Our pastor recently shared some powerful reasons why we should be lovers and students of God’s Word, the Bible. The great early church father Augustine was far from God, despite the prayers of his mother, when he heard God’s voice speaking through children:

Take and read. Take and read.

So he did, and the Bible changed his life. Our pastor went on to quote John Ortberg. Thank God for the Internet, it was a long list, but I found it. I present it without further comment:

John Ortberg: why read the Bible

• It generates life. 
• It creates faith.
• It provides guidance.
• It makes the foolish wise.
• It makes the faltering strong.
• It makes the discouraged hopeful.
• It is the first book to read to a little child.
• It is the last best book to read to a dying man. 
• It is so simple and yet so deep that the early church fathers and mothers used to say, “A gnat could swim in it, but an elephant could drown in it.”
• It corrects the erring.
• It inspires the daring.
• It encourages the despairing.
• It humbles those who are overbearing. 
• Reading the Bible honors God and worries the Devil.
• It reminds the lonely they have love for this life and heaven in the next.
• I promise you on your deathbed there is no book that will speak to you the way this book will. 
• If that were not enough, in this book you will meet Jesus who alone mastered life and conquered death. The story of his actions, the unmatched brilliance of his teachings, the eyewitness account of his death on a cross and his resurrection are simply found nowhere else but this book.
• Nowhere else.
• You will not find the truth your soul is longing for outside of the Bible.

So, please, for the good of your soul and the good of the souls of your family and friends, read the Bible. – John Ortberg

⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹  the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
¹⁰  More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹  Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19.7 – 11, ESV)

This is the last in our series of blogs on following the pattern from 1 Timothy 4.12:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example

• in speech,
• in conduct,
• in love,
• in faith,
• in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, ESV), bulleted for clarity)

I wish I didn’t have to write this one. It’s so simple: Set the example…in purity.

The Apostle Paul was explicit elsewhere:

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (Ephesians 5.3, ESV)

So I’m not going to name any examples of sexual immorality and impurity within the church although it’s a target-rich environment out there. Recently a major US denomination was in the news for the usual: pastors and other church staff taking advantage of women, and, as usual, covering it up. One blogger was especially exercised, using Jesus’ diatribe against the Pharisees as a guide.

I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you religion scholars, you [denominational leaders]! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God’s kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won’t let anyone else in either...

You can’t squirm out of this: Every [precious victim’s reputation and health that you destroyed], beginning with the [first victim who ever came forward to report abuse] whom you [accused of threatening the work of my kingdom—how dare you!], is on your head. All this, I’m telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation. – Judy Wu Dominick, May 24, 2022, adapted from Matthew 23.13 – 39, MSG

But no one has a corner on the sexual impurity market: every flavor of church from Roman Catholic to charismatic, conservative, liberal, Calvinist, Arminian – one’s polity or theology doesn’t seem to provide any protection. The temptation to sin is the same as well as the desire to excuse it or cover it up. 

A long time ago I was serving in the famous Building 500 at Offutt Air Force Base, Headquarters of the Strategic Air Command. I was in charge of a 24-7 communication center (long before the days of email!). Sometimes on the midnight shift, my guys would load a large steel cart with trash and take it to another part of the building. Occasionally, they would be a little careless and run it into the wall, leaving a gash. Around the corner from my office was a full colonel, chief of administration. He called me in and asked me to tell my guys to be careful and not do that anymore. “Yes, sir.” Unfortunately, a few days later, they did it again. The colonel called me in again. “Ewell, I thought I told you not to bang into my wall with that cart anymore.” “Yes, sir. I talked with the guys…” Then he stood up, all 5-foot, 3 inches of him: “Ewell, I’m telling you as a colonel to a captain. Cut that stuff out!!” “Yes, sir.” 

I think God is tired of our excuses. “Cut that stuff out!”

Set the believers an example…in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, ESV)

We’ve been exploring what Paul might have had in mind when he wrote:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed. (Romans 6.17, ESV, emphasis mine)

What is the standard of teaching? The Greek word for “standard” is typos, also translated “pattern” and “example,” the very word used in 1 Timothy 4.12:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example

• in speech,
• in conduct,
• in love,
• in faith,
• in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, ESV), bulleted for clarity)

The past two days, we talked about love; today, faith.

What’s the pattern Paul has in mind when he calls Timothy to set an example of faith? Probably not initial, saving faith; presumably Timothy’s church “members” had that already, as do all or nearly all of the folks reading this blog.

We have enough faith to believe Jesus died for our sins, but do we exercise any of that faith in daily life? 

There is the well-known passage in James 2: faith without works is dead, reminding us to exercise our faith by helping those in need.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2.14 – 17, ESV)

Faith that’s worth anything produces action.

• By faith Noah built an ark. (Hebrews 11.7)
• By faith Moses chose to join the oppressed in Egypt rather than live with the oppressors. (Hebrews 11.24 – 27)

What will they say about us?

• By faith Bob wrote the daily Ewellogy praying that there are folks out there reading and taking action as a result.

• By faith we didn’t panic at the daily dose of negative news and apparent downward trends in the culture.

For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8.11 – 13, ESV)

• By faith I responded to God’s call to take on the forces of evil by… [ you fill in the blank]

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6.113 – 18, ESV, emphasis mine)

We started yesterday on part 3 of the 1 Timothy 4.12 pattern: “Set the believers an example…in love” by quoting from Andy Stanley’s book Irresistible. Here’s the John 13.34, 35 principle as condensed by Andy:

WHEN UNSURE OF WHAT TO SAY OR DO, ASK WHAT LOVE REQUIRES OF YOU.

Here are the applications I promised yesterday:

With respect to abortion, the pagans in the days of the early church just abandoned unwanted babies without thinking anything about it. What does love require? Andy writes:

Rescuing abandoned babies isn’t commanded or even commended in the New Testament. Food was scarce and expensive. Homes were small. Babies died all the time. Why would anyone put their own family in jeopardy on behalf of an abandoned child? Christian Scripture didn’t require it. Jewish Scriptures didn’t require it. First-century Jesus followers were convinced love required it. Long before there were chapters and verses, there existed an expression of sacrificial love that would eventually capture the attention of the empire. In the year AD 318, Emperor Constantine declared infanticide a crime. In AD 374, under Emperor Valentinian, exposure became a capital offense. A pitiless ritual practiced by pagan parents for hundreds of years in multiple cultures was eventually considered criminal through the influence of Christians who simply did what they were convinced love required.

“Set the believers an example…in love.” Here’s another issue: high schoolers want to know why consensual sex is off-limits. Here’s Andy’s “love” answer:

First of all, consensual is irrelevant. Consensual isn’t an argument for or against anything. Bad judgment and consensual go hand in hand all the time. I know a girl who got in a car with her drunk boyfriend, knowing he was drunk. It was consensual. She gave her consent. She’ll never walk again. Setting the bar at consensual is setting the bar low. As Christians, we’ve been called to set the bar high. Real high.

How high? This high: If it’s not good for him, it’s a sin. If it’s not good for her, defer. Serial sexual experiences aren’t good for anybody. Doing anything that might diminish someone’s potential for intimacy with a future spouse is not good for them or their future spouse. Intimacy is fueled by exclusivity, not experience. Sex before marriage robs the other person of their potential for exclusivity. It robs your future partner of the comfort that comes in knowing you are exclusively theirs sexually. Not only are you undermining the future of the person you have sex with along with their future spouse, you are undermining the joy and security of your own future spouse. Nobody wins. It’s a lose, lose, lose, lose. It’s not best for anybody. It’s sin. It’s sin because it harms people made in the image of God for whom Christ died. – All quotes are from Irresistible, chapter 19.

Here’s another word about the importance of love and today’s issues:

Rather than withdraw from the challenges around us, we continue to give whatever good we can to the world. William Wilberforce, for example, not only lobbied against the slave trade but also fought to advance moral values in a corrupt nation. Our best efforts may not succeed, but that’s not why we do it. We do it out of love for God and neighbor. – Breakpoint, May 31, 2022, emphasis mine

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

• Love is patient and kind;
• love does not envy or boast;
• it is not arrogant or rude.
• It does not insist on its own way;
• it is not irritable or resentful;
• it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
• Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13.1 – 8, ESV, bulleted for clarity)

We’ve been exploring what Paul might have had in mind when he wrote:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed. (Romans 6.17, ESV, emphasis mine)

What is the standard of teaching? The Greek word for “standard” is typos, also translated “pattern” and “example,” the very word used in 1 Timothy 4.12:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example

• in speech,
• in conduct,
• in love,
• in faith,
• in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, ESV), bulleted for clarity)

Yesterday, we talked about conduct; today, love.

We all understand that love is the central message of the gospel, yes? But let’s explore a bit anyway. Andy Stanley argues in his book Irresistible that the early church’s governing behavior was love. They didn’t have “chapter and verse” like we have today, but they did know Jesus’ “new commandment:”

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13.34, 35, ESV)

Andy says that he teaches his congregation the following mantra:

WHEN UNSURE OF WHAT TO SAY OR DO, ASK WHAT LOVE REQUIRES OF YOU.

Andy has some really good applications of this principle to today’s issues. I don’t want you to miss them so I’ll finish this blog tomorrow.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13.8 – 10, ESV)

We’ve been exploring what Paul might have had in mind when he wrote:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed. (Romans 6.17, ESV, emphasis mine)

What is the standard of teaching? The Greek word for “standard” is typos, also translated “pattern” and “example,” the very word used in 1 Timothy 4.12:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example

• in speech,
• in conduct,
• in love,
• in faith,
• in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, ESV), bulleted for clarity)

Yesterday, we talked about speech; today, conduct.

Here’s another area in which our culture is not doing so well. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during this year’s Oscars, and on May 27, a baseball player slapped an opponent before the game in a dispute involving fantasy football. When asked why, he said something like, “He said some stuff I can’t condone so I had to address it.”

“I had to address it”…by slapping the dude? Really? Did you have to address it? And the only way to address it was by slapping?

But what about believers? And I shouldn’t have to say “so-called” believers, but you don’t have to look hard to find examples of bad conduct whether it’s a major denomination covering up sexual abuse, which, of course, shouldn’t have happened in the first place or any of us popping off at someone (I speak of the latter from experience).

Scripture is full of appeals to good conduct. For example:

• Don’t always demand your rights.

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? (1 Corinthians 6.7, ESV)

• Don’t make jokes at another’s expense.

Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12.10, ESV)

• Give generously

This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That’s what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you’re articulate, you’re insightful, you’re passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too. (2 Corinthians 8.5 – 8, MSG, emphasis mine)

• Be kind

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4.31, 32, ESV)

“Set an example…in conduct.”

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1.27, NIV)

Yesterday I introduced the idea from Romans 6.17, that we are called to live by a “standard” or “pattern.” The Greek is typos and is variously translated pattern or example. As I was asking myself, “What might the pattern include?”, I went to 1 Timothy 4.12, and bingo! Not only is there a nice list, but also the word translated example is our word typos:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example

• in speech,
• in conduct,
• in love,
• in faith,
• in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, ESV), bulleted for clarity)

All five of these are contrary to the current spirit of our age.

Paul leads with speech. Very important, and the scripture is clear:

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. (James 3.5, 6, ESV)

We would do well to “set the believers an example” by our speech. My friend Thomas Black, pastor in Illinois, posted this on Facebook the other day:

It is so easy to sin with the tongue or the keyboard. I easily typed out another scathing response to a post, but could tell the Holy Spirit was not pleased. Deleted it. Praying Psalm 141:3.

Good word and good example, Thomas!

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalm 141.3, ESV)

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4.5, 6, ESV)

I’ve been meditating for the past few days on something I saw in Romans 6 for the first time:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed. (Romans 6.17, ESV)

The “standard of teaching,” and several translations cross-reference to 2 Timothy:

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1.13, ESV)

The “pattern of sound words.”

My first thought was that we’re to follow a pattern. That seems a bit more doable than keeping a long list of dos and don’ts. That was certainly the Pharisees’ problem. And some of ours. Growing up, we had certain things we were supposed to avoid. Playing cards for example. I used that as an example in a sermon that I preached three times in a certain church. After each service, someone came up and said something like, “Oh, you must have grown up in __________ church as I did!” All three named churches were different and none was the flavor of church that I grew up in. It seems that this kind of thinking is widespread!

I want to explore this idea for a few days. What are the aspects of the pattern we should be living by?

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4.9, ESV)

After our Alaskan cruise in 2019, I wrote several blogs (beginning here) on the skilled service we experienced onboard. I applaud excellent service wherever it appears, and we, of course, are called to serve:

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20.25 – 28, ESV)

But Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, beautifully took it one step further in an editorial published in our local newspaper, the Colorado Springs Gazette. Jim urged us not only to admire, but also to follow the example of, the 5-star Broadmoor Hotel, here in Colorado Springs.

Jim writes:

The “Broad­moor Way” mod­els the way we should live indi­vidu­ally and cor­por­ately. In this increas­ingly coarse and cor­ros­ive cul­ture, we would be wise to heed the resort’s com­mit­ment to good man­ners and its tire­less devo­tion to both its staff and guests.

For example, Broad­moor employ­ees are trained and required to acknow­ledge and make eye con­tact with each guest they encounter. It’s more than just a good busi­ness tac­tic. [We have stayed there, and this practice is one of the most memorable aspects. EVERYONE, from the maître d’ at one of the restaurants to the housekeeping staff on their way from one building to another, makes eye contact and greets you cheerfully.]

To be “seen” is among the greatest long­ings of the human heart. In an auto­mated and imper­sonal world, it feels good to be per­son­ally greeted, and espe­cially by name.

So, instead of just silently passing someone on the trail or in a store and look­ing down or look­ing away the next time you’re out, smile and say hello. – Jim Daly, emphasis mine

Here’s another snippet:

With well-fun­ded and trained land­scape crews, the hotel’s exter­i­ors are exquis­itely kept and well-man­i­cured. The lawns are mowed, and the trees are trimmed. Flowers are col­or­ful and sea­sonal. While we may not all be able to afford such opu­lence, keep­ing our yards neat and attract­ive shows respect and care for our neigh­bor­hood. As the old Dutch say­ing goes, “If every­one sweeps in front of their own door, the whole world will be clean.”

Col­or­ado Springs is a bet­ter place because of The Broad­moor — and the city and its people will be bet­ter off if they adopt some of the habits and policies that con­tinu­ously make it one of the finest and highest-ranked resorts in the world.

A good word.

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man… (John 9.1, MSG)

…there is none who takes notice of me… (Psalm 142.4, ESV)

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2.14, 15, ESV)

Barna, the Christian polling organization, has just released a new factoid that I find depressing:

• The vast majority of pastors (85%) believe missions is a mandate for all Christians.
• Among practicing Christians, that number falls to 42 percent.
• And for all Christians, it drops all the way to 25 percent.

They call it the Great Disconnect, and I find it sad because Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” and there are all those potential laborers that don’t even know they’re supposed to be laboring! On mission!

What’s the problem? It can’t be that it’s not a good message. It’s the best message ever, as I wrote a few days ago.

The problem could be that we have failed to equip people to carry out the mission in their day-to-day lives. I write about this often. Mission does NOT mean going to some foreign country although some are called to do that. Mission does NOT mean “going door to door” as some believe and have been taught. On mission could be as simple as the simple action plan about which I wrote in my first book, Join the Adventure!

• Be there
• Pay attention
• Do what you can
• Tell the truth

Debbie Friley illustrated this action plan on a bicycle ride, as I wrote on May 15.

It’s doable by ordinary people – Jesus demonstrated that in his choice of the twelve. As the woman at the well demonstrated – a very ordinary woman with a bad reputation.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. (John 4.28 – 30, ESV)