Preach the Word

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths," (II Timothy 4:1-4). 

In the last section of the last letter he was to pen on this earth, the apostle Paul prefaces his strongest command to his protégé, Timothy, with supreme solemnity.  He appeals to (a) the Father's presence; (b) the Lord Jesus as Judge; (c) His return; and (d) His reign. 

(a)  The writer of Hebrews states, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do," (4:13).  The Lord Jesus said, "And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment," (Matthew 12:36). 

The one who stands to declare the truth of God before men must continually recall that he speaks in the presence of the living God.  He will incur a stricter judgment (James 3:1), and is accountable for every word that he utters.  He must preach the word as if he were standing in the very throne room of God, with an audience of One.

 

(b)  As the apostle John records what the Lord Jesus said, "For not even the Father judges any one, but He has given all judgment to the Son," (5:22).  Paul adds, "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad," (II Corinthians 5:10). 

All believers will come before the Lord Jesus after the rapture, appearing before His bema for the distribution of rewards (I Corinthians 3:12-15).  Paul's charge to Timothy (and all who are called to preach) is to preach the whole counsel of God with the judgment-seat of Christ in view.  The man of God is to move beyond the evaluation of a congregation, or leadership, to the awareness that he will stand before the righteous Judge of all the earth to give an account for his life and message. 

(c)  Paul's charge includes the element of urgency: the imminent return of the Lord Jesus to gather His elect (John 14:2, 3; I Corinthians 15:50-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-17).  With the time that has elapsed since the Lord ascended back to heaven, the temptation arises to be lulled into complacency.  "After all," the enemy whispers, "it's been a long time... and He probably won't return in your lifetime, anyway."  This temptation is not new, of course (cf. II Peter 3:3, 4). 

The Holy Spirit continues to speak through Scripture, urging the man of God to proclaim the whole counsel of God, since he knows not the hour when the Son of God will split the skies, gather His elect, and take us to glory. 

 

(d)  The Lord Jesus continues to maintain His three-fold roles of Prophet, Priest, and King.  It is His kingly role that Paul presses upon Timothy in his charge. 

A vivid illustration of the Lord's regal and sovereign reign is given in Isaiah 6.  In the throes of grief upon the prior death of king Uzziah, the prophet came to the temple to worship.  There he was given a life-changing vision of the thrice-holy King upon His throne, surrounded by flaming angels known as seraphim.  Their continual declarations of His holiness, as well as His ineffable presence, and the temple filling with smoke, compelled Isaiah to fall on his face in conviction and awe. 

Centuries later, quoting from the latter portion of that same 6th chapter, John writes, "These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him," (12:41).

A needed reminder, this.  When the man of God stands to proclaim the truth, he not only stands before mortal man, but the King of kings and Lord of lords! 
May these truths sink deeply into the hearts of both congregation and preacher.

Nothing Is Too Difficult

"For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain," (Titus 1:10, 11).

Paul's pastoral heart comes through here, as he considers the immeasurable damage being done to families of believers by false teachers.  Judaizers had slipped into a number of congregations, teaching a works-righteousness, convincing some that salvation may have begun by grace through faith, but works completed the process.  Hence, they needed to be circumcised if they had not been previously, and they must adhere to the Mosaic ceremonies.

Families who were grounded in the truth, who understood the lie represented by this teaching, were understandably upset.  Any teaching which mixes works with grace nullifies the cross and trivializes the atonement (Galatians 2:21).

These men spoke from hearts of rebellion, deception, and greed.  Cloaked in religiously-acceptable language, their manipulative mandates had the insidious intent of "sordid gain."  False teachers' goal of affluence remains the same to this very day.

Paul instructs that these apostates "must be silenced."  In our day, with the incredible financial resources at their disposal, the extensive array of technological tools their ministries enjoy, how can they be silenced?

Prayer.  The most potent resource in the universe, the most effective weapon for the destruction of fortresses, the greatest channel for tapping the omnipotent power of the living God, is prayer.   As Jeremiah prayed, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You," (32:17). 

Father,
You've established Your throne in the heavens, and Your sovereignty rules over all.  As You've declared so clearly, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways Your ways.  Your purposes and plan in allowing apostasy are inscrutable, yet You are good and You do good. 
The enemy and all his forces operate only as You sovereignly allow, and the damage he is doing through false teachers is within Your providential permission.  Still, I would beseech You to silence the heretical teachers who are distorting the truth of Your Word. 
Grant discernment to Your people, the training of their spiritual senses to detect and shun doctrinal error in all its forms.  You know our laziness, our lack of diligence in persevering prayer.  Impress upon us afresh the urgency of the hour, for the sake of Your Name and men's souls. 
In the matchless Name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus, I pray,
Amen.

Enlightened, Alarmed

The opposite of faith is not doubt, but unbelief.  Thomas doubted, and Peter denied, but both were restored by our Lord.  Why?  He knew that at the heart of their lives was genuine faith, saving faith, and their times of doubting were momentary.

Judas Iscariot had doubts, as well, but they were based in unbelief.  How do we know? His character and conduct.  At some point along the way, the one will always produce the other.  We act on what we believe.  Thomas and Peter persevered.  Judas defected.  All three acted on what they believed, which seemed to be the same at the time, but Judas' apostatizing revealed his true character.

The beloved apostle John speaks of three characteristics of apostates in I John, chapter 2.  He is writing to enlighten and to alarm.  He is intensely concerned that the congregations recognize (1) that the apostates' defection reveals their character; (2) that their teachings reveal their unbelief; and (3) that theirs is a deadly serious impact.

In v. 18 he says that "many antichrists have appeared," which characterizes the last hour (in which we are living, as well).  His use of the plural distinguishes them from The Antichrist mentioned in Revelation 13:1-5 and 19:20.  Their spirit of opposition to the Lord Jesus is the same, though, (straight from the pit), and manifests itself in several ways.

First, their defection.  "They went out from us...so that it would be shown that they all are not of us," (v. 19).  In the first century, as now, within the visible church there were those who professed Christ, who knew and used the language of faith, who even rose to levels of leadership, but who eventually left, no doubt taking some with them.  This confused the remaining ones, and John assures them that such behavior stems from false faith.
Had their faith been genuine they would have endured (Mark 13:13; Hebrews 3:14), manifesting the reality of authentic, saving faith.

Secondly, their doctrine.  "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also," (vv. 22, 23). Though most likely eloquent in speech, convincing in manner, and authoritative in tone, John calls them liars and heretics because of their denial of sound doctrine.  In chapter 4 of this same letter, he adds, "every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world," (v. 3).
Distortion of the nature of the Lord Jesus, according to the whole counsel of God embodied in the Bible, is a crucial indication of apostasy.  Denying His deity, downplaying His humanity, ignoring His wrath and judgment, focusing exclusively on His love and compassion, refusing His statements on the reality of hell, rejecting His sovereignty, are but a few of the ways false teachers and deceivers deny the Scriptural presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In so doing, John asserts, it's demonstrated that the apostate knows neither the Son nor the Father.

Finally, their deception.  The apostle unmasks the motive of the false teachers: "These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you," (v. 26).  Since we act on what we believe, knowing the truth is of paramount importance.  Indeed, the father of lies does all that he can to trivialize the truth, downplay the eternal consequences that are at stake, and keep genuine believers from discerning the seriousness of the situation.  
The time has arrived when even believers "will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths," (II Timothy 4:3,4).  

May the living Lord of His church awaken sleepy believers to not only be enlightened, but alarmed, grasping the implications of apostasy, and willing to confront the error all about us.  He will  hold us accountable for our roles as watchmen (Ezekiel 33:7-9).

A Wake-up Call!

"For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain, " (Titus 1:10, 11).

Father,
Praise to Your Name, there is nothing too difficult for You.  What is impossible with man is effortless with You.  You who created the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm, be pleased to heed the tiny voice of Your child, I plea.  
In Your absolute awareness of all things, before Whom all things are open and laid bare, with nothing hidden from Your eyes, You have known these days from all eternity.  You know perfectly the ways apostates have insidiously infiltrated fellowships of believers all over the planet.  
In Your permissive will You have seen fit to allow the false teachers and deceivers of the brethren to wreak havoc through the centuries, tares among the wheat, tools of the enemy who leads to damnation and destruction apostates and those they influence.  
In these moments, Father, I beseech You to silence them in all areas of their apostasy, for the sake of the families who are being upset by their heresies.  With so many communication tools at their disposal, only You can silence them.  Be pleased to do so, in a manner that brings the greatest glory to Yourself.
Too, I would ask You to move on the hearts of all who read this prayer to boldly approach Your throne of grace, as well.  So many have imbibed the spirit of the times and culture, ignoring the spiritual warfare going on incessantly, all about us.  Heighten our awareness of the heart You have for the truth, for preserving and protecting the purity of Your truth.  
I would lastly plea for ongoing perseverance in declaring to a sleepy, gullible, indifferent church the truth that You have revealed concerning earnest contending for the faith You once-for-all delivered to Your saints.  
Grant knowledge of sound doctrine, discernment between truth and error, and a willingness to confront error with Truth.
In the Lord Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Truth to the Unsaved

Life is brief.

"As for man, his days are like grass;  As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.  When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,  And its place acknowledges it no longer."  Ps. 103:15, 16

"As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,  Or if due to strength, eighty years;  Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;  For soon it is gone and we fly away."  Ps. 90:10


Death is certain.

"...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment."   Hebrews 9:27

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned,"
Romans 5:12

Hell is real.

"And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame."
Luke 16:24

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;"   Matthew 25:41


Eternity is forever.

"...the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." 
II Thessalonians 1:7b-9

"And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also;  and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."   Revelation 20:10

Standing, Sin, & Satan

There is condemnation judicial, and there is condemnation experiential.  One is based on God's perspective, the other on ours.  The former is predicated upon how He sees our sin, and the latter on our view of it.  As with all truths of Scripture, the more simply and obediently we grasp and apply what God says is so, the greater He is glorified and we will be Christ-like.

Judicial Condemnation

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  Romans 8:1

In His essence God will not abide sin.  In His presence, in heaven, there is no sin.  His infinite holiness and purity preclude it (Habakkuk 1:13a; Leviticus 11:44; I Peter 1:16).  Since every person born into this world is a sinner by nature and choice, and the wages of sin is separation from God (Romans 6:23), God's judgment seems inescapable.

Yet, in loving condescension, God sent His Son to endure His holy wrath against sin upon the cross, taking the place of sinners God had set His heart upon in eternity past.  God's gavel of judgment came down in a death sentence upon the Lord Jesus rather than us, and we not only are viewed as free but righteous (II Corinthians 5:21).
At the moment of salvation, the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus is imputed to the account of the believer.  For time and eternity, his position is "in Christ," permanently placed there by the living God.  The sentence can never be altered, because the unchanging righteous Judge of all the earth has decreed it so.  We can never be condemned because the Lord Jesus' atoning sacrifice was utterly sufficient and accepted as complete by His Father.

Experiential Condemnation

The condemnation we experience as believers comes primarily from Satan and his agents, through the world system and our flesh.  Its manifestation is guilt, and the result is broken fellowship with the Father, as well as a shamed conscience. 
When we've sinned, the enemy's tactic is to increase guilt and condemnation through accusation.  He wants us to focus on the transgression, as well as our weakness, in order to keep our focus off the Lord Jesus.  He doesn't care what he uses, as long as our attention is taken from Him.  
The apostle John wrote, "We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God," (I John 3:19-21).  
Claiming Romans 8:1 as our position, we are to fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), and thank Him for the full payment of our sin-debt on the cross.  Agreeing with the Master that we have sinned (confession), we plea repentance and restoration, knowing this is His desire, as well.  The Holy Spirit longs for us to look upward, not downward... outward rather than inward... focused upon Him instead of ourselves.  

May we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, increasing in spiritual discernment, that we may take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Intercession

Father,
Thank You for the truth, personified in the Lord Jesus, and revealed so clearly in the Scriptures.  Knowing it is such a privilege to have great ease of access to Your truth, while there are so many believers who would give anything for a scrap of Scripture, I would plea in these moments for those who are translating Your infallible Word into languages I will never know, in places I will never see.  
I praise You for placing such a commitment in their hearts... be pleased to deepen their heart-determination, especially in times of discouragement, opposition, and fatigue.  Speak encouragement to their spirit when the spiritual warfare is intense, that it may be evident to unbelievers that You alone are the living God.  May their speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were with salt, particularly when it would be so much easier to complain, grumble, or resort to cynicism.  
May Your watch-care extend to their families, as they are often the avenues the enemy effectively uses to attack Your servants.  Protect and shield them, as well, from the fiery missiles of the evil one, as he seeks whom he may devour... maintaining their priority of prayer... cultivating a servant's heart which rejoices most when least observed.  Bring Your blessed Word to their remembrance at crucial times when tempted to be critical, judgmental or pitied.  
Grant perseverance, Father, when they're tempted to slack off.... empowering grace, when the flesh, the world, and the devil oppose their efforts most strongly.... Spirit-strengthened resolve, when days are long and nights provide little rest.  May they return to the cross continually, seeing the price paid for their salvation, putting their efforts in proper perspective.  Lavish them with love, Father, as only You can... that others may see it, recognize Your divine work, and be drawn to the Savior.
Praise to Your omnipotent Name, that nothing is too difficult for You!
In Your Son's Name, I pray,
Amen.