When Paul left Timothy as a pastor in the Ephesian church, the young man was forced to deal with some hard issues that had cropped up among the people of God. And even though Paul was planning on visiting soon, his heart was so heavy for the people of this church that he wrote everything down and sent it to Timothy as a letter.
A part of Paul’s concern was how these Christians were conducting themselves as the church. Christian character and conduct mattered to Paul. But have you ever wondered why it is so important? Is it really that big of a deal to follow a bunch of rules?
Whether we follow Jesus or the world, we are held to rules and a standard of living. Murder, stealing, lying, cheating, and abuse of various kinds are universally unacceptable. But for the world they are unacceptable because they cause chaos, disrupting the peaceful life that people long for. Much of the world’s reasoning is driven by self-love. This is not entirely a bad thing, but it is not the best thing.
As Christians we have a code of conduct that we are called to – not because of what we can get out of it – but because of who God is, and who we are as His people.
When God commands us to not steal but share generously, this is because He is a God of generosity who never takes what isn’t His. When God calls us to love sacrificially or forgive completely, it is because this is what He does. What God does stems from His very nature. And when God calls us to holy living, it is not only because He is holy, but because we are now His holy people, cleansed and declared to be righteous in God’s sight through the work of His Son, Jesus. Once we were a people who were driven by self. Now we have been saved to be a people driven by love for God and others. The call to right living according to God’s standards is a call to godliness. Godliness is like God-like-ness. We are called to reflect the God who saved us, provides for us, hears us, loves us, and changes us.
Ultimately, true godliness is seen in Jesus. He is the “mystery of godliness” because once He had been hidden, but now He took on flesh and is godliness personified, and His godliness is credited to us. This is what gives us good standing before our God. And this standing gives us the freedom to obey our Lord.
As Christians and as the Church we are to conduct ourselves in a manner that shows our changed heart, our gratitude for our salvation, and our love for the One who died for us.
Looking To Jesus,
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Is this next Friday’s blog? I think it goes with verses in chapter 5? Not 3? Anyway…thanks for the blog and insight! Happy Friday!
Ahhhh. You are right. So sorry. Just fixed it. Thanks for letting us know.
Thank you for this app! My first day …this app is amazing …will be telling friends!
Abby,
This is my 2nd week completed of bible study here at LGG and I love it! I was just as excited about it when I found it too. 🙂 I told a ton of my friends about it. I’m enjoying it a lot. It only takes a little time each day and I feel great and crave more.
In the scripture for today, 1 Timothy 3: 14-16, Paul reminds Timothy of the importance of proper behavior in the household of God. However, while there were problems in the church at Ephesus at this time, I believe we are called to proper, God-like, Christ-like, behavior everywhere. Someone is always watching. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said that while I usually consider proper behavior to be avoiding sins, I also need to consider proper behavior as living with complete faith, seeking wisdom, submitting my will to God and so on. Doubt is also a sin. The Proverbs 31 woman comes to mind. She accomplished many things, but everything stemmed from God. What do you think? My prayer this week was to live out Christ-like behaviors and to my actions reflect the woman God has called me to be. God bless!
Monica,
Really good points and I agree with you. I notice a huge difference when I am doing well and reading in the word daily, prayer and church. My behavior and conduct are much different and people around me seem to change their behavior as well. For example, they won’t curse around me when they normally do. Or apologize to me if they let it slip. My positive attitude draws people in. But when I have times when I may back slide and get lazy its definitely not the same. I “fit in” instead of “stand out”. I’d rather stand out and be a beacon of Gods love and draw the lost to me.
I just live how you explained these verses, Jen! It was beautifully explained! ❤
It was supposed to say “love” not “live”. This is what happens when I dont proof-read before I hit the submit button! ?
Somehow my email has been dropped so I didn’t receive Wed nor today’s blogs. I did receive Monday’s. How can I fix this? Thanks so much. LOVE LLG studies!!
Greetings!
I should have read this before doing my SOAP ! I was unsure about the verses I read and I even wrote this in my post. I was so thankful once I read this because it offered clarity and peace of mind . I love it when my questions are answered . These are the questions I have when I am alone and with God. When they are answered like this I call it a “God Thing”. Thank you for your post and God Bless