The Importance of Affirming the Resurrection of Jesus!

# 37 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Tim 1:18-20) What “some have rejected,” namely the message that Paul and the other Apostles have received from Jesus and subsequently passed on to others like Timothy, who was then charged with passing it along to others. But Hymenaeus and Alexander have mixed this message with some false teachings of their own with their emphasis on “fables and endless genealogies.” (v4) This misguided emphasis shipwrecked their very faith! The boat of false doctrine that they were riding wasn't going to float and get them to heavens shores. They were putting others at risk with their false teaching and Paul, using the procedure of church discipline, tosses them overboard, kicks them out of the congregation, cuts them loose from the herd, where Satan will have his way with them and perhaps then they will learn not to blaspheme God by adding to or detracting from His words! Hymenaeus is mentioned again in 2 Tim 2:16-18, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. “ Ahhh. So now we have a hint of some of the false teaching of Hymenaeus. He and others were teaching that there was no such thing as a bodily resurrection! What? The resurrection is a fundamental teaching of the Gospel! When Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, He made sure they understood that He had to suffer and die for sins AND rise from the dead. He said, Lu 24:26 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" No Gospel presentation is complete without the account of the resurrection because it is proof positive in accordance with the prophets that Jesus IS the Messiah. And Paul states in 1Co 15:17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

Ordination Is A God-Given Tool

# 36 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, This laying on of hands accompanied by prophetic utterances is apparently a very big deal to Paul and the early church. It was to be a basis or platform from which Timothy could confidently wage the good warfare on behalf of the kingdom of God in the midst of a sin sick world. Timothy's confidence stems from the fact that God is the source, because prophecy is of God! Using the hands of Paul and the elders, God deposited this gift into Timothy! Timothy was instructed to have faith in his ordination and to work out this calling in a good conscience. In other words, Timothy, “don't doubt that your ordination was of God.” The laying on of hands by Paul and the elders was a literal transfer of the pastoral office with the blessing of God. As Paul was so called to serve when Ananias laid hands on him accompanied by prophetic utterances, (Acts 9:17) so Timothy was now called to serve in the Gospel ministry with authority and power as a right servant of God and of Jesus Christ to declare God's Word both in public and private, and to carry out all other duties as a called and ordained servant of God. Though some may question his youth and though doubts may assail him, he is encouraged here by Paul to believe that this whole procedure was of God, and guess what? When it is faithfully practiced in accordance with biblical guidelines...it still is of God. This system of ordaining pastors is of course open to abuse. It's why Timothy was urged not to be hasty in ordaining the next generation of pastors. (1 Tim 5:22) It's why there were such stringent requirements laid out later on in this letter in chapter three. Ordination is a gift from God bestowed through His church. It is a grace, that provides confidence and a good conscience for those who serve and it is not to be taken lightly! It is to be highly valued by the church and by those who are ordained. Father, thank You for this gift, help us to not abuse it, rather help us use it as a tool to fight the good fight of faith.

Make Sure the Messenger

# 35 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience,” (1 Tim 1:18) Last time we started talking about the prophecies previously made concerning Timothy and the laying on of hands that was done by Paul, (2 Tim 1:6,) and the elders mentioned in 1 Ti 4:14. This laying on of hands and prophesying over Timothy likely took place before Paul took him on his missionary journey from Lystra. (Acts 16:1-4) Laying on of hands and blessing with prophecy is a practice as old as Isaac laying his hands on the deceitful Jacob and blessing him with words of prophecy. Note the prophetic tone of Isaac's words in Ge 27:28 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!" We can be sure that similar words with prophetic tones were spoken over Timothy at his ordination. I think we should note that even though Jacob had deceived his father, the blessing was irrevocable. Perhaps this serves as a warning to the church today to not lay hands on people hastily! Paul warned Timothy of this in 1Ti 5:22, “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily,” by that he meant don't lay hands on others to ordain them as pastors before their time. This is good advice even today as pastors participate in ordination ceremonies. Timothy had not been to seminary, but he had proven himself to the brethren at Lystra. In Acts 16 we read, “And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, an increased in number daily.” So one of the New Testament purposes of laying on hands was to commission proven workers like Timothy. Workers who were to deliver the decrees to keep that had been determined by the Apostles and elders at Jerusalem, who had received them first hand from Jesus. In so doing, churches, (believers) were strengthened in the faith and the church grew. Laying on of hands is not to be taken lightly and it's a way that God has provided to keep His message the same yesterday, today and forever.

Passing the Faith Along

# 34 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Paul is passing the baton of the charge (the mandate) that Jesus had committed to him and to the other Apostles to the next generation, and so he refers to Timothy as his son. The implication of the word “commit” is the idea of a deposit for safekeeping. He was doing this in accordance with prophecies that had been uttered concerning Timothy. We are not privy to the exact wording of these prophecies, but in context of what Paul is charging Timothy with, they must've had something to do with carrying the message of the Apostles, (which was given to them directly by Jesus) to the next generation. As this message was deposited (committed) to the Apostles by Jesus, so it is to be committed to the next generation. Later in 2 Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to deposit this message in others: 2Ti 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Just imagine what it would've been like to be present when these Holy Spirit inspired prophecies were proclaimed over Timothy. Paul mentions this event ever so briefly in 1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. And in 2Ti 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Something very real was being transferred to Timothy through the laying on of hands. Let's pursue this practice of the laying on of hands in the days ahead.

Put It Out There Like Paul Did

# 33 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Sometimes we forget that these first 17 verses of 1 Timothy are just the greeting from Paul to Timothy. Paul wraps up the greeting with a spontaneous gushing of praise, hot on the heels of his personal testimony of the mercy and grace offered to the chief of sinners that he was! Where did this expression of praise come from? It came from the Holy Spirit who lives and dwells in all believers and is ever ready to shine the spotlight on the Father and the Son. Examples of this kind of spontaneous praise are found throughout Scripture. God does something, or someone like Paul recalls what God has done, and out of nowhere....an explosion of praise! That explosion usually includes some of the praiseworthy attributes of God! A quick example comes from 1Ch 29:10-13 when David is responding to God moving on the hearts of the people to give of their treasure to help build the temple: “Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 13 "Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.” When's the last time you were moved to such praise? When's the last time you reflected on God's activity in your own life? May I suggest that you take time from your busy schedule and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in spontaneous written or spoken praise? Make it a family activity. Tie it into your personal story. Reflect on the attributes of God as you recall what God has done for you and put it out there like Paul did. This is a grand exercise because the Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people (Ps 22:3)

The Long-Suffering of Christ

# 32 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:16 Yet for this very cause I obtained mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might display all his boundless patience as an illustration for those who should later believe in him, and so gain life eternal. (1 Tim 1:16) Once again Paul states the fact that he and his ilk are the chief of sinners, and his ilk is that of self-righteousness. There is no more difficult conversion than the one who does not think he needs a physician. Jesus bore with Paul for a long time. He put up with the persecution of His followers, but when the time was right He met him on the road to Damascus and overpowered Paul with His grace. Let's revisit this list of sinners that Paul mentioned to Timothy in v9,10: The lawless, insubordinate, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane, murderers of their own flesh and blood, sexual sinners, human traffickers, liars, etc, What a vile list, yet, there is one even more vile, the self-righteous one who thinks he is good enough to get into heaven. Do you understand this! There is no sinner that Jesus cannot save! And just as He was longsuffering with Paul, He was longsuffering with you and me, (or have you forgotten?) and He continues to be longsuffering with those who have not yet succumbed to His grace. This longsuffering trait of Jesus is mentioned again in 2Pe 3:9 where we read, “ but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any (and let me add here: Any lawless, insubordinate, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane, murderers of their own flesh and blood, sexual sinners, human traffickers, liars, etc, and even the self-righteous) should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Do you fit into any of these categories? Jesus is patiently waiting for you to come to Him for forgiveness. He is waiting for you to come to repentance and faith in Him that you might gain eternal life! Receive Him, like the self-righteous Paul did as your Lord and Savior! If He can save Paul, He can save you, and any others who are still under the yoke of sin!

Paul Wasn't Kidding. He WAS the Chief Sinner

# 32 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:15, “ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” I think it's easy to blow right through this passage and miss something very important, and here it is: Paul wasn't kidding when he said he was “chief of sinners.” It's true, we are all sinners in need of a Savior and must never forget that, but Paul is speaking about a sinner who is in a class all by itself. It is the class of the self-righteous Pharisee. Think about it as he spoke of his pedigree in Php 3:4-6, “though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” This is who he was! Who were the people who opposed Jesus at every turn? It was the Pharisees! Paul would never have lifted a finger against the church had he not been a self-righteous Pharisee. It was this rejection of the grace of God offered through Christ that classifies him as the chief of sinners. The Pharisees held that one could only be saved by observing the letter of the Law. This was the problem addressed in the Book of Hebrews as it was written to warn people about turning back to ceremonial and letter of the Law for their salvation. Heb 10:26-29 says, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” Chief of sinners reject grace. They believe they can obtain their salvation by their own works. This IS the chief sin...the rejection of the grace that IS Jesus Christ. If you think you are getting to heaven because you are “basically a good person,” Think again, for you are guilty of trampling the Son of God underfoot.

A Central Part of the Message

Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1 Tim 1:15, 'This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" "This is a faithful saying," is a phrase that Paul uses four times in his letters to Timothy and Titus. These sayings are highlighted as being the most trustworthy of truths. They are underlined, bold-typed, words that re-emphasize what Jesus has said all along. And because of the veracity of these words they are to be fully accepted. No exceptions! Here, in one of his last letters, Paul reminds us of this truth so that we may never forget it. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!" Think about it, His very name is connected with this truth. Math 1:21b says, "and you shall call His name JESUS for He will save His people from their sins." Jesus never tired of reminding others of His mission! In Mt 9:13 we read, "For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And in Mr 2:17, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. " And in Luke 5:32, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." You get the idea! It's an idea that you and I as redeemed children of God by grace must never forget. IT IS A FAITHFUL SAYING! We must never come to a point where we think we don't need to be saved, or that others are too wicked to be saved. We are all sinners in need of Jesus! Ro 5:12 reminds us, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to ALL men, because ALL sinned." This truth is a vital part of the message that Jesus has entrusted to Paul, Timothy, Titus, you, and I, and we must proclaim it to a dying world that is infected with sin! Memorize it! Burn it into your heart. Say it with me again. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!

Divine Influence on the Heart

# 29 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:13,14, “ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. (1 Tim 1:13,14) Paul's list of sins and the preceding list of offenses are in a word....atrocious. And here he reminds us that God's grace is sufficiently powerful enough to overcome them. But what is God's grace? I like the Strong's Concordance definition of grace. It means “divine influence on the heart.” It's not something that we can quantify or measure. It is a resistible force or influence that God brings to bear against our hearts. The key to allowing it to do all it's good work is humility. Jas 4:6,7 says, “ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. It's not that He gives a larger measure of grace, only that God's divine influence on the heart, or grace is more than enough for the need. This grace is the most powerful force in the universe and yet gentle enough to not bruise a reed. It is personified in Jesus and as it says in Mt 12:20, “ A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench,” As grace presses in, it can only be stymied by human pride. Paul recognizes that it was in the superabundance of God's grace that that he is able to overcome his past, present, and future sins. This grace opened the door to the superabundance of faith (trust in Jesus) and love (actions that flow from faith) that is in Christ Jesus. Grace (divine influence on the heart) not only influences us to believe in God's Word and act on it for our initial salvation, but it is available to us in our everyday situations. Imagine that! The most powerful force in the universe available to God's children for whatever they need! Heb 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Need help? Humbly come to the throne of grace and ask for it! Ask for God's influence on your heart for whatever you are facing today.

I Was Mercied

# 28 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:12,13 - “ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Tim 1:12,13) Paul is oozing with thanksgiving as he recalls where he came from and where the Lord has stationed him now. In spite of a life marked by blasphemy and relentless intent to eradicate “The Way,” Paul says, “I obtained mercy,” One commentator put it this way, “I was mercied.” And what mercy it was. It changed a monstrous sinner into a penitent believer and a mighty apostle of the Lord! Do not think that the reason Paul obtained mercy was due to his ignorance. No! It was because of his actions carried out in ignorance that he NEEDED mercy! He is merely confessing that he was a sinner in need of mercy! Ignorance of the Law and saving grace of God through Jesus never excuses our actions, it only explains them. The murderous Paul was a recipient of the very grace and mercy that Jesus prayed for those who reviled Him and hung Him on the cross when He prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!” Paul's ignorant actions stemmed from his own unbelief. He did not know or see the deity and Saviorhood of Christ. That all changed for him when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and revealed Himself to him. It all changed for the murderers of Jesus as well on the day of Pentecost when Peter revealed Jesus as the Christ, simply by preaching the Word. And on that day 3000 souls ceased to be ignorant and bowed their knees to the Son of the Living God! Paul, the 3000, you, me, all sinners bound for hell until God mercied us through the revelation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Are you saved? Thank God at every turn! Do you know someone who is not saved? Pray for them! Pray that God would in accordance with the words of Jesus found in Acts 26:18, , “open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

If You Think God Can't Possibly Forgive You, Think Again

# 27 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:12,13 - “ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Tim 1:12,13) This is an incredible testimony of the depth of forgiveness offered through Christ. If you have ever struggled with the idea that God couldn't possibly forgive the wrongs of your past, pay attention to all that Paul is saying here. He was a blasphemer! The word is associated with abusive, wicked, and hateful language. This language was directed against Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He not only spoke abusively against Christ, but he sought to force others to do the same!. We read about it in Ac 26:10 "This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 "And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” He went after men and women alike, disrupting families and we can assume affecting children of all ages. Ac 22:4 says, "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,” And in Ac 9:1,2 we read, “ Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” This is his story. Not only a blasphemer, but a persecutor, a pursuer! He sought the followers of Jesus out for the sole purpose of crushing The Way. Finally, he describes himself as an insolent man, the word means injurious. He was out to injure and kill all who followed Jesus. This was an all out attack against Jesus, the Son of God! On your worst day, you have not equaled the wickedness of Paul, but even if you did, there is mercy to be obtained, just as Paul obtained it. He met mercy on the road to Damascus. The road to more blasphemy, pursuing, and with intent to injure and kill more Christians. He was stopped in his tracks by mercy, and he obtained it the hour he believed. And that same Jesus offers you mercy for your sins, whatever they may be. Just believe!

The Office of the Word

# 26 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:12, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” (1 Ti 1:12) Once again Paul finds it necessary to remind Timothy, and others, (especially those who are self-called preachers of superfluous doctrines) of his own calling at the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ!. This whole statement written by Paul oozes with humility as he gives all glory to Jesus for his position and role in the kingdom. It was the Lord Jesus Himself who bestowed the power of the Holy Spirit on Paul through the laying on of hands and baptism. Ac 9:17 says, “ And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." We get further details of this event in Ac 22:14-16, "Then he (Ananias) said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 'For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' It was something that Paul never forgot and remained eternally thankful for. Not only the merciful gift of the forgiveness of his sins, but the Just One (Jesus) would appear to him personally and speak words to him, that he should know the will of God and be privileged to be counted faithful in the proclamation of those words to others! In the strictest sense, this word concerns Paul's calling to the office of Apostle, but all ministers of the Word today, who serve as called and ordained servants in the Office of the Word should ever be thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven them, gifted them with the Holy Spirit and thereby empowered them to proclaim the will of God in His church! Such a calling carries with it tremendous responsibility. Don't abuse it! Steer clear of superfluous teachings and keep the main thing, the main thing! Ever thankful and ever reliant on the Holy Spirit.

The Glorious Gospel

# 25 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9-11, “ knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. The “glorious gospel.” The glorious good news! What is this good news committed to the trust of the Apostles and the church? Why was the message of the New Testament church so different from the message of the Old? To be sure the gospel is all over the Old Testament as it spoke of promises to be fulfilled concerning the coming Messiah, and Jesus pointed that out to His disciples as He walked with them on the road to Emmaus. We read in Lu 24:27, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” So the Gospel is everything in the Bible that concerns Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He IS the Good News! And all of His teachings are sound doctrine. Yes, He lived and died in accordance with the Old Testament prophecies, and in His life, death, and resurrection, we are offered the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. We need not follow the ritualistic sacrifices which foreshadowed His sacrifice, we only need to receive the gift, for it is by grace we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast! It is glorious Good News to know that “ as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (Jn 1:12) It is glorious Good News to know that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” But there is so much more involved in the sound doctrine of the Gospel. Teachings on baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Holy Spirit, prayer, and many more things that He passed along through Paul and others. Rejoice in your salvation but don't stop there, revel in the other good news TEACHINGS of Jesus as well!

Warnings About Maintaining Sound Doctrine

# 24 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9-11, “ knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. In verse 10, we have a “catch all” phrase employed by the Holy Spirit, “if there is any other thing contrary to sound doctrine according to the gospel.” Sound doctrine is healthy doctrine. It is doctrine with the absence of pollution. The word sound is used in two episodes of healing given to us in Scripture. In Mark 3, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand and says, “Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” It was made sound. And in Acts 4, Peter had healed a lame man and said, “this man stands here before you whole. (made sound) And so once again we see an emphasis on keeping the teaching of the Law and Gospel pure. The teachings handed down to the Apostles by Jesus are not to be added to, or taken away from. This is a common theme in these letters to Timothy and Titus. 1Ti 6:3 says, “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,” and 2Ti 4:3 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; Then in Tit 1:9, we read, “ holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” and in Tit 2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: A major emphasis of these letters is to maintain sound doctrine” Keep the Law and Gospel unpolluted. We ought to strive for the same thing.

Participating In Character Assassination

# 23 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9,10 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, Next on our list of lawbreakers are liars and perjurers. These lawbreakers violate God's command to “not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” The word “bear” here is interesting. It's primary meaning is “to pay attention to,” but it can also mean “to speak.” God's kind of got us coming and going on this one. This Law of God is designed to put the skids on false talk against our neighbors. Not only are we not to speak it, but we are not to pay attention to it! Some “perjurers” may go as far as to swear untrue statements against others! This matter of bearing false witness is very important to God and He has established a guideline of at least two witnesses when it comes to sorting out truth! De 19:15 "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. I've always loved Luther's explanation of this commandment. He says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not deceitfully lie about, betray, backbite, nor slander our neighbor but defend him, speak well of him, and put the most charitable construction on all that he does.” Seek to do this, and you will have responded to this command in the manner that God has designed it! Lord help me to see that this commandment works both ways. Guard my lips and ears from participating in character assassination.

Human Trafficking

# 22 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9,10 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, Next on our list of lawbreakers are kidnappers. The King James says “menstealers.” As we have said from the onset regarding this list, these “lawbreakers” all fall under the Ten Commandments. Wait a minute. I don't recall any commandment that says “Thou shalt not kidnap!” What is this all about? It is about the commandments, “Thou shalt not steal, and “Thou shalt not covet.” Even more specifically we read about it in Ex 21:16 "He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.” And in De 24:7 "If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall put away the evil from among you.” This is by no means an endorsement of slavery where human beings are treated ONLY as property, in fact it is just the opposite! It's one thing to be an indentured slave, voluntarily agreeing to labor for someone in exchange for money or favor and quite another to be forced into servitude. To force a person to slave for you is “man-stealing!” You have among other things, stolen that person's God-given dignity and freedom! It is breaking the Law of God! “Well, that kind of stuff happened years ago and we no longer have that problem in society.” If you believe that, then you need to get your head out of the sand in the area of human trafficking. It is an epidemic in this sin sick, sex-crazed world including the United States of America and the state of Wisconsin! It is happening right here! Right now! And it's time for the authorities, as ministers of God, to start meting out serious punishment for the offenders. But even if they don't, there awaits them a Judge on the Last Day who will give them and all the unrepentant what they have coming.

Being Set Free From the Cultural Sexual Prison

# 21 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9,10 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, The Law of God, the “do's and don'ts” of Scripture are made for a long list of offenders. This is by no means the complete list! Last time we talked about the sexual sin of fornication and today we'll look at the sexual sin of sodomy. Sodomy gets its name from the city of Sodom. This infamous city of the Bible was destroyed by heaven-sent fire and brimstone in the days of Lot, and has become synonymous with the sin of homosexuality. On the night before the city was destroyed we get a glimpse of the Sodomites attitude toward sexuality in Ge 19:4,5, “Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." This attitude about sexual behavior in Sodom was further brought to mind in Jude Jude 1:7, “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” So the Law of God is meant to remind us of the necessity of sexual purity before and during the marriage of a MAN and a WOMAN anything less regarding sexual activity is wrong and not in accordance with the Words of God. From the beginning of time, fallen man has put too much emphasis on the sex act which is pretty amazing since there won't be any pro-creative activity in heaven. (See Mt 22:30) It would do us all well to read and seek to understand the words of Jesus in Mt 19:12 "For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it." The understanding and acceptance of this truth will set you free from the cultural sexual prison that has enslaved the human race since the fall of Adam and Eve.

Unhitch the Trailer

# 20 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9,10 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, Through the years as I have written verse by verse devotions, I have made it a habit to stop and examine these passages that list specific sins. The reason I like to do that is often times we bury the Law of God, (the do's and don'ts that have been written on our heart,) through sheer ignorance. The average person who hears the word “fornication,” for instance, has no clue as to what the word means, and so they are not checked in their spirit when it comes to committing this grievous sin. I assure you that those who sat through my sermons at the former church where I served as pastor, were well familiar with the term. It was almost a standing joke to listen to the sermon and see how often the word “fornication” was spoken. The word is used 44 times in Scripture and never in a good light. It is most often used in the context of illicit sexual activity, and is generally applied to sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage. In today's world, fornicators are those who have “live in” girlfriends or boyfriends. How serious is this sin? Well, look what it's lumped in with here in 1 Timothy! And hear this admonition found in 1Co 6:18, “Flee fornication!” Which is another way of saying, “Unhitch the trailer! Leave it behind!” Do you not know that fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God? In 1Co 6:9, we read, “ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. But you don't have to be identified by this sin, the very next verse in Corinthians says, “such were some of you!” Past tense. You can unhitch the trailer and leave it behind, there is forgiveness for you just as there was for the woman caught in adultery. Jesus released her from her sin and guilt by saying, “ I do not condemn you, go and sin no more!” He will do the same for you!

The Forgotten Law Against Murder

# 19 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, Today we continue to look at those who have a need for the prescriptive use of God's Law and we move into what is called the “Second Table of the Law, or those commands that deal with the do's and dont's of loving our neighbor. It's not exactly a gentle start! He starts out by saying that the Law of God is for those who murder fathers, mothers, and fellow men! Whoa! Murdering your father? Murdering your mother? It happens folks. It's rare but it happens. Earlier this year Newsweek Magazine reported that a member of ISIS slew his mother in front of an audience outside a post office in Syria. Her crime? She tried to persuade him to leave the Islamic state! Two Laws are involved here. Honor thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt not kill! These Laws of God, which have been written on this man's heart have become buried under hatred and misguided fanaticism. One can only pray that he and others like him, will one day be broken by the Law of God and driven to the cross, where they can receive forgiveness for such a terrible sin. We wonder, how can someone commit such a sin against their own flesh and blood, and the answer of course is the Law, (that is written on his heart) has been obscured and pushed aside by other things. Perhaps we should wonder why over 58 million unborn babies have had their lives ended by their own flesh and blood via legalized abortion in the United States alone since 1973! The answer is the same, for some reason the Law of God has been obscured or pushed aside by other things. And in this matter of abortion, we need the Law to awaken us to this wrong! We need to hear it, and allow it to do it's prescriptive work of driving us to the cross and to Christ, where we have the full assurance of God's Word that through Him, all sin is forgiven and removed! Not just some sins, but ALL sins. There is no sin that you or I have committed that Jesus did not pay for on the cross! Even the sin of abortion. The Law may become obscured in our lives, but the gospel, the forgiveness of sins, is in plain view and freely available to all who receive it! Look to Calvary where Heb 10:17 assures us: “ "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

The Law and the Godless

# 18 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9a“knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, (1 Tim 1:9a) The “prescriptive” use of the Law is meant for those who primarily have hardened their hearts to the “do's and don'ts of God's Word. Last time we began looking at the culprits listed. Let's pick it up today with the “ungodly.” This term is not limited to those who don't believe in God, it describes those whose lack of reverence for God breaks out in behavior that is opposed to God's standards! Next on the list is “sinners.” A sinner is one who habitually misses the mark. The mark being the Law of God, the “do's and don'ts of Scripture. They miss it because it is not important to them, the target has been buried deep under a hardened heart. The prescriptive use of the Law shows them that there is indeed an objective moral target. Next are the unholy: as God is good and holy, the unholy are just the opposite, they are wicked. They cause or are apt to cause harm, distress, or trouble. Next are the profane: In the Greek, the word “profane” comes from a word that means to cross a threshold or a boundary. The profane then, live as if there are no moral boundaries. Everything is common, there is nothing sacred. It's easy to see that the world would spiral into unchecked evil and violence were it not for the prescriptive use of God's Law. The more God's Law is neglected, the more we see an escalation of violence and immoral behavior in our world. It spiraled out of control in pre-flood days, and in the days of the Judges where we read: Jg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Don't be ashamed of the Law of God especially in these times. In these days of escalating violence, it's a prescription the world needs to hear! Father give us a fresh boldness to declare “Thus saith the Lord,” and the compassion needed to lead the lost to the cure, Your Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Symptoms

# 17 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:9,10 “knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, The Law is meant for those who have hardened their hearts to the “do's and don'ts of God's Word. In fact a close examination of the offenders here shows those who have a disregard for both Tables of the Law. In the first grouping we see attitudes and actions contrary to loving God, (lawless, insubordinate, ungodly, sinners, unholy, and profane.) In the second grouping we see attitudes and actions contrary to loving our neighbor. (murderers, fornicators, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, and perjurers!) These are all symptoms of those who need a dose of the Law to make them aware of their sickness and to prepare them to receive the gospel cure. Let's spend a little time in the next couple of days in God's medical school as we examine these different maladies in greater detail. First of all, the lawless. The lawless are those who are wickedly self-assertive. They simple believe that they are their own god and can make up their own rules. This was the temptation that led to the sin of Adam and Eve as we read in Ge 3:5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When YOU know good and evil, YOU are the one making the rules and not someone else! Next are the “insubordinate.” Insubordination in the military is a very serious charge. If an enlisted person, assaults, disobeys, or is disrespectful to a superior, they are liable to be charged with insubordination. Likewise, the insubordinate toward God have no interest in obeying His orders, they lack a fear or reverence toward God, and even go so far as assaulting His character. God's prescriptive medicine for such comes from the very first commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” And we should never grow weary of proclaiming it, praying that it will strike the heart of the sinner and cause them to “fear the Lord, which is the beginning of understanding. (Prov 9:10)