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Be Conscientious In Your Walking and Teaching of Faith

(Midweek Devotion - 1 Timothy, 16 August 2023)

1 Timothy 4:11-16 (NET)

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, given to you and confirmed by prophetic words when the elders laid hands on you. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Today is quite important passage as Apostle Paul continue to give his apostolic instruction to Timothy, the young man that he is guiding in his conduct in the ministry that was given to him. I firmly believe that this passage is equally important for all of us, Christians who were given to ministry as well. As Paul have advise, these are to be commanded and taught by Timothy. Therefore, it is right to say that we should also follow the same. First, is to be taught of it. Then, to teach it to others.

Allow me to remind you then that if you are a Christian, Paul has instructed us these practical things to observed in our lives.

  1. No one look down on you because you are young. Our age in the ministry does not define our maturity in the ministry. Although maturity comes with experience in a considerable length of time, the quality of experience is not limited to it. Even if you are young in the ministry, as long as you walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Stephen in Acts 7), exercising your spiritual gift fully and without fail, walking blamelessly before the eyes of God; you are more than those who are mature in age indeed.

  2. Set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. Walk the talk. Exemplify, exhibit, and manifest the Christlike image that was given to you by the Spirit of God in all aspects of your life. Paul enumerated these aspects which includes the manner of your speeches, your daily conduct, your exercise of love, your obedience to faithfulness, and your commitment to purity. These are few but touches all aspects of our lives such as our communications, our actions, our relations, our religion, and persons.

  3. Give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Live with Word. Christians are grafted to the vine of Christ. He commanded us to come, follow him, and learn from him. He commanded us to teach everything He commanded us. He explicitly said that we cannot do anything apart from Christ. Now we know why Paul require us to do the same in this epistle. As Christ always says, let those who have ears, let them hear. And the purpose of all these hearing for faith to come. Faith that is not dead but alive. Faith alone for our salvationa but that is not alone, for it produces repentance and obedience to Christ. We know and we learn. We know learn and we teach. We teach and we abide.

  4. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have. Gift is free, use it or spoil it. Paul wants you and me to not just simply give up the Spiritual Gifts that the Lord has given us. As what he mentioned, it was confirmed by the Elders who laid their hands on you. If you were given a gifts, confirmed by the elders - then you should not ignore it. Instead, use such gift greatly for such is useful for building up the body of Christ. Else, you are spoiling such gift not only that other have not benefited to it, worse is yourself who has a direct access to it and have failed to reap its benefits.

  5. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. Preserved through persevere. Paul know that in following the list of things he enumerated requires pains. He knew that no pain, no gain. Christ pain is our gain for salvation. Our pain is other gains for their search for salvation. Paul even suggest to be absorbed with them, that everyone around us will see our santification and preservation as the true bride of Christ, holy and pleasing in the sight of God.

  6. Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Beware to Be Aware. As Christians, especially for those who lead a congregation or group of people, Paul gave us intructions to be diligent, efficient and profficient on how we live in this world in relation to what we are teaching towards the others. Both should have no disconnect or gap to each other but closely related and abide to each other. By doing so, you will inherit the benefits of it, to save yourself and the others. No, this is not the same with the salvation done by Christ. It only refers to your sanctification to avoid corruption of soul and spirit, and with the others around you as well.

This passage is so rich of wisdom. It is truly rich of many practical ways that every Christian should learn and abide. Every Christian were given to ministry, therefore, everyone should exercise them without fail and without delay. We are Christian who are active and living, not just alive in words and dead in action. Let our soul and spirit be strengthened, for the Spirit of God empowered us through His Gift and be useful into His ministry.

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