Overview of the Book of I Timothy
Wednesday, August 11
Read I Timothy 1
Think About It:
- Paul gave Timothy at least six reasons why he should stay in Ephesus and finish the ministry God gave him to do. What six reasons did Paul give Timothy to stay and continue God’s work? (1 Timothy 1:3-7; 8-11; 12-16; 17; 18; 19-20)
- “After Paul was saved, he became a foremost saint. The Lord did not allot him a second-class place in the church. He had been the leading sinner, but his Lord did not, therefore, say, ‘I save you, but I shall always remember your wickedness to your disadvantage.’ Not so: he counted him faithful, putting him into the ministry and into the apostleship, so that he was not a bit behind the very chief of the apostles. Brother, there is no reason why, if you have gone very far in sin, you should not go equally far in usefulness” Charles H. Spurgeon. Paul’s past did not disqualify him from serving God. God’s mercy and grace were enough to cover his past and enable him to serve God. We should never feel that our past makes us unable to be used by God. Examine your heart and mind, has the enemy lied to you and told you that God can’t use you because of something in your past? Have you believed the lies? God’s mercy and grace are enough to cover your past, just as they were enough to cover Paul’s past. God wants to use you! He will enable you by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Family Time:
- What is the purpose of God’s law? What is it to be used for? (verses 8-11)
- God gave His law to help people who are in sin understand that they have broken God’s law. We can’t understand what Jesus’ gift of salvation was for until we understand that each of us has broken God’s law at some point or another, and because of that, we have to pay the penalty. The penalty is death. But, just like Paul experienced, we can be forgiven for those sins if we come to Jesus in faith, and He can make us a new person inside and give us eternal life.
- Do you know the ten commandments? You can look them up in Exodus 20.
