Read: 1 Timothy 2:5–6   For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

Mahatma Gandhi told Dr E. Stanley Jones, a missionary to India, that he had no problem with the Christ of Christianity; his problem was with Christians. He observed that many of them did not live according to the teachings of Christ.

“all people to be saved”

There are many people like Gandhi who are turned away from Christ because of the bad testimony of Christians. It is important to remember that Christians are, to the watching world, the living examples of the truth and power of the gospel.

Ideal Christian witness (that attracts rather than repels) is marked by “peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:2). Such living is good and pleasing to God (v. 3), for it reflects the character of God and leads to the salvation of people.

Paul portrays God as wanting “all people to be saved” (v. 4, see 2 Peter 3:9). And there is only one Saviour for all, the Lord Jesus Christ who “gave himself as a ransom for all people” (v. 6). Jesus paid the price upon the cross to redeem all people from their sins by offering himself as the ransom. He is the only Mediator between sinful men and the one holy God (for there are no other gods) and, therefore, the only One who can bring salvation to all (v. 5).

The point is that because Jesus is the only Saviour for all, we should not distract or divert people away from Jesus—that would be an awful thing. We should not become obstacles to the salvation of others because of our unfaithfulness or disobedience.

…we should not distract or divert people away from Jesus…

The faithful teaching of sound doctrine brings about truly beautiful and godly lives, which in turn help to bring others to Christ by convincing them of the truth of the gospel (1 Peter 2:12). Paul was totally committed to his ministry as a herald (preacher), apostle (leader), and teacher of this true faith (1 Timothy 2:7) that saves and transforms people.

It is therefore important to pray for all (so that all can be saved), including world leaders who need to rule responsibly so that the social environment is conducive to godliness and evangelism.

 

Consider this:

Make as many connections as you can between holiness and the evangelisation of the world. What are common reasons why people are turned off by the church?

 

Excerpted and adapted from Journey Through 1 & 2 Timothy by Robert M. Solomon. © 2015 by Robert M. Solomon. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers. All rights reserved.

 

Related Resources:

Living an Authentic Christian Life.. What does it mean to live a real Christian life? Gain a better understanding of the unmistakable qualities of Christianity from Paul’s experiences as a follower of Jesus. Discover how you can live in total dependence on God and truly display His glory to others. Find out more here.

 

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