Motherhood/Homemaking & Redemption (c)

Introduction and Review of the Series

0:03 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, August 4th, 2002, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. In this sermon, which is number 14 in this series, Pastor Martin seeks to more thoroughly expound 1 Timothy 2.15. Nevertheless, she will be saved through childbearing.

0:26 Now let us turn together to 1 Timothy 2. 1 Timothy 2. And follow, please, as I read, beginning at verse 8, and read to the end of the chapter.

0:46 The Apostle, writing to Timothy, giving him directions concerning the administration of the affairs of the churches in the area of Ephesus, writes, I desire, therefore, that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath, and disputing, in like manner, that is, in like manner, I desire that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with restraint and sobriety, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly raiment, but which becomes a woman professing godliness through good works.

1:28 Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection, but I permit not. A woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not beguiled, but the woman, being utterly beguiled, hath fallen into transgression.

1:53 But she shall be saved through or by or in the way of the childbearing, if they continue in faith. Faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.

2:14 On May 12 of this year, the Lord's Day, designated in our national calendar as Mother's Day, I began a series of messages, originally entitled In Praise of Marriage, Motherhood, and Homemaking, and then I enlarged it with a word, In Praise and Defense of Marriage, Motherhood, and Homemaking. And since the Lord's Day, I began a series of messages, and the last message in that series, Sermon number 13, was preached five weeks ago. I will begin the resumption of this series this morning with a rather comprehensive review. And my purpose in doing this is twofold.

2:55 There are some of you sitting here who have begun to attend this assembly since the last message in that series, or you caught only the last several in that series, and out of the last several, I feel a deference to you to give you a sense of where we've been, where we are, and where we hope to go. I feel that it's necessary to give this review, and then also to remind others who have been here for the whole series of what we have, I trust, not only discovered from the Word of God, but internalized and come to understand, and that this review will help to both clarify and solidify your understanding of these matters,

3:38 and hopefully enable you to store it up with greater efficiency in your mind and in your heart. Now, in a review like this, there will be no time to open up and even to cite the many, many texts of Scripture that were expounded to establish the things that I will mention as the main headings in the review. And I say that again for those who are new among us and do not know that we try to establish what we assert out of a character, careful exposition of specific texts of Scripture, but I will not be doing that. I tried to think of an analogy in attempting to give in 15 or so, 20 minutes at the most,

4:21 the substance of some 13 to 15 hours of exposition is like trying to reduce an elephant to the size of a chipmunk and still have it look like an elephant. Now, that's the only silly analogy that came to my mind as I sat at my desk, and I said that would be an exercise in my mind as I sat at my desk, in futility, where I charge to reduce an elephant to the size of a chipmunk and still have it look like an elephant. Well, I'm going to be foolish enough to try to reduce the 13 messages into this brief review, and I trust you will bear with me if you feel the creature doesn't look too much like an elephant when I'm done. I began the series by answering the question, why in the world take up such a theme?

Why Address Marriage, Motherhood, and Homemaking?

5:03 The theme of marriage, motherhood, and homemaking, and I answered, with two fundamental responses. According to Titus 2, 4 and 5, and Titus 2, 14 and 15, the goal of the gospel, rooted in the purpose of the death of Christ, demands that God's people think and act biblically with respect to marriage, motherhood, and homemaking. Those passages in Titus 2 clearly teach us that the goal of the gospel rooted in the purpose of the death of Christ demands, not suggests,

5:45 but demands that God's people think and act biblically with respect to marriage, motherhood, and homemaking. And then my second reason for addressing this theme is that according to Romans 12, 1 and 2, the call to radical commitment to God, issuing in a growing non-conformity to the world, in thought and practice, demands it. The world is engaged in an all-out assault on the biblical concept of the dignity, the significance of marriage, motherhood, and homemaking. And since we are commanded be not conformed to this world,

Critical Qualifications and Biblical Framework

6:29 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, we must think biblically concerning these vital issues. I then proceeded, to set before you two fundamental and very critical qualifications. When one takes up a subject such as marriage, motherhood, and homemaking, we must keep before us these two qualifying principles. Number one, the Bible is abundantly clear in its teaching that there is legitimacy, dignity, and great usefulness for women in many areas of life and service outside the spheres of marriage, motherhood, and homemaking.

7:10 And secondly, the Bible is clear in its teaching that some women may deliberately choose or be providentially consigned to a life of singleness and thereby render greater undistracted service to Christ, His people, and His kingdom. I then proceeded, after answering the question, why take up the subject, take it up constantly remembering these two questions, these two qualifying principles, I then asserted that if we are to think as we ought and therefore, since right thought is the mother of right action, act as we ought, we must take the subjects of marriage, motherhood, and homemaking

7:53 and place them in the grid of the biblical doctrines of creation, the fall, and redemption. We then proceeded to establish from Genesis chapters 1 and 2 the fact that marriage, which was God's idea, and that God in Genesis 1 and 2 gives us the very essence of the institution of marriage. We saw that while the man and the woman share equally in the dignity and privileges of being image of God, they were nonetheless assigned distinct and non-interchangeable roles and functions within the marriage bond. And the current consensus

8:38 that all of the roles and functions are interchangeable is nothing less than a high-handed affront to Almighty God. It is open rebellion. It is Psalm 2 in practice. The kings of the earth gather together and say, let us break His bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us.

9:02 Don't give us marriage with fixed roles, with fixed and interchangeable responsibilities, let us tinker with it, let us adjust it, let us make it what we want. So if two lesbians want to so-called solemnize their relationship, the whole world should bow and say, you may go ahead with my blessing. If two homosexual perverts want to call their bestial activity a marriage, the whole world is supposed to bow and say, we'll be politically correct, you may call your relationship marriage, God calls it an abomination. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife

9:46 and they too, and only they too, shall be one flesh. Then as we traced out the tragic results of the fall into sin as recorded in Genesis 3, we witnessed the devastation upon marriage and motherhood while the institution of marriage and motherhood yet remained in place. But they remain with the horrible scars that sin has brought upon them. Yet in the midst of that, God announces in Genesis 3.15

Motherhood and Homemaking in Light of Redemption

10:19 a purpose of redemption and then we began to look at marriage, motherhood, and homemaking in the light of redemption, isolating first of all marriage. And I said that if you want to know what a redeemed marriage looks like, you go to Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 5, verses 22 to 33. And so I gave a detailed exposition. One whole Lord's Day looking at what a redeemed wife looks like.

10:49 And then a whole Lord's Day what a redeemed husband looks like. What such a marriage looks like when the dynamics of grace and redemptive power are operative in a redeemed husband and a redeemed wife who by the grace of God have a redeemed marriage that is nothing but a redeemed marriage. There's nothing less than an accurate albeit not perfect picture of the relationship of Christ and His church. Out of the rubble of ill will and tension and mutual exploitation, God in redemptive grace so works in the heart of a husband and a wife that the way they relate to one another in the marriage bond

11:32 is a beautiful, real, albeit not yet perfect, picture of Christ and His church. Well then we moved on to examine motherhood and homemaking in the light of redemption. And the first principle we identified we did from Genesis 3.15 that motherhood will have a strategic place in the activity of God's redemptive grace.

11:58 Right in that initial gospel promise God speaks of the woman and her seed as being instrumental in crushing the serpent's head. Motherhood will have a strategic place in the activity of God's redemptive grace. And the second principle established from Genesis 3.16 and other passages especially with respect to Mary the mother of our Lord was this.

12:28 Motherhood will be a mingled experience of joy and sorrow in the activity of redemptive grace. Motherhood will be a mingled experience of joy and sorrow in the activity of redemptive grace. And along that line let me just read a little excerpt in some materials advertising some tapes from Dr. John Piper out in Minneapolis.

13:02 One called To be a mother is a call to suffer. And here's a synopsis. Of what that tape sets forth. Or CD.

13:13 Mothers suffer when their children are born. Mothers suffer when their children are foolish. Mothers suffer when their children leave them and go to the mission field. Mothers suffer when their children die.

13:28 To be a mother is a call to suffer. Is this the way God ordained it to be? Does God have good purposes in the pain that others inflict on us? Or are these pains outside of the providence of God?

13:44 This memorable sermon shows why mothers and the rest of us must take great comfort in the sovereign goodness of God in the setbacks, disappointments, calamities and bitter providences that they suffer. I'm looking forward to getting that CD.

14:04 Motherhood in the scheme of redemption this side of the consulate and the consummation at the return of Christ will be a mingled experience of both joy and of sorrow. Then in the last message before the five-week parenthesis we focused our attention on the third principle trying to wrestle with motherhood and homemaking in the light of redemption and it was this. Motherhood and homemaking will ordinarily become the sphere of a woman's persevering faith in the application, of redemptive grace. Motherhood and homemaking will ordinarily become the sphere of a woman's persevering faith

14:47 in the application of redemptive grace. And that brought us to a study of 1 Timothy chapter 2 particularly focusing upon verse 15. But she shall be saved through or by means or I'll give you what I think is a perfectionist bird rendering the childbearing if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety. As I went home at the end of that exposition and by the way we've reduced the elephant to a chipmunk, alright?

The Need for a Clearer Exposition of 1 Timothy 2:15

15:23 That's the review is over. Thirteen weeks. And I did get it done in about twelve minutes. As I went home and as I often do almost invariably on a Sunday night and went back over the Lord's Day thinking of the different people I'd interacted with, how I felt the preaching went.

15:41 I had real reservation that I had not made the exposition of verse 15 as clear as I should have and as clear as I could have had I had more time and preparation. And I decided that I had to do something to try to make the passage more clear because it's absolutely crucial and I would hope that every girl, every woman in this church who is challenged with her views, who of the dignity and the sanctity of her role as a mother and a homemaker would be able to sit down with this passage and expound it to anyone and do it responsibly. And so as I reflected how in the world am I going to patchwork the exposition that I feel was defective?

16:25 I called Harry, I think it was the next day and said Harry or a day or two after Harry a heist who is in charge of our taping and the reproduction. I said Harry, hold off on that tape. I said I think I need to come in and do a little P.S.

16:38 And at that time I thought I could do a little postscript and we could dub it in and just say at the front of the tape at the end of this tape there's a postscript Pastor Martin felt he wanted to give a little addendum, etc. Well, I never got around to that and the more I thought about it I said no, that's not going to work. And so when I knew I was going to have the class last week I said well this will be a good chance I'll take the adult class and so I spoke to Harry and said Harry let's dub in something on the master tape and say there's a Sunday school class where this matter is dealt with more fully. Well, you know the story that I didn't do that last week and I was persuaded that what I needed to do was to come to this morning when we picked up the study again and do a flyover of what we considered and then seek to give

17:22 a more responsible I hope clear exposition of verse 15. So bear with me then this is what I plan to do in the time that remains to give a brief overview of the context of verse 15 and then to give what I hope will be a responsible exposition of this key verse and then thirdly and this will be all new material to demonstrate how this verse is in reality a subset under the larger biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. And I believe if we can see the verse in that light having responsibly grappled with the language the words the grammar of the text then we will have a grasp

Context of 1 Timothy 2: Behavior in the House of God

18:07 upon its significance and be able with God's help to give a reason of the hope that is in us when we say that we believe that by God's appointment homemaking and motherhood is the ordinary sphere in which a woman will work out the implications of persevering in the way of obedient faith. Just then a brief overview of the whole passage especially for those who weren't with us you know that in the end these early chapters of 1st Timothy Paul's great concern is explained by him at the end of the section in chapter 3 verses 14 and 15 I write unto you hoping to come to you shortly but if I tarry

18:52 that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God. Timothy I hope to come if I were to come tomorrow these are the things I would emphasize however not knowing God's purpose though I hope to come and hope to come shortly but not knowing if I'm going to come these are the things I want you to articulate to God's people with respect to behavior in God's house which is his church. So Paul summarizes and lets Timothy know I'm talking about behavior in the house of God. I'm not talking about behavior in this sphere or that sphere I'm talking about behavior in the church.

19:34 That's my burden. And so in chapter 2 beginning in chapter 2 in verse 1 there is a focused concentration upon issues of corporate congregational life in the church and in verses 1 through 7 Paul underscores the centrality of comprehensive gospel oriented prayers by the church. I exhort therefore first of all that supplications prayers intercessions giving of thanks be made for all men. And then he goes on to explain what the orientation of that comprehensive kind of praying is to be.

20:17 It is not praying for all men in terms of this little concern that little concern but the concerns of God's saving purpose in Jesus Christ. Even what we pray for the governors and rulers and kings of the earth is related to God's purposes of salvation. And he says first of all this is to be a dominant element in the life of the congregation. There is to be a centrality of comprehensive gospel oriented prayers by the church.

20:52 And let me say by way of an aside in the light of some things I've read even this week the pressure will increase you young men and women hear me the pressure will increase to cave in to church services soaked with Bible and with the Bible prayer. You can go into evangelical churches by the hundreds where you won't hear so much as five verses read in the whole service there won't be so much as three minutes prayer. And when the Bible and prayer cease to be central that ceases to be a biblical church. Determined by the grace of God I will not budge.

21:35 Somebody says well we've got a generation that knows that we've got a generation that knows what prayer is. A generation that knows what the Bible is so if we're going to reach them we've got to be like them. No, when they come within these doors let them know they ought to know what's in their Bibles. They ought to know what it is to pray.

21:51 And if they don't learn in the house of God where are they going to learn?

21:55 Well enough said. The centrality of gospel oriented prayers comprehensive prayers verses 1 to 7 verse 8 a specific word to the male members to take the lead in these prayers. I desire therefore that the male members definite article thee and males of the church tus andras not anthropos generic men and women anthropos sometimes can refer to men and women just human beings but it's the male members are to take the lead in these prayers. This is to be done

22:40 in the gatherings of the church it is to be done in all the gatherings of the church in every place and the leadership of these men is to be such that the men who lead in prayer are not hypocrites. Assuming the posture of lifting up holy hands which was common in synagogue worship was carried over into the worship of the early churches that they are to do so without wrath and without disputing. In other words the men who lead in prayer themselves are to be godly men who are not grieving or quenching the spirit. Then in verses 9 to 15 you have this specific word of direction to the female members.

23:24 All the church is to be concerned for comprehensive gospel oriented prayers. The men are to take the lead in the offering up of those prayers in the assemblies of the saints and now this word to the women to the women to the female members in like manner the verb I will understood there are four distinct parts then to the apostles directive to the women. Number one a word concerning their outward adornment in the gathered church in like manner the verb I will understood that women adorn themselves in modest apparel. That is the first strand of directive.

24:09 They are to dress modestly with decency and propriety addressing the inward disposition and the outward appearance. That is the positive. The negative not with that is not with an attention to gaudy external showy adornment that would attract the attention of other women to create envy that would attract attention to oneself to foster pride that would attract attention to oneself to elicit lust from the eyes of men. No, no he said when you gather women women be concerned not only with your heart but with your dress with your hair that everything about you

24:54 will make it evident you haven't come to put on a show. You have come to have dealings with God. You have come in order that you might enter into the life and worship that is God centered and gospel oriented. Therefore he says that these women are not to dress in this gaudy showy ostentatious way they are to be concerned to show up adorned with good works so that when people look at you they say there's a godly woman who performs good works and her very physical appearance is no detraction from her commitment to godliness.

25:33 Now he doesn't say in like manner that the women adorn themselves in a frumpy unattractive disgusting manner. He doesn't say that. Some people read it that way and what the text says. He says they are to adorn themselves in modest apparel and then he didn't send along a little manual saying and by the way Timothy I've sent along a manual that gives skirt lengths and and and and sleeve lengths and that's what some of you would like.

26:03 But again as long as some of us have life and breath we're not going to write such a manual. You go before God with your wardrobe with the substance and the external appearance of the wardrobe and your motives and you wrestle it through ladies that's your responsibility. In like manner I will that the women you women this is between you and God and under the counsel and input of your husbands you are to decide how you fit on the scale of these matters. Then having given that first word to the female members about their adornment then he gives a word secondly about their attitude towards the recognized teachers in the gathered church.

26:44 This begins in verse 12 I'm sorry in verse 11 let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. Let a woman learn though she is not to take the lead in prayer this does not put her down on the scale of an intelligent discerning believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit. She is to come with a disposition of willingness and readiness to learn and though she must learn in a context in which she defers to male leadership she is not to do it gritting her teeth and resentful. She is to have an internal disposition of subjection that she embraces the will of God

27:28 for male leadership in the assembly of God. So let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection but I permit not a woman to teach. Here is the fourth word he gives the word about their outward adornment a word about their attitude toward the recognized teachers now he gives this third word a word I'm sorry I said fourth word in the third place of prohibition regarding the teaching and ruling offices in the gathered church verse 12 I permit not a woman to teach nor to have dominion over a man but to be in quietness. She is neither to teach in the mixed assembly nor she is to govern in the mixed assembly.

28:12 It's not talking about the family it's not talking about a bible study in the home it's not talking about an extension of the family in the Sunday school room it's behavior in the house of God. I'm amazed how some people run off crazy and impose all kinds of strictures that have nothing to do with an honest handling of the text in its context but in this context of behavior in the house of God the woman is not to teach nor to have dominion over a man but to be in quietness. Then he gives the reason for for and the reason is rooted in two things the order of creation Adam was first formed then Eve and then the circumstances involved in the fall. Adam was not beguiled but the woman being and it's a different word

28:57 in the original utterly beguiled had fallen into transgression. So he gives two reasons that are pre-cultural supra-cultural uni-cultural Adam was first formed the rational is not some sociological situation at Ephesus and here you find the so-called evangelical feminist importing all this kind of nonsense well there were situations at Ephesus that demanded that the women be cited blah blah blah blah no Paul says very clearly the rationale for Adam was first formed the order of God and creation is not negated by the blessings of redemption even in the company of the redeemed there is a

29:41 redemptive community is to bear witness to the blessings of redemption it is not a blessing of redemption to liberate a woman from being a woman it's a blessing of redemption to enable her to be all she should be as a woman and one of those things she should be is one who embraces the significance of the priority of the creation of the man you see the argument he gives and whatever this thing means in its details and I'm not going to go into it I don't think I'm competent to there are matters related to the circumstances of the fall that's before any culture that's before any society develops that make it necessary that the woman not teach

Exposition of 1 Timothy 2:15 – "Saved Through Childbearing"

30:25 nor govern in the assembly of God's people then the fourth thing he does we come now to verse 15 our central verse and here I hope to set before you a responsible exposition of this key text on motherhood and homemaking in the light of redemption but verse 15 first word but she shall be saved through or by way of the childbearing if they moves to the plural she generically the woman if they specific women

31:09 continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety now the heart of what the apostle is saying I believe is this but in contrast with the woman who seeks a role in a function not assigned to her or a role in a function for which she was not created let her find the fullness of redemptive grace in the whole hearted embrace of her God given role and function I permit not a woman to teach nor to have dominion over a man for Adam was first formed then Eve and in the circumstances of fall there was some

31:54 element that shows she is not to be in that position does that mean she is a cipher that she has no significance in God's redemptive purpose no Paul says in contrast to that in contrast to that she shall be saved in the way of her child bearing in other words she will know the fullness of redemptive grace in the consummate blessings of salvation in the age to come getting there by way of keeping within the parameters of her God assigned position in life and in the church and she is not to seek some quote blessing

32:39 of salvation outside that sphere you see this is the cry of the so called evangelical feminism redemption in Christ has liberated a woman from the constraints of merely being a baby maker and a diaper changer and a dishwasher and a floor scrubber in Christ she is free she has a good mind and she can go to seminary she is free to teach she is free to govern why would God give her all these gifts Paul says no no her redemption is not found in being something for which God did not make her her salvation is found in the way of persevering in the sphere in which God has placed her and for which he has suited her

33:22 now admittedly this is a difficult text and there are several interpretations but the key to my understanding is doing justice to the word saved she shall be saved and not pressing into a ludicrous interpretation the words through or in the way of the child bearing the definite article is there so let me give you my understanding some would say well when it says she shall be saved saved there doesn't have anything to do with spiritual salvation salvation from sin salvation in the fullest consummate sense when Christ returns and we get our resurrected bodies and glorified spirits

34:07 every true believer has been saved is being saved shall be saved the Bible uses all those tenses and some say no it can't be referring to that because then it would seem to teach that the way you get to heaven is by means of having babies and keeping home and that would contradict the rest of the teaching of the Bible so the word saved here has to be watered down to mean something less than spiritual salvation it has to mean she should be rescued or preserved when she bears children that's the meaning that they give to saved then others come along and say well no when it says she should be saved it means saved with spiritual salvation in its eschatological that is

34:52 its final consummate glorious reality by means of the child bearing that is though she has a different role from the man in virtue of he was created first and the circumstances of the fall she will nonetheless know the full blessing of the salvation that comes through the child bearing that is the birth of messiah the promised seed and that the child bearing refers to what happened when mary gave birth to jesus now that is the interpretation that some give i suggest that we must not bleed away the significance of the word saved unless there are compelling reasons to do

35:36 so and to say that it means through or by means of the child bearing and this points to the birth of christ is straining the passage and i don't think we need to strain it or bleed it my understanding is that what paul is saying is she shall be saved that is the woman will experience all of the blessings of a completed salvation in the way of the child bearing and the words the child bearing are a kind of verbal shorthand for something it would have taken paul a lot longer to say she shall be saved in the way of continuing in what ordinarily will be her function and role in the bearing and

36:21 rearing of children and in the keeping of children in the context of the home which for her will be the concrete manifestation of obedient faith now paul didn't want to say all of that so he gave us a nice little neat verbal shorthand i'll be saved she will come to consummate glorified condition of god saving mercy in the way of embracing from the heart her god assigned role and function in motherhood and home making and i say that because later on in this very epistle look at chapter five dealing with

37:06 the whole matter of the care of widows and what counsel to give to the younger widows the notice what he says in verse fourteen i desire therefore that the younger widows marry and here's the verbal form of the child bearing it's the only place in the new testament where the word comes two different forms but the same root i desire that the younger widows marry bear children rule the household marriage motherhood home making you see it all together married have kids rule the house you see it i'm

37:50 not reading do you see that in the text unless they're compelling reasons why we would think the apostle has a different perspective he gives us the fuller treatment here in chapter five when he says she shall be saved that is she will continue in the way of obedient faith in or by means or in the way of the child bearing he is saying in her role as mother and home maker if now look at the text if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety in other words he moves from the specific indication

38:35 of an obedient persevering faith the child bearing to the more generic ongoing manifestations of persevering faith which are what look at them he says faith love and sanctification with sobriety those are the generic manifestations of persevering obedient faith people who are persevering persevere in faith they persevere in love they persevere in sanctification and they do so with a mind that is brought under the governance of the word of God and the world of spiritual reality that is a picture and a description of generic perseverance in the

39:20 way to ultimate salvation so when Paul says she shall be saved in or in the way of or by the way of the child bearing he is simply moving into this specific concrete manifestation of obedient persevering faith and he says that leads to ultimate salvation when it is found in the context of the other graces that are always present when there is persevering and obedient faith now if I haven't quite persuaded you some of you still sitting there saying I'm not so sure let me show you a parallel situation right in this letter alright here in chapter

Parallel with Timothy's Salvation and the Perseverance of the Saints

40:04 four Paul is speaking to Timothy who is Timothy Timothy is his spiritual son how is Timothy saved Timothy is saved by the grace of God he is saved by grace alone in Christ alone by faith alone but what is his role he's an apostolic representative he's a teacher and a preacher directed by the apostle to minister there right now at Ephesus now notice what Paul says to him in chapter four and let's pick up the reading to get the flow of thought in verse six if you put the brethren in mind of these things you

40:49 yourself will be nourished in the faith in the good doctrine which you followed till now refuse profane and old wise fables exercise yourself under godliness bodily exercise is profitable for little etc now verse eleven these things command and teach let no man despise your youth be an example to them that believe in word in manner of life and , love and faith and purity you see the emphasis love faith purity till I come give heed to reading exhortation to teaching continue to be a consistent Christian continue to be a useful and busy servant of Christ doing what you're called to do don't neglect the gift that is in you given you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery be diligent in these things give yourself holy to them that your progress may

41:34 be manifest to all now notice he's going to summarize it all in verse 16 constantly pay close attention to yourself a present imperative constantly pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching that's a summary of all he's been telling him exercise yourself under godliness don't neglect the gift that is in you be a man who continues to grow in faith and love and purity timothy everything i've said can be reduced to this simple directive constantly pay close attention to yourself but then timothy i've been telling you these are the things you're to command and teach this is what you're to say to the people take heed to not only to yourself but to your teaching now notice continue in these

42:18 things that is taking heed to yourself and your teaching

42:28 and those that hear you timothy you want to save yourself continue in these things you want to save your hearers continue in these things what's he saying is paul suddenly teaching people are saved by what they do no he's saying for timothy persevering obedient faith will be manifested how by fidelity to his distinctive calling as a minister you see that he is to be constantly guarding his own heart growing in grace taking heed to himself he's to be constantly guarding his teaching that's his distinctive calling as a minister and paul says in your

43:13 constant paying attention to these things you'll save yourself why for timothy persevering obedient faith would have as its concrete manifestation paying attention to himself and to his is teaching for the woman who ordinarily will be wife and mother what is the context in which she manifests her persevering obedient faith it is the child bearing that is verbal shorthand for her role as mother and homemaker there's the parallel do you see that salvation is involved in both of them but in neither of them is paul teaching people save themselves by what they

43:58 do no

44:29 this verse is in reality just a specific application of the general biblical doctrine of the perseverance and preservation of the saints now the teaching of the bible is abundantly clear i believe to all of us sitting here this morning that once a man or a woman a boy or girl is in the orbit of saving grace he never gets out of that orbit once we are placed by grace in the orbit of god saving mercy in christ we never get out of that orbit romans 8 30 whom he did foreknow then he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son romans 8 29 moreover

45:14 whom he did predestinate then he also called whom he called he justified whom he justified without acceptance then he also glorified all predestined are eventually called all the called are justified all the justified are glorified words could not be clearer or first peter 1 5 who are kept by the power of god through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time kept by the power of god unto salvation for the words of jesus in john 10 27 to 29 my

45:59 sheep hear my voice and i know them and they follow me and i give to them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand my father that gave them is greater than i and none shall pluck them out of his hand once in the orbit of grace bless god indefectively always in the orbit of grace that's the biblical doctrine of god's commitment to the preservation of what all his saints but the bible teaches with equal clarity the necessity of the saints persevering in their

46:44 faith they are kept by the power of god but peter says kept by the power of god through faith and god's keeping of me comes to light in my keeping of myself god's preserving of me comes to light and my persevering in the way of obedient faith matthew 24 verses 9 to 13 and i want us to look at these passages because it's critical that we put the first timothy 215 passage in this biblical category i haven't lost you all have i good i'm working hard try to get it across you're going to have to

47:29 work hard to go with me we'll work together matthew 24 our lord in this particular section is speaking of the opposition that will come to those attached to him in true discipleship verse 9 then shall they deliver you up to tribulation should kill you hated of all the nations for my namesake many will stumble deliver up one another hate one another false prophets arise lead many astray because iniquity shall be multiplied the love of the many will wax cold but but he that endures to the end the same shall be saved who will be saved with final salvation those that endure to the end endure to the

48:13 end in the face of what in the face of growing coldness of abounding apostasy many being led astray in the face of opposition hated abused persecuted but the Lord says he that endures to the end shall be saved here's the necessity of the saints persevering the saints endure God doesn't endure for them his preserving will secure their enduring but their enduring is their enduring not someone else's and not God's he that endures to the end the same shall be saved and someone has turned it around and said and we could

48:58 say and the one that is truly saved will endure to the end both are true that's the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints it in no way negates the verses we've quoted about God's commitment to preserve the saints once in the orbit of grace always in the orbit of grace but the evidence I'm in the orbit of grace is that I continue in enduring against all opposition against all influences that would take me away from Christ I endure to the end Jesus familiar words enter in by the narrow gate for narrow is the gate and compressed is the way that leads to life gate

49:43 way and life if I'm through the gate I'll end up in life but I'll only get to life along the way and the way is a compressed way and yet the Lord says that's the way that leads to life 1 Peter 1 5 I've already quoted who are kept by the power of God not irrespective of our faith but kept by the power of God through faith God's teaching comes to light in my continued believing and if my faith is real it is obedient faith obedience in the concreteness of my God assigned calling in life for Timothy was

50:28 taking heed to himself and to his teaching for the women at Ephesus it was assumed that the rank and file of them would be married and he says your salvation the manifestation of your obedient faith will be in your embrace of your God given role in a context of continuance in faith in love and sanctification with sobriety this is the concrete experience expression of the perseverance of the saints when it touches the role of motherhood and homemaking that's why Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and

51:13 they follow me and I give to them eternal life what's the voice of Christ to a married woman who has had children it is this you will be saved not by breaking over the traces and trying to govern and keep each in the mixed assembly a role for which God never fitted you to which he does not call you but you will be saved in the way of an obedient faith that embraces motherhood and homemaking as your God appointed sphere and in the context of ongoing generic faith and love which is the fruit of the spirit and the holiness without which no one will see

51:57 the Lord in a context where your mind is in touch with biblical reality with sobriety that's the way of your salvation now if I've given a responsible exposition of the text if I've put it in its larger biblical context do you see what that says to you mothers what does redemptive grace do for you does it come and liberate you from the privilege and the burden the joys and the sorrow of motherhood and homemaking no it

Pastoral Application and Exhortation

52:42 comes and equips you to fulfill those roles as an expression of your ongoing obedient faith and in that sphere you make the contribution that is most significant to the church of Christ and to the progress of the gospel remember the context I will that prayers intercessions giving of thanks be made for all men who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth therefore women form an army and preach the gospel no he says you should be saved in the way of child bearing

53:27 don't you be bullied into feeling if you are committed in the will of God to becoming a mother and a homemaker you're marginalized in terms of worldwide gospel passion and concern Paul did not set them in opposition he subsumes under that sweeping worldwide gospel universalism the woman's role as wife and mother God help you young ladies to think biblically be not concerned to this

54:12 age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind you who are mothers and you are made to feel what is my significance buried in the rubble of the mundane day after day and year in and year out you're investing in lives that will touch only God knows how many I think of that little woman that lives in 2001 Harrisburg Pike Lancaster Pennsylvania one seven six oh one and whenever I see my dear mother all five foot one of her hundred and ten pounds and I look at that woman and say what in the world how did she do what she did

54:57 poured her life into her children often prayed God give me holy blinders to see my mission field within my four walls God give me vision to build life and character there's not a day that passes but when my mother's not in my ear I was in the doctor's office the other day and people look at like I'm a creature dropped down from another planet because they needed some blankets and I said I'll go upstairs and get I said yeah I'll go get the blankets so I come rolling down a cart full of blankets and somebody said they need some water I said I'll get the water and they wanted to treat me like I was some hero I said no no no no

55:41 I said that's just my mother in me my mother who constantly said son when you see a need and you can meet it don't wait to be asked meet it that was pounded pounded pounded pounded until I would have to commit some kind of psychological rape upon myself not to get the water and get the blankets I don't take any credit for that the only way I can be comfortable with who I am I put myself in misery if I don't do that that didn't get into there with my mother dreaming about some grandiose sphere of service outside her home and outside the hands on influence of a mother doing things

56:26 you don't like to do develops character I heard it ten thousand times probably I've heard it this week when it's time to get on the treadmill and it's time to push myself up in that study and figure out how do I come up with a theology of the care of the body and I got no books to tell me about it it's work your mother's training is in your ear in the texture of your mother's soul we were talking about you want to have some sons rise up and talk this way about your moms pray God give you fresh vision throw yourself in to the wearying often

57:11 thankless task you're in it for the long haul you're in it for the long haul well our time is gone I hope I've helped I don't want to lie in my bed tonight and say Lord I've got to preach another sermon to make it plain I hope I've helped you to understand that passage and that by the grace of God you as a people as you have so often and so many things will show you're determined to have the Berean spirit and to walk in the light of God's word I must say just this word in closing for you who may sit among us strangers to God's grace I hope if nothing else comes through this has come through hey these people take their Bible

57:56 seriously you're right you know why we do because the God before whom will stand in the last day he speaks in this Bible and he said through his son Jesus in John 1248 the word that I've spoken unto you will judge you in the last day and if you're not acquainted with this book you better get acquainted with it because you're going to meet the God of this book in the day of judgment and if you don't meet him with your sins forgiven one of those who's entered the narrow gate and is on the narrow way whom God is preparing for his presence it would be better for you that you were never born so my dear friend though much of this may have gone over your head and out one ear and out in one ear and out the other I hope I hope

58:40 you've had a sense of him hey these people people got their Bibles on their laps they're engaged this stuff is real to them this stuff's important and you're right on that's true and the reason it is is they've come to know the God of this book they've come to know him in the revelation of himself in Jesus Christ and if you're going to know him that's the only way you can know him because Jesus said I am the truth and the life no man comes to the Father but by me we urge you we urge you open your Bible start studying it cry to God to show you his truth and the beauty of his son Jesus let's pray

59:20 Father we're so thankful that you've given us your holy word we pray that if your servant has rightly expounded it that you would seal it to the hearts of your people and may it bear much fruit in the days to come Lord we pray for our mothers you will help them not to be bullied into feeling they're some kind of a second class off cast because they've dared to bury their lives in their husbands and in their children and in their homes give them a fresh sense

60:05 of the glory and the dignity of their calling we pray for the young women among us that you would insulate them against all the nonsense that surrounds them all of the plethora of both popular and intellectual presentations that would seek to tell them that they are something other than what you've made them we pray for those who are widows widows by death and some widows by divorce we ask you to minister to them in their special needs we pray that you would give them the spirit of prayer for those who are in that role of motherhood we pray

60:50 that in your mercy you would raise up men worthy of women ready to give themselves to their God-given role that there would be strong men tender men wise men spirit-filled Bible-soaked men who will establish with such women godly homes that will be light and salt to this poor confused generation Lord our hearts bleed when we think of a generation of women who have been sold the bill of goods of radical feminism don't know who they are wandering about cynical

61:33 jaundiced disappointed oh father help us to reach them help us to reach them seal then your word have mercy upon us we plead in Jesus name amen