One is God… (1 Timothy 2:3-7) 260608
3 tou/to kalo.n kai. avpo,dekton evnw,pion tou/ swth/roj h`mw/n qeou/( 4 o]j pa,ntaj avnqrw,pouj qe,lei swqh/nai kai. eivj evpi,gnwsin avlhqei,aj evlqei/nÅ ei-j ga.r qeo,j( ei-j kai. mesi,thj qeou/ kai. avnqrw,pwn( a;nqrwpoj Cristo.j VIhsou/j( 6 o` dou.j e`auto.n avnti,lutron u`pe.r pa,ntwn( to. martu,rion kairoi/j ivdi,oijÅ 7 eivj o] evte,qhn evgw. kh/rux kai. avpo,stoloj( avlh,qeian le,gw ouv yeu,domai( dida,skaloj evqnw/n evn pi,stei kai. avlhqei,a|Å
This is good and pleasing before our God, the Savior, who wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For one is God, and the one is the mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, the one who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own time. To whom, I was made a preacher and an apostle, I am telling the truth, I am not lying – a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and in truth.
What is good and pleasing before God? A peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and holiness (1 Tim 2:2b) is good and pleasing before God. And God wishes all men to be saved (v4). The reason God wishes all men to be saved is not because of anything men have done to deserve it. Nothing we have done deserve the saving grace of God. But the fact the God has given His Son, Jesus Christ to be born as a man, like you and I, demonstrates His unconditional love for us.
Paul is very careful to remind Timothy that God is One, or One is God (v5). The unity of God is something very crucial to be understood by all believers. And Paul further elaborate that this One God is the man Christ Jesus, who is also the mediator between men and God (v5). This is not another clever phrase which Paul has coined to impress His readers, but this is a truth which we cannot missed.
In the days of Paul and Timothy, there were still people have seen Jesus as a man walking on planet earth. Statements like: One is God and the man Christ Jesus; is absolutely mind blowing to many people of those days. Though the Jews believers there is only one God, but they cannot comprehend what on earth is Jesus doing if He is God! The Jews will have great mental, psychological, religious and emotional blockages to realize that Jesus is God. Jesus can be a prophet, He can be a Rabbi, and He can even be a Pharisee, but not God.
And to the Gentiles (simply everyone else who is not a Jews), they believes is multiple gods system. They have no problem for another ‘god’ to be added into their collection of gods. But when Paul emphasis again and again that there is only one God, and God is One and the One is Jesus who is a man, they have problem with such equation which does not made any sense. One plus another one equates to one! This is even before Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit and Trinity. I can empathize with them. Even as a theologically trained person, I have difficulty understand and explain the Trinity. Maybe the best is not to explain, but to accept.
One is God. We claim it as Christian, but often we do not live according to what we claim. If God is One, then we serve and love only the One and Only God. But how often do we also love and serve other than the One, God?
Many of us will be sentenced guilty if God is to charge us with having an adulterous affair with our joy. I was found guilty and I am still found guilty.
When I was still in teaching profession, I work very hard, not to impress God, but to impress the people around me, my Head of Departments (HOD), principals, colleagues, students, family members, church people and myself. Though I have a ‘noble’ mission in teaching, that is to touch and change lives, but these are done without God most of the time. I was also guilty when I was working in church as a youth director. Some says that I became a youth dictator. And I put my job in first priority, even before God in many occasions. Prayers are only a formality. When I was in Bible College, I worked doubly hard to make sure that I get good grades and look good before my fellow schoolmates and lectures. I do look good as the Student Council Chairman for two consecutive years and my GPA is far above average. But what do all these mean to God?
Nothing. God is One. He wants my undivided devotion and love. He does not want ten percent of my income as tithe, but He requires me to be wholly given onto Him as a living sacrifice. He does not want to compete with my job for attention. Is your job or your study or your children a competitor to God?
When my baby Alethea becomes part of my family, she has been a competitor to God in my wife life. She has been struggling to give her time to God in devotion and intimacy. I am also struggling to make sure I keep my morning devotion consistent. For the past few days, I have not been spending my quiet moments in the morning with God, only a short exchange of prayers as my devotion.
God is One, and One is God. Do not let anything come in between God and you. For God has given His only Son so that He might have the right to be the only God in your life. What is in between you and God? Is it your job? Is it your study? Is it your children? Or is it Jesus Christ?
I am not suggesting that we should neglect our job or study or children, but we should not allow them to be a competitor to God. We have to learn to put God at the centre of our lives. We have to be honest. Some will say that it is the situation and circumstances which do not permit you to spend that quality time with God, or some will even say it is not your ‘style’ to have quiet time. But if you are honest, and ask yourself: how much more do you know God today than yesterday? If your answer is not much, then you should evaluate your spiritual walk with the Lord. I am not saying that you have to spend hours in devotion, but do you walk close with Him, soak yourself deep into His words, and rest and refresh in His presence everyday?
Let nothing rob you from such joy of being with God, in His words and presence. For God is One.
One is God.
HHS…
Abel…
