As you journey through the book of Hebrews, we encourage you to invite the Lord into your studies through prayer, reading of the word, and reflection.

• Pray: Before you start each devotion, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
• Read: Invite God to open your eyes and deepen your understanding of His Word through each daily passage.
• Reflect: Ask the Spirit to help you take to heart what He wants to show you.

What the Church is For

The church—which is invisible—is made up of all believers in the body of Christ. The church visibly presents itself on earth as local congregations, which are led by pastors.

In the New Testament letters called “the pastoral epistles,” the apostle Paul writes to two young pastors, Timothy and Titus, about how to lead a church—what the church teaches and the character of the people who lead.

The local church is made up of believers who are members of the body of Christ. (If possible, every believer should be involved in a local church.) For the body to function, it needs leadership with godly character and caliber.

The church should function orderly and be known in the community for its good works. The leaders should be people of faith, motivated by love. Unless faith and love characterize their lives, the officers can’t function in the church no matter how many natural abilities they have.

For the church within, the worship must be right. For the church outside, good works must be demonstrated. Worship is inside; works are outside.

“The Lord Jesus Christ.” Everything done in the local church needs to be done in the name of Christ and at His command. He is the Head of the church; He is the Lord. We can be as busy as termites for Him, but it won’t matter if they are not what He told us to do. Seek His will. Some people walk away from God, thinking the Christian life is too hard. It is too hard if you’re following your own way. Follow Jesus’ way instead.

There is only one gospel and one doctrine, what the church teaches. If correct doctrine is not taught, it’s not a church, no matter how many deacons, elders, pastors, and worship leaders it might have. Four things are the fingerprints of the visible church: doctrine, fellowship, prayers, and the Lord’s Supper.

If you teach the Word of God, it should produce faith in God’s people. God’s Word will nurture love as people are actively concerned for others. They will care for each other out of a pure heart so great that it runs against our old nature and proves the Spirit is at work. If faith and love are lacking, you have nothing more than a religious club. However, if you live by God’s Word, even the form of church government is not so important.

Paul now turns and tells his own story. Paul is thankful to the Lord, who put him in the ministry. Do you know that all believers are “in the ministry”? Every believer has some service to perform for the Lord. Paul never forgot that before he came to Christ, he hated Christ. He hurt the church. Nonetheless, the mercy of God put him into the ministry. “Because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” So were we all before we came to Christ. But Paul was (and we are) brought to faith and love in Christ Jesus—by God’s grace.

Paul clearly and definitively declares the reason Christ came to the world: To save sinners. Never forget we are in a spiritual war. "Go get the victory. Be fearless in your struggle. Keep a firm grip on your faith and on yourself.”

Living the Christian life is not as simple as some would like to believe. We face a real danger in our human inconsistencies and failures to live our faith. So Paul charged Timothy's faith and courage to live the Christian life in God’s power.

1. How can constantly thinking about God’s mercy change the way we think about God and about ourselves?

2. What are some ways we can be intentional to make sure we are busy doing what Christ has commanded us to do, not what we want to do ourselves?

3. Why does correct doctrine matter so much to how we live our lives?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on 1 Timothy Intro, 1 Timothy 1:1, 2, 1 Timothy 1:3-7 and 1 Timothy 1:8-18.