Contending For the Gospel

Transcript

GR1756
02/23/2014
Contending for the Gospel
I Timothy 2:1-4
Gil Rugh

We are going to look into I Timothy chapter 2, I Timothy chapter 2. You always feel like you are progressing as you move through a book when you come to a new chapter. We remind ourselves that when Paul wrote this he wrote it as a letter. It wasn’t written as chapter divisions but they are helpful to us. We moved through the first chapter and it basically was taken up with encouraging Timothy to stand firm and deal with the issue of false teaching that had infiltrated among the church at Ephesus.

At stake in this conflict is the Gospel itself. It’s easy for us to become lax even today and become more open and tolerant of teaching that is in conflict with the truth of God’s Word and really undermines the very Gospel that we preach. We find again and again as you have noted in the letters written to the various churches these warnings; even as we get to the end of the letters given to the church and Christ’s final words in the seven letters to the churches. It is somewhat shocking to find out what is being tolerated and accepted in the churches over which Jesus Christ is the head.

And so Paul writes to encourage and challenge Timothy and we remind ourselves – these have been included in God’s Word because they are not just intended for Timothy and the church at Ephesus but God intends for us as the church of Jesus Christ in this day to take things to heart.

The false teachers at Ephesus were trying to bring in a mixture of the Mosaic Law and of the message of Christ. That’s a way that the devil would tend to bring confusion and they would talk about Christ and He’s the Messiah and He’s the Savior and He died and was raised. It disarms believers to think well then they are one of us. We have some differences over the law but they do teach about Christ. Paul is telling Timothy the Gospel is at stake; the same issue that Paul dealt with with the Galatians in that sense. If anyone adds anything or takes anything away from the Gospel he is cursed to hell, he is anathema. So a serious situation.

This is a Gentile church but these teachers bringing in the law would have these Gentiles think that the law was a necessary addition to the Gospel where the Gospel is just an addition, an add on to the law, but this mixture nullifies the power of the Gospel for salvation.

In verse 18 as we come to the end of this chapter. “This command I entrust to you, Timothy.” The command he is talking about was the command that he gave up in verse 3: “I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, so you may instruct (and we noted that word translated instruct is the same word translated command down in verse 18) that you may command certain men not to teach strange doctrine.” Verse 5: “The goal of our command is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” This is just not that we are narrow. We want to have our way. It’s the Gospel that is at stake. The goal of this command is produced what God intends, love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a genuine faith. So he comes back to that after giving the example of the kind of teaching they are trying to infiltrate the church with that has to be stopped; giving the example of himself and his testimony of the transforming power of the Gospel. Pharisee, as he was committed to the law in every way, but that could not save him. That could not add to his salvation as he told the Philippians. He had to count all these things but dung and commit himself without reservation to Jesus Christ and the truths concerning Him.

Verse 18: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight. Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.” Some have ruined their faith, destroyed it, brought it to ruin. You will note two things have to be done and the church is abandoning one of these and the result is they soon abandon the other. We must stand for the truth and we must oppose error.

Fundamentalism is treated with disdain in these days but what marked a person out basically as a fundamentalist was that unshakeable commitment to Biblical truth and that firm stand against any error. We talk about evangelicalism today. The difference between evangelicalism and fundamentalism – evangelicals proclaim to believe the truth but they will not fight against error and they pride themselves as often being open and that is a general statement I realize but it expresses a basic difference.

Timothy has to fight the good fight. It’s not enough to be passive and just give out the truth. You cannot allow error in the truth at Ephesus and when it is being taught there you must command these false teachers to stop. And it can go so far as they have to be put out of the church. That’s what Paul has done.

With verse 20, as we end the chapter “Hymenaeus and Alexander, I have handed them over to Satan.” The church being the family of God, you are put out and the only place is the realm of Satan and some of the consequences that come with that. “They must be taught not to blaspheme.” And we noted as we studies previously the error of these men, particularly one who is referred to later. They soon were denying the reality of the resurrection. You cannot tolerate a little bit of error. It spreads and soon the false and that’s what happens to the church. Well it doesn’t seem so serious and they claim to believe in Christ and pretty soon they are denying this doctrine, done that with men. Well, the inspiration of Scripture can be a little broader. We don’t have to believe in verbal inspiration and well we have different views on some of the doctrines and now they deny substitutionary atonement and they are still accepted within the umbrella of evangelical Christianity.

What is the meaning of the service we just have partaken of if the substitutionary atonement is not the truth? And now some identify together by saying if Christ died in our place and God punished Him for our sin that is divine child abuse. We say that blasphemy. That’s true. But some accept them and say, “Well they say they believe in Christ and that’s the most important thing.” How serious does the error get? We are now at the heart of Christianity and Christians be with their indifference to truth now anything is acceptable as long as you say I believe in Christ and that’s why getting together with Catholics, meeting together with Mormons – where does it stop, because the church will not stand against error, the truth of the Gospel.

That was the subject of chapter 1 and that’s the subject of chapter 2. It does not change here. You will note that chapter 2 opens up: “First of all, then…” So he is continuing this theme and this subject. It’s the Gospel. There will be some opening comments and they all tie to the Gospel which we read in connection with our Communion Service, verse 4: “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” This is the issue. This is what is at stake. This is our concern.

Let me read a couple of passages with you and you will see how Paul in other letters moves to the same point. Come back to 2 Corinthians chapter 10. These will be from different letters and you will see how they fit together. 2 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and similar issues at Corinth, similar issues in the sense there has to be a willingness to stand for the truth. There were teachers who had infiltrated the church at Corinth and they were teaching that Paul’s apostleship was not genuine. Therefore what Paul has taught you is not the complete truth. So the error can vary a little bit but it all comes down to an attack on the truth. Paul opens up chapter 10: “I Paul myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Chris, - I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!” They accused Paul, well there’s not much to him when you see him face to face but oh he writes a powerful letter. It’s a way of undermining their confidence. He’s not the same man you saw. His letters attack this but there is not much to him.

Verse 2: “I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.” Paul is just a self-centered man looking to promote himself. What are they doing, attacking the truth that God is revealing through Paul? “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. You are looking at things as they are outwardly.” He’s rebuking them. You see similar flavor. You have to stand strong for the truth and as we read in a previous study in chapter 11. You can just turn over there, you are close, a warning in the opening verses, verses 3 and 4 about the danger of being deceived by the devil and his craftiness. Down in verse 13: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ, and no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Don’t be surprised if his servants do. 2000 years after Paul writes this the church is still being taken in. We have to stand for the truth. Friendships do not override the truth as we have talked about.

Come back to chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians. You see what is at stake. It’s the Gospel. The chapter opens up: “Therefore since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart.” With all that Paul has gone through with all that he is going through how disheartening that church after church that he establishes Satan moves in and tries to corrupt and undermine with false teaching. “We have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight to God. And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose eyes the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.”

You see it’s a spiritual battle between the servants of God and the servants of the devil. “We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Christ’s sake. For the God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” This is Paul reverted to his own situation and he shares here. Other believers have shared this. The light of the Gospel is poured into our hearts and now we proclaim that. We have this treasure of the Gospel which is the power of God for salvation “in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but no despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken; stuck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.” “We are constantly being delivered over to death.” He lived under the shadow of death. Everywhere he went the opposition was so intense that he could be killed at any time unless God provided the protection for him and it was all for the sake of the Gospel so “that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” Verse 16: “We don’t lose heart.” It’s taking its toll on him physically, “the outer man is decaying, the inner man is being renewed.”

See the passion for the truth that Paul had and the church holds it so lightly today, prides itself like the Corinthians. Someone comes bringing you a different teaching and a different Gospel and you bear with that wonderfully Paul said in chapter 11 where we were a moment ago. But they are down on Paul, narrow Paul, always ready for a fight. No he wasn’t. The only thing he would fight for was the truth that God had revealed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One other passage and then we will get to Timothy. Come over to Ephesians, the letter that Paul wrote to the church where Timothy is; a very important New Testament church. Come to Ephesians chapter 6 and we have looked at this passage. Verse 10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God (note this) so that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” That’s our battle. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, against the world-forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies.” That’s why we need weapons that are divinely powerful for the destruction of forces. That’s why the devil delights to take the Word of God out of the hands of the people of God. Then we are defenseless against the opponent of our souls. We are no match for the devil in our own strength. What a mockery. He is the god of this world. He is not god in the capital “G” and he has no power compared to God but don’t make the mistake of thinking you can oppose him in your strength. The only thing we have is “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” It is the Spirit of God in us and as we stand for the truth of God then the power of God is effective.

While you are here because this is where we pick up in Paul’s letter in Ephesians, verse 17 says: “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains.” Praying that I will make the Gospel speak it boldly as I ought to speak. Remember Paul is a prisoner in Rome when he writes the letter to the Ephesians. Remarkable. The prayer has to do – pray for me that I be bold with the Gospel.

Come over to I Timothy chapter 2. He’s going to open up here with prayer. What has he been talking about in chapter 1, the importance of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; giving his own testimony, exhorting Timothy to be strong, to be intolerant of any corrupted teaching that would come into the church. “First of all then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.”

The word “all” is going to be key here. Maybe at the beginning I should have you mark the word “all” in your Bible. You’ll note, first of all, a little different but the word “all” there. Then later in verse 1 on behalf of all. Verse 2: “For kings and all who are in authority.” The last part of verse 2: “A quite life in all godliness and dignity.” Verse 4: “Who desires all men to be saved.” Down in verse 6: “He gave Himself as a ransom for all.” You see all, all, six times in these six verses the word all drawing attention to the breadth and the focus of the breadth here in the importance sense that Paul is going to be focusing on is the truth of the Gospel.

“I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.” This is first of all. This is foremost. This is the matter of greatest urgency. What does prayer do? It reminds us of our dependence upon God. It is not that we have to inform God what He needs to do but we are coming, acknowledging God, only You can work in a life. Only You can touch a heart. Only You change a mind so we come and we pray. He mentions four different words here not that he’s developing a doctrine of prayer. These words overlap and they probably included all four in all of our prayers. The meanings aren’t of great difference “entreaties” means to express something from a sense of need, our own need or the needs of others. “Prayers” is the general word for prayer and it carries the concept always of reverence and worship. That’s why I say, you know that’s true whether we are coming to ask God for some specific need to be met in our life or the life of someone else; these join together. “Petitions” brings the idea of confidence in asking God for something. “Thanksgiving” all our prayers should include thanksgiving for who God is, for the privilege of coming and calling Him Father; of coming before the throne of grace to bring our needs, our desires, our burdens; to thank Him for hearing us; for responding according to what will be best. So like I say, these four things, he’s not trying to say do this kind of prayer and this kind of prayer. What he is saying, all kind of prayer, prayer in its full scope should be made on behalf of all men. No limitation here; on behalf of all men. We are coming on behalf of all men. We are praying for all people. In the context it’s going to be for their salvation because down in verse 4 “God desires all men to be saved.” So naturally we are praying for all men. Obviously we are not praying for all men individually as we don’t know all of them but I can be praying for God’s work and the ministry of His truth in the world today.

Sometimes some of you have a prayer list where you pray for different countries. We pray for our country, we should be and he adds to that. He repeats the preposition “huper” here “on behalf of” even though it’s not repeated in our translation, on behalf of kings and all who are in authority. So we pray for all men. But you know the times don’t change. We probably, I think that’s a fair statement; you can evaluate it after I say it, we probably spend more time complaining about our political leaders and critiquing and criticizing them than we do praying for them.

He says “we are to pray on behalf of kings and for all who are in authority.” So we are to be praying for rulers. You know who is the Roman Caesar when Paul writes this letter? He is infamous. If you don’t know any other Caesar, their reign and the Roman Empire you probably know Nero. His name is infamous and that’s who is ruling.

Caesar, Nero ruled from Rome from 54 A.D. to 68 A.D. when he will die at his own hand because his people could not take his wretchedness any more. This letter is written somewhere in the mid 60’s, 64, 65, 66 A.D. somewhere in there so we are toward the latter years of that reign and what does Paul say? “Pray for, on behalf of kings and all who are in authority.” Whoever is reigning, whoever is in a position of authority be praying for them and on behalf of them “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness,” there’s all again. Now you just say well he’s just praying that the pressure be off. That’s not the case. We are praying for governmental leaders so that we might have an environment that is more conducive to the ministry that God has called us to. It is not a prayer for you know a quiet easy life. You don’t have to read much of Paul’s letters and Paul’s life to know he wasn’t looking for tranquility, a little more time to relax in a lawn chair on the Mediterranean kind of thing. He wants our testimony for Christ to go forth.

The godliness here – it’s “a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” Godliness as believers have a life that is characterized by our reverence and respect and honoring our God. It’s a life that honors Him, godlikeness in that sense. It is a life that is pleasing to God. Dignity is the word that focuses on our life before men and their view. It’s a life worthy of respect, a life of seriousness. Not that seriousness in the negative gloominess, but a person whose life is worthy of respect. It’s not frivolous. It’s not filled with things that what do that do? You know their life is, you would say, they are frittering it away, not just evil things but worthless things. We are to have a life before the world of godliness and dignity.

Now Paul is aware and he will write in his second letter to Timothy, “All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Paul is well-aware of what a godly life can do and bring. But tranquil, quiet political positions provide better opportunities for the Gospel. For example look at countries where there is turmoil, Egypt or Ukraine or places that are in turmoil. Obviously the attention of people in the turmoil doesn’t provide the best atmosphere for us to manifest godliness in our conduct as we proclaim the message of the Gospel. So that’s the context because that is where he is going when we get into verse 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 so this is not an instruction on the prayer life of a believer period. This is the prayer life of a believer in the context of an effective ministry of the Gospel. So it just continues the theme of chapter 1 but even as he did in Ephesians when he talked about “we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood” and all that battle and be praying in the Spirit in all times and pray for me that I might be bold with the Gospel. You might think since he’s in prison when he writes that he’d say “pray for me that I will keep my mouth shut and won’t make more trouble.” No, pray that I will be bold with the Gospel as I should be.

Just a note here - believers are to seek a “tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” in verse 2. Believers should not be causing unrest and turmoil by their political actions. We shouldn’t be trying to shape the political process. The only thing Paul has to say about rulers and authorities is to pray for them. By the grace of God He might be pleased that they would provide a situation for all of our fussing about whoever’s president or senator or congressman or whatever. Here we are, unmolested, studying the Word of God. We can go out and have Bible studies in our home. We are thankful for governmental authorities that provide protection for us so that we don’t have to deal with the things that people in some of the countries are dealing with as they kill each other and there is no order.

In Romans 13 Paul will give the same instruction – “Submit to the governing authorities.” It has been a tragedy that believers, evangelical Christians as the world would identify us.

Time Magazine back in the 80’s had the year of the evangelical and what we are doing to make a difference in the political process. There will be people we vote for and we are not bringing tranquility and quietness. This is how we ought to live our lives. If the turmoil and persecution come to us as it did for Paul when he wrote to the Ephesians and he’s in prison because of the Gospel; being an ambassador in chains so be it. But Paul was never arrested because he is causing political unrest. He is sometimes accused of similar kinds of things but there is no truth to it and we know that. They are lies to stir the authorities against him but even Pilate when he confronted Christ said, “I find no fault in Him. I mean I don’t find him a political threat to the Roman Empire.” We pride ourselves, we lose the perspective. The power for us is the power of the Gospel. It doesn’t matter who is in the oval office. It doesn’t matter who is in the congress. It doesn’t matter who is on the Supreme Court. That’s not what makes a difference. Our prayer is “Lord, whoever You bring, pray that we might have a quiet and tranquil life.” And we can live our lives with godliness and dignity as we go about presenting the Gospel to people. There are parts of the world you cannot walk down the street as a Christian. Your life would be in danger. How blessed we are and yet we become a cause of unrest and we become identified with a certain political position and that’s not who we are. Paul’s in prison. He’s not in prison because he’s an enemy of the Roman Emperor, Caesar. And if you will comb through Paul’s letter all that they could find was to submit to the governing authorities and pray for them.

Come over to Titus chapter 3. I Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus. These three letters are sometimes called the Pastoral Epistles. Titus chapter 3 he writes the same thing to Titus who is on the Island of Crete setting things in order in the churches there. Chapter 3, verse 1 and he’s presented the Gospel. At the end of chapter 2, verse 11: “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness (the opposite of godliness) and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.” Chapter 3, verse 1: “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

I mean we sometimes act like, well I just can’t believe what is happening to our country. How can people conduct themselves this way? You know what you were? Your heart was deceitful and desperately wicked. Maybe it didn’t manifest itself openly in some of these ways but you were just as much a rebel against God as anyone. I was just as much as anyone. We forget that. So now we look down with disdain, we just can’t understand that we’ve got to replace these people and I can’t respect a leader like that and all of this which is a denial of the truth and we are going around telling people the Gospel and you are a sinner and you are lost and without hope and the only thing that can rescue is the grace of God provided in the salvation of Christ. At the same time we are telling them you ought to clean up your life and I can’t understand why you would practice this kind of sin or why you would promote that kind of sin. Which is it? Are they slaves to sin and the devil? Then why are we surprised? Are we telling them that they ought to clean up their life and vote differently and do this and do that and legislate differently? The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. The only thing that can change it is the power of the Gospel, right? So it is a subtle way the devil, and not so subtle, undermines the truth of the Gospel and believers say “well in the next election we are going to get our people in there. We will have people who are against immorality and they will be for marriage and they will be and not that we are not but we don’t see the hope in getting to people whose heart is deceitful and desperately wicked to try and conduct themselves in a way more pleasing to us. God has blessed us. That doesn’t mean that we can’t pray that God would continue to provide the kind of situation where we can proclaim the Gospel. It doesn’t mean in our country we can’t vote as we will but I’m not going to be carrying a placard because I think the Republicans are just as lost as the Democrats unless they’ve trusted Christ and that is true for the Independents and if there are any other group it is true for them too, the Libertarians, or whoever. But it doesn’t have to do with your politics. It doesn’t matter if you are conservative or liberal. You are lost and on your way to hell and we are praying that God will provide a ruler; this may not be the best.

Nero wasn’t the best Caesar there ever was but for much of his reign Paul was free to travel the world presenting the Gospel. Right up to the very end. He is willing. His testimony in Acts says “I am not opposed to suffering for it. If I am a political subversive I can understand the government would arrest me. If I am ever arrested and put in prison I want it to be for the Gospel.” We are to be living lives of godliness and dignity.

We were once foolish ourselves. What made the difference? Verse 4 of Titus chapter 3: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us,” (because we cleaned up our life, no. What makes the difference is the kindness of God.) Note the words here: “The kindness of our God and Savior, His love for us, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ so that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement, and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.”

We don’t just get involved in controversies; strife about the law. That’s worthless. Reject a factious man. That’s all he says about you know not wanting to be in controversies. That doesn’t mean oh, we don’t want to have controversy in our church so you know we don’t make an issue over sin or doctrinal error. “Reject the factious man after a first and second warning. Such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.” But our conduct in the world, we realize salvation is a matter (I’ve got these words circled in my Bible, maybe you do, kindness, love in verse 4, mercy in verse 5, and grace in verse 7) that’s what made the difference in my life.

I’m not surprised. I am disappointed to see a country that can’t even understand what marriage is. In the beginning God made them male and female. Discouraged so that young couples sometimes we are age that we want to watch television, we turn on Househunters or something. You know, something innocuous, I don’t have to get involved in. I don’t care what they buy. But here is a young couple, a cute couple. Well, we’ve been dating. We’ve been living together. We are ready to take the next step in our relationship. Marriage, no, buying a house together. What about marriage? Well we are not ready for that step. You are going to live together, you are going to have sex together; you are going to buy a house together. The last thing you do is marry. Why? Because God says marriage is His plan. Of course that’s rebellion in their heart. The goal of my life to try to get them to understand they ought to get married? No. The goal of my life is to have them understand your life, your problem is you’re a sinner at heart. You are in rebellion against God and if you do get married that won’t change. The problem is not that your are committing immorality the problem is you have a heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things and out of the heart come all kind of immoralities and everything else as we saw in Mark chapter 7.

If the church loses its perspective and it’s to be the pillar and support of the truth as we saw in Timothy what would be the pillar and support of the truth in this sin-cursed world? That’s the devil’s goal, turn us aside to good things as the world would view them but not the one thing that God has called us to do.

Come back to 1 Timothy chapter 2. We do this because “this good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” So you see what this is about. We are praying in the context of what God wants and God is our Savior. We are not going much further. I don’t think we are going through the rest of the verses. God our Savior – the word Savior is used ten times in the Pastoral Epistles, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Six times it is used of God the Father; four times it is used of God the Son. We think Christ is the Savior. No, the triune God is our Savior. The Father who is the author and source of our salvation that is carried out through the Son who will be viewed as the mediator when we get to verse 5.

Do we want to live our lives in a way that is good and pleasing in the sight of God, our Savior? We think about those who have experienced the salvation that God has provided. Then we do what He wants. We please him. So the prayers we make, the life we live, it is in that context and we do this because He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. That will be the verse where we pick up as well.

You will note this. We are praying on behalf of all men and on behalf of kings and all who are in authority and we are leading tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity because this is pleasing; it’s good in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. This is what this is all about. The prayers that we have are in this context because the church is to be the pillar and support of the truth and everything is seen through that lens. What a gracious God we have. God is our Savior. Paul is writing as a believer to believers and he desires all men to be saved. How gracious He is. Sometimes we become almost bitter toward the unbeliever, resentful. We talk about leaders, those in authority, presidents and congressmen. We speak about them with a disdain and disgust. God’s our Savior and He desires to be their Savior. He’s the Savior of all men. I should be praying for them. People shouldn’t be hearing from my mouth these kinds of bitter comments, critical comments. What have they done to our country? What is the hope for us with these kinds of decisions and these kinds of laws? My hope is not in the president. My hope is not in the Supreme Court or the Congress. My hope is in the God who is my Savior and He desires all men to be saved. Do I desire that? I desire these men to be saved. That’s God’s. And we represent Him and that’s the Gospel that we have. That will be true for all the unbelievers we meet this week. He desires all men to be saved and for that to happen they have to come to the knowledge of the truth and we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that God might get the glory when the power of God brings to them the same salvation that He brought to us when the light of the glory of the Gospel shone into our darkened hearts and lives.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord for the riches of salvation provided in Christ. How blessed we are. Today we have been in the Word together and we have had the Word ministered to us in song and through teaching and preaching. Lord we are richly blessed. We are blessed to be living in a country where the leaders have provided this kind of situation that enables us to lead tranquil and quiet lives and go about the ministry of Your truth and the sharing of Your Gospel. Lord we give you thanks for that and we would continue to pray for all people and for those that are in authoritative positions. You are the God who rules over all but Lord the burden of our hearts is that we might be living the kind of lives that present Jesus Christ that we might be bold with the Gospel that will bring Your salvation to the hearts and lives of those whatever their position in life. May we be faithful to You with the truth as Your church You have established in this place. We pray in Christ’s name amen