Lesson Three of the Letters to Timothy

“The Lord’s Grace”

The Apostle Paul shifts gears in the next portion of his first letter to Timothy. He instructed Timothy on false teachers and now he is focusing on himself and how far the Lord has brought him.

Read 1 Timothy 1:12. What has Jesus given Paul?

What has the Lord considered about Paul?

What did the Lord appoint Paul to?

Paul had every reason to be thankful to the Lord Jesus. First Paul speaks of the strength Jesus has given him. He knew he couldn’t spread the Good News without this strength. He depended solely on the Holy Spirit he had received when he accepted Jesus as Messiah.

Read Acts 9:15. What did the Lord say the Annanias about Paul?

Read Philippians 4:13. What does Paul say in this verse?

Jesus chose Paul “to carry His Name before the Gentiles, their Kings and the people of Israel.” This was no easy task. First, Paul was Jew through and through. He did not associate with Gentiles for they were considered “unclean.” Now Jesus was sending him to the very people he had avoided religiously all his life. It went against everything he knew as a faithful Jew. 

Secondly, Paul was asked to preach the Good News to Israel. He was doing exactly what he fought against. He had persecuted Jews who had accepted Jesus as Messiah. Talk about shifting gears at break-neck speed. Paul had thought he was doing God’s will by going after the very people Jesus was telling him to bring the Good News to.

Have you ever experienced doing something Jesus had told you to do that was completely contrary to everything you ever known? Explain.

Jesus is notorious for asking His followers to go places and do things that are contrary to what they have always known or have always done.  He wants us to grow in Him. He, as God, has always used people who thought they couldn’t do or shouldn’t do the task He asked of them.

Read Genesis 18. What did God tell Abraham?

God used an old man and old woman to birth the nation of Israel, the people our Messiah would come from. 

Read Exodus 3. What did God tell Moses?

God used an outcast and a murderer to liberate His chosen people out of slavery.

Read Judges 6. What was Gideon’s response to God’s assignment for him?

God used a man, who thought he was nothing, for a task only God could accomplish.

We are not unlike these three men. All of us are given tasks while we are on this earth. God knows we are nothing without Him. Because we don’t have the power to accomplish anything on our own, we have to totally rely on Him. He knows our insecurities and uses them to His glory. If we thought we could do it on our own, then the Lord couldn’t use us.

Read 1 Corinthians 1 :26-31. Why does God choose what the world calls “foolish” and “weak”?

For those who call themselves followers of Jesus, who should we boast in? Why?

The truth is we are all weak in and of ourselves. Paul, points this out in his own life. He went from thinking he was a powerful Pharisee persecuting Christians to a humble man totally dependent on God to teach others about Jesus. We would do good to see this in ourselves and understand that we can do all things through Christ Jesus and His Holy Spirit indwelling us.

Read 1 Timothy 1:13-14. What was Paul like before Jesus came into His life? 

Why was Paul shown mercy?

What was poured out abundantly on Paul?

We are all ignorant and unbelieving before we come to Jesus. Because of God’s great mercy in Christ Jesus, our eyes are opened when we believe in Him as our salvation. We have no excuse for sinful behavior after we come into faith. Because God is merciful, He gives us forgiveness even in our sinfulness. However, our actions sometimes requires discipline from His hand. 

It seems as if the trend in churches nowadays is to only preach grace. But, grace without His truth and discipline doesn’t allow for growth and maturity in our walk with Jesus. The Bible teaches us discipline is a necessary component in our relationship with God. He doesn’t discipline us to be cruel but to lead us as His children.

Read the following passages and relate what each says about the Lord’s discipline:

Deuteronomy 8:5 -

Proverbs 3:11-12 -

Proverbs 12:1 -

Hebrews 12:4-11 -

God’s discipline is essential to our growth. Mercy and grace are important for us to receive eternal life. But, His discipline helps us understand how to live as He requires of us. The Apostle Paul knew this. We would do well to know this too. The churches need to teach the whole truth of God’s love for us and this includes learning from the loving hand of God when we go against what we has told us not to do.

God is faithful to those who call Him Lord through the acceptance of His Son Jesus. The Apostle Paul knew this better than most. Christ humbled him, just as He humbles us when we call Him Lord. The Lord’s grace isn’t just His allowing us into His family without the full portion of His love. His love involves truth, grace, mercy, justice and discipline. Without the fullness of His love we cannot grown in faith.