What God Gives Us

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Many of you are familiar with this passage when you have been in the grips of fear. It’s a great reassurance that God has not set us up for fear in this world. With many things we are trying to take out of our lives, we must replace those things with something else; the same is true here. God tells us what He wants us to put in place of fear: power, love and self-control.

Reflect on the kinds of power (strength, authority and rights) God has given you:

• Power to become a child of God: John 1:12
• Power to share Jesus with others: Acts 1:8
• Power to be joyful while enduring with patience: Colossians 1:11-12
• Power to Build Up the Brethren: 2 Corinthians 13:10
• Power to Work Beyond our Comprehension: Ephesians 3:20
• Power to Resist the Devil: Ephesians 6:10-18
• Power to be Secure in God: 1 Peter 1:3-5

Reflect on the Love He has given us:

• A Love to Redeem Us: John 3:16, Romans 5:8
• The Ability to Love: 1 John 4:19
• Love by Obedience: 1 John 5:3; John 14:15, 23; John 15:10
• The Love Commanded: Matthew 22:37-39; John 13:34-35; John 15:12,17; Romans 12:10; Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; Hebrews 10:24; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:14-15, 23; 1 John 4:7-13, 21

We looked at Power and Love as what God has given us to push out fear, but what about Self-Control? Before we go on, let’s look at some of the other translations given for self-control: sound mind; sound judgment; discipline; self-discipline; the Greek sofronismos can be translated discipline, sound mind or self control. Now think of times fear or anxiousness has gripped you – would self-control or a sound mind put the situation in a better light? Personally, I sometimes let the possible results of my actions grip me: “what if” what I say do offends or causes hurt? How do I avoid that? Is it possible to watch my every step so I don’t offend a brother in Christ? It’s a type of fear. The reality is that I have no control over someone’s reaction and actions resulting from that reaction. A sound mind tells me to rely on Titus 1:15-16 and try to act in purity in everything I do and say.

Did you notice what to use to have a sound mind or self-control? Applying the Word of God to the situation and try to look at it with God’s wisdom (James 3:17). What fear has a grip on you?

Remember the power given to you. Apply the love that has been given to you. Let the Word of God discipline you in your perception of the situation. Let fear disappear because God has equipped you to overcome it.

Avoiding Knowledge

1 Timothy 6:20 (ESV)
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge.”

One thing I notice that all of us do to some point is “look at God’s word through our experience, wisdom and culture instead of looking at our experiences, wisdom and culture through God’s word.” I’m not really trying to come up with a catchy phrase, but in my opinion we are so egocentric as a people we believe the Bible has to fit into our worldview instead of our worldview being made by the Bible.

A Call to Pray

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (ESV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2]for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3]This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4]who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I believe this portion is very important to Americans right now. Some are pleased with our new president and some are not. I seem to receive an email every day, and many times from well-meaning Christians, that in one way or another slam our president. As Christians we forget WHO really is in power and shout “end times!!!” The barometer of the “end times” may not be the type of leader our country has, but our lack of prayer for the leader. Remember, the church does become lazy in the end times. Just food for thought.

We are not to murmur and complain about our leader, but to lift him up in prayer. Who knows, if we spend more time praying for him than sticking daggers in his back and slandering his name God just may bless our prayers and soften our hearts and those who have authority over us in this present world.

Setting Your Priorities

Psalm 67:5-7 (KJV)
[5]Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
[6]Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
[7]God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

It’s interesting to note here that “PRAISE” comes before the “Earth yielding her increase.” To an agrarian society this was probably very important. The farmer is being told to put God first, to praise God before working the field. Once the priority is set, then the increase comes.

Most of us are not farmers. The principle still remains: put God before work. Remember who it is who supplies you with what you need (Phil 4:19). Also remember that being able to work is a good thing (1 Thes 4:11-12; 1 Tim 5:8; Eph 4:28). Do you remember the lesson with Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)? Work is good, but God is best.

Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV)
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32]For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33]But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
[34]“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Are You Learned Right?

1 Timothy 1:3-7 (ESV)
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, [4]nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. [5]The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. [6]Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, [7]desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

This is going to be a very short illumination of this portion of scripture. The reason why this hit me so much is that I was sort of into the camp of the folks in verses 6 & 7. There was a point that I loved “the learning” about God more than I loved God. Don’t take this statement the wrong way; anything can become an idol in our lives, and mine was learning.

I loved church history and how it intertwined with art history. I loved studying cultures and being challenged with how to present the Gospel in those different cultures. I loved being challenged in the higher education setting. The “love” was in the wrong place.

Verse 5 asserts the kind of “love” I should have had. I still study and study much. But it isn’t for the purpose of having debates and winning folks over with my intelligence. I study to learn how to improve the way I love. The Lord gave us The Great Commandment which is all about love:

Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the greatest and most important commandment. [39] The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. [40] All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Learning is great, but it needs to be paired with “do.” Scripture tells us this too:

James 1:22-25 (HCSB)
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; [24] for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. [25] But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts — this person will be blessed in what he does.

Continue to diligently learn God’s word. Have the right motive. Not to become puffed-up in your knowledge of the Lord, but to become more equipped to act, and act in love. The reward: to be blessed in what you do.

Not All Warriors are Destined to Fight

1 Chronicles 12:23-37 (ESV)
[23]These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the LORD. [24]The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops. [25]Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. [26]Of the Levites 4,600. [27]The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700. [28]Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers' house. [29]Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. [30]Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' houses. [31]Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were expressly named to come and make David king. [32]Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. [33]Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose. [34]Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. [35]Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. [36]Of Asher 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle. [37]Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.

Verses 31-33 list two tribes neither of which were named neither for valor nor fighting. Not that they were not warriors, but they had other purposes they had to put before physical battle. I wonder if they felt less important because their purpose was not physical battle. Or did they have “big-heads” because they had a different purpose?

We, who have believed in Jesus, are all on level ground as believers. We have all been equipped for different purposes in the body. “Different” is what Satan likes to pervert so that there is discord among us. Either it is with envy (comes out as a false humility – “everybody else in the church has a more important function than me”) or with pride (“I’m the man because I have this function”). We are all needed in the parts that we are equipped for to make a complete body.

When a jigsaw puzzle is complete you look at the finished picture. You don’t fixate on the corner piece when the puzzle is complete: “It is all because you, Mr. Corner Piece, that this puzzle exists.” Yes, we do look for the corner pieces and straight edges when we put together a puzzle – but if that is all we have, we have an incomplete picture with a hollow inside. If we are missing the piece that is just part of “blue sky” and nothing else, we are still disappointed because the puzzle is not complete. Every piece is important for the puzzle to be complete; EVERY BELIEVER IS IMPORTANT FOR THE BODY TO COMPLETE.

How many of you who have done jigsaw puzzles have put the special glue on top to preserve the integrity of picture? We can do that as believers in the body as well:

Ephesians 4:3 (KJV)
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We all have different purposes, let’s not let envy or pride get in the way of completion but seek to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Don’t Be Idle

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 (ESV)
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. [7]For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, [8]nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. [9]It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. [10]For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. [11]For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. [12]Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. [13]As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. [14]If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. [15]Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Paul’s warning against idleness has much wisdom in it. In context, Paul is telling all those who were working and taking care of one another not to have anything to do with those who were able to work but instead were taking from the community and stirring up trouble. A group of believers like this were sharing all they had, but there were those taking advantage of the sharing. Paul didn’t say to condemn this person, nor judge them, but to take note and have nothing to do with them. Don’t treat him like an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

I see two immediate applications of this passage. The first one is to show wisdom in helping out a fellow Christian financially: either personally or on the church body level. There will always be those who take advantage of generosity. Is the person idle or in genuine need? Are you not able to determine this? Then lean towards grace and help the brother. Is the person actually being idle? Don’t treat the person like an enemy. Don’t condemn the person. Help the person find employment. Give the person a job around the church or the house so they are putting back into the community.

The other application to this that stands out is towards the body of believers. Ephesians 4:11-15 comes to mind here:

Ephesians 4:11-15 (HCSB)
[11] And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, [12] for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ's fullness. [14] Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. [15] But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.

We have leaders to train all Christians in the work of the ministry to build up the body of Christ (all Christians) to bring us into unity with one another in faith in Jesus Christ. Our growth is measured by Jesus as the standard, not each other. We then have stability and we speak to each other in love.

The early Christians had a community in which they were expected to work and contribute to the church body physically. There was a warning against the idle who didn’t work but stirred up trouble. I believe today’s church body should be expected to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and trained so they can build up the body of Christ (others in the church body). Those who aren’t willing to do this should not be treated as enemies, but warned. If we are to speak in love, then it is to be a warning – not a threat. That person could be given the opportunity to give back to the body (through training) so that they are no longer idle and stirring up trouble, but building up the body of Christ.

Nothing is ever this easy I know, but Paul is speaking to us and our attitude. “Warn as a brother” and “don’t treat like an enemy” is telling us to heal and not amputate when part of our body is not up to par. Choose grace and healing.