Skip to main content

Be Content with His Word

Be Content with His Word
1 Timothy 6:3-8. (ESV)

"We'll make Lasagna today", my flatmate said. So we got Jamie's recipe book out. There was a list of ingredients; we got that bit right. Alongside the list were measurements, when to put what, i.e. the instructions. But along the way, we began to miss and make up some steps. We finished making the Lasagna quite all right, but the taste and look of that thing. It went straight into the bin. Lesson learnt, follow the recipe!

In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul begins to give Timothy some doctrines (like godly recipes) for Christian ministry and living. And in our passage (in v3), he identifies in summary what makes up a godly recipe (which is also how to tell wrong teachings):
  • Agreement with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
  • Agreement with godliness (instructions from God's Word)
In v2, Paul asks Timothy to teach and insist on godly doctrine. Why? This is because it's easy to get misled - by false beliefs or false teachings. Some examples:
  • In our passage: Paul gives examples of teachers who have gotten swayed by money. (v4-5) they have unhealthy arguments... and think godliness is a way to make quick money.
  • In Acts 19:11-17 we see another example of those who felt godliness was a means to fame, which is a dangerous game.
  • And yet we see another in Acts 8:15-23 who thought that the gift of God can be bought with money. Peter identified such as a heart 'full of bitterness and captive to sin'.
In the end, we cannot take anything out of the world because we came into it with nothing. So we are to live our lives with godliness and contentment (v6-8), knowing that there is a great[er and eternal] gain for those who humbly build their lives on God's Word. (John 8:31-32)

Again, how do we guard against false beliefs? By teaching, insisting on, and being content with God's Word.

Reflect & Pray
In what ways can being content with God's Word bless your life? How can you become more aware of this?
Father, help us to always follow the godly recipe and to be content with Your Word in Jesus name.

God bless you exceedingly,
Sam.

Popular posts from this blog

In Christ is all we need

Luke 5:1-11 NIV; 2 Peter 1:3 NIV. Praise God! Happy new year!!! One time, I was meeting friends for a game of badminton. When I arrived at the court, I noticed I had come with the wrong bag. I planned to play in shorts, but I played in trousers, and my very competitive friends were not merciful. Peter described the Christian life almost like my backpack experience, except that he made the right switch. He picked the one that had all he needed for his journey. In Luke's passage (Luke 5:1-11 NIV), he records Peter's first meeting with Jesus. It was at a time when he had toiled all night but couldn't catch any fish. So he parked his boat by the seashore. But when Jesus saw Peter's boat, he got into it and used it to teach the crowd the word of God - to meet their spiritual needs. Again, in displaying his divine miraculous power, he used the boat to provide much fish - to meet the physical needs of Pet

The Worshipped King

Matthew 2:1-12. Once, I was with some friends, and we saw a famous person; they all got very excited, but I did not. When they began chatting about the celebrity, they realised why I missed the excitement. Matthew presents Jesus in a famous manner that demands a response that those who know Him can not miss out on. The gospel begins by showing that the nature of Jesus' birth proves He is the one all history and prophecies point to. He is The Promised King. He is of David's lineage (Matthew 1:17, 2 Samuel 7:13). The Promised Saviour. He is the seed of a woman, i.e. not of man but of God, like the first Adam (Matthew 1:18, Genesis 3:15). The Promised Lord. He is Immanuel - God with us - Israel's God is here (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14). So the news is out that Israel's God - The Messiah King, The Saviour, The Lord - whom all generations hoped for is now here.

Disciples are Blessed

Matthew 5:1-12 NIV. [Series on: The Blessed] How would you describe a blessed and happy life? One of my friends believes there’s only one happy person each week, the lottery winner, and the rest of us just have make-believe happiness. Maybe you share my friend's view or have your own picture of happiness. The Bible also has its own picture, and in this short series on the Blessed we'll see who are the blessed of Scripture. In today's passage, Jesus gathers His disciples to the mountainside, away from the crowd and teaches them what a truly blessed and happy life—beatitude—looks like. Jesus shows that a blessed life is the life of a disciple, those who are: Poor in spirit (v3, Psalm 42:1; 63:1): who depend on God in everything. Mourning (v4, Isaiah 61:2-3): who seek God’s rescue/forgiveness by repentance. Meek (v5, Psalm 37:9-11): who humbly wait for the Lord amidst life’s