Category Archives: Sanctification

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ONE STEP HIGHER

1 TIMOTHY 3:13

“For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

We find another one-time used word in today’s verse. The Greek word “standing” is only used right here in the Bible.  It literally means a step on the staircase, going one step higher. Figuratively, it implies someone who has made a higher rank or higher position. That may imply something that Paul never intended.

If you look at this verse in context of all the qualifications for a deacon, you will get an idea of Paul’s meaning here. Deacons who serve well will be given more important roles to serve the body. By serving well they have shown they are trustworthy and are ready to do even more. It may also imply they are worthy of being considered as elders, a higher “office” in the church.

APPLICATION

“Okay, Carl, tell me how to teach this verse to my children.” Glad you asked. Children need to earn the right to be trusted with some things. We don’t just give a five-year-old a laptop and set them free. We don’t give a thirteen-year-old the privilege of a cellphone unless we know we can trust them to use it wisely.

Some things are gained by being obedient in the small things. Jesus even taught that. By growing in our faith and experiencing trials, we learn how to help others going through similar times. Our children need to be taught that their small steps of faith now will prepare them for those “leaps of faith” that are coming. And by being proven trustworthy now, they can be given greater responsibilities in the future.

Do you clamor for more? Do you want to be recognized for your achievements? Then do it all for Jesus. By surrendering your will to His, the Lord may just bless you with opportunities. Remember what Joshua 1:8 says. “‘“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.’”

All I want is to please You, Lord. If that means I serve lower than the rest, that’s fine. If it means I am entrusted with greater responsibilities, so be it. My joy comes from serving You.

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JUST ONE WIFE

1 TIMOTHY 3:12

“Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.”

Most of us could not imagine a husband having more than one wife. But in some parts of the world, that is not an unusual custom. That undoubtedly was an issue where Timothy was or Paul would not have mentioned it here and back in verse 2 of this chapter. Paul would not have wasted words on this if it wasn’t an issue.

So, what does Paul say about this – that a deacon should only have one wife? He is specific – he said ONE. But why? So he could concentrate more on things of the Lord. If a man has multiple wives, he would not be able to focus on his responsibilities as a deacon. That’s all Paul is really trying to say.

APPLICATION

Now, I am not telling you to talk to your children about only having one husband or wife. That would be silly. So, how do you apply this verse to them? Let me ask you a question. Do you believe every verse of the Bible has meaning for everyone? Of course, it does. 

I believe our focus should be on teaching our children to not allow distractions to pull them away from their service to Christ. Whatever that might be should be removed or avoided. As believers, we cannot allow anything to tear us away from serving our Lord. Even the choice of a mate needs to be highly considered.

Are you single focused? Do you allow anything or anyone to distract you from serving Jesus? I can’t imagine having more than one wife. I would be torn who to love the most. I would be so concerned about them that I would be useless for my Master. Don’t you do that.

Thank You, Father, for working in and through me. Help me stay focused on You and eliminate things that pull me away. Staying focused is key.

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PUGNACIOUS, WHAT A GREAT WORD

1 TIMOTHY 3:3

“not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.”

Pugnacious is not a word you use every day, at least I don’t. So, when I see it, I have to stop and ask myself what it means.  I bet you did too.  Well, the Greek word translated as pugnacious means “a bruiser, someone ready with a blow; a contentious, quarrelsome person.” In other words, they are hard to get along with. They are always looking for a fight.

That is not someone you want in a leadership position in your church, is it? In fact, it’s not someone you want leading anywhere. But Paul is giving these qualifications for an elder because he knows the importance of laying aside all your personal beefs with others.

APPLICATION

I hope your child isn’t pugnacious. The word even sounds bad, doesn’t it? We are to teach our children to get along with others, not pick fights with them. Being pugnacious WILL always lead you into trouble. There is no escaping that fact. Being the one to always start fights will give you a reputation that is not exactly flattering.

Your little Johnny or Susie will not understand that word. That’s okay. They don’t have to spell or give the definition. Just make sure they don’t act like it. We should be teaching them to act exactly opposite. They need to be gentle and peaceable. They need to learn to appreciate people’s differences and work with them, not against them.

Are you pugnacious? Are you a bruiser, always looking for a fight? Give it up. Allow the Holy Spirit to live through you. Don’t give in to the flesh which is always pugnacious. If you can’t spell it, you don’t want to be it (lol).

Lord, help me to be a peacemaker, not a warmonger. I do not want to be known as bruiser. I want to be like You.

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CHILD BEARING

1 TIMOTHY 2:15

“But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

I have to admit something. I don’t fully understand every verse of the Bible (big surprise, right?). And today’s verse is one of those. There are as many interpretations of this verse as there are commentators. I don’t have the time or space in this devotional to argue every one of them. So, I am going to give it my best shot with the warning to check it out yourself.

The word “women” is not in the original. This verse is actually referring back to Eve in verse 14, but has reference to all women in the last part. Paul seems to be attempting to back off the harsh words of the previous verses. Women were the vessel the Lord used to bring forth the Messiah. Women have the incredible responsibility of child bearing and rearing. And that is done through self-restraint as they practice faith, love and sanctity.

APPLICATION

Okay, here is the challenge. How do you apply this verse to your children?  Well, Paul is NOT saying that your little Gertrude’s sole role is child bearing. Children don’t “complete” a woman anymore than marrying does. They are not saved by giving birth to children. But, if the Lord allows them the privilege of children, He has a duty for them. They are to practice faith, love and sanctity with self-restraint.

What is self-restraint? It actually means soundness of mind, sanity, self-control, or sobriety. The word was used previously in 1 Timothy 2:9 where it was translated “self-control.” So perhaps the lesson is not about child bearing at all. It’s more about learning to exercise self-restraint. That can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Are you showing self-restraint? In your walk with Christ, are you continuing in faith, love and sanctity with self-restraint? This admonition applies to all believers, not just the female ones. Men need self-restraint just as much as women, maybe more. Allow the Holy Spirit to control you so you can show the world how a believer lives.

Lord, I am thankful I don’t have to fully understand every verse of Scripture. I know as I am able to grasp its truths You will reveal the hidden treasures to me. Thank You.

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YOU ARE NOT WEARING THAT

1 TIMOTHY 2:9

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,” 

Modesty seems to be a thing of the past. Have you walked through a mall lately? The things people are wearing and the things the stores are selling can be very, should we say, revealing. I know, I know. Every generation screams this. There was a day when if a woman’s ankle showed below her dress she was horrible.

But modesty isn’t just about what we wear. It’s about so much more. This Greek word for “modesty” is only used right here in this verse. It actually refers to an act that precedes or prevents a shameful act. Hmmm, Paul is trying to encourage the women to do just that. Modesty, in other words, can help prevent wrong things from happening.

APPLICATION

Modesty isn’t just for girls, though. This is appropriate for all of us. We should not only dress modestly, but we should behave that way. We should never present ourselves in such a way that lures others to make bad choices.  As parents, we teach our children modesty to protect them. When they are toddlers, it is cute to see them run around the house naked. Not so much when they are 10 or 12 or 18, right? 

But we teach them also not to draw attention to themselves. Remember, as believers we should always be pointing others to Jesus. When we dress or behave in such a way that all attention is on us, then we have strayed from our mission – to lead others to Him. Modesty helps us achieve our goal.

Maybe you struggle with this issue. Perhaps you like to flirt or show yourself off. Will you examine your heart today and ask the Lord to reveal how you should display modesty? He wants you to never be ashamed. He died so that you would not feel that way ever again. He is the image of modesty. Follow Him.

Let my every action point to You, O Lord. Make me aware of anything that pushes people away from You. 

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I’M NOT LYING

1 TIMOTHY 2:7

“For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

Boy, oh boy, how many times have you heard that as a parent after catching your child red-handed? They begin to lie to cover up their actions. One lie leads to another lie, and before they know it, they have dug themselves a very deep hole.

The meaning of the Greek word “lying” is to willfully misrepresent or mislead. You know exactly what you are doing, and you still do it. Paul is ensuring Timothy that he is NOT lying. He was simply telling the truth about his calling. As hard as it may seem to many, Paul was called to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

APPLICATION

So, how do you teach your children not to lie? By holding them accountable for the lies they tell. Some people think little children telling fibs is cute. It is not. Little lies, if gotten away with, just leads to bigger lies later. Their little minds are thinking, “If I got away with this, what can I get away with later?” Don’t let them. No matter how small you think the lie is, confront it.

But don’t go to the extreme and try to catch them in a lie. Reward truth telling and discipline lying. Children respond to praise (so do we adults). When they tell the truth, praise them vehemently. Let them know how proud you are they told you the truth, even though it may have meant getting into trouble. Afterall, as believers we only have one choice – be truthful. 

Are you tempted to tell little half-lies? So many people are. They figure as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it’s okay. Well, it’s not. Christ indwells us. Truth indwells us. Truth and falsehood can’t cohabitate. They just don’t get along. Tell the truth. Believe the truth. Celebrate the truth.

O God, You are Truth. All that is true is You. You cannot stand for falsehood in any form. Help me to remain true to You and Your Word.

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LAWBREAKERS

1 TIMOTHY 1:9

“realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers” 

I have noticed something about people who don’t like rules. They are usually the ones who break them. People who don’t like the law are normally lawbreakers. People who hate law enforcement officers are the ones who are repeatedly arrested for breaking the law. Hmm, there seems to be a pattern here.

That is exactly what Paul is saying here. The law isn’t an issue for the righteous. If we are living righteously, we have no problem with the law. If we are living righteously, we follow a higher law. But if we are lawless and rebellious, we constantly struggle against the law because it reminds us and convicts us of sin.

APPLICATION

Try an experiment in your house. Abolish all rules for a week. Anything goes. No chores have to be done. No bedtimes. No rules about what and when you eat your meals. See what happens. It won’t take long for your children to start following rules that no longer exist. It sounds like freedom to have no rules, but it actually is much more confusing and tiring.

After this experiment (if you dare), ask your children what they liked or disliked about it. Take notes. You will want to refer back to them a few weeks when they begin to complain about the rules again, lol.  And take the opportunity to explain that rules (law) are not meant to punish us. Rules are meant to guide us. Encourage your little Gertrude to obey because of her desire to please God, not you.

Which “laws” are you breaking? Are you fearful of being caught? Hiding your lawbreaking can be exhausting. Why don’t you confess that as sin today and allow the Lord to give you a fresh start? Learn to embrace the law (rules) as it was intended. God only wants us to obey Him out of love.

Lord, forgive me for complaining about Your law. I know You give it to guide me. Let me see it as You intended.

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FOLLOW THE RULES

1 TIMOTHY 1:8

“But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,” 

We have rules for a reason. Rules help us keep order. Rules guide us correctly. Rules can teach us the right way to do something. Rules can keep us honest. So, why do so many people break them? For some, their motto is “Rules are made to be broken.”

Paul addresses the idea of rules in today’s verse. The word “lawfully” is only used twice in the New Testament – here and in 2 Timothy 2:5. Paul had been a rule follower. Remember, he was a Pharisee, a law-abider and a law enforcer. He knew the law couldn’t save you, but it could guide you. The law pointed out sin which can lead to repentance.

APPLICATION

I don’t know many children who like rules. I used to tell my staff in the Children’s homes to have as few rules as possible in their cottages. Fewer rules made it easier for the kids to remember them. That applies to our own homes as well. Rules without relationships just don’t work.

That’s why we have to help our children understand the “why” behind the rule, not just the “what” of the rule. Get them to help make the house rules. Make sure the house rules agree with Scripture. Let them hold you accountable for the rules. If you break a house rule, they should be able to point that out to you without fear of reprisal. We ALL need to be held accountable.

But aren’t you glad that the Lord is less concerned about rules than He is about relationships? You see, we should obey the Lord’s commands because we love Him, not out of fear of being punished. Obedience out of love will always be easier than obedience out of fear. Remember, the Lord gives us rules for a reason. He wants to keep us safe and teach us to be more like Him – the Law Giver.

I am thankful for Your Law, O Lord. Let me follow obediently without becoming legalistic. I want to show others the joy of obeying You willingly. 

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A NEW DIRECTION

2 THESSALONIANS 3:16

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”

I just love how the meaning of a verse can take a whole new look when you dig into the meaning of the words in the original language. Before you say, “Easy for you, Carl,” let me tell you how easy it is. There are tons of online sources where you can dig deeper. You just have to decide you really want to do that. Let me show you how important this is in today’s verse.

The word “circumstance” in the verse will certainly cause you to think about your life. At the initial reading in English the verse seems to imply that Paul is praying for the Thessalonians to have the peace of God in every situation. But no!!! The word actually means “the new course of conduct someone has because of knowing Christ as Lord.” Doesn’t that change everything?

APPLICATION

Let me explain. You would not ask God to bless your child in their wayward decisions, would you? You want them to choose the right path, no matter how difficult it might be. Then you pray for God’s peace on that journey. That’s what Paul is saying in today’s verse. He is saying, “May God give you His peace as you follow His direction.”

Do your children always choose the right path? If they do, I want to know how you did that. Children mess up. Adults mess up. Sometimes we mess up because we want to take the easy way rather than the right way. Choosing the easy way can get us into a whole world of hurt very quickly. And although the right path may be painful, the end result is peace with God.

What journey are you on right now? Is it the easy path or the right path? Sometimes the Lord will bless us with easy decisions, with easy paths. But other times, we wonder if He knows what He is doing. Right? I’m just being honest. But trust Him. He always knows what He is doing. He always will put us on the right path. And He always delivers what He promises – His peace.

I am thankful Lord that You trust me enough to put me on the difficult journey. I may gripe and complain, but You are always on my side. Help me show others the value in following You.

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TIRED OF BEING GOOD

2 THESSALONIANS 3:13

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”

If you know me personally, you know I spent over 30 years of my 40+ years of ministry serving in the Child Welfare environment. I served in various capacities at several Children’s Homes. So many of the children I worked with would start learning how to handle their own behavior and make progress in school and home. But most of them would reach a point when they would regress to previous bad behavior. When asked why, they would say, “I am just tired of being good.”

That may sound like a cop out, but until they learned the truth of the Gospel, they were doomed to repeat this roller coaster of good behavior and bad behavior. Once they learned they didn’t have to be good and to allow Christ to live through them, they began to stabilize their behavior. They weren’t always good, but they recognized it was all about surrender.

APPLICATION

Don’t teach your children to be good. Yes, you read that right. Don’t teach them to behave. Teach them, instead, to trust the only Good One. When our children learn to depend solely on Christ, behaviors will improve. When they learn to follow Christ’s example of selfless living, they will put others first. 

You can’t teach goodness. You have to live it out. You have to experience life. Your children will have ample opportunities to “be good.” But nothing they can do will ever make them good. Only Christ can do that.

Are you pointing others to Jesus by your “goodness”? Are you allowing Christ to live in and through you? Apart from Him you have absolutely no goodness in you. You might be morally good. You might treat others nicely. But there is no goodness in you. We are simply sinners, saved by grace. Let His goodness lead you to do good works.

O Lord, I am so grateful that I don’t have to do good works to achieve my “goodness.” I recognize that no amount of deeds on my part will achieve that. Only You can make me “good” in Your sight.

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