we believe, we are adopted into the family and become God's children, but we are not his children otherwise. Does he love us? Yes, because he loves the world and we are the most important part of that creation. Does he hate sinners? Well, yes, at least in certain instances. But what gives us hope? That no matter how badly we have sinned, his love is only a cry away. And then Romans tells us that nothing can then separate us from his love ever again.

QT 6 Jul 16, 1 Tim 5:17, In the church of Christ, leadership is taking responsibility to lead

1 Tim 5:17 (ESV) Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

NOTE: In the NT, Jesus clearly taught the importance of servant leadership, and so the use of the word "rule" seems out of place. The Greek suggests that rule means "put oneself (responsibly) at the head." Rather than the idea of ruling over others, it is more the idea of taking responsibility to lead. Just because someone leads, does not make them a ruler in the world's sense of a ruler. Jesus led the disciples and he was the one who washed their feet. Leadership in the church should follow the example of Jesus and not the practice in the world. In context, double honor suggest pay. We should pay our elders, especially those who preach and teach, more than those who do not. And to an extent, we follow this practice. Although, we do seem to forget that the Pastor is one of many elders, and the responsibility for leading should fall upon the group and not upon one individual. Lord, as I move back into a shepherding and teaching role, help me fit into the body and serve the body. I pray to see a disciplemaking culture develop within our church that would become a model for other churches.

QT 5 Jul 16, 1 Tim 5:16, Our view of liberty is actually selfishness

I Tim 5:16 (ESV) If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows

NOTE: This is a very different way of thought than exists in our culture today. In our selfishness, we expect or demand the government to take care of our relatives. We don't want to be burdened. And the real reason is that it will take away money that we can spend upon ourselves. But Paul argues that we have a responsibility to provide for our relatives and to relieve others of the burden, especially the church. Bellah, in his book, Habits of the Heart, says that our view of freedom is encapsulated as “I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. No one better tell me otherwise.” It is this misconstrued view of liberty that will never build the community that Jesus desires. And we can't even take care of our own family. Because it is all about me. God forgive us for our selfishness. Help me to recognize in my own life where I care more about myself and what I can get that about others around me.

QT 4 Jul 16, 1 Tim 5:8, Quintessential Christian failure: the anti-witness

1 Tim 5:8 (ESV) But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

NOTE: How can a believer be worse than an unbeliever (in any way)? I don't think the argument is soteriological, since salvation is not works-based. And yet the argument compares a person of faith to a person who does not have faith. When I was in Europe, I was surprised to see so much moral behavior and yet Christianity is mostly dead in Europe. Yet behavior was better there than in my so-called Christian nation, which is so far from that definition today. But even some church attendees fail to show the basic kindness I experienced in my travels.  I think what is worse, is to carry the name of Christ, and yet not live as Christ commanded. In that sense, a believer is truly worse than an unbeliever because he or she is an anti-witness. Not taking care of you family is quintessential anti-witness .