God In Three Persons--The Holy Spirit

John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26-27



· This is one of the most confused doctrinal areas
· Some Baptists are so scared of anything to do with the doctrine of the Spirit
· Others get pulled out into doctrinal error and excess
· The most common doctrinal error about the Holy Spirit is about His Person, that He is an “it,” a force, an influence, some kind of divine electrical current.
· The second most common doctrinal error concerns His Work—The Work of the Spirit is not to make everyone feel good—it is to empower believers —The work of the Spirit is intimately tied in with the work of the Son, but in this present age, there are distinctive things that are his.
o Gifting the Church (Rom 12, 1 Cor 12)
o Teaching the church

(John 14:26) ""But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

o Convicting the World and individuals–Jn 16:8-11

o Training, organizing and sending missionaries

(Acts 13:1-2) "Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.""

· And, of course, it must be mentioned that the Spirit is the Father’s gift to Jesus’ people, as we continue to see the Trinity displayed in an obvious manner.

· In considering the Spirit’s ministry to us, the actions of the Trinity are seen plainly in the Bible

· One of the strongest proofs of the Trinity, often overlooked, are the many passages where the work of the Triune God is displayed and taught in strictly Trinitarian terms.
(1) Some Examples—of course, our text is one—(John 14:16-17)

(Rom 1:1-4) "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

(Eph 3:14-16) "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,"

(Eph 1:3) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"

(Eph 1:13-14) "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

(Eph 4:4-6) "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

(1 John 4:13-15) "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."

(Heb 9:14) "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"


· As we begin our look at the Holy Spirit, we will be guided in this first sermon by a few of His job titles.

1. His First Title—Another Helper, or Another Comforter—This identification by itself is sufficient to prove both the personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit.

a. First, the Holy Spirit is Another when compared with Christ Jesus
(1) In the Greek, there are two ways to say “another.” Another Comforter (allon paraklēton). Another of like kind (allon, not heteron
(a) Another of a different kind would be “hetero,”
(b) another of the same kind would be “…allon…”—This is Another of the same kind.
(2) Another of the same kind—since Jesus is a Person, so is the Spirit
(3) Since Jesus is divine, so is the Spirit—they are the same “kind”

b. Second, The Spirit is Another “Helper” or “Comforter,” This defines His basic function: to minister to the people of God

(1) Paraclete—one called alongside to help.
(2) ), … from parakaleō, was used for legal assistant, pleader, advocate, one who pleads another’s cause…” (A T. Robertson)

c. We now have two Counselors

(1) One in the Throne Room in Heaven, there to intercede on our behalf—Heb 1:1-3, Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25

(Heb 1:1) "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,"

(Rom 8:34) "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

(Heb 7:25) "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

(2) Another here within us, also ready to intercede, “from this end…”.

(Rom 8:26-27) "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

(3) And, what is the intercession for?
(a) We are accused by Satan day and night (Rev 12:10)
(b) We are tempted, tested, melted and purified day and night.
(Zec 3:1-2) "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"

(Luke 22:31-32) "And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.""


2. His Second Title: The Spirit of Truth—Jn 14:17, 15:26, 16:13

Whom (ho). Grammatical neuter gender (ho) agreeing with pneuma (grammatical), but rightly rendered in English by “whom” and note masculine ekeinos (verse 26). He is a person, not a mere influence. (A.T. Robertson)

a. The Spirit of Truth

(1) As the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit came upon the OT Prophets and thereby inspired the Holy Scriptures—2 Pet 1:18-21
(2) As the Spirit of Truth, He caused the apostles to remember what He had said to them
(3) As the Spirit of Truth, He taught them things after Pentecost that they were not ready for before Pentecost
(4) As the Spirit of Truth, He guides Bible teachers today in discerning Truth—1 John 4:1-6

b. Teach you all things

(1) There were entire vital parts of Truth that had not been revealed, and these would be revealed through the men God so called to do, AFTER the coming of the Spirit in power on Pentecost.
(a) Paul’s revelations about the church in Eph 2 and 3
(b) The structure of the church, given in 1 Tim, 2 Tim, Titus, and other places.
(c) The full revelation of the Spirit Himself
(d) The full revelation of Jesus
(2) The pre-authentication of the New Covenant Scriptures
(a) Heb 2:1-4
(b) 2 Pet 3:15ff

(1 Cor 14:37-38) "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant."


3. The Witnessing Spirit—“He will testify of me”

a. It is common today to encounter ministries that lift up the Holy Spirit and their entire ministry is about the Holy Spirit this, and the Holy Spirit that, and how to be slain in the Spirit, etc.

b. Does the Bible support this format of ministry?

(John 15:26-27) “… He will testify of Me. 27 "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning."

(John 16:12-15) ""I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

c. A true Holy Spirit ministry would not exalt the Spirit, but would exalt the Son.

Intro to 1 Timothy

Preparatory Notes to the Exposition of Timothy

1. Basic Facts

a. This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to one of his missionary colleagues, Timothy
(1) He had led Timothy to the Lord
(2) He had discipled Timothy
(3) He knew Timothy and his family
(4) Timothy was one of the most involved of Paul’s assistants, working with Paul from the time Timothy was saved until Paul’s execution
(5) An overview of the message of Timothy

b. The time and location of the writing of this epistle can be pinpointed with great accuracy by a careful examination of Acts 19-20 and 1 Tim 1:5 and 3:14-15

c. The purpose of the letter is plainly spelled out in 1 Tim 1:3 and 3:14-15—to fight against false teachers and to finish the organization of the church in Ephesus

d. Here are the things Paul emphasized for this young missionary
(1) Preaching—4:11-16
(2) Doctrine—4:1-7, 16,
(3) Prayers—2:1-8
(4) Caring for widows and orphans—5:3-16
(5) Choosing effective and Spiritual leaders—3:1-13
(6) Organizing the church along lines that had become normal by this point.
(7) Opposing and contradicting false doctrine—1:6-20, 4:1-7, 6:3-5, 6:20-21
(8) Personal holiness—6:11-14, 4:16
(9) Spiritual Warfare—1:18, 6:12


2. Paul:

a. His Nameèsmall. Early church tradition described him as short, bow-legged, bald-headed, with a crooked nose, which would explain the charge his enemies made against him—2 Cor 10:10 “…they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.”

(1) Saul, Paul, his Jewish name and his Gentile name
(2) It is only during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:9) that a conscious and obvious switch is made, and after that point, he is never again referred to as Saul in the New Testament, except when he is telling the story of his conversion.

b. Paul: his background, education, and character—

(1) Background

(a) Native to Tarsus—(Acts 22:3) ""I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia…."

(i) Tarsus, a free city
(ii) Tarsus, an academic city
(iii) Tarsus, a Greek and Roman city with a vital Jewish minority

(b) A Freeborn Roman Citizen—Acts 22:25-29
(i) The Rights of Romans
(A) Not to be beaten
(B) Not to be crucified
(C) Not to be bound
(D) “A Roman’s body was not to be violated.”
(ii) Freeborn—in some manner, Tarsus had been made a free city, and Paul’s father or perhaps grandfather had been granted citizenship.

(c) A Religious Pedigree—Phil 3:1-10
(d) Raised to have a trade—every Pharisee had a trade, even if he was rich.

(2) Paul had some Greek and Roman Education

(a) Apparently educated in the Greek classics—He quoted pagan poets on Mars Hill—Acts 17:28—Tarsus was a center of academia!

(b) Intimately familiar with Roman and Greek culture, and with Jewish laws and traditions—1 Cor 9:19-23

(c) he speaks of athletic contests as if he had seen them as a boy, and he talks about shadow boxing—1 Cor 9:24-27

(d) A master of languages—He spoke in tongues more than any of them (1 Cor 14)

(3) A Roman citizen, something that was not totally unusual for a Jew of his day, but which tells us about his family—it was a family of wealth and influence.

(4) Paul’s Jewish education
(a) Paul had a strict Jewish upbringing and was trained by the greatest Rabbit of his day, Gamaliel—Acts 22:3-4
(b) He was a zealous Jew: he persecuted Christians—Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-2

c. Paul’s Providential Preparation
(1) Gal 1:13-16
(2) Prepared to defend the Gospel against Jewish legalism—Galatians, Romans (Lloyd-Jones)
(3) Prepared to preach to all the Roman world
(4) Prepared to Debate with scholars—1 Cor 2:1-6
(5) Prepared to preach to the simple—1 Cor 1:17-18,

d. Paul’s Conversion and commission—Acts 9:1-16

1 Tim 1:1-10

An Exposition of 1 Timothy
Sermon 1
1 Timothy 1:1-10

1. A True Father and A True Son—“…Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, 2to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord….”

a. Paul was a true (spiritual) father

(1) He was an apostle of Jesus, a special messenger and witness of the Gospel

(2) Usually, Paul says that he is an apostle by the WILL of God, But here He uses a different word, one which means a command by a higher authority

(3) Paul was COMMANDED to be an apostle

(Acts 9:15-16) "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.""

(a) God’s Hand had rested on Paul’s shoulders from the beginning—Gal 1:13-15
(b) In the Fullness of time, God’s time, God called Paul to Himself, the chains fell off, his heart was free—and Paul followed.

(4) Paul had a true Hope
(a) Not maybe so, but surely so
(b) Hope in the Bible is never conditional, it is always certain
(c) Hope is certain knowledge based on knowing the character of God, and based on believing in the Person and Work of Christ, and based on a personal relationship with Christ. Heb 6:18-19 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"

b. Timothy was a true spiritual child—Paul’s True son in the faith

(1) The word “true” indicates a legitimate son, not a false one or illegitimate one
(2) This was a young man led to the Lord and discipled by Paul personally.
(3) He often accompanied Paul on missions as a co-worker, and he was the scribe for several of Paul’s letters.
(4) His mother Eunice and grandmother Lois were devout believers
(5) “…Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord…” Three things we all need!

2. An Urgent Mission—Protect the Flock—“…3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia; remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

a. A False Cult was attacking the Ephesian church

b. Cults, Isms, and False Prophets

(1) Right now, in 2007, This is the age of the cults, the false religions claiming to be Christian, but even in the apostolic times, these things existed

(2) A few months after this letter was written, Paul visited the elders of this very church (Acts 20:17-36), and warned them against these sorts of false teachers. The elders were told:

(Acts 20:28-31) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

c. Paul’s warning to Timothy

(1) Instruct—In the Greek, to give a military order and give it in an authoritative way.
(a) Bible teachers can and should speak with authority—as Jesus did (Mat 7:28-29)
(b) “But, we aren’t Jesus!” Yes, but we have His completed word, and we have the Holy Spirit
(c) The man of God is to speak with authority and say “thus saith the Lord…”

(2) Watch out for Certain men—
(a) these were specific men who had arisen in the Ephesian church (as Paul later warned in Acts 20:28-31)
(b) They were teaching false doctrines and were tossing weak believers around –Eph 4:13-15

(c) They were teaching Strange doctrines— heterodidaskalon—“…a doctrine of a different kind…”, one that does not match with the teachings of the Bible

(d) Paul speaks in Galatians of “another Jesus” taught by false prophets

(e) Jesus, in Matthew 24, warns of false Christs and false prophets that will arise

d. The teachings of the cult in Ephesus

(1) Myths and geneologies—there are and were branches of Judaism which find symbolic meaning in the “begats” and in Jewish folklore—this is very similar to Kabbalism, practiced by the popular singer “Madonna.”

(2) The Ephesian church had shown a weakness to these things in the incident of the “spell books” in Acts 19.

(3) Mere (useless) speculation—there is nothing to be found of any use in any legend, myth, or idea of human invention

(a) If someone has a “word” supposedly from God, let that “word” be tested against the Bible, precept upon precept, line upon line

(b) The false prophets cannot do that, because their lies will not stand against truth.

(4) Turning aside from Truth èTruth, a small sampling
(a) Our Lord is Truth (John 1:14) “…, full of grace and truth."
(b) Christ is the Source of Truth (John 1:17) "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
(c) Worship must be in truth—(John 4:23) “…the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…”
(d) Knowledge of the Truth makes us free—Jn 8:32
(e) The Holy Spirit is our Guide to all Truth—Jn 16:13
(f) We are sanctified (made holy) by the Truth (John 17:17) ""Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."
(g) Truth identifies you with Jesus—John 18:37”… Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.""
(h) The Truth Grows us up in Christ—(Eph 4:15) "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ;"
(i) Truth is the first weapon in spiritual warfare—(Eph 6:14) "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,"
(j) Not loving Truth leads to death—(2 Th 2:10) "and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
(k) And these false teachers had turned aside from the Truth, and were trying to turn others aside as well

(5) Fruitless discussion—
(a) If you and I are discussing Truth, with the Bible as the judge of all things, fruit will almost certainly be the result.
(b) But if we are arguing the fine points of things that are not even from the Bible, there can be no fruit

(6) Wanting to be teachers of the Law
(a) [rather than teachers of New Covenant truth]
(b) and since these men were apparently not even Jewish, they were unqualified to talk about the Jewish Law anyway
(c) and did not have any clue about their own cluelessness.

e. There were other false doctrines of this cult, and Paul deals with them later in the letter

3. The Law and Gospel Taught Correctly—“… 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith…”

a. The goals of Biblical instruction:

(1) love from a pure heart (the expression of a born again believer—Mat 5:8).
(2) A good conscience—a clear one, one which is a true sign of a true believer.

(a) A consistent lifestyle—“My sheep…follow me…”
(b) the Law cannot make anyone holy
(c) The Spirit, however, can cause people to walk as God wants us to walk.

(3) Sincere faith—saving faith, confessing Christ as Lord and Savior—Rom 10:9

b. Rom 8:1-4 “…Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit…”
(1) The Law cannot save
(2) The Law cannot make holy
(3) But grace does BOTH—Eph 2:8-10

c. How then, is the Law Used Lawfully?—1 Tim 1:9-10 “…realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person…”

(1) The Law

(a) does not save nor keep saved
(b) is not for believers
(c) The Law is the Holy Spirit’s prime weapon in the conviction of the lost
(d) The Law Shuts Our Mouth—Rom 3:19-20, 7:9

(2) Those for Whom the Law is intended— “…but for those who are …”

(a) lawless and rebellious— (1 Sam 15:23) "…rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…”

(i) Lawless people have no commitment to any standard of righteousness, but are a law unto themselves
(ii) This naturally leads to rebellion against authority
(iii) There are at least four sources of spiritual authority in the life of a born-again Christian
Ø The Word of God
Ø The Holy Spirit
Ø The Local Church
Ø The Leadership of the Local church

(iv) the lawless and rebellious rebel against all levels of God’s authority

(b) ungodly and sinners——ungodly means the person has no respect for anything sacred, and that leads to a sinful lifestyle

(c) unholy and profane—This is a particular problem for lost church members, who are apathetic about holy living, and this leads them to be “profane,” which means they do not care about anything sacred

(d) those who kill their fathers or mothers—Why is this separate from “murderers?” Because it deals with the lack of subjection to and respect of parents, and as Jesus told us in The Sermon on the Mount, hatred = murder.

(e) for murderers—For assassins of character and of life, for abortionists and drug dealers, all of whom are murderers.

(f) immoral—the Greek word is “porneois,” from where we get “pornography,” and it refers to sexual sin in general

(g) homosexuals—it may be shocking to see homosexuality ranked alongside these other sins, but homosexuality is a denial of the creation ordinance of God (He made them male and female and told them to multiply), and it is a particularly rebellious sin—see Rom 1:24-27

(h) kidnappers—“slave traders,” or others who catch people and imprison them for selfish reasons. I would think that a modern category would be drug dealers.

(i) liars and perjurers—bearers of false witness, particularly those who have “gone to trial,” are heinous in God’s sight.

(j) whatever else is contrary to sound teaching—A host of things are contrary to sound teaching, and the New Testament spells these out!

d. The Holy Spirit takes these and other facts and uses them to convict and convince lost people of their lost state.

e. That is the Law, What about the Gospel? Tell the Story

So, How are Timothy and his allies in Ephesus to deal with False teachers?

By preaching and teaching the truth, exposing and rebuking false doctrines and false teachers, and teaching the church to be the church.

1 Tim 1:11

An Exposition of 1 Timothy
Sermon 3
1 Timothy 1:11
“…sound doctrine,
according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust…”

1. “…Sound Doctrine…”

a. “….Sound Doctrine…”Literally means “healthy teaching, or (1 Tim 6:3) “wholesome teaching.”

(1) “Sound…” refers to good health, soundness, not in need of a doctor. It is where we get our word “hygiene.” —(Luke 5:31) "Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."


b. The Sound Doctrine about salvation—Eph 2:8-10—
(1) By Grace, Through Faith, Unto Good Works
(2) The False teachers taught and lived NOT in accordance with sound doctrine, and there are those today who are unsound, and who believe that a consistent lifestyle is not required of believers. That idea is a distortion of Grace
(3) Check out this passage: (1 Tim 6:3-5)
(4) What did Paul tell Timothy and Titus to do about Sound Doctrine, Healthy Teaching?

(2 Tim 1:13) "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

(2 Tim 4:3) "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;"

(Titus 1:9) "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."

(Titus 1:13) "…rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,"

(Titus 2:1-2) "But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;"


b. So, there is a body of beliefs that is a sacred trust

(1) Jude refers to it as “the faith once delivered to the saints…”
(2) The Bible refers to “the faith” many times.

Acts 6:7 "… great company of the priests were obedient to THE FAITH."

Acts 14:22 "… and exhorting them to continue in THE FAITH…”

Acts 16:5 "And so were the churches established in THE FAITH…"

Rom 1:5 "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to THE FAITH …”

1 Cor 16:13 "Watch ye, stand fast in THE FAITH, …”

2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in THE FAITH…”

Eph 4:13 "Till we all come in the unity of THE FAITH…”

Phil 1:27 "… with one mind striving together for THE FAITH of the gospel;"

Col 1:23 "… continue in THE FAITH grounded and settled,…"

Col 2:7 "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in THE FAITH, …”

1 Tim 1:2 "Unto Timothy, my own son in THE FAITH: …”

1 Tim 3:9 "Holding the mystery of THE FAITH…"

1 Tim 4:1 "… in the latter times some shall depart from THE FAITH,…”

2 Tim 3:8 "… men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning THE FAITH."

2 Tim 4:7 "… I have kept THE FAITH:"

Titus 1:13 "… rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in THE FAITH;"


Heb 4:14 "… let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."

c. What is “…the faith …?”

(1) The Basis of the Faith—The Holy Scriptures
(a) The Old Covenant writings
(b) The New Covenant writings

(2) The Form of the Faith—doctrine, Truth about What Jesus has Done for us.
(a) 1 Tim 1:12-13, 3:16
(b) Summed up best perhaps, in 1 Cor 15
(c) Christ Crucified, Risen, Returning!
(d) A summary of the most important parts of the faith.
(i) Jesus is Lord
(ii) He was virgin born
(iii) He never sinned
(iv) He died as our substitute
(v) He was buried
(vi) He rose on the 3rd day
(vii) He ascended to the Father
(viii) He is interceding for us now
(ix) He is coming back for His people, then to rule and reign.

(3) The Faith is knowledge that results in conduct and character that is Christlike—(Eph 4:13) "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;"

(Phil 1:27) "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,"

(Col 1:23) "if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

(Col 2:7) "rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

(a) This is mentioned a lot in 1 Timothy

(1 Tim 1:2) "To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord."

(1 Tim 1:19) "having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,"

(1 Tim 3:9) "holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience."

(1 Tim 3:13) "For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

(1 Tim 4:1) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,"

(1 Tim 5:8) "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

(1 Tim 6:10) "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

(1 Tim 6:21) "by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen."


2. The Glorious Gospel, The Blessed God, Committed to Every Man of God—1:11

a. Glory
(1) The External expression of the inward reality of a person, place, or thing.
(2) God’s Glory—the revelation of Who and What He Is

(a) We cannot see the Father—His Glory must always be reflected to be visible—but we can see the glory of His moral, creative, and spiritual glory by the things he has made.

(b) The primary exhibition of the Father’s Glory during the earthly ministry of Christ was Christ Himself, excelling in moral, ethical, and spiritual glory, who had no sin, did no sin, and knew no sin—John 1:14-18

(c) But the primary exhibition of God’s Glory in this dispensation is in the glorious ministry of the Spirit, revealing Christ to lost people, saving them, and discipling them—2 Cor 3!!

(d) The Gospel is the ultimate expression of the glory of our God, because his Mercy, Love, Grace, Power, Omniscience, Sovereignty, Holiness, and Providence are all involved in His unfolding of the glorious plan of redemption.

(e) There is to be Glory in the Church—Eph 3:21—Because it is through His church that these things will happen.

b. The Blessed God—the word here is…Markarios!

(1) God is fully happy and pleased with Himself all the time

(2) Of Course God is happy

(a) He never needs counseling, though many of us have tried to Give Him advice from time to time!
(b) He has no “issues” within Himself
(c) He has enjoyed eternal communion and harmony within His 3 persons
(d) All His works are perfect
(e) All His ways are right

(3) Piper’s list (partial)

(a) God is happy with His Son

(Mat 17:5) "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!""

(b) God is happy with His own works

(Psa 135:6) "Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places."

(c) God is happy with His Creation

Gen 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

(d) God is happy with those he has Chosen

(e) God is happy with the Cross

(Isa 53:10) "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

(f) God Is pleased at doing good to all who trust in Him.




c. A sacred trust of doctrine to be handed down. 2 Tim 2:2 “…the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

1 Tim 1:12-17

An Exposition of 1 Timothy
Sermon 4
A Trophy of Grace: 1:12-17

Ø Why does The Holy Spirit include this testimony at this place and time?

(1) It almost looks out of place
(2) Some think was a digression, a tangent that Paul went out on
(3) The truth is, that he gives his testimony at this time to show that God can and does convert and use the most unlikely people in His service.
(4) Paul is saying, “look, I was a false teacher, I persecuted the church, I murdered Christians, and God turned me around….”
(5) We must never forget that false teachers, against whom we MUST defend the faith, are still potential converts to the Truth—as was Paul.

1. Grace For Paul

a. A Great Trophy: “…And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry…”

b. “I Thank…” Thanksgiving to God is often a missing element, even in the lives of true believers
(1) We forget what we were
(2) We forget what He has done for us
(3) We forget where we would be without Him
(4) We forget His many Providences for us
(5) We forget that He is the Source of life, breath, and all things—Acts 17:24-27

c. Christ Jesus our Lord—the Lordship of Christ is a major doctrine that cannot be soft pedaled. If Christ is not Lord, He is not Savior

d. What did Christ Jesus Our Lord do for Paul?

(1) “…Who enabled, strengthened…”

(a) The word refers to empowerment, it is related to dunamis, God’s dynamic power
(b) Paul knows he can “do all things…” but only “through Christ, who strengthens me…”

(2) “…considered me faithful…”

(a) God had counted Paul’s faith as righteousness, as with Abraham, and as will all believers (Gen 15:6, Rom 4:6-8)
(b) Now God “considers” Paul to be faithful—He counts Paul as faithful because God’s grace going to make him faithful, and God’s hand is going to guide and mould him.
(c) God is the source of Paul’s faithfulness to his calling. It is God alone who sustains him.

(3) Putting me into the ministry—

(a) First, God Chose Paul for this ministry—

(Acts 9:15-16) "…Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.""

(Gal 1:15) "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace,"

(b) Putting—Paul was placed in the ministry by God

(c) “…ministry…” The word here is “table servant…” Paul did not consider his ministry to put him in an exalted position.

(d) William Barclay compares this to the Spartans’ practice of rewarding athletic champions. When a Spartan warrior won an athletic contest, he did not receive any tangible reward. Rather, he won the right to stand next to his king during the next battle
(e) For Paul, the honor was in being put into the ministry by God



e. Paul had a great need for Great Grace— “…13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man,,,”

(1) "although I was formerly…” Before his salvation he had been a gross sinner, a truly evil man

(2) “…a blasphemer…” He had denied the true God and the Truth about Jesus, he had slandered God—to the Jew, blasphemy is a capital crime

(3) “…a persecutor…” “…one who pursues like a hunterè He had persecuted true believers, hunted them down like rats

(4) “…an insolent man…” ὑβριστήν,..” …sadist, a violent person. The word indicates one who in pride and insolence deliberately and contemptuously mistreats, wrongs, and hurts another person just to hurt and deliberately humiliate the person. It speaks of treatment which is calculated publicly to insult and openly to humiliate the person who suffers it…” (Rogers and Rogers, page 488)

(a) Paul had been a sadistic hater of God’s people

(b) Paul himself had been the ultimate in false teachers—he hated the Truth so much that he was willing to do anything to stamp it out

(Acts 8:1-3) "... At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison."

(Acts 9:1-2) "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem."


f. The distinction between ignorance and willful disobedience—“…I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief…”.

g. Paul Received Great Grace —14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

(1) Is always the LORD’s grace, lest we should ever think we added anything to it at all

(a) 1 Cor 1:29, Eph 2:9—
(b) we have no grounds to boast

(2) Exceedingly abundant
(a) The literal Greek is “hyper-abundant.”
(b) It means that the Grace of God is ‘way far more than we will ever need
(3) In Christ Jesus—We are Accepted in Him—

(Eph 1:6) "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

(Gal 2:20) ""I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

h. Paul, the example of What God Can Do—16 However, 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.


2. Grace for Ya’ll “…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…”

a. There were many things for Jesus to do on Earth

(1) Fulfill the Old Testament Law—Mat 5:17,18

(2) Witness to the Truth—John 18:36-38

(3) To Teach and Preach—Is 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound…”

(4) Fulfill all the prophecies about Him: Ps 22, Is 61, many more.

(5) Heal, cast out demons, and comfort the broken hearted, and work miracles

(6) To found His Church—“…I will build my church…” Mat 16:17

(7) To fulfill all righteousness—(Mat 3:15) "But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him."

b. But the great Mission that was over all and had priority over all was to Save Sinners

(Mat 1:21) ""And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.""

(Luke 9:56) ""For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

(Luke 19:10) ""for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.""

(Heb 7:25) "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."


c. We ALL have a great need because we are not just hurt or wounded by sin, we are dead in our trespasses and sins, and unless God makes us alive, we will never be Saved.

(Eph 2:1) "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…”

d. “…You must be born again…”, does not speak of our actions—God must cause us to be born again by His Great Grace, because the dead can only live when God makes them alive. You had nothing more to do with your second birth than you did with your first birth.

(James 1:18) "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."

(1 Pet 1:22-23) "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, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,"


3. Glory To God—(1 Tim 1:17) "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever….”

a. To which of the Persons of the Trinity is this exclamation addressed?
(1) To the Invisible God—John 1:18
(2) To the Father

b. Attributes of God mentioned in this verse
(1) Sovereignty—God is King
(2) Eternality—God is without beginning or end
(a) We are without end—we will always exist—but every creature has a beginning.
(b) Only the Eternal Spirit (Heb 9:14), and the Son, who has always been (John 1:1-2) and the Father, are without beginning or end.
(c) Immortality—God has life in Himself, and He cannot be hurt, killed, assassinated, etc.
(d) Invisibility—God is Spirit
(e) Only wise—Omniscience

c. Praises to God mentioned in this verse
(1) Honor—God is to be honored and respected,
(2) God is to be glorified, to be spoken of and praised as one who has “kabod,” weight, importance. All of this is His Due—Ps 96:8

4. “… Amen..."

a. ON the Surface, such a small word, one which many say without a thought, and others with great thought

b. Some interesting facts—

(1) Amen is probably the most universal word in human language. According to the Zondervan Pictoral Encyclopedia of the Bible, only “ma” comes close as a word used in many languages
(2) Its meaning in each language is the same—“truth.”
(3) It is used 51 times in the New Testament as “amen,” a direct carry-over from the Greek, but 126 times in all. Every time Jesus says, (depending on your translation) “verily, verily”, or “most assuredly,” he is saying “amen up front.”

c. Here are some of the many things that the New Testament “amens”

(1) Jesus Amens the authority of the Bible. (Mat 5:18) ""For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."

(2) Jesus Amens the authority of the Local New Testament Church. (Mat 18:18) ""Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

(3) Jesus Amens discipleship. (Mat 28:20) ""teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."

(4) Jesus Amens the necessity of the New Birth— (John 3:3) "Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.""

(5) Jesus Amens that Faith in Christ yields eternal life. (John 6:47) ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."

(6) Jesus Amens that He is Jehovah God. (John 8:58) "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.""

(7) Paul Amens that Satan will be crushed under the feet of God’s people. (Rom 16:20) "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."

(8) Paul Amens that the church is to glorify God. (Eph 3:21) "to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

(9) Peter Amens that men of God should speak with all authority and lay it on the line for the Lord. (1 Pet 4:11) "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

(10) The Risen Lord Amens that He has the Keys—(Rev 1:18) ""I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

(11) The Living Creatures around the Throne and the Saints who are to be saved in the Great Tribulation Amen the Glory of God— (Rev 5:14) "Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever." (Rev 7:12) "saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.""

(12) The last two Amens of the Bible tell us Jesus is coming Soon and His Grace is here to sustain us until Heaven. (Rev 22:20-21) "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

And you know what I say to that?

AMEN!

1 Tim 1:18-20

An Exposition of 1 Timothy
This Means War!
1 Tim 1:18-20

Ø ORI, War Plans, War Order
Ø Illustration—the “unknown” aircraft circles the field and asks for landing and parking coordinates
Ø The Wing Commander meets the plane, and off steps the Inspector General
Ø The “Two Biggest lies” take place
o The IG says, “we’re here to help you.”
o The Wing Commander says, “we’re glad to see you…”

Ø Then we were instructed to carry out our war order, launch the aircraft, and to do this under simulated war conditions.

Ø How much higher was the stress level, however, when my phone rang at 0200 on August 2, 1990, and I received the very simple message—“ Captain Buntin, Report to the command post.”

o Iraq had invaded Kuwait, and we knew that we would respond
o Then, on August 6, 1990, when the national command authorities made their decision, we launched the fleet of cargo planes at our disposal. The first troops on the ground were mechanics I sent to service our aircraft.
o An army designed and trained to fight against the Russians in the forests, towns, and cities of Western Europe was instead going to be unleashed against the soldiers of a madman on the most-used battlefield in history, the sands of Mesopotamia, known to us as Iraq.
o A navy, designed, built, and trained to sink the Russian Navy off the coast of Iceland moved its might to the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea to search for SCUD missles..
o An Air Force designed to Return Forces to Germany and engage in a desperate battle to control the air over the Fulda Gap of Germany, was going to instead move forces to Saudi Arabia and face a foe whose aircraft, for the most part, remained hidden for fear.
o This was NOT a drill
o What were we fighting for? Oil? The freedom of Kuwait? To prevent a madman from controlling the world oil market? The historians will still be debating that issue when the Rapture occurs. As military professionals, we did not concern ourselves with those questions, we just did our duty.

Ø The Spiritual war we fight is also NO war game—there is nothing so real as THIS war, and unlike the First Gulf War, the stakes are higher than oil, land, pride, even liberty—this battle is for souls of a multitude no man can number

1. Ordered to Fight—(1 Tim 1:18) "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,"

a. The War Order: “… 18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy…”

(1) Charge—a solemn charge. A military term referring to a solemn responsibility that must be carried out without regard to costs—What Ewell did not do at Culp’s Hill
(2) Commit—to hand over a responsibility
(3) Paul has handed Timothy a difficult set of war orders to be carried out without question

b. The Warrior’s Commission—According to prophecies made (at Timothy’s ordination)

c. What Is Spiritual Warfare? “…wage the good warfare…)

(1) Spiritual Warfare: a neglected doctrine
(a) Fear of “superstition”
(b) God’s Word

(2) Spiritual Warfare: An abused doctrine

(a) TV preachers have turned this into a circus, complete with preaching clowns.
(b) The R. W. Shamback example
(c) The Jesse Duplantis Example
(d) The Bennie Hinn Show

(3) Spiritual Warfare: a necessary Doctrine—1 Pet 5:8-9

d. The Origin of Spiritual Warfare—Satan’s Rebellion

e. What is involved in waging Warfare?
(1) Joining up
(2) Training
(3) Being tried and tested
(4) Knowledge
(a) General military knowledge
(b) Knowledge about weapons, equipment, and special functions of each career field, and training to be able to use all of them professionally
(c) Constant study and reading to improve knowledge and skills

f. Waging Spiritual Warfare

(1) We enlist at Salvation—the all-volunteer army of God
(2) WE are to be trained (discipled) thoroughly—Mat 28:19-20
(3) We will be tested and tried—(John 16:33) ""These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation…”
(4) We are to be taught all that we need to know (Acts 20:26-27)
(5) We must learn where the battlefield is located —2 Cor 10:4-6
(6) We must learn to use our weapons—2 Cor 10:4-6, Eph 6:10-18

g. So, the War Order is for Timothy to wage spiritual warfare in the hearts and minds of the people in Ephesus, fighting against false teachers and false doctrines which had invaded the church.

2. Ready to Fight “…19 having faith and a good conscience…”

a. Faith and conscience—see 1:5 and 3:9
b. Faith—in The Faith, Doctrinal purity
(1) Timothy is warned later on in this letter to safeguard, to watch, his own doctrinal purity.
(2) Faith is necessary for the fight—not just faith in Christ, but adherence to The Faith Once Delivered to the Saints (Jude 3-4)
(3) Every one of the weapons of our warfare is related to the Word and Prayer—Eph 6:14-18
(4) What did Jesus Use when attacked?—The Bible

c. A good conscience
(1) You cannot fight the war unless your conscience in clear between you and your Father
(2) The Warrior will be wounded, but he must keep short accounts with his God.

3. Traitors to the Cause—“…which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander..”

a. The false teachers have Self Inflicted Wounds, and they have joined the other side while claiming to be on our side!

b. The false teachers, two of whom are NAMED right here, rejected both Truth and Conscience

c. Like the false teachers in 1, 2, and 3, John, Jude and 2 Peter

d. They rejected Faith

(1) They taught doctrines which were not in accord with THE Faith
(2) They taught heresies that denied the essence of Christianity

e. They rejected Conscience

(1) Again, like the other false teachers, their lifestyles were unconcerned with holiness, they soft-pedaled sin, and they were “open minded”
(2) In Jude and 2 Peter, we find them guilty of all sorts of vile behavior
(3) Rev 2:18-24!!!!

4. The Traitors Receive Courts Martial—“…whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme…”

a. This is not like the providential battles fought by Job, Jesus, Paul, and Peter, whom God Himself submitted to trial by allowing Satan to attack them
(1) Those things are character building exercises for believer
(2) Or, they are designed to purify the metal and make the believer stronger and more ready for warfare.

b. No, these men were traitors to the cause, they had joined the other side, and Paul was turning them over to the Enemy to whom they actually belonged. He was removing the umbrella of protection from their lives, in the hope that they might repent and get right with God.

c. The prime NT example of this process—the man in 1 Cor. 5.

(1) He was living in open, gross, and rebellious sin, and was remaining in fellowship with the church
(2) The church had done nothing, and was, in fact, puffed up about their open-mindedness
(a) “Oh, yes, we are praying for him, and for her, and we hope that they will get it together sometime. In the meanwhile, we are not doing anything to push them away…”
(b) There may be many here in this service who would have the same attitude!
(c) But WHAT SAITH THE LORD?

(3) What was Paul’s reaction?
(4) READ 1 Cor 5
(a) Paul was practically incredulous that this situation was going on with the church doing nothing
(b) He takes the church to the woodshed
(c) He commands them to put the man out of the church

(5) What is the footnote here? The man, being cast out of the church, repented, and in 2 Cor 2, Paul says this: 2 Cor 2:5-11èbecause: The main purpose of church discipline is to rehabilitate and restore the offending party

(Jude 1:22-23) "And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."

1 Tim 2:1-8

An Exposition of 1 Timothy
1 Timothy 2:1-8
The 4th Pillar Of the New Testament Church: Prayer


1. Pray —“…2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…”

a. The command to pray—Mat 6:1-15: “…When you pray…pray like this”

b. The Importance of Prayer

(1) Paul exhorts, urges, that this practice in the church be followed universally
(2) “First of all…” does not refer to time, but to importance—prayer is a top priority for the local church
(a) Jesus taught His disciples (and us) to pray
(b) Jesus set the example by frequent seasons of prayer
(c) The churches in Acts prayed often, and powerfully
(d) The Early Christians would pray in unison sometimes.
(e) The Apostles, in their letters (particularly Paul) often recorded prayers and benedictions in their letters

c. The Forms of prayer—The Words used here—three of these are words with shades of different meanings

(1) The First word, δεήσεις, is prayer where there is deep-felt need
(a) It means there is a felt closeness, we can be as persistent and desperate as we need to be.
(b) And we must ask—is there a deep-felt need in our hearts to see our friends and family saved?
(c) If every believer spent five minutes in hell, perhaps our attitudes would be better about the urgency to pray for the lost.

(2) προσευχάς—is prayer as a sincere act of worship and praise.

(3) ἐντεύξεις–intercessory prayer—

(4) εὐχαριστίας—glorifying and giving thanks for God’s previous answers to prayer—thanking God for His mercies while praying for more mercies


d. The First object of prayer—everyone All Men—the word “men” is anthropon, which, in this case means all people.

(1) We are to pray for the salvation of all people, just as we are to witness and evangelize all people, and just as Jesus died for all.

(John 3:16) ""For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

(1 John 2:2) "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."

e. Pray especially for National Leaders—“… for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. …”

(1) For the leaders—which in Paul’s case were a bunch of perverted, violent monsters, such as the Roman Emperor Nero.

(2) Why pray for the rulers? “…that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. …”

(3) The God of Order and Justice—God ordained government to maintain at least a semblance of justice and law—(Rom 13:1-7), (1 Pet 2:11-16


2. Pray for the Lost—“…3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…”

a. God wants us to pray for all—it is good in His sight

(1) We might often not be sure about God’s will in come matters
(2) But this we know—if we are praying for the salvation of all, we are touching the heart of God.


b. God Desires the Salvation AND THE DISCIPLESHIP of all! “…4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…”

(1) First, God has a heart for the Lost, and He desires their salvation—
(a) if you realize your need of His Grace, remember, He is not against you, He is for you!

(b) The offer of salvation is to every human being, and any human being, who calls upon the name of the Lord

(1 Tim 4:10) "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."

(1 John 2:2) "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

(Rom 10:13) "For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.""

(Rev 22:17) "And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."
"

(c) But what of those who never hear?
(i) They HAVE heard—
(ii) God’s witness in Nature—Ps 19:1-6
(iii) God’s attributes spelled out in creation—Rom 1:19-21
(iv) These should lead anyone who can see, hear, or feel them, to seek God—they are accountable

(d) But regardless of them, YOU are accountable for much, much, more.

(e) What we see here is God’s heart for the lost
(i) Be encouraged!
(ii) God’s hand is not Short

59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear

(iii) Jesus will cast none out who come to Him—John 6:37
(iv) As long as you are alive, the way to the Cross is ever open, it is only closed by your death.

(f) But God’s desire does not stop with Salvation—the unquoted PHRASE here is of utmost importanceè “…4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…”
(i) The Greek word is “epignosis,” which means FULL knowledge of the Truth
(ii) This hearkens back to the Great Commission

(Mat 28:19-20) …20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…”

(g) If you are here today and you are yet a babe in Christ after many years, that is NOT God’s will for you. God’s will for each of His children is that we come to a FULL KNOWLEDGE of the Truth.

(h) If you are here today and are lost, that is NOT God’s desire for you—His desire is that you be saved

3. Pray Through the Mediator—“…5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…”

a. One God—Trinitarian Christianity does not teach three gods, but one Triune God, and this One God sent His One True Son to be the Mediator
(1) If He were an angel, He could not represent men to God, nor God to men
(2) If He were only God, and not man, He could not be ours.
(3) If He were man only, and not God, He could no sooner stand in the brightness of God’s Presence than we could
(4) But as the God-Man, He touches both God and Man, and pleads our case.

b. A Ransom for ALL—this word ALL cannot be denied or played with—Jesus died for ALL
(1) But the propitiation, the reconciliation, the turning aside of God’s wrath is (Rom 3:25-26) through FAITH in His blood
(2) No faith, no salvation—His death is sufficient to have saved every person born, but alas, the fountain must be accessed by Faith and Faith Alone.

c. In Due Time—Gal 4:4-6

d. Paul was called and appointed to his ministry to take the Gospel to ALL, and He wants us to pray about it. (1 Tim 2:7) "for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle; I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying; a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth."


4. Let us Pray What We Preach—“…(1 Tim 2:8) "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting…”

a. Paul, in verse 8, says that he wants men everywhere to lead in prayer—
b. He wants Holy hands lifted—those who are trying to genuinely life for the Lord, those who own Him as Lord
c. He wants wrath, and doubt left behind.
d. He Wants the MEN to pray publicly

(1) The Greek word in verse 8 is not anthropon, but it is “andra…”, which means “males.”
(2) God wants the men of this and every church to rise up and pray.
(a) This is not about mouthing a few words.
(b) This is not about the pastor or a deacon or two praying.
(c) This is the heart and essence of shared leadership and gifts—God wants men to lead in prayer and be serious about it.

e. This is not to minimize the praying women of this church, but God has ordained male leadership, and today, I ask men to lead—come up to the front, take a mike, and pray

(1) What man will pray to bind demonic forces right now?
(2) What man will pray for the sick in our congregation?
(3) What man will pray for the lost who are among us in this building right now?
(4) What man will pray for the lost in this town?
(5) What man will pray for revival in America?
(6) What man will pray for our national leaders?
(7) What man will pray for our youth?
(8) What man will pray for the leadership of our church?
(9) What man will pray for revival, right now, in this church?


Pray! People of God, Pray!

1 Tim 2:5-7

Only One
1 Tim 2:5-7

1. Only One God

a. There is only one True and living God

(Jer 10:10) "But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation."

(John 17:3) ""And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

(1 Th 1:9) "For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,"

(1 John 5:20) "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

b. There are no other Gods

(Isa 45:14) "Thus says the LORD: …. There is no other God.'""

(Isa 45:21) "…? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me."

(1 Cor 8:4) "Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one."

c. Common False Statements

(1) “We are going to the same place via different roads”
(2) We “all worship the same God in different ways”
(3) NO, NO, NO!

d. What we need to know about false “gods”
(1) First, God tells us not to worship them—Ex 20
(2) Second, the false “gods” are often demonically inspired

(Deu 32:16-17) "They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did no ear."

(3) Christians should not toy with these things—Acts 19:13-20!!

(1 Cor 10:20-21) "Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you “cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons."

(1 Tim 4:1) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,"

(4) False "gods" are created by their own worshippers
(5) The false "gods" are created in the images of those worshippers—(1) They want a God who is just like them

Psa 50:21 “…You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you…”

(6) This does not even make logical sense, as the LORD points out to Isaiah in this excerpt:

Isa 44:19-20 “…no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

(7) What 'god' is any good, if it is something that I or any other man has made? Is this not the height of lunacy? False Gods are man-made, vain, empty things.
(8) False Gods cannot save—Isa 45:20 "…: unto a god that cannot save."

e. Monotheism does not detract from the Trinity:
(1) God is One and God is three.
(2) God IS three in one, He EXISTS as three in one, He always has been three in one.

2. Only One Mediator


a. What is a mediator?

(1) A strictly human mediator is one who is an honest broker, who takes the side of neither party in negotiating a settlement—Jesus is NOT that kind of mediator

(2) In a very real sense, Noah, Moses, and other patriarchs took on the role of mediator—especially Moses, who received the Law from God and implemented it.—But Jesus is not that kind of mediator either

(3) He is the ONE mediator, a mediator of a different sort, a mediator like none other—His role of mediator is as solitary and different as God Himself is… “…One God…One Mediator…”

(4) Jesus is the Mediator who reconciled sinful man and righteous God by taking upon Himself the sin that caused the separation

b. Why is a mediator needed?

(1) Because of man’s sin and rebellion against the Holy and Righteous One True and Living God—Our sin separates us from God.
(2) God’s own righteous wrath against sin means there must be a satisfaction
(3) God’s Perfections make us incompatible with Him in our natural last state.
(4) To effect reconciliation and redemption, we must have a Mediator
(5) A mediator is needed, or we can never be saved!

c. Are there any other mediators possible or required?
(1) NO! As there is only one God, there is only one Mediator
(2) You can go directly to God without mediation by any man, any saint, any organization—it is between me and my Savior!

d. Who is the Mediator?
(1) Who is this advocate that will speak for us?
(2) Who will stand for us in the courts of Heaven?
(3) The man, Christ Jesus
(4) Man—He must be, and is, man to pay the price for humanity
(5) But He is also God, the Son of God and God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, co-equal, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit.

(6) This is why the doctrine of the Trinity and all of the surrounding doctrines are so vital, and why the false teachers on TV are so deadly in their lying false religion

(7) If the Father and the Son are not distinct persons, the mediation of Christ becomes a joke, a game, a morality play.

(8) See the Mediator’s prayer in John 17, See the role of the Eternal Spirit in Heb 9:14, and realize that for all eternity, there has been and is a distinction between Father, Son, and Spirit = God

3. Only One Price

a. He Gave Himself:
(1) He had predicted this and described it ahead of time—John 10:14-17
(2) No other price would do!
(3) No other mediator was possible.
(a) An Angel could not be our Mediator, for Angels are neither God nor man
(b) A mere man, even a perfect one, could not be our mediator, for he would not be God
(c) Only One Who is God and Man could pay the price

b. He Was In Total Control
(1) He was not taken against his will and executed—He allowed them to take him, after showing His power—John 18:4-6—He knocked them down with a word
(2) He told Peter there was elite guard on standby—twelve legions of angels

(Mat 26:53-54) "… 53 "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?""

c. One Price, and He alone paid it
(1) No saint has paid a penny
(2) Mary redeemed no one
(3) We ourselves brought nothing in our hands—Jesus paid it All!

d. One Price, many people—He gave Himself as the ONLY Ransom for ALL
(1) What price could there be other than this!
(2) What can wash away my sins?? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

4. Only One Time— “… to be testified in due time…”

a. The Plan was Eternal—1 Pet 1:18-21, Titus 1:1-2, 2 Tim 1:9

b. The Timing was Essential—Gal 4:4-6

(1) The hour, minute, day, and second, that the Passover lambs were being slain, Jesus was pouring out His life’s blood

(2) Darkness took the Earth
(3) An Earthquake shook the Earth
(4) The Veil in the Temple was torn in two
(5) The Universe looked on in shock and awe
(6) The honor guard of seventy-two thousand Angels bowed their heads
(7) The Savior cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
(8) Satan expected to win, he was waiting for the final blow
(1 Cor 2:7-8) "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."


(9) Then he heard, not the voice of defeat, but the simple statement of triumph
(10) Jesus said, “…It Is Finished—Tetelestai” and my soul went free!

5. Only One Gospel—“…7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle; I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying; a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth…”

a. Paul was a man on a mission—the salvation of the lost—He knew the divine importance of that mission, and he knew the costs of that mission

b. I know that a straight-from-the-shoulder approach offends some folks

(1) I know that many in this and every age are offended by authoritative preaching

(2) I know that a few are offended by naming of the names of heretics

(3) But men of God have a responsibility which transcends manners or sensibilities or anything else

(4) We have a responsibility to deal with the souls of men and women in a desperate fight for eternity

(Heb 13:7) "Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct."

(Heb 13:17) "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

c. (Read the Godly Pastor from the Pilgrim)

"...Sir,” said Christian, “I am a man that am come from the City of Destruction, and am going to the Mount Zion; and I was told by the man that stands at the gate, at, the head of this way, that if I called here, you would show me excellent things, such as would be a help to me in my journey.”

Then said the Interpreter, “Come in; I will show that which will be profitable to you.” So he commanded his man to light the candle, and bid Christian follow him: so he took him into a private room, and bid his man open a door; the which when he had done, Christian saw the picture of a very serious man hung up against the wall; and this was the fashion of the picture. His eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back. He stood as if he pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over his head.

Then said Christian, “What does this mean?”

Inter. The man whose picture this is, is one of a yousand; he can beget children, 1 Corinthians 4:15, travail in birth with children, Galatians 4:19, and nurse them himself when they are born.

And whereas you see him with his eyes lift up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth writ on his lips: it is to show you that his work is to know, and unfold dark things to sinners; even as also you saw him stand as if he pleaded with men: and whereas you saw the world as cast behind him, and that a crown hangs over his head; that is to show you that slighting and despising the things that are present, for the love that he has to his Master’s service, he is sure in the world that comes next to have glory for his reward.

Now, said the Interpreter, I have showed you this picture first, because the man whose picture this is, is the only man whom the Lord of the place where you are going, has authorised to be your guide in all difficult places you may meet with in the way: wherefore, take good heed to what I have showed you, and bear well in your mind what you hast seen, lest in your journey you meet with some that pretend to lead you right, but their way goes down to death…”

d. Faith and Truth—
(1) Faith, which unites us with Christ
(2) Truth, which is absolutely necessary and which is objective and true.

Our Father In Heaven

1. He is Father

a. The antidote to all cults is truth—there IS a Father, He IS in Heaven, united with the Spirit and the Son, yet distinct from them—Some examples—

(Gal 1:1) "Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),"

(Gal 1:3-4) "Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,"

(1 Cor 1:3) "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

(1 Cor 8:6) "yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live."

(1 Cor 15:24) "Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power."

(2 Cor 1:2-3) "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,"

b. He is called the Father over 260 times—

c. He calls Jesus His Son, and he speaks out loud to announce His very Presence

(Mat 3:17) "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.""

(Mat 17:5) "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!""

(2 Pet 1:17) "For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.""


2. He is OUR Father

a. He is OURs—He has a relationship with us, He is ONLY the Father of believers
(1) He is the creator of all, but the Father only of born again believers.
(2) The Lost have a father—the Devil (Jn 8:44)
(3) The Holy Spirit witnesses our relationship—Rom 8:15, Gal 4:4-6—Note that the word “son” is a legal term which can apply to men and women.
b. There are many who claim God as Father, but He is not their Father—some of them are called “spots” on our love feast—Jude.
3. He is our Father in Heaven—5:48, 6:1, 6:9

a. God is omnipresent in a real sense, but there is a special place, His very presence, where He sits enthroned—we call that place “Heaven.”
b. In the Baptism of Jesus (Mat 3:16-17), at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mat 17:1-5), and in the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17, the Father is in Heaven, and the Son is on Earth.
c. The scene in Heaven—Rev 4:1-11

4. He is our Father who sees in Secret and Who IS in Secret.
(Psa 91:1-2) "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.""

a. Our intimate, personal communication with God guarantees our safety and protection.

b. Our communication with Our Father is meant to be personal and private—(Deu 29:29) ""The secret things belong to the LORD our God, …”

c. God sees into the innermost part of each of us, He knows us better than we can know ourselves—(Psa 139:14-15) "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

d. Our relationship with God provides us with the ultimate of spiritual hiding places. (Psa 32:7) "You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah"

(Psa 27:5) "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock."

(Psa 31:19-20) "Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! 20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues."

5. He is our Father, Who knows our needs before we ask—Mat 6:8

a. First of all, NEEDS—not wants. A need is something we cannot survive without.

b. Second, HE knows our needs before we ask—He is God, He is omniscient, He knows all things.

6. He is our Father who is the source of our daily bread—Mat 6:11, 30-33

Mat 6:31 “… do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
a. God takes care of the things we need—and we need Him most of all—Mat 6:33
b. Like the manna, our supply is new every morning.

(Lam 3:22-23) "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."

7. He is Our Father, whose Name is Holy—6:9

a. “Holy” means separate, different, distinct.
b. When considering God, His Holiness defines all.
c. God’s Name is HOLY—He is not one who can be or should be taken lightly, nor should He be spoken about flippantly.

8. Our Father is our King—6:10a …He is our Father whose Kingdom is glorious, powerful, and eternal—6:13b

a. God’s Sovereignty
(1) God is “Lord of Heaven and Earth…” Acts 17:24
(2) God is in Control

(Psa 115:3) "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases."

(Psa 135:6) "Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places."


b. Many theologians speculate as to whether the Kingdom of God is now or in the future—the answer is: YES!

c. The rebellion of the nations and of the principalities and powers in the heavenlies, the rebellion against the Lord and against His Christ is ridiculous, no matter how powerful it seems. God laughs them to derision—Ps 2

d. God not only has won the war, He has called and is calling a people for Himself, all formal members of the rebellion against Himself, a trophy of His grace and mercy.

e. And one day, His kingdom will be fully triumphant.
(Phil 2:9-11) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

9. Our Father is the God Whose will shall be done everywhere—6:10b

a. This is the required caveat with each and every of our prayers—your will be done.

b. Just as with His kingdom, we pray for His will to be done here just as it is in Heaven—fully, immediately, and willingly.

10. He is our Father, who will forgive us if we forgive others.

a. Some explanation is in order
(1) This is not salvation by works, nothing of the sort.
(2) However, communion with our Father depends on walking with Him, and one of the chief determinants is whether or not we forgive as He forgives—

b. Mat 18:21-35

11. He is our Father, who will not allow us to be tested beyond endurance—6:13a

a. God tempts no one—James 1:13-14
b. But God allows testing and attacks, as with Job and Peter
(1) Job, accused by Satan before God, was tested by the attacks of Satan against his material wealth, family, and reputation, things of the most importance to him. (the attack against his reputation came from his friends, who thought he must have done something wrong to deserve is troubles.

(2) Peter was “sifted” in the area of his life that was most important to him—his self image as a brave and courageous warrior for His Lord

(Luke 22:31-34) "And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." 33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." 34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.""

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus will say to Peter, James, and John: “Pray that ye enter not into temptation” (Luke 22:40). That is the idea here. Here we have a “Permissive imperative” as grammarians term it. The idea is then: “Do not allow us to be led into temptation.” There is a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13), but it is a terrible risk.

12. He is our Father, who will deliver us from the evil One

a. The defender—our intercessor, the Lord Christ Himself
b. The Saint’s defense—
(1) Take your stand (Eph 6:10-12
(2) Submit (to God) Resist (the Devil)

(James 4:7) "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

(1 Pet 5:9) "Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."


Ø He is the Father who sent His Son to live for us and to die for us and rise for us to ascend for us, to intercede for us and return for us.

c. The question is—Is He YOUR Father

The Greatest Hymn

Introductory Thoughts

· The Greatest Hymn ever written
· This was written to solve the problems mentioned in 2:1-4

1. Who Jesus Is—2:6

a. The Deity of Christ Jesus—Phil 2:6 "… He existed in the form of God…”

(1) Form = [morphe]
(2) “…existed…” a present participle—

b. He “…did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped…”
(1) “…Did not regard…” is in the aorist tense—He did not think for one moment that He needed to be grasping about Who He Is. [The illustration of the old paratrooper and the young paratrooper]
(2) The word “equality” is in the plural form— equal in all things

c. Doctrinal point—Jesus is God.

(1) His inward reality is that He is the eternal God--John 1:1-2, 14, Micah 5:2, John 8:58, Rev 22:13

(2) His outward expression of that inward reality has eternally been to reveal the Father—John 1:18.

John 1:18 ”…No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

(3) He is not “a” God, He is The God— John 20:28
(4) He is not “god in the sense that all men are divine”—
(5) He is not “a man in whom God came to dwell”—
(6) He is not “the son of God only”—He is God
(7) He is not a man who became God—
(8) Christ is the eternal God, very God of very God, one with the Father and Spirit, yet distinct in His personality.
(9) If you examine the pages of scripture, you will find:
(a) He is called God.
(b) He accepts worship from men and angels
(c) He does the works of God

Ø Creation
Ø Preservation of the universe
Ø The sending of the Spirit of God
Ø The forgiveness of sins
Ø The giving of eternal life –
Ø He demonstrated His power over nature, over disease, demon powers, even over death,

(d) He possesses divine attributes.

Ø Self existence
Ø Eternity
Ø Omniscience
Ø Omnipresence
Ø Immutability
Ø Sovereignty
Ø Omnipotence

2. What Jesus Did—three self humiliations—leaving Heaven, becoming a man, dying for sinners.

a. The Self Humiliation of leaving the Glories of Heaven—John 17:5, 24

b. The Self-Humiliation of Christ Jesus to Manhood—Phil 2:7—7but £emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

(1) Of what did He NOT empty Himself? Not of His deity, power, sinlessness, or holiness

(2) Of What DID He then empty Himself?

(a) He emptied Himself of the external revelation of His Glory (except on the Mount of Transfiguration)

(b) He emptied Himself of the full and independent use of His attributes—though sometimes He did use them—Nathaniel, or “who touched me?”

(c) He emptied Himself of His own authority—He submitted Himself completely to the Father’s will

(d) He emptied Himself of all wealth—2 Cor 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

(e) He no longer had the eternal face-to-face communion He’d always enjoyed with the Father

(3) How did He empty Himself?
(a) By coming as a man
(b) By taking on the morphe (nature) of a servant.

(c) When God became a man, it was a team assignment!
(d) The Father prepared Him a body—Heb 10:5
(e) The Spirit overshadowed Mary and caused the virgin conception—Lk 1:35
(f) The Son BECAME flesh—John 1:14

(4) The purpose of His self-humiliation was our salvation—Gal 4:4-5 "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."


c. The Self-Humiliation of Christ Jesus to Death—Phil 2:8

(1) He humbled Himself to die the death of a common criminal;
(a) He was in control of the situation all the time
(b) Help was standing by (Mat 26:53) ""Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?"
(c) He knocked them down—John 18:4-6

(d) He laid down His own life—no one took it!—John
John 10:17-18 ""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.""

(2) Not just any death—but the death of the Cross, a cursed death.
(Gal 3:13) "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),"

3. What the Father did

a. He planned salvation before the World was made
b. He sent His Son to Die
c. He called Him forth from the dead
d. He sat Him down on the right hand of the majesty on high
e. He has highly exalted Him.
f. The Exaltation of Christ Jesus by the Father—Phil 2:9

(1) Has …exalted—this exaltation is a done dead. Christ Jesus reigns now.
(2) Has HIGHLY exalted
(a) His is the Highest place—1 Pet 3:21-22
(b) His is the Highest Name

g. Wherein is His exaltation?
(1) In His bodily resurrection
(2) In His 40 days of post resurrection appearances
(3) In His glorious ascension
(4) In His being seated at the right hand of the throne
(5) In His intercession for the saints
(6) In His present rule over the universe
(7) In His future return and rule after the consummation of all things.
(8) The Total Victory of Christ—Every knee will bow, Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God The Father

4. What WE are to do —Phil 2:1-5— Eph 3:21

a. If (1st class condition: “since…”) Since Christ is our Mediator and Savior
(1) —5 "Therefore if [since] there is any consolation [encouragement] in Christ è There is consolation and encouragement in Christ! Heb 4:14-16
(2) Because of Him, we are forgiven
(3) Because of Him, we will live forever
(4) Because of Him, death has no sting—1 Cor 15:55 ""O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?""
(5) Because of Him, we have power to live for God—Rom 6:14 "… sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
(6) Because of Him, we have an advocate in heaven—1 Tim 2:5

b. Since Christ is our loving Shepherd— John 10:7-15
c. Since the Holy Spirit unifies our fellowship— Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 12:13, Eph 4:3-4
d. Since The Love of God has been given to us—Rom 5:1-5
e. What Paul Wants to See— “…2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded…”

(1) “…Like minded…” = “mind the same thing…” four statements—the basis for true unity
(2) What “…Like Minded…” Means:

(a) Like minded means mutual Love—“…having the same love…”
(i) Love between the brethren in a church is required, not suggested—1 John 4:7-11
(ii) John 13:34-35 ""A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.""
(iii) Love is not gushy emotion, but is a life of action—1 John 3:14-19, James 2:1-9

(b) Like minded means Mutual Agreement— “…being of one accord, of one mind…”
(i) Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
(ii) 1 Cor 15:1-11—we do not drop our differences; we cling to the heart of the faith.
(iii) Eph 4:4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

(c) Like minded means Mutual Consideration— “… 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself…”
(i) What is your motive for being in church?
(ii) What is your motive for doing whatever it is you do in church?
(iii) Do you think you are better than others?

(d) Like minded means Mutual Concern—“…4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others…”

(i) But we are to be concerned about others in the church
(ii) We are to be concerned about their physical welfare
(iii) We are to be concerned about their spiritual welfare.
(2) Note of caution—“…this is not a command for unity at the expense of truth. It assumes that “the same thing” is also the right thing…” (Expositor’s Commentary)

5. Our Supreme Example— “…Phil 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…"

a. If He can disregard His own divine prerogatives, we can learn humility

b. If He can humiliate Himself by becoming a man, we can “wash some feet…”

c. If He can humiliate Himself to die for us, we can learn to live for Him.

d. The Exaltation of Christ Jesus by the Father—2:9-11—There is no limit to our inheritance.

God Finishes What He Starts

1. God Finishes What He Starts—Because He Is God— Rom 8:11

a. The Implications of The Attributes of God for the doctrine of the Security of the True Believer.
(1) Because God is absolute, that is, Supreme, Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient, He can do whatever He wants to do. Specifically, He can keep His promises.
(a) No one can stop Him, nor can they hinder Him.
(b) No one has the right to challenge Him or to call Him into account for His actions, for His Providence
(2) Because God is Eternal and Immutable (unchanging), His promises are eternal and immutable (unchanging).
(3) Because He is Just, God will keep His promises.
(4) Because He is Holy, God will accomplish His promise to save us by making us holy.

b. God Finishes What He Starts—

(1) Salvation is, from beginning to end, an act of God and of God alone.
Psa 3:8 "Salvation belongs to the LORD…”
Jonah 2:9 "….. Salvation is of the LORD.""
Titus 3:5 "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…”
Mat 1:21 ""…He will save His people from their sins.""
Eph 2:10 "For we are His workmanship…”
James 1:18 "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth…”

(2) God Saves Sinners

c. God Finishes What He Starts—Mal 3:6 Phil 1:6, 1 Cor 1:4-9, John 10:27-28, Rom 8:31-32


2. God Finishes What He Starts, and the Indwelling Spirit is proof that He has started—

a. Reminder—who is the Holy Spirit?
(1) e is a Who, not a What. He is the Holy Dove, the Third Person of the Trinity.
(2) He is God—the Creator, Illuminator, Convictor, etc.
(3) He is our Comforter

b. The Old Covenant and the Spirit—He was revealed somewhat, even in the Old Testament.
(1) He was revealed as the Creator-Gen 1:2, Job 33:4
(2) He was revealed as the Illuminator of the prophets. Neh 9:30
(3) He filled certain people for certain tasks—Exo 31:3, Exo 35:31,
(4) He came upon certain people for specific purposes—2 Chr 24:20
(5) In a sense, He dwelt within Israel corporately— Isa 63:10-11
(6) There were certain men, such as Daniel, who appear to have been indwelt by the Spirit—Dan 5:14
(7) But the universal indwelling of all believers was not a feature of the Old Covenant

c. The New Covenant Difference—John 14:17, John 7:37-39

(1) Old Covenant believers were led by the Spirit and had the guidance of the Spirit, especially in the inspiration of the Old Covenant Scriptures. 2 Pet 1:20-21
(2) But one of the differences in the New Covenant is that the Holy Spirit indwells us, individually and corporately.

d. The Individual indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
(1) Each one of us, individually, is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 6:19-20
(2) Each one of us has been placed in the corporate Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 12:13
(3) Each one of us is a building block of the Full Temple of God. 1 Pet 2:5
e. The Corporate Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
(1) Said of the church at Corinth. 1 Cor 3:16
(2) 2 Cor 6:16

(3) Said again of the church at Ephesus—Eph 2:19-22
f. For the Believer in Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance.Eph 1:13- 14
g. God Finishes What He Starts, and the Indwelling Spirit is proof that He has started—11

3. God Finishes What He Starts, and the Bodily Resurrection and Glorification of Believers is the Finish—Rom 8:11
a. An Ancient Faith—faith in physical resurrection was the ancient faith of God’s people, not some late addition.

(1) Job—Job 19:25-27
(2) Martha— John 11:21-24
(3) The controversy between the Pharisees and the Saducees. Acts 23:6-8
b. A Future Reality—We will be bodily resurrected—in fact, both saved and lost will be bodily resurrected at some point, but the saved will be raised to new life, and glorified. 1 Th 4:16-18, John 17:22

4. If you are indwelt by the Spirit, you will take part in the resurrection of Life!

a. The real question we examine here is this: "Is it possible for a person who has been truly saved to lose their salvation?"

(1) The resounding Biblical answer is "NO!"

(2) The problem is, that this real question is lost in a fog of doctrinal misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and and deviations from the subject, and both "sides" of this debate are guilty.

b. We must avoid giving false security:

c. But True Security is Rooted in certain Biblical Principles

(1) The Nature of God, mentioned already

(2) Justification by Faith

(a) The Nature of Justification—a legal declaration of “not guilty” by God

(b) The Author of Justification--God—Rom 8:33-34 "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

(c) The effects of Justification

Rom 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Rom 4:8 "Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.""

(3) The Nature of Salvation

(a) The Fact that Salvation is 100 percent a work of God—already mentioned.

(b) The Fact that Salvation is a permanent change of state John 5:24, John 6:47

(c) The Fact that, as a part of the gift of Salvation, we become adopted children of God (Gal 3:26-4:7). This forever changes our RELATIONSHIP to God—When we sin, God deals with us as a Father to a child (Heb 12:4-8), not as a judge to a criminal.

(4) Assurance is not the same as perseverance

(a) A false professor may have assurance, because he or she has been deceived
(b) A true believer may NOT have assurance, either because of a tender conscience, lack of good teaching, or unresolved sin issues.

(5) Perseverance Is Through the Power of God—1 Pet 1:3-5