SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 9-07-02
My
Worship Time Focus: Preach the Word
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: 2Timothy 4:1,2a
Message
of the verse: “1 I solemnly charge
you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and
the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word;”
As I enter chapter four of this letter to
Timothy I am reminded that this is the last recorded words of the Apostle
Paul. He nears death as he pens this
letter and this is the last portion of the letter so it can be assumed that the
things that he writes will be of the up most importance and something to listen
and take very seriously.
Paul again
charges Timothy as he did in 1Timothy 5:21.
He charges him before God and His Son: Jesus Christ. He then goes on to describe Christ as the one
who is the Judge of the living and the dead.
When the Bible speaks of judgment it refers in this case to the three parts
of judgment that Jesus Christ will judge.
He will judge believers after the rapture at the judgment seat of
Christ. At this judgment He will
evaluate the believer’s life in service for Him while upon the earth; at this
judgment and not of salvation, for that has already been cared for at the cross
of Christ. Next He will judge the “sheep
and the goats” when He returns at His second coming. This is a judgment of the nations and the
sheep will go into the millennial kingdom and the goats will go to the lake of
fire with the antichrist. The last
judgment will be the Great White Throne Judgment, which will only be
unbelievers.
Paul also
describes the second coming of Jesus Christ in the latter part of this
verse. This too is part of the
description of Christ that Paul charges Timothy with. He uses the word appearing in this section
and this is what the Strongs Concordance says about it: “1) an appearing, appearance
Often used of the glorious manifestation of the gods, and
esp. of their advent to help; in the NT the advent of Christ, --not only that
which has already taken place and by which his presence and power appear in the
saving light he has shed upon mankind, but also that illustrious return from
heaven to earth to occur in the future.”
Now Paul tells what the charge to
Timothy is and that is to preach the Word of God. This is the answer for saints and sinners
alike, to hear the Word of God preached by a minister of the Word. This is very important to Paul as he leaves
it to one of the last things that he writes to Timothy about in his life. This is very important to ministers of the
Gospel today, and will be throughout the Church age.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: It was
sobering to think about Jesus Christ as my judge, and that someday I too will
have to give an account to Him as to how well I have done the things that He
has given me to do for the cause of Jesus Christ while here on earth. The preaching of the Word of God, and the
importance that Paul thought of it is also very sobering to me as I think of
times when I got little out of the preaching at our church.
The
Word of God was very convicting to me today, and it was also very sobering and
insightful to me too.
My
Steps of Faith Today: I want to
remember to take heed of the preaching of the Word of God in a better way that
I have in the past. I want to also
remember that the Lord has left me on the earth to do His will for the cause of
Christ and I need to be more sensitive to His leading to do His will. To help me do this I need to remember my
memory verses for this week.
Memory
verses for the week: 2Timothy 3:16,17
All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
may be complete, throughly equipped for every good work.
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