SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/13/2025 10:06 AM
My Worship Time
Focus:
“Personal Virtues”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Timothy
3:10b
Message of the verse: “faith, patience, love, perseverance”
These are also some of the things that Paul wanted
Timothy to continue in faith. MacArthur
adds “As noted in the discussion of 2:22, pistis
(faith) is here better rendered ‘faithfulness,’ as it is in referring to
God in Romans 3:3 and to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 (cf. 1 Tim.
2:15; 4:12). The apostle is not
referring to saving faith but to the faithfulness and trustworthiness of those
who are already saved. The idea is that
of faithfully living the truth that is professed.”
Now we move onto a second personal virtue of Paul known
to Timothy as patience, and here is the Greek word for patience: makrothumia, rather than hupomone, the more common term for ‘patience’
in the New Testament. MacArthur
explains: “Makrothumia carries the additional ideas of steadfastness and
long-suffering. Paul is speaking of the
resolute and persistent spirit of the servant of Christ who never gives up and
never gives in, regardless of the cost.
Such patience is more than an attitude; it is a determined way of life
and is a certain work of the Christian who lives in uncompromising devotion to
his Lord and to the work of the kingdom.
“Because God Himself is loving, no devoted servant of His
can be without love. This is the
volitional, purposeful, unselfish love (agape)
that is superior even to faith and hope (cf. 1 Cor. 13:13) and is the first fruit
of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). We are to ‘walk
in love, just as Christ also loved [us], and gave Himself up for us, an offering
and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma’ (Eph. 5:2). We are to ‘love one another, for love is from
God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God’ (1 John 4:7). Love, in fact, is so crucial to the Christian
life that ‘the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love’ (v.
8); and, on the other hand, ‘the one who abides in love abides in God, and God
abides in him’ (v. 16). Jesus’ final
petition to the Father on our behalf was ‘that the love wherewith Thou didst
love Me may be in them, and I in them’ (John 17:26).” Looking at these two things that believers
are to do, be patience, and love, it shows me that neither one of them can be
accomplished in and of ourselves. The
filling of the Holy Spirit which according to the Greek rendering of it is to
be continually and not just at certain times in our lives, is how patience and
love are shown in the life of a believer.
“As noted above, hupomone
is commonly translated ‘patience,’ but is in this context the idea is more that
of perseverance, not so much with difficult people (as earlier in this verse, ‘patience’
makrothumia) as with difficult
circumstances.
Hupomone carries
the idea of remaining under, and it sometimes is translated ‘endurance.’ In 2 Corinthians 6:4, Paul reminds his
readers of his own ‘endurance’ [hupomone],
in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses.’ The writer of Hebrews reminds
every believer of the ‘need of endurance [hupomone],
so that when [we] have done the will of God, [we] may receive what was promised’
(Heb. 10:36), referring to ‘great reward’ from the Lord (v. 35).
Just a thought about receiving rewards, which will be
done at the “Judgment Seat of Christ” which goes on in heaven after the rapture
of the church while the Tribulation Period is going on, on the earth, and
Christian rewards is something that believers will receive on how they
accomplished what the Lord has given them to do. The power to do those things that the Lord
calls us to do comes from the Holy Spirit, and I believe that is part of the
reason that believers will thrown down their rewards at the feet of Jesus
Christ who died in their place and gave them the Holy Spirit, so in essence it
is all by the power of God that they receive these rewards.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I realize that
love and patience in my life has to come through the power of the Holy Spirit,
because it really is not natural for me to do this on my own.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To be
continually filled with the Holy Spirit, that is I need to confess any sins so
that I don’t stop the power of the Holy Spirit, so that I can do what He has
called me to do for the cause of Christ.
5/13/2025 10:41 AM
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