Bible League: Living His Word Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.Implicit within the instruction that the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy in our verse for today is the conviction that there is a war taking place in the present era. On the surface, the war Christians are engaged in seems to be with various human beings and human institutions, but Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that ultimately the war is against powerful spiritual forces of evil. Behind the scenes, the war is between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Given this situation, Timothy must act accordingly. He must be "a good soldier of Christ Jesus." He must please Jesus, his commanding officer, by not getting entangled in civilian affairs. This means he should act like a soldier fighting a war and not like a civilian who is not fighting. The idea here is that Timothy should take up the task he has been assigned by Jesus and not get entangled in things that are not relevant to that task. He should not, in other words, do anything that would detract from his calling in life. He should not impede the war effort. Since the present era is an era of war, there may be sufferings and hardships to face. Part of being a good soldier of Christ Jesus is being willing to endure these things. There may be times when Timothy will have to face the same things Paul faced: hunger and thirst, sleeplessness, shipwrecks, bandits, false believers, and a host of other difficulties (II Corinthians 11:23-27). Above all, Timothy may have to face persecution. Persecution is a direct attack of the dominion of darkness. Persecution is war at its worst. Paul calls Timothy to join him in enduring these sufferings like a good soldier, rather than evading the battle by getting entangled in irrelevant civilian affairs. No normal person wants war, but war is a fact of life in the present era. Let us always be prepared to fight, like Paul and Timothy, the good fight of faith (I Timothy 6:12). Let us always be prepared to stand our ground, as they did, when attacked by the enemy (Ephesians 6:13-14). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJoshua 16, 17, 18 Joshua 16 -- Territory of Ephraim Allotted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Joshua 17 -- Territory of Manasseh Allotted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Joshua 18 -- Remainder Divided; The Territory of Benjamin Allotted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 5:1-16 Luke 5 -- Jesus Calls First Disciples, Heals the Leper and Paralytic, Calls Matthew, Questioned about Fasting NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion I was glad when they said to me,“Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Insight Going to God's house can be a chore or a delight. For the psalmist, it was a delight. As a pilgrim attending one of the three great religious festivals, he rejoiced to worship with God's people in God's house. Challenge We may find worship a chore if we have unconfessed sin or if our love for God has cooled. But if we are close to God and enjoy his presence, we will be eager to worship and praise him. Our attitude toward God will determine our view of worship. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon John 18:8 Jesus said unto them, If ye seek me, let these go their way.Mark, my soul, the care which Jesus manifested even in his hour of trial, towards the sheep of his hand! The ruling passion is strong in death. He resigns himself to the enemy, but he interposes a word of power to set his disciples free. As to himself, like a sheep before her shearers he is dumb and opened not his mouth, but for his disciples' sake he speaks with almighty energy. Herein is love, constant, self-forgetting, faithful love. But is there not far more here than is to be found upon the surface? Have we not the very soul and spirit of the atonement in these words? The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and pleads that they must therefore go free. The Surety is bound, and justice demands that those for whom he stands a substitute should go their way. In the midst of Egypt's bondage, that voice rings as a word of power, "Let these go their way." Out of slavery of sin and Satan the redeemed must come. In every cell of the dungeons of Despair, the sound is echoed, "Let these go their way," and forth come Despondency and Much-afraid. Satan hears the well-known voice, and lifts his foot from the neck of the fallen; and Death hears it, and the grave opens her gates to let the dead arise. Their way is one of progress, holiness, triumph, glory, and none shall dare to stay them in it. No lion shall be on their way, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon. "The hind of the morning" has drawn the cruel hunters upon himself, and now the most timid roes and hinds of the field may graze at perfect peace among the lilies of his loves. The thunder-cloud has burst over the Cross of Calvary, and the pilgrims of Zion shall never be smitten by the bolts of vengeance. Come, my heart, rejoice in the immunity which thy Redeemer has secured thee, and bless his name all the day, and every day. Daily Light on the Daily Path Matthew 23:14,13 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. • "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.Romans 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 1 Corinthians 12:11,7 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. • But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Corinthians 4:2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. Luke 12:48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. 2 Corinthians 2:16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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