A QUIET AND PEACEFUL LIFE

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LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES - Timothy

Read 1 Timothy 1-2

     This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.  1 Timothy 1:15

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     Timothy had been a disciple and traveling partner of the apostle Paul. Now he is the pastor of the church at Ephesus. Paul begins this letter to him by expressing his thankfulness for God’s mercy in his own life.
     He refers to himself as the “chief of sinners” whom Jesus came to save, because he was at one time a persecutor of Christians. “However,” he writes, “for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” (1 Timothy 1:16)
     In relationship to unbelievers, Paul writes, “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”   (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

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     Lord, I pray for our President and for all in his administration that they will acknowledge your authority and that we may lead godly and reverent lives among our neighbors. Thank you for showing mercy to me, a sinner.

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     “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all...”   1 Timothy 2:3-6 NKJV

NO LONGER SLAVES

LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES - Romans

Read Romans 6

     What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Romans 6:1-2 NIV

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     We as believers were once slaves to the sinful nature we inherited from the first man, Adam. The penalty for sin is death, and the price was paid by the one perfect man Jesus, the Son of God. Paul explains that "If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection." (6:5)

     One day we will stand before him rescued from our old sin nature. We have already been rescued from the penalty of sin, and because of this, we should give ourselves to the service of the one who bought us with His blood. "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." (6:6)

     Though we will often struggle in this earthly body to resist our sinful nature and submit to God, Paul reminds believers that “since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him…In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (6:9, 11)

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     Lord, I praise you for the mercy and grace that sent Your Son to the cross for my sin. I thank you also that through your Spirit I have the resources to live a life of victory over my sinful nature.

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     "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” (6:12)