EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/27/2024 9:27 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
1 John 2:15-17
Message of the verses: “15 Do not love the world nor
the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust
of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from
the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one
who does the will of God lives forever.”
John MacArthur entitles this eighth chapter in his
commentary on 1 John “The Love God Hates,” and after reading these verses one
will be able to understand why he used that title for these verses.
I
want to quote from Paul’s letter to Timothy, the second letter that he wrote to
Timothy which was written very close to the end of Paul’s life, and in that
letter Paul reflected on his many years of faithful ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink
offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me
on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
MacArthur writes “Having
ministered boldly and obediently, Paul was eager to see his Savior and receive
his eternal reward. Yet at the same time
Paul was acutely concerned about those whom he would leave behind (cf. Phil.
1:21-24). One such individual Timothy,
Paul’s close ministry companion and son in the faith (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim.
2:1). And while Paul was confident in
the spiritual integrity of his disciple (2 Tim. 1:5), he also knew that
Timothy, as a young man (cf. 1 Tim. 4:12), was vulnerable to certain
temptations. For that reason, in his
final epistle, the apostle exhorted his young protégé to remain strong and
courageous:
I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God…Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. (2 Tim. 1:6-8, 13-14).”
MacArthur continues to talk about “Paul continued by
reminding Timothy of the astonishing and sobering reality that many had already
deserted him: ‘You are aware of the fact
that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among those are Phygelus and
Hermogenes’ (2 Tim. 1:15). But perhaps
the most notorious defector among Paul’s associates appears in 2 Timothy 4:10 ‘Demas,
having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.’ Demas
had likely been a coworker with Paul for many years and had ministered with
such noble colleagues as Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus (vv. 10-12). Epaphras, and Aristarchus (Col. 4:13-14;
Philem. 23-24). Yet despite having long
been in the presence of such formidable men of God—preachers of the Word,
authors of Scriptures, church planters, faithful servants, men of prayer, and
men who suffered for the gospel—Demas utterly abandoned Paul and the members of
his team.”
This may not be the best spot to finish this SD, but Lord
willing I will pick up where I left off in the next SD.
10/27/2024 9:49 PM
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