Address—Heinz Brinkman
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I have a desire to look.
At the Epistle of Two Timothy.
Not so much.
To go verse by verse to a certain chapter.
But to especially concentrate on that which is of such encouragement in the epistle.
We know that this epistle is one of the epistles in God's Word that shows a very dark picture.
Jude is another one.
And we acknowledge, do we not, that we live in such days as we have portrayed in this epistle?
And it is very important that we come to realize where we are in the church's history.
And that we realize that although there's a path.
Of separation in the midst of the ruin in Christendom.
That we are identified with the ruin of prison dump.
I would even go further that we are identified with the ruin of that which the Lord raised up 150 years ago.
We cannot divorce ourselves.
Entirely.
From that ruin that the enemy has brought in, and it behooves us to manifest the Spirit, such as we see in some of the Saints in the Old Testament.
I and my father have sinned to really identify ourselves with the ruin.
But then when we do, recognize the ruin and then see what God gives to his people in the midst of such ruin.
That there is still debt which we can enjoy, and there is even a collective path in the midst of that ruin.
It's marvelous. We come to see that it is not because of anything.
That man, King Glory, and if there's anything left at all.
It's the faithfulness of God.
But it's important to recognize the ruin.
You know there are a lot of people when you speak of the ruining Christendom, they say what are you talking about?
Look how many churches there are.
You know, they're almost as many churches in towns as their Taverns, you know? But then in itself shows the ruin. Why?
Are they in fellowship with each other?
What kind of order do they have in their churches for worship?
And ministry.
They introduced orders totally different from what we find in the Word of God.
And the rallying point?
Is not Christ.
And many times it isn't even the truth of God.
It is for the glory of God.
The Lord Jesus said that they may be one. That's his thought. That's God's thought.
And it's wonderful to recognize that there is a way in which this unity of all believers is maintained.
And that is that which the Lord Jesus is forming the gates of hell.
Or Hades shall not prevail against it, but as far as man is concerned, in man's building.
A lot of confusion. What a dishonor to the person of the Lord Jesus. Just think of this.
That the Lord Jesus, the Lord of glory, the eternal Son of God, who has become a man, He is to be the head of the church, to have such a glorious head. And then they appoint a puny mortal as the head of a church, and that man has the audacity to refer to the people as my people, my church. Isn't that a great dishonor to the person?
Of the Lord Jesus, who is our glorious head? Who would want to have a mortal, failing human being?
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To be ahead when we can have such a glorious head.
But we are identified with the ruin. We have even contributed to that ruin.
In our own way, that's why.
We find these words. I and my Father's house have sinned.
You know, is there not sometimes in our hearts?
A spirit of satisfaction or we are perfectly content.
To go on with just such a few of God's people, and we don't even miss our brethren in Christ that are out there in the systems of men.
We only really don't feel by this.
The grief that the Lord Jesus must fail. We don't see things with God.
Eyes.
But what we find in this epistle is that we do not need the fellowship, the practical fellowship, of all who belong to the Lord Jesus, in order to go on for him and for his glory.
Let me read.
Some of the things that I believe are of encouragement to us in such conditions.
And that they remain and remain for us to be enjoyed.
Chapter One.
Verse one.
According to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus, it remains, isn't it? Isn't it still something that we can enjoy?
You know, and this is especially what we see in Second Timothy, the things that are to be enjoyed are the things that are especially for the individual believer.
There is a collective path, but that collective path also begins with the individual believer.
The individual separates himself from vessels to dishonor and pursues righteousness, faith, peace.
Love, peace with them that call upon the name of the Lord out of the pure heart. It begins with the individual, but how wonderful the promise of life.
We have it and it remains with us.
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father.
And Christ Jesus.
Our Lord, that remains to be enjoyed by everyone of us.
But then also in verse 5.
We read.
Unfeigned faith.
That is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois.
And I, Mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also you and I can like Timothy.
Have unfeigned faith.
Nothing put on. It's a real thing that can be demonstrated.
By us in our lives today, and the Lord is sufficient to help us to do that.
Verse seven. God has not given us the spirit of fear.
But of power, and of love, and of a sound.
Mind.
Don't be intimidated.
So in any way feel that because we are so few in number.
And that people ridicule.
Our simplicity of meeting only in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And our gift might be so little compared to what we see demonstrated in others who are not willing to walk according to.
God's Word.
Timothy was obviously a person that was timid and the apostle Paul says to him, God has not given us the spirit of fear.
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But of power, don't be afraid to speak forth the truth, no matter what opposition you will face.
When you do.
Don't be timid. Don't be afraid. The spirit of power.
Has been given to us.
We can't perform miracles like the early church or those in the early church.
But that which the Lord has given us is sufficient to go on faithfully. Remember, in law in Philadelphia, it says that thou has the little strength. Now that's a wonderful thing. There is sufficient strength to go on for God and for the glory of the Lord Jesus in the midst of all the ruin.
But then he also says, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony.
Of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, beloved, there's still a testimony. Isn't it a wonderful thing? There is still a testimony in the day of ruin. There isn't anything like what we find in the beginning of the book of Acts.
There is a testimony in spite of our failure, God has preserved the testimony to the name of the Lord Jesus. It isn't anything to boast about.
You know, remember when that remnant returned and when they built that temple?
Those who had seen the temple, Solomon's temple, they wept.
But those who had not, they rejoiced, you know, and.
It's a wonderful thing. There is a testimony. Don't be ashamed of it.
Many times we have to be ashamed of our poor way of carrying on a testimony.
But we should not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord.
Nor of Paul his prisoner.
You know, the Apostle Paul was imprisoned and some might well have said, well.
That's God's government upon the apostle Paul and but the apostle Paul.
Was a minister of God. He was faithful.
And Timothy?
Who had grown up spiritually under the apostle Paul. He was a child.
In the faith of the Apostle Paul, Paul says don't be ashamed of Maine.
Because the testimony that God has, and especially the testimony that remains in our day, is very closely connected with the truth that the apostle Paul was used to give to the church.
You know, we find later on in this chapter that many had turned away from Paul.
He was imprisoned.
Those in Asia, and that's what you really find in Christendom, they have turned away from the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who is the minister of the church, and they don't regard his teaching as to the order for the church.
You know, where do you learn how to exercise gifts in the assembly? How do you learn to distinguish between gifts and offices? You'll learn that from the writings of the apostle Paul.
You know Bruce Anstey has put out this book about God's order.
And I mentioned that once before. I believe in Walla Walla that somebody.
Who read that book?
He agreed.
That that was the teaching of the Scriptures that he had spelled out in that book.
But he said there is no basis for the clergy system.
In the word of God.
And all that he has spelled out in that book, but he said I'm going to continue with the systems because God is using them. You know, God in his sovereign grace is using some who are gifted by him to give ministry to his people and in a wrong position. But there are servants of God beyond those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
You know, and God uses them.
But don't be guided by blessing.
Neither be guided by the lack of blessing. What do I mean by that?
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Look at Esther and Mordechai in the book of Esther.
They belong to the people of God. They were faithful Israelites, but they had not returned to the place where the Lord had said His name. But you. God uses them in a powerful way for the deliverance of God's people, and it had even a effect upon the remnant that had returned. They would have been destroyed as well as those who remained in Babylon.
What about the lack of blessing? What about the book of Ruth?
Were they not in the place?
Where their inheritance was their God-given inheritance, now comes a famine.
They go to the land of Moab.
They were the losers, were they not?
God in grace brings Naomi and Ruth back.
But you know, there might be a time when those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Might experience a famine in local assemblies, and it's always because of the unfaithfulness of man.
When that comes in.
But it's not God's way to go to Moab.
Remain quiet to God.
Look to him, maybe he will use you. If you walk in humility and meekness before God, that you become a source of blessing. You know, there was a situation in Germany, I'm told.
Where somebody was trying to get a Christian to come with him to the meeting.
And he never could get him to come. One Sunday, he said, I'll go with you to the meeting. So on the way to the meeting, this man was thinking.
Let's see, I hope brother soon so is there, or if he isn't there, that brother so and so is there and who is going to minister the word? And you know what? They came to the meeting and nobody was there.
Nobody was there. There was number brother capable to get up and minister the Word. And you know what? Nobody attempted to do it either. They sang to him, they prayed, they read a portion of the word of God and they waited. They sang to him and they prayed. And his daughter was so embarrassed, so embarrassed.
And he didn't hardly dare to look at this visitor and.
Finally this man opened up and he said.
For the first time I have seen that brethren who are not able to, do not attempt to.
You know that man was gathered, I think it was long before 1910 and became a source of blessing.
For the Saints of God in Atlanta.
He saw that these men were subject to the leading of the Spirit, and if there was nobody there that could, for the benefit of the Saints, open the Scriptures, they would not attempt it.
They didn't think higher of themselves than they ought to think.
But there was blessing in reading the scriptures and singing a hymn or couple of hymns and prayers.
Well.
Be not ashamed of the testimony.
And then listen to verse nine. Who has saved us and called us with an holy calling? Isn't that tremendous and a day of ruin to be reminded that the calling is holy? You know, when there is general ruin and decay, the tendency is that we're lowering the standards.
You know, we're lowering the standards, but we are reminded in the day of ruin that Our Calling is a holy calling.
Calling on high and Philippians.
You know a heavenly calling in Hebrews, but here a holy calling.
The Spirit of God uses these terms to remind us and to encourage us that holiness is to characterize those that follow the Lord Jesus. You know, that's what it used to be said, used to be said that those gathered to the name of the Lord, holiness is their practice.
We don't hear that often enough.
I'm afraid we have.
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Slept.
In that regard, beginning right here.
We allow ourselves things that our early brethren are brethren 50 years ago.
Didn't think of allowing themselves.
We have gone down spiritually. We need to be reminded that Our Calling is a holy calling.
And that is not by works.
But according to his own purpose of grace.
No, we are not called because of anything in US.
But once we are called and are brought to him, holiness is to characterize us. Works follow salvation.
And but works had nothing to do with our being brought.
Into blessing.
According to his own purpose of grace. Now listen which was given us.
In Christ Jesus before the world began. Isn't that a tremendous scripture?
You know that was given to us then what God has for us in the Lord Jesus.
Before the world began, we were the object of God's love and grace.
And He made sure in the eternity past that you and I would be brought into the blessings, and His purposes concerning us, connected with His Son the Lord Jesus Christ would be realized before the world began.
But is now manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death.
Aren't the Saints dying all the time?
You know.
Wally Arlington went home to be with the Lord, and there are others that are, you might say, at the.
Doorstep of death. But what does he mean here? Abolish death?
You know Death is a servant.
For us, and although we die, the Lord Jesus said yet.
Shall we live?
You know we have eternal life.
And.
He has brought life.
And incorruptibility, it should read to light through the gospel. The Old Testament Saints didn't know what they had. They had no doubt life, but they didn't know what they had. And eternal life is the conscious enjoyment of the life that we have in the Lord Jesus. And the gospel has brought this to light.
And incorruptibility. You know we shall not all die.
We shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.
That which is mortal will have to put on immortality and that which is corruptible head to put on incorruption. It's brought to light to the gospel. You still can enjoy that today. I can still that enjoy enjoy that today, no matter what the condition in the church is.
Verse 13.
Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of Maine in faith.
And love which is in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in US.
See, Timothy is told here then that.
He should hold, maintain or keep.
This form of sound words or have an outline of truth.
You know, dear brethren, that's what we can still have and it's a challenge for everyone in this room, but I like to especially throw it out to the young brothers.
You know you have to make the truth of God your own.
You have to have an outline of truth.
You have to buy the truth, and that might cost you something. Salvation doesn't cost you a penny.
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But to buy the truth it does. That might even cost you your reputation.
But by the truth, you know this is something that I can't do for you and you cannot do for me.
But like Timothy, the Lord has given us helps.
You know, and we can learn from others.
Paul could tell Timothy that he knew of whom he had learned these things.
And we still have the writings of the person from whom Timothy learned.
And you have to make the truth of God your own. Let me ask you, why are you where you are?
Are you there because it's convenient?
It's the happens to be the nearest place. Or are you there because there's such nice people? But it won't take you long and you will find out they all have their falls, you know.
If you are where you are because of people, you deserve to be disappointed and you will be disappointed.
But if you are where you are because you believe that the Lord Jesus.
According to his word of promise is in the midst.
It'll give you stability, but how wonderful.
You know, none of us really has come to know it all.
But you know, start while you're young to show interest.
In the scriptures.
And make these things your own brother said to me when I wasn't here very long from Europe.
He said search the scriptures and see if it isn't true that those whom God used for blessing amongst God's people generally started when they were young.
Think of a Daniel. You know they were teenagers when they started to take a stand for the Lord Jesus.
They were teenagers.
And he was an example to others that started with him.
And others picked up on it.
Don't get haughty and think that.
You are just.
Now starting out and you have to teach your older brethren and so on and so forth, no.
We exercise that the truth of God is going to be enjoyed by you personally.
And don't start studying things so that you can impress people with your knowledge, you know?
Study it for your own benefit.
Studied for your own benefit. You know the sandwiches and the fishes that were used in the hands of the Lord to feed the multitude.
Were prepared for the need of this lab with no thought that the Master would use it and feed the multitude. And to me, that's the most wonderful way for us to understand that we have to read and meditate on the word of God to feed our own souls to come into the enjoyment of these things and then at a given time.
The Lord might use that for the blessing of His people.
Keep by the Holy Ghost.
You can't in our own strength.
Gain it or come into the enjoyment of it or keeping it. It's only possible through the Holy Spirit.
You know He's given us so that we understand and enjoy the truth. That's what is clearly taught in First Corinthians 2 and also in.
John 1415 and 16. The spirit of truth is given so that we can enjoy the Scriptures and and to enter them intelligently, and then to keep it not in our own strength, but in chapter 2.
We again have to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. You know that's available for you and me today.
It's not.
Submitting to certain rules and regulations that makes us to be successful in our Christian lives. It's the grace of God.
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It's the grace of God, according to Titus, that teaches us how to live godly.
And we should be strong in the grace that is in Christ.
Jesus, and the things that thou hast heard of Maine among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.
What the Lord is looking for is not brilliant minds gifted men, but he's looking for is faithful men.
Faithfulness.
What is a faithful man?
And I've referred to that before. We listened to some tapes that Henry Short gave some addresses someplace. And I don't know, on one of those tapes he quoted Chapter Brown. You know what he said?
That he had an exercise, and that was certainly not his only exercise, but he had an exercise to pass on the truth of God in the purity in which he had received it.
That's the exercise of a faithful man, or we see demonstrated in the Old Testament when the remnant returned and these golden things were weighed out to them, and when they got there it was again weighed out.
Had they lost any of it? Had they been faithful in preserving it all and bringing it all there to the place where God in His grace had raised up an altar again and a Center for his earthly people to come and worship?
I hope we all.
Ask the Lord for grace and help to be faithful men, because we know the Lord Himself warns that.
There is the possibility that light becomes darkness.
And how great is that darkness?
You know, it is well possible that we might maintain and enjoy truth today and then circumstances come in and we throw it overboard, we give it up.
Well, let's have the desire to be faithful men, and Timothy was to pass on what he had learned from Paul to faithful men.
And that is still something that is going on. We don't have Timothy's today. Nobody here pretends to be a Timothy because Timothy was a guardian of the truth, champion for the truth. You might say we don't have anyone like that. But have we not learned by God's grace many things that God's servants whom God has raised up?
And given back to the church.
Things that were lost for centuries.
Well, do we not feel responsible to make these things our own and to maintain them and pass them on?
To faithful men, we cannot expect that men who are not characterized by faithfulness will benefit from the truth of God.
There ought to be spiritual exercises connected with.
A condition that makes you receptive for the truth.
Of God.
Now Paul was in prison.
He's in bonds.
But verse nine of chapter 2 Says the word of God is not found.
Isn't that a wonderful statement? The Word of God is not bound. It isn't bound today.
Preach the Word.
In season out of season, Paul says.
The Word of God is not found. The Word of God is still God's means to bring men into blessing, and we ought to preach the Word.
You know, I understand.
In some meeting of Christians.
Out in the east here they have something on the pulpit that says preach the word.
So that everyone that steps up to that pulpit should be reminded, we don't want to hear all kinds of stories. We want to hear the Word. You know, you can illustrate some truth sometimes with a story, but what we want and what we need is the Word. And the word of God is not bound.
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You know, we have skipped over those three things that we do well to remember.
And principles that should.
Characterize us even in the day of general ruin, and that is first of all.
That we are soldiers.
And that we should and do a hardship.
And that means you could be willing to not entangle us in things which will interfere in our service as a soldier of the Lord Jesus.
We're all soldiers and like a brother said, once you know if you're in the army and you're facing the enemy, you're in the front line, don't be surprised if they shoot at you. You know, we have to be willing to ensure endure hardship, but.
We also have to remember that.
There are principles spelled out in the word of God how we should serve Him. You know there's a race going on.
And if we want to be crowned, we have to run according to the rules.
What are some of the most violated rules in the Word of God?
That you find in Krishnam today the ecumenical movement and joining hands with those who attack the fundamentals of the faith.
Is one of the things that are totally disregarded. In order that they do this, they do not regard the principle of separation.
And as much of this kind of a thing going on, people say.
In the gospel, we can join hands with other believers.
You know, that's not assembly truth. We can join hands in the gospel. We can financially support.
This and that and all of that. Well.
How can you join hands with somebody who denies the sinless humanity of the Lord Jesus?
Who denies that He is the eternal Son of God? How can you join hands with somebody who denies the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus?
Or one who denies that there are even 2 resurrections. You know, that denies that there is a rapture, that he's coming first for his own and then comes with his own.
That's the kind of a thing that's going on.
You know, a young believer was asked once to join in an ecumenical.
Meeting and for prayer and this kind of a thing, and then join hands in gospel work.
His answer was.
So somebody gets saved. Where are you going to send them? To the Church of his choice?
Well, the fishermen that were good fishermen, they gathered the good fish into vessels. They didn't leave them on the shore.
A good fisherman.
Takes care and does as much as he can to make sure that these souls come to know the Lord Jesus not only as Savior, but as the gathering center, the one around whom we meet and then.
Continue faithfully. You know some start like a house on fire.
And then it doesn't last very long. Maria Prisoner told me that they had to change their distribution of tracks because many of the tracks go to some people who are saved in some emotional type of evangelistic activity. And then they want to do something for the law, They want to distribute tracks. But it doesn't last very long, you know?
And if they would continue sending tracks, they end up in the garbage, you know, So they now send tracks.
To somebody that requests tracks and send a form along that they can request more tracks if they wanted and has had cut the use or the need for tracks in half, isn't that something the need of tracks was cut in half?
So there was a lot of waste before that, but isn't it wonderful that we are encouraged?
You know, it's important that we begin well and that we continue well, but that we go on and finish well.
You know.
Perseverance in the service of the Lord. And when there is so much to discourage us, we have to be reminded of that. We need to persevere. That's what is true of a farmer. You know, a farmer if he would only plow the ground and throw the seat and he wouldn't have much if he wouldn't keep on taking care of things.
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But that's what is expected of us.
We can still do that in our day.
But then we find 2 When we realize that we are unfaithful, we have this tremendous statement that he abideth faithful, wonderful.
To cling to and a day of general ruin he abided faithful.
We might not always live up to what he can expect of us.
But you can be sure that He lives up to all the promises that He has made to us. He abides faithful.
But then there also is in verse 15 study.
To show thyself approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Cutting in a straight light, rightly dividing the word of truth.
And it is not so much a question to go to some Bible college and become a student of theology, or even of the Scripture systematic be taught, and to prepare yourself in that way for the service of the Lord.
That means is to use all diligence, to be diligent, to be approved to God.
There is far too much of this thing going on to get the approval of men.
The servant, his exercise is that he's approved of God.
And like the prophets of old, he might sometimes have to.
Put up with a lot of opposition.
Because the voice of the prophet is not wanted. It wasn't wanted in the Old Testament. It isn't wanted today. People always want to hear that, which warms their heart.
And well, the Word of God is full of.
Truth directed to the conscience.
And to expose the condition amongst God's people.
The servant should use all diligence to be approved of God, cutting in a straight line.
You know he is not going to misrepresent or soften things up so that people don't.
Dislike him? You know the servant wants to be approved.
Of God, and I'm sure he will find the fellowship and approval.
Of his brethren, those who desire to go on pleasing to the Lord. It's a wonderful thing that the servant doesn't have to labor alone, but it's important that this is brought before us. We're serving the Lord, we're not servant of the Church.
If we in humility.
Carry on for the Lord. We become a servant to the Church.
We serve them.
The Lord will bless it, but we're not the servant of the Church.
May the servant of the Lord.
We should have the exercise to have his approval.
But then we find that there were those who.
Denied the resurrection and evil teachers.
So on.
They had stated that the resurrection already has taken place. What does that mean?
If the resurrection has taken place, then the path of suffering and afflictions is over.
And it has much of this kind of thing going on in Christendom that if you go on.
For the Lord, you'll be successful in your profession, in your business, you will be wealthy.
So on and so forth.
What it really ignores the fact that.
Our portion now is to suffer.
And to.
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Fair reproach.
And all, what does Paul say to Timothy in the third chapter?
Verse 12 Ye and all.
That will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
That's our portion, brethren.
Don't be surprised if this is the kind of a thing you're going to experience.
But the Lord is with us. The Lord is at our side, His presence.
Cheers and blesses us. But then we have the great House presented in these verses in chapter 2. You know, in the first epistle the house is shown in order.
Then in the second epistle the house is a great house. It's in ruin. I have given it some thought. What made that house, which God has formed a great house?
What contributed to that more than anything?
I like to suggest to you that the emphasis.
Is unmanned. What is God's purpose? The glorification of his Son?
But.
There are those in Christendom that says God's purpose is the blessing of man, the purpose of God is the glorification of His Son, and the House of God speaks of holiness.
His order to be maintained, but when we have men before us.
Then we're going to make compromises.
You know we cannot deal in discipline faithfully and will drive people out of the meeting.
So we compromise.
We are not even allowed anymore to publicly rebuke.
Because it drives people out of the meeting.
A rebuke is given that others might fear. It's a preserving principle.
In the Church of God.
And man will be blessed.
If sound principles are maintained and.
Yet we cannot expect in the day of ruin, in the conditions in which we find ourselves, that all will be recovered.
And so we find in this path that is open for us.
That begins with individual separation.
Mr. Darby said separation is the first principle of unity. When the Lord brought brethren out of the confusion of Christendom, they realized that in none of the existing systems could they practice the truth of the Church of God as to worship.
As to ministry, and even church governments that were set up did not conform to the teaching of this book. Had there been any existing group of Christians who met according to the Word of God gathering around the person of the Lord Jesus, they would have no business to start anything new.
People say that the Baptists are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
The open brethren are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, and where I came from, they are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. Remember this, the Baptist existed before the Lord raised our brethren. If they were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, their movement is condemned as sectarian because they didn't go where he was in the midst.
But I believe.
A remnant testimony was established.
But it began with individual separation.
The danger is that people slip in and come in among us without individual exercise.
You know, my grandfather was ready to be made a preacher, to be ordained, and he came to know the truth of the church.
And that was long before 1910. He came to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. His wife didn't see it and he understood. And it was at a time when women didn't have as much of A right as we have it in our day. His wife continued to go where he used to go until the Lord opened her eyes and she was happily gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
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I cannot take that step for my wife. My wife cannot take it for me. There has to be.
Individual exercise. Now I'm not saying that nobody can ever be gathered to the name of the Lord who doesn't clearly see the position of separation.
You know, then we make intelligence a condition for fellowship, but what that person has to understand is that we take an outside place.
That we take the place of separation from the systems of men and there cannot be a running.
Back and forth, you know, we had a couple come to the meeting.
They were exercised and he clearly saw his place at the Lord's table and the place of separation. His wife had not come that far in her exercise, but she too wanted to remember the Lord. We told her, Twilight, you do not have to understand this. You love the Lord Jesus, and as long as you understand that you cannot run back and forth, we have no right to keep you out. But you know what?
Get it now, she is there with personal conviction. If you would ask her she would leave you in no doubt. Well I believe love that there needs to be individual exercise and to look for grace to walk with them.
That call upon the name of the Lord out of a pure heart, and notice when it is a question of separating from unrighteousness, the first thing that is mentioned in the collective path is.
Pursue righteousness. That's how it is translated into German translation.
You know it's not love that is stressed first, but righteousness.
Elavis mentioned.
And I believe we fail often in these things, but it's important to notice.
That the first path, or the first thing in the collective path is righteousness.
Well.
We have.
The spirit in which the servant should labor at the end of this chapter in meekness setting, right? Those who oppose, you know, it's one thing to take somebody in because they love the Lord and they do not see the path. But woe if these people try to take over. And when these people start speaking up against the truth.
You know, then we're in trouble.
And we're in trouble.
And I believe we many times let things slip.
Because we don't want to have confrontation, you know. But here it says the responsibility is setting right those that oppose in the spirit of meekness.
And then things build up.
And then we have a blow up.
But we have a condition described in Chapter 3 that really shows us what things are like, and you can see that it doesn't take you to have great spiritual discernment to realize what we have in Chapter 3 we see all around us.
That the servant will be preserved. In which way will he be preserved?
The Scriptures from a child. He knew the scriptures, and these scriptures make the wise unto salvation.
Salvation here doesn't mean the salvation of the soul. It speaks of that which preserves us.
In an evil day.
Scriptures are given by inspiration of God. We had it already in the meetings and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Notice that word again.
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all.
Good works.
Well, in chapter four we have still again.
Preach the Word.
Be instant in season.
Out of season.
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Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. Timothy was a young man, and he was supposed to do all of these things as a young man, Yes.
And Paul charges him with this.
The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.
But after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, you see, they determine who is going to preach and who is going to even be the minister. So they are looking for a new minister. And then they have different ones come, you know, and they give a sample of their servants the sermons. And then according to what they like, they hired a man, you know, and he'll be the minister.
But beloved, be careful that this spirit does not come in amongst those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, that we have itching ears, and that we try to quench and undermine faithful words that are given to us by those whom the Lord has raised up among us. Timothy.
Is encouraged that he should faithfully carry on.
They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. What's a fable?
The imagination of the mind.
You know, brethren, we need to be reminded that when we opened this book up, we have absolutely no right to let our imagination go wild and make all kinds of fanciful interpretations. Scripture, interpret Scripture.
Let's discipline ourselves in not allowing a mile to a mind to go wild and that we bring what we bring because it's the truth of God and it will commend itself to the consciences of the Saints. If you have to accept an interpretation of Scripture because.
I say so and I have no scripture to back it up. Don't accept it.
The Word of God interprets the Word of God.
And we have to be faithful servants and to speak the word of God faithfully, that is to give.
The accurate meaning and interpretation. You know, we all blunder, we all make mistakes.
That's why we have each other, you know, we have each other to correct us.
If the fool despises, correction.
But there's none in this audience that doesn't need at one time or another correction, and his vision has to be enlarged by what somebody else contributes.
And his thoughts have to be corrected. Well, beloved brethren, I hope we're encouraged. You know, when we look around, we tend to be discouraged. But remember, there are those things that in the midst of the confusion and in the midst of the unfaithfulness of man, there's a path that we can walk in pleasing to the Lord. But let us never take the position of pride.
You know if there's a path left and if there's a place left.
Where we can meet in the name of the Lord Jesus around the person of the Lord Jesus. It is because.
His faithfulness has provided that place, and the Word of God directs itself to our conscience that we are faithful in that path.
But remember, it's his faithfulness, it's his goodness, it's his grace. Let pray.