AP

1 Timothy 5:24-25 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgement, but the sins of others appear later.  So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

There is nothing more damaging to the cause of the Gospel of Christ than for a high-profile professing Christian to be found guilty of glaring sin.  Sadly, we have had more than one devastating example of this at an intermational level over the last couple of decades.  It is important, if we are followers of Christ, that we never be ashamed of our allegiance to him (Mark 8:38), but rather that we take every opportunity to ‘give a reason for the hope that [we] have’ (1 Peter 3:15).  However, the more faithful we are in these things, the more open a target we become for Satan’s attacks, and therefore the more alert we need to be to recognise his subtle and cunning schemes.

The key to all this is our conscience.  Are we conscious of the Holy Spirit’s presence with us in every conversation, every use of social media and the internet, every chilling out in front of the TV, every thought, every close relationship (even for worthy pastoral reasons)?  Perhaps some of our sins are not so obvious; perhaps they do ‘trail behind’ us, and we are not seen to be among those who have really blotted their copy book, and yet we might fail to acknowledge the potential of our fallen nature to succumb to Satan’s cunning and the relevance of the Apostle Peter’s strong warning: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

So, as the aged but inspired and wise Apostle Paul presses on with his evangelistic mission throughout the region, he wants his young ‘son in the Lord’, Timothy, to be aware of the dangers as he pursues his task of setting in place solid and reliable leadership and government in the newly established Church at Ephesus, and the most basic requirement is patience.

His advice is very important for us today.  Often the most effective candidates for spiritual leadership are those whose humble servant heart can easily go unnoticed, and, conversely, the ones most likely to bring the Church, and Christ’s name, into disrepute are the ones who are good at making a show with outspoken claims of ‘holiness’ and ‘gifts’ (‘The louder he spoke of his honour, the faster we counted the spoons’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson).

As we consider the importance of all these warnings in selecting people for any form of spiritual leadership today, it is also good to note the Apostle John’s warning: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9), and the need to be constantly reading and applying God’s written Word.  “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12)

– Bruce Christian