From this verse, i came to understand that to lead a quiet and peaceful lives, it must comes from our prayers and also intercessory prayers from each other despite having to live in this perverse and iniquitous generations. Prayers is the solitary exception that will take us into living a godly and peaceful lives, nevertheless not lacking in this knowledge of the truth in vs 4, but by combining these two essences together and acting it out in our lives, we could not possibly go wrong with it.
1 Tim 3:9 "They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience."
Although Chapter 3 is a requirement for the church ministers, but if we are able to pursue after all these, it will truly have a significant improvement in our whole spiritual life, from the very little task we do it well for God determines our character for the bigger task to come.
From this verse, it requires of a clear conscience to keep the truth, in other words, we need an upright heart to keep the words of God. Our heart needs to be upright to hold the truth without simply changing it.
Job has a deep understanding into this, being able to cultivate an upright heart even during the times of peace, he offered burnt offerings for his children worrying that they may have sinned against God in their hearts, this shows that he has a practice of cultivating an upright heart in his lifetime and eventually when crisis hit, he is able to overcome it with an upright and God fearing heart. Jobs 33:3 My words come from an upright heart, my lips sincerely speak what i know.
Matthew 6:22-23 says the eye is the lamp of the body, if your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
Likewise, if our heart is good and upright we speak of what is rightful and true, whatever we do in our lives, let it be in-line with the truth practicing it with an upright heart, not affected by the trends and concepts of this world how they lead life but holding to the truth till the end and we shall receive the crown of life.
1 Tim 4:16 "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
For Paul to say this to Timothy in his letter, he was aware of the strange teachings that has been taught/arose in Ephesus at that time, warning young Timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely, to maintain and hold fast what has been given to him (Acts 19:23-41).
Likewise, today we have also been given this doctrines, it is now our responsibility to hold onto this truth because we are at the end times period where savage wolves will come into amongst us to take some of us away (Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:29), however by persevering and holding to the truth continually, understanding this truth inside out-we need a lot of time devouted to reading the Bible and praying then we will not be devoured by Satan (Matthew 13:4), nevertheless we need to constantly watch our lives, staying alert all the times throughout our lives and not falling asleep :) and we will not fall away eventually.
1 Tim 5:5 "The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help."
I thought this is really an exemplary conduct to learn from throughout our lives that we don't live for pleasure in this life but that we are able to exercise this God-fearing manner like the widow who dedicated her whole life in prayers and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
1 Tim 6:6 "Godliness with contentment is great gain."
This is indeed a phrase we need to go through at a certain part of our life to be refine as gold and it is what i have been taught by the holy spirit for the past 2 years of my life in Newcastle - to be contented.
It all begins from when i was 15, holy spirit moved me to rid of all the little little things in my life - gadgets, pop musics, tvs, movies - as i grew up in Singapore, the cutting edge of advanced technology and electronic city, it is so not easy not to be influenced by the next gadgets out on the market which everyone will be talking about and possessing one of them at home.
But because God wanted us to be carefree from the things of the world, i slowly learnt to live detached from all these things. Therefore each time reading 1 Cor 7:30-32 "those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep, those who use the things of the world as if not engrossed in them...and be free from concern", i am glad God has mold me into living detached from the things in life, and then further practicing living in contentment.
God wanted us to be godly and also contented, because only with contentment we will not greed as men have the tendency to greed for more and more. They are actually more people dying today for earning more wealth than to actually die for lacking of food. In Exodus 20:17 has long since warned us not to greed after other people's houses, wife, possessions etc, this is our society and life today in the world. But let us live with a God fearing attitude and be contented with what we have and also practice godliness in our lives because this is great gain at the end of our journey.
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