Living to Rescue
1 Tim. 2:1-7 - This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
At a family meal when I was younger, my siblings and I began sharing various memories each of us had (which weren’t many back then). At some point we were asked what our earliest memory was. I shared what I thought was a recurring dream about being at a beach as a toddler when a cold wave washed over me. I had the sensation of sand being pulled away under me as the tide receded and I tumbling toward the ocean with the water. Then my father raced over and caught me, lifted me from the surf and brought me safely to where my mother was. After sharing the dream, my parents were quiet for a moment and then confirmed that my “dream” was actually a memory of a family trip we made to a well-known beach in Oregon. I was awe-struck that my dream was real, and equally amazed at my father’s quick response. I still love to visit that beach.
In 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul instructs Timothy and future readers to pray, desire, and live for the same thing as God: that all people would be rescued/saved through Jesus! Timothy has first-hand experience of rescue through Jesus, as does Paul. To emphasize how important this priority is, early in the letter the Apostle to the Gentiles instructed his son in the faith to keep a redemptive focus at the forefront of his mind.
A CALL TO PRAY FOR PEACEFUL/EXEMPLARY LIVES (1 Tim. 2:1-2)
At first glance it would seem like Paul told Timothy to pray that people in authority would lead in such a way that enabled Christians to lead safe, simple lives for the ease of it. But the final phrase of verse two emphasized that his aim was that followers of Jesus would live in visibly “godly and dignified” ways. Putting the two concepts together, it seems that the goal is to pray that rulers would govern in such a way that the light and salt of Christ-centered living would be seen by all (Matt. 5:13-16) so that more might be saved!
In the following verses Paul built a strong case for such a focus.
REASON #1: GOD DESIRES ALL TO BE SAVED (1 Tim. 2:3-4)
If God’s children aren’t careful, we can easily set our exclusive focus on the redeemed. But Paul reminded Timothy that God’s heart was to redeem as many as would come! It was God’s “divine desire that brought about the Incarnation and Christ’s death on the cross” (Jn. 3:16; Lk. 23:34, 43). - Hughes
We need to make sure that we learn to love what God loves, and desire what he desires, and what he desires is that as many people as possible would be saved by Jesus. What are you and I doing to fulfill that desire?
REASON #2: GOD HAS WORKED TO SAVE ALL (1 Tim. 2:5-6)
God didn’t just sit back and wait to see if his desire would be met, he did everything within his power to accomplish it. It was from his desire to save all that he sent Jesus, and Jesus willingly offered himself a ransom for us.
REASON #3: PAUL WAS APPOINTED AN APOSTLE TO SAVE ALL (1 Tim. 2:7)
As Paul experienced the gracious work of God through Jesus, he too came to share God’s desire. It’s what led Paul to become “all things to all people so that by all means he might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).
His focus turned ever outward, conscious of all the places and all the people who still hadn’t heard about salvation through Jesus.
Application:
It’s sobering to think about what might have happened that day on the beach if my father had been distracted, or slower to respond. It’s equally sobering to consider where each of us would be if God had not desired to save us. But he did! And his desire has not changed. As we pray for our leaders, let’s make sure that our requests are not motivated by a selfish desire for an easy life. Let’s follow Paul’s instruction to pray that our leaders would make it easier for our godly lives to be seen so that other lost souls would find the Savior! What can you do this week to be more aware of the souls around you that need rescuing? Will you care for them by sharing the gospel of Jesus? Let’s join God’s work in reaching as many souls as possible!
Your fellow rescuer,
