Stewardship 2 – desires and riches

The aim of this devotional study is to reflect on the Christian approach to riches.

Scripture

1 Timothy 6:5-19

5… From such [who suppose that godliness is a means of gain] withdraw yourself.  6  Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

9  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 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.

11  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses…

17  Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Observations and reflections

1. To get to the heart of Paul’s instructions in this chapter, summarize each sub-this section in a short phrase:
   1. Verses 5-8
   2. Verses 9-10
   3. Verses 11-12
   4. Verses 17-19
2. Paul quotes some teachers who say “godliness is a means of gain” but responds by saying “godliness with contentment is great gain.”
   1. What do you understand by each of these phrases?
   2. Then Paul says we cannot “carry” anything out – why does he say that? [hint: what can we take out of this world…? see verse 6]
   3. So in light of this, why would Paul be content with only “food and clothing”?
3. Paul is often misquoted as saying “money is THE root of ALL EVIL”; what does he say in this text above, and what difference does it make?

Application and Prayer

1. Paul refers to people who once served God but have backslid in pursuit of earthly wealth. Do you know individuals who once served Jesus passionately but have since then become more wealthy and consequently more worldly, with less care for God and his things?  How did it happen?  Or, can you recognize in your own life that more possessions bring more cares and also more carelessness for God’s and his things?
2. Paul gives command to wealthy people in the congregation Timothy oversees:
   1. “to not be haughty [proud]” – do you recognize in yourself that you more easily look down at poor people that at rich people? What is the right attitude?  And how can you rectify that?
   2. “not to trust in …riches” – do you find (or long for) security in savings or insurance? What is the right attitude?  And how can you rectify that?
   3. “who gives us all things to enjoy” – do you sometimes feel ashamed or guilty for having more money than others? What is the right attitude?  And how can you rectify that?
3. Pray to God about your attitude regarding money and earthly possessions – both that which you have and that which you desire or need. But take your time to thank God for that which you have and have had in the past – recognizing him as the “giver of all good things”!  Then ask God what you should do with what you have now.

Salvation 11

The aim of this module is to grow in understanding and appreciation for the fullness by which God saved us in the death of his Son Jesus Christ.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:1-21

1  For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3  if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

4  For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.  5  Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6  So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7  For we walk by faith, not by sight.

8  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  9  Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences…

14  For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15  and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Observation

There are several terms used to describe a certain part of the process by which God saves us.  Consider the following terms with a simplified definition of each.

• Eternal life describes both life without end in days, as well as the experience with which we live to the fullness without reservation – the very life of God.
• Glorification refers to the fullness of our salvation we will receive when Christ returns to deliver us of the presence of sin and Satan and transform our bodies to resemble his.
• Identification means to identify with the position of another: Christ identified with us in our humanity and carried the punishment of our sins – even death; we in turn identify with his righteousness and life.
• Inheritance refers to what we will partake of as children of God, that which is rightly ours as children of God – both now and when Christ returns to take us to him.
• Justification is a legal term meaning that no fault (or sin) is found in the accused.
• Condemnation is a legal term which implies that the accused is found guilty and has been sentenced for punishment.
• Reconciliation means to arbitrate and bring peace between two parties.
• Regeneration or recreation means to bring to life, to make new.
• Repentance means a 180 degree turn-around in will, attitude and behavior – to go the other way. Biblically it is used to mean one turns from sin towards God’s way of life.
• Righteousness refers to what is right in the sight of God, and is often spoken of as a garment by which we are clothed to appear pure before God.
• Substitution or propitiation with regard to our salvation refers to another who takes the punishment of sin on our behalf.

Now read through the text again and fit each of the following verses with one (or two) of these salvation terms that fit best.

• V1 ————–
• V2 ————–
• V3 ————–
• V5 ————–
• V10 either ————– or ————–
• V11 ————–
• V14 ————–
• V15 ————–
• V17 ————–
• V18 ————–
• V20 ————–
• V21 ————–

Application and Prayer

Which verses in today’s sccspeak the clearest to your conscience today?  Why does it press on your heart?  Spend some time to pray to God about that aspect of your salvation.  Then make time to worship God for this great gift of salvation in his Son Jesus Christ!

Salvation 6

The Aim of this devotional Bible study is to grow in appreciation and understanding of God’s gift of salvation.

Scriptures

Numbers 21:4-9

4  From Mount Hor [the Israelites] set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.  5  And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

6  Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.  7  And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.   8  And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”

9  So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

John 3:14-18

14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  5  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Observations

1. Let’s summarize Numbers 21 by linking the verse reference on the left with the best one-word description on the right:

V4                    confession

V5                    salvation

V6                    discontent

V7a                  rebellion

V7b                  intercession

V8                    judgment

2. In John 3 Jesus uses the allegory of Numbers 21 to refer to his own salvation. In essence, every person is “bitten by a serpent” and must look at “the fiery serpent on a pole, lifted up” to live.  Answer the following questions about this allegory shortly:

• what does “being bitten by the serpent” refer to?
• what does the “death” of those bitten by the serpents refer to?
• what does this “fiery serpent on a pole” refer to?
• what is the significance of Jesus being identified as a “fiery serpent on a pole”? (hint: Galatians 3:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Application

1. We know that on the cross Jesus became a substitution for the wrath of God, carrying the punishment of our sin and dying on our behalf. In which way can you see this both Numbers 21 and John 3 above?
2. Memorize John 3:14-18 (do one verse at a time if it is intimidating). The Bible School group will be asked to repeat it at our meetings this week.

Prayer

Respond in prayer – thanksgiving for your salvation and intercession for a friend or family member who must still respond to God’s gift of salvation.

Salvation 1

The Aim of this devotional study is to grow in understanding of God’s work of salvation in us.

Scripture

Titus 3:3-8

3  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

4  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8  The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Observation

In this brief section of Paul’s letter to Titus, we learn so much about the saving work of God in our lives.  To study this rich section, briefly answer these interrogative questions about Paul and his reader(s):

1. Why did need to be saved? (v3)
2. When did they get saved? (v4)
3. Who saved them? (v4, v5, v6)
4. How did they get saved? (v5-7) [Use your own words here].
5. What was the motive for God’s salvation? (v4)
6. What does the term “become heirs” imply of those who received salvation? (v7)
7. What was the logical consequence/ outflow of God’s salvation according to this text? (v8)

Now see how well you understand the author:

8. Regarding salvation, what is meant with “regeneration” and “renewal”? (v5) What is regenerated and renewed, and why is it needed in the person being saved?
9. What does the term “justified by grace” mean? Why does a person being saved need to be justified?  Who does it and how does it happen?

Application

1. Can you write down in which way the Holy Spirit has done a work of “washing of regeneration and renewal” in your life? Who can vouch for that transformation?
2. What area in your life needs renewal now? [you have to tell someone about these needs!]

Prayer

Spend some time and thank God for his goodness and kindness in saving you.  And thank him for his ongoing washing of renewal and regeneration as you bring your needs in that particular area to him in prayer.