YOUTH - Part 1
Author: Sid Osborn
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. I Timothy 4:12
Timothy came from a family who had faith in Jesus Christ for the two previous generations. His mother Lois and his grandmother Eunice had been spiritually influenced by the man who had met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. This Damascus Road meeting resulted in a radical transformation of the writer of this letter to Timothy, and in it he would remind Timothy ‘that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom [he/Paul] was chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15. His transformation included a change ** from Saul to Paul ** from the one who had persecuted the church with imprisonment and death, to the ‘apostle’ who would write fourteen of the New Testament books.
It is a wonderful thing to be beneficiaries’ men and women whose lives were changed and have become Godly examples to us and realize that is now our opportunity to be examples to those who are following us.
Timothy is a young man and Paul recognizes that while he has a real relationship with the Lord Jesus, there would be distractions and temptations, and he wants to encourage him (and other young believers) to live a life that will be fruitful, with no regrets. It is our purpose is this article is to look at the six challenging areas that are significantly important in living out this life, so that this young man Timothy could and would be a Godly example to others.
In WORD
This word in the Greek language is such an important word that it is used eight times in this letter to Timothy, and Paul reminds Timothy that the words that come out of his and our mouths and our manner of life should always be consistent with the teaching of the Bible which is the Word of God. Young men and women today, while facing the very real challenges of youth, have the privilege to read, to study, and to obey the Word of God so that their words can be true and include a life style that points others to a life where Jesus Christ is the focus. James in his book instructs believers to ‘be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was’. James 1:22-24
In CONDUCT
This word is found thirteen times in the New Testament, and Paul as well as James and Peter use it to encourage believers to have a lifestyle and behavior that is consistent with the teaching of the Word of God. When our conduct is inconsistent with the Word of God that we claim to believe, those we are around recognize that we are hypocritical, and are often repelled from coming to Christ rather than being drawn to Him. Let’s be sure to confess any inconsistencies in our lives to the Lord Jesus and ask Him to help us live lives for His glory. He loves to answer prayers like this, especially as we are honest with Him about our failure and express our need for His help. Peter in his book encourages us to ‘have our conduct honorable among the gentiles, so that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God on the day of visitation’ 1 Peter 2:12
in LOVE
This word is agape in the Greek language, and is found five times in Paul’s letter to Timothy, While this word means affection or kindness, the root word from which it comes is the ‘unconditional’ love of God, and shows us that if our lives are going to be characterized by affection and kindness to others, we must first be beneficiaries of the ‘unconditional’ love of God through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, followed by what the apostle John calls an ‘abiding’ or a ‘day to day’ ongoing relationship with Him. Let’s be sure to continue to appreciate and cultivate that relationship that we have been brought into with Him, so we can display it practically in our lives to others, so that they may be either drawn to Him, or encouraged in their relationship with Him. John reminds us that ‘there is no fear in [this] love; but perfect love casts out fear,.. 1John 4:18
Part 2 to be continued February