IN THE WORD DAILY
with Brother Rick
1 Timothy 2: 5
For there is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
As we saw yesterday in our
devotion, this pastoral epistle contains significant doctrine that dictates
qualifications and conduct of ministers within the church. In the second
chapter, Paul gives us instruction on worship within the church. In verse 1 of
chapter 2 the text says, “I exhort you therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks, be made for all men;”
When we come before the throne of grace, we open up the door for communication
with God. Friends, do you know how privileged we are to have access to God the
Father?
Do you realize that Jesus has
broken down the wall and made a way for you and I to pray to a holy God. I have access to God through Jesus. I don't
need a priest to go to God for me. I don't need Mary to make intercession for
me. I don't need Buddha to go to his god for me. I don't need Muhammad to go to
his god for me. I don't need Joe Smith to go to his god for me. I can go myself.
Rick Ivester, a priest of the most high God can go into the holy of holies in
the name of Jesus and make intercession for my family, for my coworkers, even
for my enemies, Yes, that's right we are commanded to pray for our enemies. I
do pray that Obama will accept Jesus as Savior. Yes, I pray that Al Sharpton
will shut his big mouth and get saved by the grace of God. Yes, I pray that Kim Jong-un will turn to God in repentance and accept Jesus as his Savior. We can't
save them, but we can pray.
In the text, Paul gives the
doctrine behind the prayer. When I see some of these wicked individuals praying
and mentioning prayer as they lie, deceive and fill the hearts and minds of the
ignorant with false hope, I can't help but wonder, “who are they praying to?”
Our text reveals to us that there is only one God. Allah is not the God of
heaven. Buddha is not the God of heaven. The only God who can save souls is the
Creator, the God of the Bible. We call him God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Elohim,
Adonai, He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God of the Bible.
He is the Creator of heaven and earth. He is God, and there is only one. Don't
be deceived, all roads don't lead to heaven. All Bibles aren't the Word of God.
All churches don't worship the one true God. God is God and there is no other.
Not only is there one God,
but there is only one way for sinful man to get to God. You and I cannot
approach a holy God on our own. This sinful flesh needs a mediator. God will
not hear our prayers on our own merit. It can't happen and will not happen. Our
text reveals that there is one God and one mediator between God and men. That
mediator is JESUS. Acts 4: 12 says, “Neither is there salvation in an
other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved.” 1 John 4: 11 says, “Herein is love, not that we
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for
our sins.” 1 John 2: 1, 2 says, “My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
All of these verses give us the idea that we need someone to go to God on our
behalf. Yes, I have access to the Father, but not own my own. I need a
mediator. And his name is Jesus. Only God's Son can open that door. Only the
sinless Son of God can make a way to God the Father, and his name is JESUS.
Paul goes on in chapter three
and gives us the doctrine of the deity of Christ. Not only is Jesus the Son of
God, but Jesus is God the Son. Jesus is the express image of God's person,
Hebrews 1: 3. Jesus is able to give us access only because he is God. Don't ask
me to explain it, just trust the Bible. Only the blood of God himself can wash
away our sins. Only perfect unspotted blood can make us white as snow. 1
Timothy 3: 16 says, “And without controversy great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up
into glory.” God is a Spirit, John 4: 24, and he manifested himself in
the flesh and came to earth in the person of his Son Jesus Christ. We can go to
God only through his Son, Jesus.
Paul gives us the root of the
gospel in this text, there is only One who can save, there is only One who can
forgive sins, there is only One who can give us access to God the Father. There
is One mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. That being the case,
don't you think you ought to know him and fellowship with him?
Jesus says, “I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”,
John 14: 6. There is only one road, you better get on it!!
