Theme: Godly Life
Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-17
Introduction & Greetings: I greet you all in the name of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Today we are going to meditate on the theme ‘Godly Life’ based on the scriptural verse 2 Timothy 3:1-17. How to live a godly life in the last days. Paul expresses three ways to do that:
Turn away from the ungodly
Tune to the godly
Turn to the Word of God
1. Turn away from the ungodly life (2 Timothy 3: 2-5)
Paul uses the word in the last days with a broad term in the New Testament, and broad enough to where one could say that the last days began with the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17).
During my childhood, my pastors told me these are the last days. I am telling my youth boys these are the last days. Paul told Timothy these are the last days. The days of the Messiah mark the last days, yet the term is especially appropriate to the season immediately before the return of Jesus and the consummation of all things. The policies of the last days would be live as you like. Grasp whatever you want. Swindle whatever you could. Enjoy everything without rule and morality. These teachings are absolutely against the will of God, against the principle of community living.
2 Timothy 3:2-5 gives the list of acts people carry out in day to day life. The list as follows: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Calvin says that we should note that lovers of themselves come first, and it can be regarded as the source from which all the others spring up. William Barclay says that the love of self is the foundational sin, from with all others flow. The moment a man makes his own will as the centre of his life, then the divine will and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and love to men become impossible.
I feel that such men continuously indulged in these kinds of characteristics. They are found even today in every part of the world and every walk of life. Recently we have witnessed elections in the USA and India. Men are the same, and their evil devices are the same. We also see in our churches, the self-centred love of the leaders cause severe damages to the growth of the mission work and church developments.
So, run away from such leaders. Be aware of the self-lovers. So, Paul in his epistle to Romans says that through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt with each one a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). We must see ourselves as we are – both the bad of what we are in the flesh and the glory of what we are in Jesus Christ.
Enduring commentary puts: “The signs of the end times are the rejection of God and celebration of self. There are celebrations of sex, drugs, alcohol, food, and work. So, whatever they do, they often do it out of control.” (ref: enduring word commentary). Paul continued to narrate the strategies of the ungodly in life. Paul uses two words to refer to the men in the last days. They are evil men and imposters.
The word 'Evilmen' refers to the obvious, open enemies of Jesus, impostors refer to those who appear good, and many think of as fine persons. But they are destructive forces among followers of Jesus. Imposters do much harm than the evil men to the truth and the Church fellowships. (2 Timothy 3:13-15).
2. Tune to the godly life (2 Timothy 3: 10-13).
Teaching, quality of life or practising, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, doing ministry in various places with the same vigour, vision and vitality even through persecutions and sufferings are sources of the Godly life of Paul.
Paul brings a crystal clear divisive point in this context between the godly and ungodly persons. Godly will be persecuted. And the ungodly will go from bad to worse in their characters. Godly is guarded by God from all their enemies, sufferings. They are rescued and redeemed from afflictions.
Paul told Timothy that he had seen and heard how Paul preached, conducted himself during persecution, the objects of his preaching, his fidelity to God and his trust, his long-suffering with those who walked disorderly, and opposed themselves to the truth, and did what they could to lessen to his authority and render it suspected, his love to them and the world in general, and his patience in all his adversities.
Paul told Timothy to hold on to those highlighted principles and high values in life in the last days. Timothy should not sell himself to the fashions of the evil days and evil passions of the flesh.
Paul further says that Timothy was capable of judging between Paul and the false teachers, and he can easily discern the difference between their doctrines, conduct, motives, temper, spirit, and of Paul. (ref: studylight.org /Adam Clark).
Paul’s manner of life needs to be observed and followed by Timothy. Paul lived a godly life both in civil life and church life. He spent his time, not in ease and idleness, but oftentimes in labour with his own hands; nor did he live in a sensual and luxury manner, but frequently was in hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, likewise his religious life, and conversation, not only in the church, which was spent in the ministry of the word, and ordinances; but in the world, which, by the grace of God, was in simplicity and godly sincerity, in a very just, holy, and blameless manner. (John Gill)
The best kind of Christianity is not only taught, it is also caught by seeing it lived out in other people. (ref:enduringword.com).
We might think that the person who lives their life with the right doctrine, with the right manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, and love would be respected and accepted by everyone – but the fact is that they are not. They are seen as unwise, useless persons and people who do not know how to manipulate the times and opportunities.
Timothy had fully followed Paul’s ministry (teaching, conduct, and purpose) and his life (faith, patience, love, and perseverance). The fact that God had delivered Paul from all his persecutions would have encouraged Timothy to continue following the apostle’s example.
The real base is the word of God, holy scriptures. So Paul urged Timothy to turn to the holy scriptures.
3. Turn to the Holy Bible (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
The Word of God is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is used for teaching, reproof, revival, and teaching justice. It helps to mature our spiritual man in Christ. Holy Bible serves as our teacher, guide, counsellor, leader, encourager and powerful instrument to mild us at all occasions and vocations.
Every writing divinely inspired is profitable for doctrine (Adam Clark). The doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible has two principal opinions: 1. That every thought and word was inspired by God, and that the writer did nothing but merely write as the Spirit dictated 2. That God gave the whole matter, leaving the inspired writers to their language; and hence the great variety of style and different modes of expression.
We must give place for the word of God on daily basis. Godly people are good examples to look upon and follow them. We can look upon them as leaders but they may fail on some occasions. We need to base our daily life only on prayer and meditation of the word of God. Always God is the source of our hope and joy. He is the rock of Salvation for our strength and stability.
Jesus has become our forerunner and set an example for every area of life. Jesus set an example for obedience to God and his earthly parents. He has suffered unduly and yet held his peace for the sake of the salvation of all. His soul overjoyed seeing the salvation of the souls (Isaiah 53). God gave the scriptures to prepare us for the coming of the Messiah. The scriptures teach us about Lord Jesus and our need for salvation.
It is the breath of God, so it is the word of God. Peter tells us those holy men spoke by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). It is the word of God. They show us what God is like, how God sees us, what is sin, what pleases God. God wants everyone to know the scriptures. It shows us where we have wrong ideas and thoughts(Isaiah 55). God can change us. He can correct the errors in our minds and in what we do. (Psalm 1, 119).
The scriptures are there to educate us in all that is right. They teach us how to live, as God wants us to live. Christians need to read them and learn from them. The scriptures prepare His people for good works (ref: easy English. bible). "Every good work" is the ultimate goal of our lives (Ephesians 2:10).
Conclusion:
This passage looks like an expository sermon for Psalm 1:1-2. "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly; nor stands in the way of sinners; nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth he meditates day and night." (Psalms 1:1-2). Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways (Psalms 119:2-3).
