Today, however, I want to write about a verse that God has been convicting me about over the past few weeks. It is something I still struggle with, so I say this humbly… yet with deep conviction. It is a command that if obediently applied in the lives of young people around the country, would result in a remarkable change unto the glory of God in families and churches around the world!
Biblical hermeneutics requires faithful application. Without obedience to God’s Word, accurate interpretation is useless, devoid of meaning. I pray that this post will more clearly underscore the critical need of Biblical hermeneutics. Without it, there is no proper application; without it, we drift away from obedience to God.
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” - 1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV)
Let no man despise thy youth. Paul is speaking here to Timothy, his son in the faith. Timothy is a younger man - much younger than Paul. But Paul does not give Timothy an excuse to act in an ungodly manner because of his age. Quite to the opposite, Paul exhorts him to “Let no many despise thy youth."
But be thou an example of the believers. As younger men and women, we must be an example of the believers. God commands us to be example to the world of what a follower of Almighty God is, and an example to those who are younger in the faith of what a mature and growing Christian is.
In word. See Ephesians 4:29 – our speech is to edify. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus warns “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
In conversation. This is a 17th-century word that signifies a person’s whole life. Not just their words, but also their actions. See Colossians 3:23-24.
In charity. We know in our heads what Matthew 22:37-40 says, but do we truly love God with all of our hearts? Do we have any competing affections? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves… literally? With a 1 Corinthians 13 love? The apostle John gives a strong exhortation to love in 1 John 4:8 – “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
In spirit. God is still doing a work in my heart to make me totally consumed with Jesus Christ. That my joy may be in Him. That I may live in Him, abide in Him, and glory in Him. This is what our spirit must be.
In faith. Our faith – is it growing? Do we beg the Lord to “increase our faith”, like the disciples did? I recently heard a man speak about how we can spend an hour watching TV, but it is difficult for us to spend an hour in prayer. We can spend a day with a friend, but not a day with Jesus. Why? Are we “constant in prayer”, as the Bible commands?
In purity. This is huge. Not only physical purity, but also emotional, and spiritual. It is a single-mindedness, understood as walking down the narrow road, picking up our cross and following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Again, do we have competing affections?
We have a grave responsibility. It is sobering to realize that God requires us – young men and women - to be an example of the believers, that unbelievers may not be given a cause to blaspheme the name of Jesus.
Will you be an example?
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