“Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus . . . .” How often do we try to come to God in our own strength? Truth be told, too often. I am stunned and saddened by how often out devotions come down to a message that says, “you have to . . . .” You have to be good. You have to be nice. You have to give more time or money. You have to stop sinning. You have to read your Bible more. You have to do something to make God happy.
That message only sets us up for failure. Apart from Christ we can do nothing! So, as Paul prepares to give Timothy instructions in today’s reading, he brings him back first and foremost to that grace he received through Jesus. Every moment of every day is lived empowered by God’s love and forgiveness for us, and apart from that power we are, well, powerless.
Paul understood, and we should too, that our hearts are always inclined to think we can go it alone. We always want to be masters of our own destinies, empowered by our own sense of self control or will power. He knew that it was easy to understand, and often more pleasing to the sinful ear to hear, messages urging us to be nice, be good or to get our lives in order. That is why he continually points us back to Jesus and reminds us to teach what he taught, focusing on Jesus Christ; crucified, buried, risen, and seen.
The focus needs to be in the right place. Enduring suffering for the sake of the gospel hurts, but when our focus is empowered by Jesus it can be borne and shared. As soldiers of the cross, we want to keep the main message straight: the message to proclaim is salvation. Morality is a result of the change God makes in us. As athletes in a spiritual marathon we compete by the rules, remembering we love God because He first loved us, His Spirit dwells within us, and now that we are saved through Jesus’ blood we work in partnership with the Spirit, but not before we have salvation! Salvation first, then work! Like a hard working farmer, we cannot make the seed sprout, the plant grow, or the harvest ripen, but we must work every day in faith, totally dependent on God to do His work.
In v. 8 Paul states it bluntly, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, . . .” He points to two very important doctrines here: the resurrection (which necessarily includes Jesus’ death to pay for our sins) and the incarnation. The truth of Jesus’ salvation is tied to the reality of His life, death and resurrection. He is not an idea. He is a person who is actively at work in our lives. To ignore Him, or make Him merely a messenger of morality, undercuts what He has done for us and leaves us without strength.
Paul has no patience for any other message or any other focus than on Jesus. He says, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” Remind and charge are strong words to bring us back to focus on the main thing.
There are many things that would distract us from Jesus as we go about our lives. Not the least of these is what we call, “Works Righteousness.” This is the idea that our works can make us righteous before God. Resist that idea. Keep your eyes on the cross, and the Savior who has died and risen for you.
Jesus, I get my focus in the wrong place. Forgive me and set my mind and heart on you. Amen.
That message only sets us up for failure. Apart from Christ we can do nothing! So, as Paul prepares to give Timothy instructions in today’s reading, he brings him back first and foremost to that grace he received through Jesus. Every moment of every day is lived empowered by God’s love and forgiveness for us, and apart from that power we are, well, powerless.
Paul understood, and we should too, that our hearts are always inclined to think we can go it alone. We always want to be masters of our own destinies, empowered by our own sense of self control or will power. He knew that it was easy to understand, and often more pleasing to the sinful ear to hear, messages urging us to be nice, be good or to get our lives in order. That is why he continually points us back to Jesus and reminds us to teach what he taught, focusing on Jesus Christ; crucified, buried, risen, and seen.
The focus needs to be in the right place. Enduring suffering for the sake of the gospel hurts, but when our focus is empowered by Jesus it can be borne and shared. As soldiers of the cross, we want to keep the main message straight: the message to proclaim is salvation. Morality is a result of the change God makes in us. As athletes in a spiritual marathon we compete by the rules, remembering we love God because He first loved us, His Spirit dwells within us, and now that we are saved through Jesus’ blood we work in partnership with the Spirit, but not before we have salvation! Salvation first, then work! Like a hard working farmer, we cannot make the seed sprout, the plant grow, or the harvest ripen, but we must work every day in faith, totally dependent on God to do His work.
In v. 8 Paul states it bluntly, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, . . .” He points to two very important doctrines here: the resurrection (which necessarily includes Jesus’ death to pay for our sins) and the incarnation. The truth of Jesus’ salvation is tied to the reality of His life, death and resurrection. He is not an idea. He is a person who is actively at work in our lives. To ignore Him, or make Him merely a messenger of morality, undercuts what He has done for us and leaves us without strength.
Paul has no patience for any other message or any other focus than on Jesus. He says, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” Remind and charge are strong words to bring us back to focus on the main thing.
There are many things that would distract us from Jesus as we go about our lives. Not the least of these is what we call, “Works Righteousness.” This is the idea that our works can make us righteous before God. Resist that idea. Keep your eyes on the cross, and the Savior who has died and risen for you.
Jesus, I get my focus in the wrong place. Forgive me and set my mind and heart on you. Amen.
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