HOW GOD PURIFIES A PEOPLE

Men, God works “through the word of God which lives and abides forever…Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you,” (1 Pet. 1:23b, 25b). Trust God and His Word. Preach the Gospel. Some seed will fall on hard soil and have no impact. Other seed will seem potentially received as people are moved emotionally or respond superficially only to fall away. But, some will respond fruitfully and their lives be changed for eternity. Let us preach the Gospel, confident in its power!

A PURIFIED PEOPLE

Sin separates us from God. This is a problem that we cannot solve. The distance between a Holy God and a sinful humanity is a chasm so vast we cannot cross. Since we are all sinners, we are all condemned. It is impossible to purify myself. That would be like trying to wash my hands in muddy water. Yet, God does not lower His standard. His demand is, “Be holy, for I am holy,” (1 Peter 1:16). 

God did what we could never do, for God can do the impossible. There was REDEMPTION.  Enslaved by sin, God came in human flesh—Jesus Christ the Son—to free us, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,” (1 Peter 1:18). By His blood, payment was made to purchase us. “What can wash away my sins?” That is the question, the hymn writer posed, and went on to answer, “Nothing, but the blood of Jesus!”  This was God’s one and only predetermined plan—that in the crucifixion of Christ, the penalty for sin has been paid, and in His resurrection, the confirmation of His work has been sealed. “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God,” (1 Peter 1:19-21). 

A miracle takes place—REGENERATION.  We are no longer, slaves, but sons—no more sinners, but saints, “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ‘All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25). The seed of the Gospel is sown into the soil of the soul, and those who receive it are regenerated—born again of the Spirit working through the Scripture He has inspired. 

The evidence of being redeemed and regenerated is in RIGHTEOUSNESS. Having positional righteousness through redemption and potential righteousness through regeneration, there will be progressive righteousness in sanctification. This is not the root of salvation, but the fruit of salvation. 

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear…

 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”  (1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭17, 22). 

As God’s children, we bear His image, and this should be an increasing reality more and more. We must choose to think properly, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,” take this seriously, “be sober,” and trust fully, “and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  From start to finish, salvation is all of grace. Yet, He does not do the work apart from us, but in us as we rely on God and apply His grace by a will surrendered to Him.  The Holy God is marked by truth and love, so that as His children we will exhibit obedience to the truth and pure and passionate love for the family of God.

The people of God are a purified people—not perfect yet, but progressing toward it. John stated it, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭3‬‬)

SUCCESSFUL SERVICE

Should we pursue success in the Lord’s service?  Let me put it this way, “Do you want to be a failure at such a vital assignment?”  I want to hear above all when I stand before the Judge, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Lord,” (Matt. 25:23). The question is, “By what metric do we measure success?”  

In the modern church world it is has often been gauged by how many buildings we put up, how many bucks we took up, and how many backsides we sat down. Those are not insignificant, but not the final measurement. Paul lists three standards for successful service in 1 Thessalonians 2:10 that any servant of the Lord can attain.

First, we are to be devoted toward God, “how devoutly…we behaved.”  This is service that is RESPONSIVE. The grace of God was not given in vain to Paul. He was devoted to the Savior who dedicated Himself to the Apostle. His service was not to earn God’s favor, but a response to God’s love. In Rom. 12:1, he set this as our standard, “ “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The first commandment is to love God with all our being. 

Second, we are to be just toward man, “how…justly…we behaved.”  This is service that is RIGHTEOUS. Our conduct in the world is to be just in how we deal with our fellowman. In the neighborhood, the marketplace, or wherever we go, we are to treat people right!  The second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. To claim to love God is only credible as we love those who are created in His image. 

Third, we are to be blameless toward believers, “how…blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe.”  This is service that is RIGOROUS. We are called to scrupulously seek sanctification. Holiness is to be the gauge of our service in the fellowship of the saints. It should be more than a claim expressed, but a conduct exhibited. God is our Creator and we are to love Him, humanity is His creation and we are to love them, but the church is His Bride and we are to love her. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another,” (John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬‬). The church is His new creation and Christ calls us to a new love that He demonstrated —a rigorous commitment to the people of God.

Be faithful in pursuing these three spheres of service and God will make you fruitful as He sees fit.

BEING A MAN OF GOD

 

Paul calls upon Timothy to be a man of God. There can be do greater aspiration for the preacher than to be worthy of that description. This is the thrust of 1 Timothy 6. The key text reads: “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (v. ‭11‬-‭12‬‬). 

The man of God is to FLEE, “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things,” (v. 11a). In context, the things we are to flee are listed in the prior verses, 1-10. 

The man of God will flee rebellion against authority, (v. 1-2). As always, when we interpret Scripture, we must consider the context. That means not only the Scriptural context, but the cultural context. It is too easy to read first century writing through twenty-first century eyes. 

Slavery was a condition in the first century Roman Empire that many new converts to Christianity found themselves in. How should a believer who was a slave respond to those in authority and how ought a believer who owned slaves exercise authority?  

We must also note in the context that the slavery in the Roman Empire was not equivalent to what was practiced in America. It was not the enslaving of a particular race, nor did it negate all the slave’s rights. Some slaves were in that state voluntarily due to poverty where they could survive no other way, or due to debts they could not pay. So, they subjugated themselves for a period of time. These slaves could own property and were able to purchase their freedom. 

Still, it was slavery. It was an institution that the law of love would bring to an end. It would not be by violent overthrow, but by elevating man’s understanding of human dignity in being made in God’s image. Further, how could a Christian who claimed God as Father enslave another believer who was his brother?

There is a practical application for us in our day. Concerning work conditions, employees are to honor the authority of the employer and employers are to respect the dignity of the workers.  A Communist Manifesto will never accomplish this, but a Christian message will!

The man of God is also to flee deviation into heresy, (v. 3-5). What Paul appears to confront is the doctrinal deviation called the “prosperity gospel” today. Those who preach this do so out of arrogance and ignorance. The presence of this produces division through diversion from the truth. They gain adherents among those depraved in thought and deprived of truth. God is pursued as a means of material gain. God becomes a means to the end, instead of Him being the end Himself. It is a materialistic worldview—love for what is of earth instead of the eternal. That brings us to our next danger from which to flee. 

The man of God must flee obsession with money, (v. 6-10). It is not that having possessions—should God provide them—that is sinful, but it is when possessions become obsessions that it opens a portal into all kinds of evils. The drive and desire for material things is a trap that ensnares many. Its love is the polluted fountain from which all manner of evil flows. Jesus put it bluntly—you can worship God or money, but not both, (cf. Matt. 6:24). Materialism brings ruin and the destruction of our souls. Mark those who preach and practice a prosperity perversion. They have strayed from Scripture and will be stabbed with reality sooner or later.  Simply put—the man of God cannot be a man of the world.  

Flee these things!  Yet, it is not enough to avoid the negative, we must also FOLLOW, “pursue,’ (v. 11b). This is the positive dimension. 

Pursue “righteousness.”  This is being right with God and man. We are to treat others “right,” because God has done so for us. 

Pursue, “godliness.”  That is, we are to seek to be like our God. There are attributes, of course, that we cannot obtain: omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, for example. But other attributes—his kindness, goodness, and patience are to be sought and obtained.

Pursue, “faith.”  From start to finish the Christian life is one of faith. We need to seek to grow in faith until we reach glory and faith becomes sight.

Pursue, “love.”  God is love and so a man of God will express love. It is a love for the Lord and a love for those made in His image. 

Pursue, “steadfastness.”  We are to be men of conviction. We take a stand and do not bend. Our feet our on the Rock. 

Pursue, “gentleness.”  You can be a man of conviction and also be a man of compassion. You do not compromise the truth, but you do not beat people over the head with the Bible. Screaming in anger at sinners will only drive them away. We must gently persuade them.

Flee, follow, and then FIGHT, “Fight the good fight of the faith,” (v. 12a). We can be gentle, and still firm. Think of a father holding a small child. He does not want to lose his grip, lest he drop the child, yet he does not want to squeeze the child so hard it hurts!  The man of God does not go looking for a fight, but if the fight is brought to him, he does not hesitate. There are some things worth fighting for—and in this case it is “the good fight of the faith.”

Fight with perseverance in devotion, (v. 12-16). Eternal life that is the promise of the Gospel is demonstrated to be more than an initial superficial decision, so we abide devoted to the Lord. Real grace that brings us to heaven will keep us solid here on earth. There is a tenacity that indicates it was “a good confession,” as that which our Lord made before Pontius Pilate. We devotedly, doggedly press on , “to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

Here is the good confession:  

God is, “he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (v. 15‬-‭16‬‬). 

Fight against pride in position, (v. 17-19). Our world classifies people as “the haves,” and “have nots.”  Those who have social standing are those who have wealth. That is not the attitude we are to have as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Humility instead of haughtiness is to mark those in the church, irrespective of the world’s estimation of them. Glorify God and be grateful for His gracious abundance if you have it. Be generous in using it for the good of others. It is not a sin to be wealthy, but it is a sin to be greedy. God blesses some with the capacity to gain wealth, so that it may be exchanged for the currency of eternity. The “Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous,” is fleeting, but the generous soul has taken hold of “that which is truly life.”

Fight for purity of doctrine, (v. 20-21). The preacher has a sacred trust.  The faith—the body of Christian truth—has been deposited with him for safekeeping. 

There is not only a deposit to secure, but a deception to shun. It is “irreverent babble.”  It is irreverent for it exalts man’s wisdom over God’s Word. It is babble as it uses Christian vocabulary while denying Biblical veracity. 

These false teachers speak, “contradictions of what is falsely called, ‘knowledge,’” (v. 20).  Liberals claim a greater knowledge than those who hold to a simple faith in the Gospel. They are able to correct the Scripture, they think. What these actually do is abandon the most sublime truth which is beyond their understanding to confine a god of their own making into the little space between their ears. When one goes down that demonic detour, the wrecking of their faith awaits—as well as the passengers in the church that such a preacher is driving. 

What Timothy needed in order to flee, follow, and fight was “grace,” (v. 21b). It is what we all need and it is all we need!  It is grace to flee from evil, grace to follow the good, and grace to fight the error. Grace makes the man of God. May the Lord give us grace to cling to the truth, and stop our ears to error. Lord, keep us true to this Blessed Old Book!

THE MASTER’S MODEL FOR MINISTRY

 Jesus is our model for ministry. Of course we will not be perfect, but we should make progress in following His example, as we yield to His Spirit within us. From start to finish, let us fulfill God’s call and pursue all that is right!