Text: 1 Timothy 1:15; 4:7-9; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Titus 3:8
In an era of “fake news,” it is difficult to find reliable information we can trust. However, there is one source of information we can trust – the word of God (Psalm 119:160). In Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, he shared some “trustworthy” statements. We will notice four in this lesson.
Jesus Came to Save Sinners (1 Timothy 1:15)
- Many want to attach Jesus to a political/social cause – yet He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10); we were hopelessly lost without Him (cf. Jeremiah 10:23; Ephesians 2:12)
- He did this through His death on the cross (Romans 5:6) – no greater love than this (John 15:13)
- He did this while we were sinners (Romans 5:8) – even the chief of sinners can be saved; there is nothing we have done that would make God unable to save us
Spiritual Things Are Most Important (1 Timothy 4:7-9)
- Contrast between godliness and bodily discipline – godliness is preferred because it helps us in this life AND the one to come (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50)
- Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) – wrong emphasis makes the temple into an idol
- We must put spiritual things first (Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 6:19-21, 33) – doing this should lead us to ACT (1 Timothy 4:10); [more on this later in the lesson]
If We Die with Him, We Will Live with Him (2 Timothy 2:11-13)
- What does it mean to die/live with Christ? – inspired commentary in Romans 6; dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:8-11) by obeying a form of teaching (Romans 6:17); that form of teaching involves being baptized into Christ and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4)
- “If we endure…” – being baptized into Christ BEGINS our Christian walk (Matthew 28:19-20)
- “If we deny Him…” – it is possible for a Christian to fall away (Hebrews 3:12)
- “If we are faithless, He remains faithful…” – He will be true to His word; He will condemn unfaithfulness (Hebrews 4:1)
We Must Be Careful to Engage in Good Deeds (Titus 3:8)
- “Careful” – exercise thought; we are not to act based upon feelings or whims (cf. Jeremiah 17:9)
- “Good deeds” – defined by Scripture, not man (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 7:21-23)
- We must first be careful in our handling of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15) – then be careful to do what it says (James 1:22)
Conclusion
- God made salvation possible through the sacrifice of Christ
- We must seek spiritual things over physical things
- We must become dead to sin, buried with Him in baptism, and raised to walk in newness of life
- Finally, we must be careful to do all that the Scriptures teach us to do
