1 Timothy 2: 5-6.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”
Paul was giving Timothy valuable instructions based on the prophetic words spoken over him earlier, 1 Timothy 1: 18. These instructions, if followed would allow him to fight well in the Lord’s battles, because there would be battles ahead to face and overcome. Don’t we know it? Timothy was instructed to cling to his faith in Christ keeping his conscience clear in His life, his work and his ministry. Paul knew that violating one’s conscience or could we say ‘compromising’ in our life style by speaking one thing, yet living another resulted in ‘self destruction’ and as he said it, a shipwrecked faith. How disastrous when our lives come to ruin because of compromise, yet it is rampant today as those who claim the faith dabble too close to the world’s standards and then justify their choices with spiritual masquerade. God won’t stand for it! He will not allow our gods and idols to be our focus and if we continue to be distracted with the world He will step in and reveal our wretched condition. It might not be pretty because to see ourselves coming to ruin or perhaps in the pit of despair, is an eye opener. Remember, at this point, it’s never to late to return to God for salvation. He’s only a prayer away, so seek Him out and ask His help and guidance. Receive His salvation and find Hope in Christ.
Paul goes on to urge Timothy to pray for all people; to intercede for kings and those in authority so that peaceful, quiet lives of godliness would mark the believers. False teachers were a real problem for Paul because they had a deficient understanding of Jesus and His salvation and in 1 Timothy 2: 5 -6, Paul confirms there is only one mediator of God’s covenant, the man Christ Jesus, who is fully human and fully God and therefore able to reconcile God and humanity. There is no one else, and nothing else that can save us. Our works, our good deeds, our generosity, our good attitudes, our kindness, or our compassion will not give us our ticket to heaven. Christ is the only way to God.
False teaching is on the rise today as is compromise in our living. Sitting on the fence is a dangerous location where the least little thing that comes along beckons us it’s way. A watered down faith or a pretend faith doesn’t have the foundation of a solid Christ and false words, false teachers, and selfish pleasures quickly lure us
into ruin and perhaps a shipwrecked faith. Yes, It’s all too easy to loose sight of of our focus and take our eyes off of Christ in this journey. Paul’s word to Timothy to cling to His faith and keep his conscience clear, is a relevant word for us today and to do it, will certainly earmark the believer as a Christ One. Let’s be challenged today to listen to that inner voice of His Spirit, that God has so graciously given to us, as his children in order to keep us strong in the faith and free from sin. When His sweet voice, tells us something is wrong with our choice, we really need to listen and act in obedience.
Let’s get off the fence and move in the right direction, do the right thing and stay strong in our faith!
Hope and Healing In Hard Places 