by Pastor Rich Carlson

Timothy is the new pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul, now in prison, is just about done with his work and is writing to his young coworker to help him in his new assignment. Paul encourages Timothy to live the Word, preach the Word, defend the Word, and teach others how to live by the Word.

Here are a few observations from the first two chapters of 1 Timothy.

God’s work is by faith. It’s goal is love, which "comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1:5). I will have greater assurance that I’m doing God’s work according to His ways if I focus on my faith in Him, my love for Him, my pure heart for Him.

I don’t know if Paul was in fact the "chief of sinners," but it apparently looked like it to him when he compared what he had done for God with what God had done for him. That realization kept him from spiritual pride and set him up for a clearer understanding of mercy.

I am to "fight the good fight" (1:18), which is defined as "holding on to faith, and a good conscience" (1:19). I can get confused about what my part in this battle with sin is. Here the good fight is two things—holding on to faith and having a good conscience. According to the next verse, if I reject these two things I have "shipwrecked" my faith. At first this sounded like circular reasoning—I shipwreck my faith by not holding on to faith. But the operative phrase is "holding on." It’s hard to believe that God really wants to keep showing me mercy, especially when I see my sinfulness. The fight is in holding on.

It’s easy to let go and give up or try to work my way into His grace and mercy. The fight is to hang on to the fact that His grace is sufficient, His mercy is complete.

God "wants [everyone] to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (2:4). I need to remember this as I try to understand what God’s will is. I wonder how it would change my dealings with all people if I remembered that His will is that everyone be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth?

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.