1 Timothy 2:1-4 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Timothy 2:1-4, which read,
v.1, 2 - First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
Paul's letter to Timothy who is leading the Christian church in Ephesus is given a "first of all" here at the start of chapter two. The "first of all" is to pray. Entreaties means "to be without" and therefore a time of need. Petitions means "to draw near so as to speak intimately" and therefore a time to witness. Paul is speaking to Timothy to pray and to instruct others to pray for all men when the need is great and when it is just common prayer time and also when it is a time to witness and also a time to give the praise of thanksgiving.
These prayers go for all men to kings and all who are in authority. What greater need and what greater subject to come near to speak intimately of than salvation. Paul is instructing Timothy to pray for the salvation of all men and the king and all who are in authority so that we can lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. Salvation to God changes us and therefore changes our environment as we live out that saved life. What our country needs is for the Christians to pray for the salvation of souls of others and not for us to be yelling like the rest of the world.
No matter the climate of our surroundings, we are to pray and we are to lead a tranquil and quiet life and we are to lead that life in godliness and dignity. Those could be the best of times and those could also be the worst of times but our salvation is not based on the times but on our relationship with the risen Lord. Paul is calling Timothy to preach on holy living and moral uprightness to the Christians in Ephesus and while they are doing that to pray for the salvation of others.
v.3, 4 - This is good and acceptable 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 the activity of the Christian's life that is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. God wants us to pray for the salvation of others. He wants others to come to the knowledge of the truth, salvation. We are to be a praying people who could see a time nationally when Christians are easily living a tranquil and quiet life because godly living and morals dictate community actions. But the opposite could also be true that we could be in a place when nationally ungodly living and immorality dictate community actions and we are to continue to pray for the salvation of others and continue to live tranquil and quiet lives with godly living and moral uprightness.
God's desire and God's will are two different things. God's desire is that all would not sin because He hates sin but God's will that is sovereign sees and knows the big picture that we do not see. Jesus told us the fact that many will go down the wide road that leads to destruction and few will find the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. What is, the will, and what I would like it to be, the desire, are two different things. What I would like it to be, the desire, drives me to put energy in that area to see possible change. We pray and live these godly lives because we want to please God and bring glory to Him and therefore we pray for the salvation of all others who we don't know which road they are on because God wants us to pray for them all, for the saved, for the to be saved or unsaved, and for those who will never be saved.
I believe this is another incident where we are to obey God because He is God and trust in His will over our own. He has the knowledge and He has the plan that is higher than our own. I don't have all the answers but He does and so I follow His orders to pray for all and live a godly, upright life in glory of Him no matter the outward circumstances. Those actions are acceptable in His sight. Let's pray.
"Lord, some passages are hard to understand. This is one of them. Help me not to get stuck on what You desire and what You will and forget to do what You have asked. Help me to pray more for the salvation of others and make sure to include those who are not in love with You at this time but You desire that they would be. Some will but some won't and You, who created all, only hold that information to complete Your sovereign will. May I be acceptable in Your sight by being a praying Christian for the salvation of others today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.1, 2 - First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
Paul's letter to Timothy who is leading the Christian church in Ephesus is given a "first of all" here at the start of chapter two. The "first of all" is to pray. Entreaties means "to be without" and therefore a time of need. Petitions means "to draw near so as to speak intimately" and therefore a time to witness. Paul is speaking to Timothy to pray and to instruct others to pray for all men when the need is great and when it is just common prayer time and also when it is a time to witness and also a time to give the praise of thanksgiving.
These prayers go for all men to kings and all who are in authority. What greater need and what greater subject to come near to speak intimately of than salvation. Paul is instructing Timothy to pray for the salvation of all men and the king and all who are in authority so that we can lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. Salvation to God changes us and therefore changes our environment as we live out that saved life. What our country needs is for the Christians to pray for the salvation of souls of others and not for us to be yelling like the rest of the world.
No matter the climate of our surroundings, we are to pray and we are to lead a tranquil and quiet life and we are to lead that life in godliness and dignity. Those could be the best of times and those could also be the worst of times but our salvation is not based on the times but on our relationship with the risen Lord. Paul is calling Timothy to preach on holy living and moral uprightness to the Christians in Ephesus and while they are doing that to pray for the salvation of others.
v.3, 4 - This is good and acceptable 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 the activity of the Christian's life that is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. God wants us to pray for the salvation of others. He wants others to come to the knowledge of the truth, salvation. We are to be a praying people who could see a time nationally when Christians are easily living a tranquil and quiet life because godly living and morals dictate community actions. But the opposite could also be true that we could be in a place when nationally ungodly living and immorality dictate community actions and we are to continue to pray for the salvation of others and continue to live tranquil and quiet lives with godly living and moral uprightness.
God's desire and God's will are two different things. God's desire is that all would not sin because He hates sin but God's will that is sovereign sees and knows the big picture that we do not see. Jesus told us the fact that many will go down the wide road that leads to destruction and few will find the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. What is, the will, and what I would like it to be, the desire, are two different things. What I would like it to be, the desire, drives me to put energy in that area to see possible change. We pray and live these godly lives because we want to please God and bring glory to Him and therefore we pray for the salvation of all others who we don't know which road they are on because God wants us to pray for them all, for the saved, for the to be saved or unsaved, and for those who will never be saved.
I believe this is another incident where we are to obey God because He is God and trust in His will over our own. He has the knowledge and He has the plan that is higher than our own. I don't have all the answers but He does and so I follow His orders to pray for all and live a godly, upright life in glory of Him no matter the outward circumstances. Those actions are acceptable in His sight. Let's pray.
"Lord, some passages are hard to understand. This is one of them. Help me not to get stuck on what You desire and what You will and forget to do what You have asked. Help me to pray more for the salvation of others and make sure to include those who are not in love with You at this time but You desire that they would be. Some will but some won't and You, who created all, only hold that information to complete Your sovereign will. May I be acceptable in Your sight by being a praying Christian for the salvation of others today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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