Treasuring God's Truth in Your Heart

2 Timothy 2:22: Running From and To

2 Timothy 2:22: So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. [1]

As Paul continues mentoring Timothy on being a minister, he warns Timothy what to run from and what to run to in order to be a worthy servant for Christ. [2] As a pastor, Timothy must escape the “youthful passions” of “impatience,” “contentiousness,” and “harshness”—all things that shipwreck churches. [3] Yet, good ministers also live positive commands. Part of Timothy glorifying God and serving his church includes living righteously, faithfully, lovingly, peacefully, and purely. [4]

Unfortunately, we are more familiar with ministers who run to sin and from righteousness. Even those claiming to be Christians hurt anyone. These truly painful failures are not grounds for sin or rejecting Christianity. Believers: we must all strive to escape sin and imitate Christ. Others’ failures do not excuse ours. Sinful people should not keep us out of church. Unbelievers: you are right to call sin sin. But throwing out Christianity because of others keeps you from experiencing the love and peace this passage encourages in Christ. Please, do not let broken people keep you from “your only hope in life and in death.” [5]

This blog was written by Seth Dunn

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (Wheaton, IL: Standard Bible Society, 2016). Logos Bible Software. All Scripture references will be ESV unless noted otherwise.

[2] R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell. Preaching the Word: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: To Guard the Deposit. General Editor R. Kent Hughes. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, a division of Good News Publishers, 2000), 218 and 216.

[3] Hughes, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, 218.

[4] Hughes, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, 218-219.

[5] The Heidelberg Catechism – Christian Reformed Church. Bing Search Engine. Accessed June 15, 2018. https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/HeidelbergCatechism.pdf.

Treasuring God's Truth in Your Heart

1 Corinthians 10:13: Comfort in God

1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. [1]

Fewer words are more realistic and comforting. [2] These words are realistic because they affirm the existence of temptation and evil and prepare us for them. They are comforting because Christians are assured of help in temptation because God is faithful. [3]

These realistic and comforting words are also humbling. 1 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us to not trust ourselves, but honestly see our need for the whole Trinity. [4] If we cannot trust ourselves, [5] and God is our only hope to escape sin, then all of us must submit to Him for rescue. [6] If you are not a Christian, then the power you need to stop disobeying God’s law is not in you. When you acknowledge your sin and trust in Jesus’ righteousness as your exclusive means of salvation, you will be delivered from destruction [7] and have the power needed to live righteously. [8] If you are a Christian, God helps you in weakness. [9] Cry out to Him when you are tempted, and He will do as 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises.

This blog was written by Seth Dunn

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016). Logos Bible Software. All Scripture references will be ESV unless noted otherwise.

[2] John Calvin. Commentary on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, Vol. 1. Trans. John Pringle. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981), 331.

[3] Calvin, I Corinthians, 332.

[4] Please see previous blog for more details: http://proclamationpca.com/blog/.

[5] Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3; Romans 3:9-24.

[6] John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

[7] John 3:16-17.

[8] Romans 8.

[9] Romans 8:25-27.

Treasuring God's Truth in Your Heart

1 Corinthians 10:12: Self-Confidence Kills

1 Corinthians 10:12: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. [1]

1 Corinthians 10:12 connects with James 1:13-15 (previous blog series) because both show our need for the whole Trinity. [2] Particularly in this passage, Paul warns Christians to not trust their spiritual “progress.” [3] If the Corinthians remember their weakness they will see their need, trust Christ, and have assurance in Him, rather than relying on their inconsistent selves. [4]

Paul’s divinely inspired truth [5] opposes any notion that we can fix ourselves. This text reminds Christians that as their salvation began depending on the Trinity, [6] they continue depending on the Trinity. [7] Christians who rely on their efforts behave like non-Christians. Unbelievers are relying on themselves and Scripture is clear that personal effort cannot save. [8] Trusting that Christ’s life, death, and resurrection are sin’s solution saves and assures help for all of life. [9]

This blog was written by Seth Dunn

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (Wheaton, IL: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Logos Bible Software. All Scripture references will be ESV unless noted otherwise.

[2] For details, please see blogs “Tested Not Tempted” and “Desire’s Deadliness” at http://proclamationpca.com/blog/.

[3] John Calvin. Commentary on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, Vol. 1. Trans. John Pringle. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981), 330.

[4] Calvin, Corinthians, 330.

[5] See 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 3:3, 3:15-16. See also James Montgomery Boice. Foundations of the Christians Faith: A comprehensive & Readable Theology, Revised in Volume One. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1981), 47.

[6] Ephesians 1:3-10; 2:1-10.

[7] Philippians 1:6. See also The Westminster Standards: The Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism. (Philadelphia, PA: Great Commission Publications, 2011), Confession of Faith chapters 25-27.

[8] John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16.

[9] Romans 8; 10:9.

Treasuring God's Truth in Your Heart

James 1:15: Desire's Deadliness

James 1:15: Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. [1]

After explaining that God tests rather than tempts people and that sin is rooted in the heart, [2] James helps us see where sin leads: “our own destruction.” [3] James is saying that sin begins in the heart and that it is destructive from the moment it starts. [4] When sin buds, death is harvested. [5]

Total depravity puts us all in the same place. [6] All of us have hated someone or longed for something that has hurt us or someone else. [7] Total depravity would be distressing if the story ended there. Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” People find salvation in Christ alone when they confess their sins and trust in His life, death, and resurrection. Christians need to continue trusting in Jesus in repentance. If you do not believe, your sins are still leading you to destruction, but God’s grace still rescues if you will admit your need of Him.

This blog was written by Seth Dunn

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (Wheaton, IL: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Logos Bible Software. All Scripture references will be ESV unless noted otherwise.

[2] James 1:13-14. See also the blog on this passage: Seth Dunn “Tested Not Tempted.” www.proclamationpca.com. Posted 10 August 2018, http://proclamationpca.com/blog/.

[3] John Calvin. Commentaries on the Epistle of James. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981), 290.

[4] Calvin, James, 290.

[5] Romans 6:23; Galatians 6:6-11.

[6] Romans 3:23.

[7] Matthew 5:21-30, 7:7-12; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

Treasuring God's Truth in Your Heart

James 1:13-14: Tested Not Tempted

James 1:13-14: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [1]

Some falsely assume God’s control leads people into sin. James’ words here place sin on the person who falls into temptation. Undeniably, the LORD tests His people’s faith. [2] However, “If a test becomes a temptation, it is sinful human nature that makes it so.” [3] Our broken hearts turn things that are good in themselves into occasions for sin. [4]

Everyone is in need because we all turn circumstances into sin. We make beautiful things and people into objects of worship, and/or long to take good things from others. [5] These failures bring God’s just wrath on us. [6] We need Jesus Christ, our perfect representative, Whose sinless life redeems all who confess their sins and trust Him solely. [7] All who believe in Him receive God’s Spirit Who helps in weakness, [8] and makes occasions for falling occasions for growth. [9]

This blog was written by Seth Dunn

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (Wheaton, IL: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Logos Bible Software. All Scripture references will be ESV unless noted otherwise.

[2] Daniel M. Doriani. Reformed Expository Commentary: James Series Eds: Richard D. Philips and Philip Graham Ryken. Testament Eds: Iain M. Duguid and Daniel M. Doriani. (Philipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 2007), 34.

[3] Doriani, James, 35.

[4] John Calvin. Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Mathew, Mark, and Luke, Vol. 1. Trans. William Pringle. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981), 212.

[5] Doriani, James, 35-36. See also Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Matthew5:27-30; Romans 3:10-24, 7:7; 2 Peter 2:14-18.

[6] Romans 6:23; James 2:10.

[7] Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 4:1-11; John 14:6; 1John 1:7, 3:5-8, etc.

[8] Romans 8:5-27.

[9] Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-8.