Speak Up

DEVOTION
1 TIMOTHY
SPEAK UP
1 Tim 2:1-5
2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
NIV
Putting those things about my prayers for everyone, especially those who are in authority comes to the issue of the desire of God for all men to be saved. It is his desire for everyone to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I cannot leave anyone out when I consider this. It is not for me to ignore anyone and simply by my non-words tell them to go to hell. Although I do think it is also my life which should serve as an example of that saving knowledge. My life should reflect those qualities of Christ. I should be living a peaceful and quiet live in all godliness and holiness showing the influence God has upon me. Now, I know some people say that is enough, meaning my life as a Christian is witness enough. But I cannot agree with that if God desires all men to be saved then he also has called his people to be witnesses, not just by living in a manner of godliness and holiness, but to speak up for his kingdom as well. But the real hard line issue which I cannot escape here is in fact he does want all men to be saved. God has not chosen some to be saved and some to be destroyed. God does not want just a few good men as the marines do, not he wants all to be saved. He has not determined who will be in and who will be out, he wants all to be in. That includes all those who are currently living a godless evil perverted lifestyle in either ignorance of the truth of in refusal of it. Now do I have a responsibility to assist God in sharing his truth with some of these people? They certainly cannot even see my peaceful and quiet life of godliness and holiness if I keep to myself and the four walls of my church. Even if that is my only witness, I have to do that by mixing it up with them. I have to live my life out loud in front of them, being involved with them, making friends with them, but also being transparent with them so they may see my life. I cannot simply built up a façade of being holy, I must be, but at the same time also able to gain they trust and not condemn or judge them for I too have walked in their shoes and traveled down the same paths. It matters not to God and does not demission his desire for them to come to the knowledge of the truth and to be saved from destruction, so it should not matter to me either. I must see all people as God does, with love and compassion hoping and praying for them to come to him and when the opportunity is presented to me by the Spirit, speak up!