1 Timothy 1:18-20

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

 

Faith is the fundamental key to the Christian walk.  It will determine how far and how long a believer will go.  Scripture and history demonstrate this truth repeatedly.  Building up the faith of the people we are seeking to disciple is of vital importance.  Walking with the Lord and being active in ministry will bring about struggles and involve suffering.  There will be days when we will question if it is worth it.  It is only by faith that we will be able to determine that it most absolutely is worth it.  This passage gives us examples of contrasting faith.

 

A STRONG FAITH: Part of having a strong faith is having a godly and active mentor who is willing to invest in your life.  Timothy certainly had that in Paul.  A charge was entrusted to Timothy, who was Paul’s spiritual child.  However, beyond Paul’s recognition of Timothy’s vocation, there were other mature believers who recognized Timothy’s giftings who encouraged him as a minister of the Gospel.  Vocational ministry is something that requires the involvement of multiple members of the body of Christ.  Ministers must have mentors, the recognition and support of church members and other ministers, and the three qualities Paul charges Timothy to develop.  First, a minister must be a strong combatant.  Going into ministry is much like going to war.  There will be great personal sacrifice, an expectation of suffering, and there will be enemies who seek to defeat the minister and destroy the ministry.  Going into combat is not an easy thing but it is what ministers are called to do.  Second, a minister must have an unwavering confidence in God.  Without faith it is impossible to please or serve God.  The job description of a minister requires trust in God.  Worldly leaders are required to exude self-confidence, but ministers of the Gospel must trust God during the battles they will face.  Finally, ministers must have a pure conscience.  Character is the overall qualification for ministry.  A guilty conscience will undermine any ministry.  Ministers sin just like all believers.  However, sin calls for repentance, confession, and the cleansing of forgiveness that purifies the conscience.  Ministers who fail to deal with their sin biblically will not have a strong faith.

 

A SHIPWRECK FAITH: Unfortunately, many ministers have rejected the requirements of going into combat, having confidence in the Lord, and maintaining a pure conscience.  The result is what Paul calls a shipwreck faith.  A shipwreck is a disaster that prevents the ship from accomplishing its purpose of transporting people and cargo from one place to another.  The minister is charged with the responsibility of moving people closer to the Lord.  When the minister is not faithful in his own walk, the result is a disaster that puts the spiritual well-being of all who are under his care at risk.  Ministers who expect an easy life without spiritual warfare will be defeated.  Ministers who try to serve in the power of the flesh instead of faith in the power of the Spirit will be discouraged.  Ministers who don’t deal with their sin biblically will see their ministries destroyed.  Paul gives examples of Hymenaeus and Alexander who were ministers with a shipwrecked faith.  These ministers were removed from their positions and the protection that comes from being in fellowship with the church.  There were given over to Satan so that the sufferings the faced might help them to learn not to blaspheme the name of the Lord.  Unfaithful ministers do much harm to the cause of Christ and drag His holy name through the mud.

 

APPLICATION: Seek to have a mentor that will invest in our life and call us to a life of obedience.  Carefully consider the way members of the body of Christ evaluate our calling and giftedness.  Prepare for spiritual warfare in our lives and ministries.  Be dependent on the Lord and have faith in His power and not our own. Repent of and confess sin to keep our conscience clear.  Discipline ministers and fellow believers who reject these disciplines.

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