AP

1 Timothy 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,  to Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

What deep theological truths are embedded in this brief opening remark as the great Apostle writes to instruct and encourage his ‘true son in the faith’!

Paul is both conscious and confident of who he is in God’s scheme of things in the world.  He has answered God’s command to be an apostle (‘sent one’) of Jesus, the promised Messiah of God’s Covenant People.

This God is the God who saves (cf Psalm 68:20).

The Lord Jesus Christ is our hope, and what a contrast this is with our own culture that has eliminated God entirely from its worldview, and thinking in general, and has therefore become quite hope-less as it struggles with finding meaning for the present or a sense of peace for the future.  Whenever you sing: “All my hope on God is founded, he does still my trust renew” or “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness” do you reflect on the privilege it really is to have this hope in a hope-less world, and the grace, mercy and peace that come with it as part of the package deal?

The true God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, is the source of grace. mercy and peace for all who come to put their trust in him.  Such believers become part of a family, children of our Heavenly Father (cf John 1:12-13), brothers and sisters in Christ, and people who can have spiritual offspring by witnessing to, and discipling, others in their faith.  Can you identify your spiritual parents?  Do you thank God for them?  Do you, by God’s grace, have spiritual children?  Do you pray for them and seek opportunities to nurture them in their faith?
– Bruce Christian