As for the rich in this present age, charge them…”
I Timothy 6:17
Timothy was a timid young man with a daunting task. Paul is instructing Timothy to correct doctrinal error and institute right practice in Christ’s church. Timothy is being called to a work of reformation and revitalization of a floundering ministry.

As Paul brings the letter to a close, Paul gives one more task to Timothy – charge the rich in this present age. Doubtless there were many poor in the church at Ephesus- numbers of slaves but there were also many rich. The temple of Artimus and its many economic offshoots had drawn vast amounts of wealth to the region. A flourishing silver trade was in the surrounding mountains. The area was full of rich and prosperous people commerce was good.

Timothy is given a charge to remind them of why God gives wealth- not for just personal pleasure, but also for good works and generosity. To be sure God gives us all things richly to enjoy. He desires us to enjoy the fruit of our labor! There is great spiritual benefit in the ability to gratefully enjoy the bounty God has given- If you are wealthy, don’t feel guilty- feel grateful!!!

God is a good God and He enjoys bestowing blessing on His children. However, we must take it one step farther. We are reminded that a Christian Scrooge is an oxymoron. Christians are not stingy- they are generous! The early church modeled this in the first chapters of Acts. In Acts 4:34 we are told “and there was not a needy person among them…” Out of their own treasures they cared for one another. To be sure, there were abuses and there was sin (Ananias and Saphira), but there was also much generosity from the bottom of the heart.

May it ever be so with us.
Because of grace,
Tim

Listen to the related message below.

The post As for the Rich appeared first on EBCSV.

The loving-kindness of God. “Loving-kindness” is a word coined by a man named Miles Coverdale back in the late 1500’s to translate the Hebrew word ‘hesed’. Hesed is one of the richest words in all the Bible. It has been variously translated into English with such words as:
compassion, mercy, steadfast love, covenant loyalty. It is such a heavily nuanced word that it is actually very difficult to translate into our language. It expresses three parallel thoughts:
“(1.) a feeling in the heart of love (2.) that results in actions of mercy and grace (3.) because of a prior covenantal relationship.”

It’s hard for translators to put all that into one word. It ties very nicely with the N.T. Greek word- charis (grace). The term “loyal-love” expresses the thought closely.

So today we study the fact that when God makes a covenant with his people He faithfully discharges the obligations of that covenant. But, not only does He faithfully discharge His obligations- He does so from a heart full of love. What a great God we love!

“Through the LORD’S mercies (hesed) we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

The words of the little chorus fit nicely:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to end,
They are new every morning,
New every morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness.”

And so it is
Because of grace,
Tim

The post His Love Endures Forever appeared first on EBCSV.