Devotion for Saturday, 18 June 2011 Anno Domini

Devotion for Saturday, 18 June 2011 Anno Domini
“1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” (2 Tim 1:1-14)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.” If one is truly called to the ministry, he is called by authority, and that authority is the Lord Jesus Christ just as surely as Paul, himself, was stunningly called on the road to Damascus. Dr. J. Plumer quotes the testimony of Dr Albert Barnes, a very Godly preacher of the 19th century whose published studies and devotions exceed a million volumes and whose early ambitions were set on becoming an attorney before called of God: “I have carried out none of the purposes of any early years. I have failed in those things which I had designed, and which I hoped to accomplish. I have done what I never purposed or expected to do. I have known what it was to weep at discouragements. I have been led along contrary to my early anticipations. I can now see, I think, that while I have been conscious of entire freedom in all that I have done, yet that my whole life has been under the absolute control of a Higher Power, and that there has been a will and a plan in regard to my life which was not my own. Even my most voluntary acts, I can see, have been subservient to that higher plan, and what I have done has been done as if I had no agency in the matter.” Instead of an expositor of man’s law, he became an expositor of God’s Grace! A called minister cannot stop his voice from proclaiming the Gospel and can never be satisfied seated in the quiet comfort of home or secular employment. He may labor for his bread as required, but he will not cease to take every occasion to preach.

“To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Timothy had no other earthly father that had shared the Gospel with him. He did have a Godly mother who did! And he had a surrogate father in Paul who loved in every way as a son. All Grace, and all Mercy, descends from the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from them those, there is no Grace or Mercy of worth to the Christian heart.

“I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.” Just as a loving father would write to his son, so Paul writes to his son-in-faith, Timothy. Those of the family of God, especially those of close attachment, deserve our constant prayers and remembrance. How often do we pray and forget even the mention of those dear friends and family who have always been our best support in our life and ministry! Paul thanks God for giving him this heart of thanks and remembrance. He also makes clear his pure conscience from his forefathers whom he could not have gotten from Gamaliel, but Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who were believers and looked to the coming of Christ.

“Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy.” Remembering the sorrow of their parting as well as the often longing of Timothy to see Paul, Paul’s heart is warmed to joy at thoughts of seeing his spiritually adopted son. “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Timothy had a gracious and God-fearing mother and grand mother. Entire empires have been swayed by such women. Certainly, the Kingdom of Heaven is here profited by these women. The Commandment to honor thy father and thy mother certainly makes strong application to the favor, especially, of that parent whose influence has promoted Godly and righteous living. Since Timothy’s fleshly father had not met his responsibility, the mother and grandmother more than filled the vacant office.

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.” Paul feels it expedient to remind Timothy of the real faith that is in his heart which may have cooled to a glowing ember which, when blown upon by the wind of the Holy Ghost, may burgeon into a consuming flame. A true Christian will always have faith, but we may, at times, allow that faith to cool through neglect of assembling together with others of like faith. The gift to which Paul refers is that of preaching which was apostolically sealed by the laying on of Paul’s hands.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The only fear we should have of God is that fear we feel in disobedience to a good father. We do not wish to bring shame or dishonor on our earthly fathers, and we certainly must have an even greater aversion to bringing such upon so gracious and loving Father as that which we have in God. Instead of fear in our living, we should have a sense of the great power made available to us in Christ. Of course, the only way in which we may have a ‘sound mind’ is to have put on the Mind that was in Christ. We should as well have a Spirit of Love. The amazing nature of Love is that it is never depleted but rather increased at the sharing of itself.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” Shame is a close companion of fear. If we are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, or of those who have stood firm in it, we will also fear to reveal our sympathies and standing on that Gospel among those who hate the Christian faith. “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38) Due to the lack of fatherly influence in his life, Timothy was perhaps timid, but certainly did not lack courage and faith. We are “more than conquerors” through Christ who loved us. Therefore, our Gospel preaching should proceed with a sense of power and authority, not timidity.
We must rely upon God “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Clearly a great expression of the truth of Grace in the calling of both ministers and Christian brethren and sisters. Not according to our works, or even our wills, but according to His own purpose and grace. The Call of God is persistent and inescapable. Francis Thompson (1859-1907) expresses it well in the first lines of his poem, Hound of Heaven:

“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat--and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet--
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."

“Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” Every calling is not the same. God takes our particular gifts (which He has given) and molds them to the calling He deems fit for our constitutions. Paul was called in threefold ministry: preacher, apostle, and teacher; and he was called peculiarly to minister to the Gentiles. Some others may be called in single purpose to care for orphans, or widows, or the infirm.
“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Paul present suffering as a prisoner is a result of his Godly ministry. Make no mistake about it: there is a price to pay for your faith. True, the rewards will overshadow any present sufferings, but a true professor of Christ will enjoy no privileges from the world establishment. Paul is not ashamed or fearful for he is completely aware of the security he enjoys in the Lord in whom he has placed his faith and trust. He is convinced that all to which he has entrusted to Christ – souls gained, as well as sacrifices made – will be on deposit in the Bank of Heaven at the last.
“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” How many today are holding fast the form of sound words? Seemingly devoted Christians are so easily led from the pure fountain of waters first preached to the saints. The Holy Bible has been subject to vulgar and irreverent re-translations for profit and copyright. The villains who presume to provide a ‘better and more meaningful translation’ have such sparse credentials in both Greek and Hebrew as to have made them a laughing stock among the great minds of the Geneva, Luther or King James translations. And they are so careless with the Word of God as to accept every excuse to lessen its authority and impact.
“That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” By all means, and may we do the same, for the Holy Ghost is able to keep those things in secure holding. Keep faith, keep love, keep truth and never be ashamed or fearful therein.