"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." I Timothy 4:12-15
As I read over the words of 1 Timothy 4:11-15, preparing for this week's service, I can't help that two things really stand out to me. First, I remember how many times I've heard the words of I Timothy 4:12 repeated in reference to our "youth". In our youth, we should learn to follow the Lord's precepts. After all, in Proverbs 22:6, Solomon writes "
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (KJV) It is so much easier to live the Christian life having grown up within the church, the body of believers, learning what it means to follow God than to have accepted His salvation later in life. We also have the privilege of not having to look back at our life and regret the opportunities that were lost while we were living for ourselves.
Later, Solomon also states in Ecclesiates 11:9-12:1, "You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”."
So, while we are young, we should learn and apply God's Word to our lives, to not only be an example to those around us, but also because the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism). What better time is there to serve God than when we have "youth and vigor."
The second thing that really sticks out to me is the phrase "give yourself wholly to them." Now, in this context, Paul is referring to a young paster, specifically Timothy. So, in this sense, pastors must be especially careful to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), because God holds them accountable for the flock to which He has given them. They must learn, study, memorize, and continually train their minds to meditate upon Scripture, because that is their calling or gift (Ephesians 4:11).
However, in a larger sense, we are all called to ministers of the Gospel. After all, in 1 Peter 2:9, it says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (NIV) And, in Revelation 1:5b-6, it says, "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." (NIV) Also, in Revelation 5:9-10, the angels recognize that our Savior has given us this responsibility. "And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (NIV)
So, what does this mean for us as followers of Christ? what does it mean to "give yourself wholly to them."? I like what Albert Barnes writes, in his compilation, Barnes' Notes on the Bible:
"Give thyself wholly to them - Greek "Be in them" - a phrase similar to
that of Horace - "totus in illis." The meaning is plain. He was to
devote his life wholly to this work. He was to have no other grand aim
of living. His time, attention, talents, were to be absorbed in the
proper duties of the work. He was not to make that subordinate and
tributary to any other purpose, nor was he to allow any other object to
interfere with the appropriate duties of that office. He was not to live
for money, fame, or pleasure; not to devote his time to the pursuits of
literature or science for their own sakes; not to seek the reputation
of an elegant or profound scholar; not to aim to be distinguished merely
as an accomplished gentleman, or as a skillful farmer, teacher, or
author. Whatever was done in any of these departments, was to be wholly
consistent with the direction."
In other words, we are to make seeking and honoring God and learning to follow the Scriptures, the very "Word of God", the primary focus of our Christian walk. And we are to make them more important than any other pursuit in life. In this, unfortunately, we all fail. We all get trapped by the world and its pleasures. But there was one man who unfailingly fulfilled this mission to "give yourself wholly". But why did Christ offer himself? And for whom did He give himself?
Chris Poblete examines this on his blog entry entitled "Jesus Gave Himself For...":
"We have a God who gives, and He gives the greatest gift of all—namely,
Himself.
There are seven places in the New Testament where the words “Gave
Himself for,” are distinctly associated with Christ’s substitutionary
work. In each case the Greek preposition, “
Huper,” translated “
for,” occurs. “
Huper” means to act on behalf
of another,
as acting in the stead of him, in other words
a substitute.
Why did Christ die?
- To pay the ransom price. “…gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6).
- To bear our sins. “gave himself for our sins” (Galatians 1:4).
- To stand in our place. “gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
- To have us for Himself. “gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
- To make us acceptable to God. “gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).
- To redeem us from all lawlessness. “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness…” (Titus 2:14).
- To remind us of our obligation to Him. “This is my body, which is given for you” (Luke 22:19-20)."
Jesus gave it all, and He did it for us. And, he did it all at a young age, giving himself on the cross for us at the age of 33. So, in light of all Jesus gave us, I leave as a final thought the words of the song, "Jesus Paid It All (O Praise the One)", written by Kristian Stanfill, based upon the great hymn of the faith by Elvina Hall:
I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots
and melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
Jesus Paid All (O Praise the One) by Kristian Stanfill
