1 Tim. 2:1-7, Our Purpose: To exalt Christ as Lord (7)

What was Jesus’ concern while on earth?

·       1 Tim. 2:3-7: Men are separated from God, in a relationship of enmity, because of sin.  God wants all men to be saved.  So what did He do?  He sent His Son to be the mediator, the priestly go-between, a ransom for all.  Paul recognized that he had been appointed a preacher and apostle to declare the truth about Christ.  He was involved in what Jesus was concerned with.

·       1 Jn. 3:5: John says we know Jesus was manifested to (hina) take away our sins.

·       1 John 4:14: John, one of the Twelve who spent three plus years with Jesus, could tell you he clearly saw what Jesus was all about.  He was an eyewitness.  The Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

Jesus concern is the salvation of the world, Jews and Gentiles.  There is something important to note about Jesus’ concern.  What Jesus was doing was expressed in two spheres: the “eternity” sphere and the “now” sphere.  One way we see this frequently is in use of the past and present tense, where salvation is a once for all event for eternity and a continual process in time.  See it in these passages.

·       Phil. 1:6: Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you (in time) will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (eternity).

·       Heb. 10:14: For by one offering He has perfected forever (eternity) those who are being sanctified (time).

·       1 Tim. 2:4: God desires all men to be saved (at one point in time) and to come to the knowledge of the truth (the process of salvations application to the believer).

·       Col. 2:6: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord (past tense, point in time), so walk in Him (process, growth).

·       Rom. 5:20-6:2: Read this great passage on our salvation and the application of salvation to our lives day by day.  It ends saying, How shall we who died to sin (past tense, point in time) live any longer in it (process, growth, life change).

Look at these “hina” (purpose) passages that emphasize the “once for all” work of Christ and its effect on those who believe (underlined).

·       2 Cor. 5:15: He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

·       2 Cor. 5:21: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

·       Titus 2:14: Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Meditate on these.  Tomorrow we will consider what this means to the Church.