Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Consider what I say.
And the Lord give the understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David.
Was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
When I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds, but the word of God is not found.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus eternal glory.
It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. But if we believe not yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself.
Now these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no prophet, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing.
The word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat, as doth the canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus.
Who concerning the truth, have heard saying that the resurrection is passed already?
And overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.
Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified, and meet for the master's use.
And prepared unto every good work.
Flee also, youthful us, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord. Out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions, avoid knowing that they do gender stripes. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apartment, to teach patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves.
If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
These two first verses we have read seem to.
Simply.
Mean to us this Paul Saint Timothy.
Here's what I'm telling you, my doctor.
Like we had this morning, the Lord saying to those in Matthew 15, hear and understand.
The application about the decision is here the church Matthew 18. Here Timothy says, hear my doctrine. I mean, Paul says to Timothy, consider my doctrine, Paul's doctrine, and then he prays that the Lord would give.
Him understanding in all these things, so I guess prayer.
For us and for others, as Paul's doctrine is ministered, would be helpful to taking it in. Then I think the next verse becomes very precious when we drop out two words that and was. I I think they belong in there. But the understanding is nice when we read it this way. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David Ray?
From the dead, according to my gospel at least it beautifully fits the instruction the Lord gave from heaven to Paul in First Corinthians 11.
Remember Jesus Christ? It's a person we remember, and we remember him as raised from the dead. He was at the seat of David. He was a legal king, but he was raised from the dead. That's what we remember, the person raised from the dead, according to Paul's gospel.
00:05:17
That seems really significant, that 8 births.
And I like to think of it in connection with the character of the day in which Paul was writing to Timothy.
Everything seemed to be going downhill. Nothing seemed to be working in the right direction. In the first chapter, we've had it drawn to our attention all day that are in Asia. Turned away from him. Paul was in prison.
He was waiting at anytime his execution according to the 4th chapter.
It seemed like a lost cause.
And Timothy. He was trying to encourage Timothy.
And so he says, in effect to Timothy. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead? According to my gospel, Because when the Lord Jesus finished his course down here, it looked like an outward way, failure as well. Fact prophetically in Isaiah 49, he says, I have labored in vain. I've spent my strength for not.
And in vain it's surely my judgment is with God, and my work with my judgment is with the Lord and my work with God.
Brethren, God's answer is in resurrection, and we may not see great things down here. We shouldn't expect to see God's answer down here. God's full answer is in resurrection, and so Paul is encouraging Timothy Timothy to follow these principles. You may not see great things down here, great results down here, but remember God's answers and resurrection.
Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from among the dead, according to my gospel, rather than that should be an encouragement to us. We don't look for great things down here, don't look for objectives down here in this world. No, God's full answer is in that Day of Resurrection. When we stand before the judgment seat, then we're going to see God's full answer to the whole picture.
It should be a real encouragement to us as we go on, to be content to go on, even if there is not too much to encourage. Go on. The answer will come, but it may not be in this life, Brother God's answer is in resurrection.
Why does the Apostle Paul hear and in Romans 216 speak of the Gospel? Is my gospel?
Why was it distinctively the Apostle Paul's doctrine?
Well, I suppose that.
It's.
What the Lord gave him from heaven, like we were saying this morning.
We mentioned a goodie on the apostles doctrine and then Paul's doctrine and.
When the church was founded they didn't have Paul's doctrine, but there was the apostles doctrine and the word of God was being written and you traced through packs. It says the word increase. The Word grew. That is when the apostle Peter spoke an axe. It was the apostles doctrine and was written down. What we needed to have, of course the whole of it is the apostles doctrine or the.
Doctrine that comes through the prophets, the whole of the New Testament and so.
The apostles doctrine began with that of the 12 There they were in Acts 2 and the Lord was leading them. This Holy Spirit was down there, and they began to practice breaking of bread, which later on becomes to be named through Paul the Lord's Supper, and.
Then Paul begins his ministry.
Personally, Acts 11 in Paul's doctrine comes and his is the doctrine.
That came down from heaven. Paul didn't receive it from the apostles at all. He just checked out with them. He got it from the Lord, from glory. So it's a it's a special gospel and it's the gospel of the glory. Pauls gospel takes us right up to the glory. The gospel, the grace of God is much of it too, but the gospel of the glory and that comes through Paul. So Paul's gospel is very bright in that way.
00:10:24
When you preach, it all did, he said. We and I suffer trouble.
Christ had been rejected. Christ had gone up to heaven. He gave all the heavenly doctrine. He preached it. He was rejected. And I wrote here he was bound, but they couldn't mind the word of God. The word of God comes right out of that Roman prison, and he was written, He was used to complete the word of God in Colossians one, it says.
We have that then in Second Corinthians chapter 4.
Our gospel, our gospel be hid. Head to them that are lost in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ or the gospel of glory. I've heard it said it was the image of God should shine into them. Yeah, that's part of it. The gospel of the glory especially comes through Paul and the gospel of the grace of God. To what gospel is, It's good news concerning Christ. It's always that.
The gospel is God's good news concerning Christ. Beginning with the fall, spoken to the serpent, the seed of the woman. There's the first gospel. It's always Christ. Whether it's that everlasting gospel, where it's the gospel the Kingdom, whether it's the gospel of the grace of God, whether it's the gospel of the glory, whether it's Paul particularly revealed. But one says my gospel. I think it's what God has given us through Paul.
I'd like to see that the purposes of God are never frustrated, are they? Paul finds himself in prison, as has been mentioned, and perhaps the enemy thought if he could lock the Apostle Paul up in prison, then he would keep him from traveling amongst the Lords people and encouraging the assemblies. He would keep him from preaching the gospel. Perhaps he thought that in that way the spread of the truth would be hindered or stopped, but it only worked out for a far greater purpose.
God was in control. And so as a result of Paul being in prison, we have that written ministry by divine inspiration, part of the inspired word of God. If he had been giving ministry orally with one would have been wonderful for the Saints at that time. But now as part of the inspired word of God, we have those things for our encouragement and for our blessing, all down through the ages. I'm sitting right up until 1991 and I often think of that verse. I think it's the 176th Psalm and verse 10. It says the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain. And it's very beautiful to see that. And even in a day of weakness such as we.
Find ourselves and Timothy found himself and ruined. God is in control.
He's overall, he, he's on the throne and he's working everything out for a purpose and a purpose of blessing. And not only in this world, not only is he in control of all that's going on in this world, but he's in control of all that's going on in your life and mine. Whether it's as individuals, whether it's as families, whether it's in the assembly, he's in control. And if we're willing just to commit things to him and realize that he is working everything out for a purpose of blessing, then we're going to be preserved.
Then we're going to go on and you know, I was thinking of.
This verse in connection with the seed of David, because I suppose those who associated themselves with David in his rejection in his time of suffering in The Cave of Adalom, and when he fled as a bird to the mountains and so on. I suppose those who were there with them, associated with them in his rejection, were looking forward to that time when David would come to the throne, and they would be associated with him in his Kingdom.
And what encouragement it gives us, As he says later on in the chapter, if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.
We had that before us this morning concerning that goal and how the farmer, when he has a goal, he has the harvest in view, the soldier has the victory in view, the the student has the diploma in view, the athlete has the the prize in view. And what is the prize in the Christian life? It's Christ. And do we have that in view? Are we willing to associate with a rejected Savior now with that in view that there is a day when we are going to be associated with him?
00:15:13
In that coming scene of glory, and that glory at that time when he has his rightful place not only in heaven but on this earth. And I know, brethren, that the hope of the Lords appearing is not the proper hope of the believer. We're looking for the rapture. We're looking for his coming in the air to take us to be with himself. But nevertheless, to me it's a tremendous encouragement to realize that there is a day when he will have his rightful place and every knee is going to bow and every tongue confess.
And a day when we're going to be associated with him in glory and we're going to see everything in the light of his presence. And it takes faith to count on that. Perhaps we don't understand things now, but there is a day, it says in Isaiah 40 when the crooked is going to be made straight and the rough place is playing. Solomon looked at things from a natural standpoint and he said that was just crooked. Cannot be made straight And that was just rough, cannot be made plain. But there is a day when everything is going to be manifest in the light of his presence. Now we see through a glass darkly. But I've enjoyed a little expression and revelation concerning the heavenly city and also that sea that is in front of the throne of God. It says it's clear as crystal And brethren, there's a day when everything.
Is going to be clear as crystal. Are you and I content to go on to follow a rejected Christ? To be faithful with him? To leave those things that perhaps offend us and those situations that we think are never going to be straightened out? To leave them with him, and count on that day when he will have his rightful place and will be associated in glory with him.
You love the gospel, Ronald.
And you know you can't save a soul.
But it talks about the elect. What do you think about the pattern for you and I and all of us in verse 10 concerning what Paul says in my gospel?
Well, the.
We hear people tell us.
There's no need to preach the Gospel because.
Those that are going to be saved are going to be saved. We don't need to take our children to Sunday school.
If God's going to save them, he'll do that. He doesn't need our effort.
And there have been doctrines which have gone to sea Ultra Calvinism. What went to seed on that? But, Brother Clem, your question is excellent, because Paul is to us a great example of a faithful servant of Christ. And he said, and and he's the one that taught us the truth of predestination and election, as no one else did. And yet.
He gives us a wonderful example.
He says I'm going to endure all of this for the elects sake and God has told me to go into the world and preach the gospel and I'm going to do it because he told me to do it and I'm going to suffer and I'm going to spread the good news even though I know that only God can save souls. Yet I'm going to do this in obedience to the Lord, trusting him to bless his word.
I think he's a wonderful example.
For all of us to follow, let's not sit back in our rocking chairs and say no need for me to do anything because the Lord has to do it all. No, that's that's just one side of the coin. And the other side of the coin is I'm going to work, I'm going to sew, I'm going to cultivate, I'm going to water so that God will use that for the blessing of your souls. And I think that's what.
Your thought was, wasn't it brother Glenn, to ask the question that Paul is to us a real good example?
Of a normal servant of Christ. I think that's right, Ron. I think God works on both ends. He works in the heart of Ron Reeves to publish and distribute thousands and thousands of tracks then.
That's God's word, in and through you are, and then it's his work to bless what you've done. He He works on both sides of the fence. So he brings a servant of Christ to be exercised to share Christ in the gospel, and he works accordingly.
00:20:07
In the to bless that servant's work. Isn't that pretty much the thought he because it's God who worketh in you boasts to will and to do of his good pleasure.
So we can say if there's any activity of the gospel in the life of any Christian, it's really God working, giving me the desire to do it and the energy to do it, the will to do it. And then he takes what we've done, which is his work, and he blesses that.
If we think of Paul, where he was when he wrote this and why was he landed there?
It helps us in our thoughts. It was love, genuine love, national love, appalled for his nation, that landed him in prison.
He was the apostle chosen for the Gentiles, but he had to work with the Jews.
But he was taken by the Spirit of God out of the Jewish center.
And moved over to Rome. And here he is writing and he says I endure all things.
For the elect's sake, he knew that God had chosen.
But he had a privilege and responsibility. What could he do? He wrote.
And you think of what came out of that prison and the millions that have been brought into the light of the gospel, of the grace of God and the gospel of the glory of God through Paul.
Then how much of that he foresaw, we don't know. But he loved his nation. He loved the Jews. Those in Italy were blessed there, those in Caesar's household.
Well, he had to endure. Although they could tie him up, they couldn't tie the word of God up.
The scripture of the command given for preaching the gospel was to preach the gospel to every creature, and that is our responsibility. Even though Paul knew that there were the elect, still the command is not to preach to the elect because we do not know of those who are still unsaved who they may be.
The responsibility is to preach to every creature, even though they may not receive the message.
And I've enjoyed the thought in Second Corinthians chapter 2 where Paul says.
We are a sweet Savior of Christ in them that believe and in them that perish. So preaching the gospel to those who will not believe still is a sweet savour of Christ to God, and so it need to be encouraged to make it known to the whole world. It's the responsibility, brethren, We're still here, and those around on every side should see the light of the gospel in our lives.
Paul was thankful for any way that the gospel went forth.
I think it's in Philippians where he said whether in truth or pretense, Christ is preached, deny their endure, rejoice, Shay and will rejoice. Even though he said there that there were some preaching out of contention hoping to add to his bonds. He was just thankful that the gospel was going forward and that was Pauls whole desire after he was saved. Before he was saved, his whole being was taken up with persecuting the people of God and seeking to stamp out the truth. But after he was saved, his whole desire was first of all that the gospel go forth to the loss.
And under the Saints be encouraged and go on well. And it's beautiful to see that in these epistles how his whole he's not complaining as to his situation. He's not wallowing himself Pity, shall I say this whole desire is that the people of God are going on in fellowship together. It's a real shepherd's heart, and we ought to covet that. And we heard this afternoon about that word encouragement. And brethren, we need to seek that shepherd's heart like Paul, to encourage one another to go on in these difficult days.
It's We had that verse, I think, read to us in the prayer meeting. Be sober. Be vigilant for your adversary. The devil is a roaring lion. Seek walketh about seeking whom he may devour. And what is his character as the roaring lion in application to you and I? Not persecution in a physical way, but he's seeking to divide and discourage the people of God, and we need, like the apostle Paul, to have that desire. In fact, I've been struck in noticing in the end of Second Corinthians that.
00:25:06
When he speaks of all those things that he suffered physically for the testimony sake, and it's a tremendous list there in 2nd Corinthians 11. All those things shipwrecked, beatings, imprisonment, things that you and I have never been called on to pass through, perhaps, but at the end of that list, he says. And that which came upon me daily, the care of all the churches, And to me it's just as if all those other things that he suffered in a physical way, they just pale.
They just don't seem to mean as much. When he thinks of the burden that he had for the people of God that was greater to him. Whether the Saints were going on well, going on in happy fellowship, growing in the truth, that was more of a burden to him. It meant more to his heart than all those things that he could suffer physically. Well, I say we ought to covet that, especially in these days when Satan is busy to divide and discourage the people of God.
Like to mention, it's helpful to see the whole focus of this chapter.
It's instruction from one service of Christ to another that's really the focus of the whole of this chapter. The Apostle Paul in the first letter to Timothy particularly exhorts him about himself and his own growth of his soul.
He tells them to occupy himself with the doctrine, to be so that others and himself too may progress in that. And the first epistle is particularly an encouragement to a believer to go on in the truth of God, to lay hold of the doctrine, and to walk in it. The 2nd letter to Timothy is to stir him up as a servant of Christ.
To do that service for the Lord in the Great House. And so when this chapter begins, it has that focus. He hell has something. What is he to do with it? He's to pass it on. There are others that need that word, and Timothy is exhorted to pass it on to others. He's to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. In what context? As a servant. It's as a servant and it's a servant.
And which, brethren, I want to apply it to ourselves. In this way the Lord has wonderfully given many of us to enjoy a lot of truth of Scripture. Now we live in the great House. Are we sharing it, or are we keeping it to ourselves? Or are we passing it on? Are we content to the fact that we have it, or are we going to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ and put away the things?
This light, now that we have the truth as we think and not pass it on to other members of the body of Christ and share it with them. I can enjoy it. I can take my ease, I can say I've got it. And so I entangle myself really in the affairs of life in addition to what I have. But the good soldier says no, I'm going to for Christ sake.
Not make this life a place of ease for myself, but in obedience to the captain of my salvation. I'm going to go forth as a soldier to my fellow man, to my fellow believer, and then he goes on to include that it takes work. The husband then has to labor. There's effort involved in what he's doing. And if I don't do it in accordance with the word, if I don't serve the Lord in obedience to the method that's shown in the word of God, I can't expect the Lord's approval of it.
And then Paul goes on here to give this personal example of himself in a very gentle way to his fellow servant, to encourage him to be a servant of the Lord. Because he starts out and and the way he does it to me is wonderful. He says, Now you know, Timothy, my gospel and how what has happened to me because I have presented that gospel. Well, Timothy, you know, I've ended up in prison because of it. That's been the result.
Because I have preached Jesus Christ, risen from the son of the Son of David, risen from the dead. Where has it gotten me, Timothy? Well, it is. It's landed me in jail. And that's where I now write to you. But Timothy, I know I've suffered and gone. And he says a little later, he says, But if we suffer, he's encouraging his fellow servant. He says, I know it costs something to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to share the truth of the word of God.
00:30:10
But it's worth it, Timothy, because if we suffer, then the glory is going to come. Timothy, don't deny it. Let's not deny the truth. Let's go forward with it. Because he denies he He'll remain faithful. The Lord won't deny himself. And so if we're a good servant or a faithful servant to him, we can always count on the presence of the Lord in it. Timothy needed this encouragement because he saw Paul in prison and he might said oh.
I can't serve the Lord in that condition. What if I really tell the truth of God?
I might end up in prison. Well, now you and I don't think we will. But many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are in prison today. They're in prison today. Why? Because they have been followed the exhortation for this chapter. We don't know how many hundreds or thousands.
Of the Lord's people are sitting in a prison cell this afternoon because they have been faithful in the way that Paul was exhorting Timothy. And then he goes on in the what follows in this chapter just to kind of give an overview because I think it's helpful to see the chapter and it's it's focused, it's real context when he goes on, he says. Timothy there are some who have brought in perverted words.
They haven't really brought the truth. Now what is the servant going to do about that? He said Timothy And he tells him, he says you shun fame and profane battling. Don't get involved in that, he said. I know that some have perverted things by saying the resurrection is passed already.
But listen, Timothy, the servant of God, must not strive but in general, and he shows him how to deal with that situation where he was. He wasn't to raise up, as it were, and beat down all opposition and forced his own will upon all men. He couldn't do that in the great house. He might have when all was in order in the first epistle of the 1St letter. But now all that is confused. Nor was he taught to withdraw from it all, as it were, and say well.
I've got the truth, and you and I can enjoy the truth, and we'll let everybody else worry about themselves. No, as a servant of the Lord, while he wasn't to strive, he was to be gentle, have to teach to carry forth the truth unto all men, and in connection with it, just in that center, he said.
In verse 18 concerning the truth, some have urged saying the resurrection is passed already and overthrow the faith of some. But then he gives a word of encouragement to the servant in a confused and evil day.
But Timothy, the foundation stand, sure, we can rest in that, and we can build on that foundation. And we'll find that if we build on that solid foundation of the word, that we're going to find others on the same foundation striving in the same way. And we can go on with them, even as we seek to bring blessing and benefit as servants of the Lord in the whole household of God. And we can.
Desire that God may give those who oppose the truth her adventure, He says to give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth. So I just, I want to bring that out, brethren, so that we can sort of see even in the verses that we read, that the real strong emphasis of this whole chapter is an encouragement to us and instructions and exhortations to us as to how to be the Lord's servant.
In the confused state of Christendom and in the world today, and to encourage us to be willing to do it even if we have that privilege of sharing with Paul and with Timothy and the suffering that goes along with it, what was it for? For the elects sake.
Paul he just says Timothy, why am I doing it? Well it's for the elects sake and so may we not give our lives to everything that we have and are for the sake of the elect. We don't know who they are individually and so we we go out to all but our lives should be those that are motivated as servants of Christ and love to all men and to all the body of Christ.
Maybe we can.
00:35:01
Go on in this chapter to get a little further towards the end. I'd just like to. I don't want to hurry anybody who has a special burden on any verse that it's like to point out some real positive things here towards the end of the chapter that I think are so beautiful to lay hold of the 13th verse. It says if we believe not.
Yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself, rather than that a consolation to realize that even if we are not faithful, if we do not believe, there is one who is always faithful in the seven churches. He's called the faithful and the truth. We can count on the Lord brethren.
No matter how difficult the situations that may arise, and the Lord may have to allow more difficult situations than what we are already passing through.
But he is faithful, he cannot deny himself, and we can count on his faithfulness in the midst of the confusion that there is all around. Then Don touched on that, going down further to what relates to the Great House, because in verse.
17 There were two who were denying The Who were saying that the resurrection had already passed, and they were overthrowing the faith of some bad doctrine was being taught.
And here in the great House, where everything is so confused and everything is now not according to God's thoughts of His house, It's not no longer called the House of God like it is in First Timothy, as it's been mentioned, but it's the Great House. Man's ideas, man's thoughts have been incorporated, but all under the roof of profession of the name of Christ.
But notice the first part of the 19th verse. Here's a real positive thing, brother. The foundation of God standeth. Sure the Old Testament. When Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed Jerusalem, even the foundations of the house were broken up, so that when Ezra came back, they had to relay the foundation.
But in the ruin of the public testimony today, brethren?
The foundation stands. Sure. It's sure, brother. We have a sure foundation. It speaks in in Ephesians chapter two of the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. The apostles and prophets laid down in the New Testament scriptures is sure we can still ground ourselves on those principles.
They were laid down there. It stands firm. Isn't that a consolation in our day, even amidst the confusion? That's the foundation of God stands. Sure. Oh dear brethren, we do have things here that really encourage, even in spite of the fact there may be a lot of trouble still.
He abides faithful, he cannot deny himself, and the foundation of God stands sure.
What's the other seal?
Two farts, dude, Aren't there. The Lord knows them that are His, and let everyone that name it the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
God's side of it and our side of it. And we do have a responsibility in regard to in regard to it. There is a great house. We are told in 2nd Corinthians 6 not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Come out from among them and be separate. Stay the Lord and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and be a father, and you should be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. He's already our father, we know that. But he acts as a father and.
So here in this it's.
It's the devoted heart. It's the desire of those who know the Lord and love the Lord.
00:40:06
To show that love.
By.
By leaving The Walking and separation from the vessels under wood and earth, the vessels under dishonor.
That will fit for the master's use, and prepared forever unto every good work.
We need to need leave souls with God, don't we, brethren? The Lord knows them that are His, and it's not for us to go and say this is a real believer and that one isn't. The Lord knows we have to leave him pretty well with God in that side of the matter. But there is an individual responsibility that reflects on each one of us. That is, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ or of the Lord.
Depart from iniquity, and everyone who names that name, and I would say this, that the great House.
Includes all those who name the name of Christ who use that name. If they name that name, they have a responsibility. But it's put in this singular here, and so I have to examine myself if I name that name.
Do not connect that name with iniquity, in whatever way it may crop up doctrinal moral ecclesiastical. Do not connect that name with iniquity. That is the responsibility of everyone that names that name.
Another thing I think we should mention that since this great House includes all those who name the name of Christ, and it includes a.
A lot of different peoples and groups, you might say that name, the name of Christ. Brethren, we are part of the Great House, and we cannot get out of the Great House without becoming an apostate to Christianity. That would be the only way to leave the Great House. Sometimes I and I like to clarify it. Sometimes we use terms and I think we need to clarify them. In our minds we use the word the camp.
Brethren were told to come out of the camp.
But we're never told to come out of the great House. That would be impossible. Sometimes in our minds eye it seems like it's the same word we're using, but it's different. The camp is Judaism, that which ministers to man in the flesh, that which pleases man in the flesh, and that we are to lead, we are to come out of. But here it is not the count as such. It is the great House of Christian profession, and in that great house.
There is a responsibility that reflects on me to not connect the name of Christ with iniquity. And also if I want to be a vessel unto honor meet for the masters use, then I need to purge myself from those to dishonor. And so there is that responsibility. Within the house we do not leave the house, but within the house there is that.
Responsibility. I present it to you individually as it reflects to my own soul individually. I must act before God on my own responsibility for this if I'm going to be a vessel unto honor meet for the master's use and prepared unto every good work.
I'd like to ask a question concerning the end of verse 22. Timothy is exhorted to go on with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. I think this is an expression that has been misconstrued and misapplied, and I just like to ask if the question concerning this expression who are those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart?
In chapter one of First Timothy, the same expression is used.
The first Timothy 1.
Five Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart.
00:45:04
And that's what's enjoined upon us.
And it's the single eye. It's what pleases God.
No other motive enters there, does it? But the sense of pleasing God. I think of those three men who were with David in The Cave of a Dolom, and David expressed a desire, oh, that one would give me water. The will of Bethlehem wasn't a command, was a desire. But there was a heart in those three men that went, and at the risk of their lives, they broke through and got that water for David.
Let's use that border and go on with these.
Vessels to honor the clean vessel.
In using drinking glasses.
And pure water. And a glass that's full of dirt dirty.
And it's been over there, where they may be mixing up something on the farm, just a dirty glass. Then there might be a chemical there on the farm, some kind of poison. One glass is dirty with dirt, One glass is dirty with poison.
One would be a picture of moral evil.
Poison would be doctrine illegal, but mixed with those two glasses or those.
Two classes of glasses. There are other glasses that are just in association.
With dirty things and with poisonous things.
Now you want to drink. You wouldn't take anyone of those 3.
Different groups to get you a drink of water, dirty or poisonous, or even those who were contaminated because they were in the area of it. I think we have these three crashes of evil to separate from moral evil, doctrinal evil and evil associations. They probably include what is meant here.
Iniquity depart from iniquity.
Association with evil is defiling as well as being evil personally. Read the Little Book of Haggai. It'll tell you that That's right.
This is a illustration that perhaps all our sisters know well. When you have a finished with a meal, you take all The Dirty dishes and put them on one side of the sink and you have the sink full of water and you dip a dirty dish into the water and wash it. You do not put it back where the other dirty ones are, you separate it. That's what's sanctified. Means it is separated, is put completely on another side of the sink.
Completely separated. And so we need to remember that as the Lord comes into this great house, and as he desires to find a vessel that he can use brethren, Are we in a position that He can use us?
Sometimes the thought has been that the vessels to gold and silver are the vessels to honor. The vessels to wood and to earth are the vessels to dishonor. But Scripture doesn't say exactly that. Brethren it simplifies, which is a vessel to honor.
Very clearly by saying, if a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor. Supposing, and I suppose we could say that vessels to gold and silver are made for an honorable position. But supposing in the illustration of Brother Clem used of the poisonous glasses, supposing we see there amongst them a vessel, a glass made of pure gold.
So, well, that wasn't really the purpose that that gold vessel was made to be used for, but there it is. You wouldn't want to use that gold vessel to take a drink of water either.
No. First of all, it would have to be cleansed before it could be used. And so as God comes into, and the Spirit of God dwells in this great house brethren, and as he comes in and seeks for a vessel to use, Why?
00:50:03
He's going to use one that is ready for his use, and so this is the reflection for each one of us. Are we in a position where he can use this? Are we purged from that which is dishonorable to his name so that he can use this? And it's been mentioned in verse 22 That it is.
With them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But I suggest that is the result of each one obeying individually the command of the Lord. As you obey that command, as I obey that command, as each one obeys that command automatically, we're going to find a fellowship together.
Him 298.