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Q3. (2 TIMOTHY 3:5) Why is it so easy to become a hypocrite? How can we prevent our faith from degenerating into "a form of religion" without the power? It is so easy to give an outwardly appearance of being a Christian. We go to church, know some Christian doctrine, use a few Christian clichés, and follow Christian traditions. That’s it. But there is no substance. Whereas to live the life of a disciple requires effort; we must come humbly before Him, and hand over control to Him; our benefits are something in the future; and we are constantly aware of our sinful natures and our total dependence on Him. It is not easy being a Christian. We might want to do what is correct but the ‘sinful man’ in us, is always pulling us in the wrong direction. It takes discipline and dedication to our Lord; we have to continually be in prayer and in reading the Word; we must always be aware that our actions speak louder than our words, knowing that the world is watching us. Always very keen to label us as hypocrites. They will judge us by our fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). By our ungodly behaviour we show the world that we are living a lie, and there is no evidence of the power of God in our lives. But as Christians we have no difficulty in identifying the works of the flesh. We read about it in Gal 5:19-21: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Q2. (2 TIMOTHY 2:24-25) In your own words, explain the various characteristics that enable a Christian teacher to correct opponents. How does the lack of any of these hinder the task? As Christians we are to resemble our Lord and Saviour, who is kind and gentle, humble and meek, lowly, and restful. We, as our Lord's servant, then, must also be kind and gentle, humble, easy to speak to, approachable in our behaviour, patient and polite; not irritable, intolerant, sarcastic, or scornful, not even toward those who are difficult or slow to understand. It is with this attitude that we must try to win opponents over to the truth. We must note however, that this gentleness will not always be reciprocated or even appreciated. At times we will meet with ridicule and abuse, even with insult and injury. When this happens, we must show even more patience and tolerance; remembering to correct the opponents with mildness. Always listen carefully to all questions and try to answer them but respectfully. Avoid any foolish debates which can only result in unnecessary arguments. We are not to succumb to evil.

Q1. (2 TIMOTHY 2:20-22). When do you put your good plates and silverware on the table? When do you use your everyday tableware? What point is Paul making with this example? In practical terms, how do we "cleanse ourselves" so that we might be useful and ready for the Lord's use? In any large house there are all kinds of utensils, not only gold and silver, which are articles to be kept and displayed, and used on special occasions; but also, wood and clay vessels, which are used on a daily basis and are not so keenly shown. Similarly, a church contains noble, honourable believers (the gold and silver vessels) who are useful to the Lord for the highest purposes. These are the brave soldiers, the disciplined athletes, and the hard-working farmers. At the same time there are the less noble, less honourable believers (the wood and clay vessels) who are useful only for the menial ordinary purposes. These are the cowardly soldiers, the lethargic athletes, and the lazy farmers. All believers should have a desire to serve the Lord – to become noble vessels. I think Paul is saying that if we will effectively cleanse ourselves, we will become a utensil for honour. Now, the way to cleanse ourselves is to become detached from that which is evil and attached to that which is good. By staying close to our Lord, and separating ourselves from the lusts of the flesh - the **** for money, fame, and pleasures. By purifying ourselves so that sin does not interfere with what God wants us to do. God can only use clean vessels in holy service. “Be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord (Isa 52:11).

Q4. (2 TIMOTHY 2:15) Exactly what is the analogy with a skilled workman that forms the basis for Paul's instruction to Timothy? How does this apply to our teaching of scripture today? The analogy is that of a workman skilled enough to make paths that are straight, smooth, and free from obstacles. Who treats the Word properly, keeping believers on the straight and narrow way; living a righteous life in obedience to our Lord, staying on the path of faith. The word of truth will be rightly handled, and like a skilled workman he does not change it, pervert it, mutilate it, or distort it, neither does he use it with the wrong purpose in mind. A workman who works hard, who has done his work well and is not ashamed to submit it to his superior. Remembering that it is before God whom we all will stand. This is how we should lovingly handle the Word, doing it for the glory of God, the conversion of sinners, and for the edification of believers.

Q3. (2 TIMOTHY 2:3-7) Paul calls Timothy to endure hardship for the sake of the goal. What in the experience of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer illustrates this well? Which of these examples speaks most strongly to you? Paul gives three illustrations of Christian service and urges us to consider them as we meditate on them. We will then realize that the Christian ministry resembles warfare, athletics, and farming, that each of these has its own responsibilities, and that each brings its own reward. In all three we must be disciplined and prepared to suffer hardships. The believer as a soldier has been enlisted by the Lord, and our love for Him should find us in the front line; continually in touch with Jesus as we receive our orders from Him. We then have the athlete; here in order to receive the reward, we must train hard and obey the rules of Christian service. These include: we must practice self-discipline – living the life we preach (1 Cor 9:27); in our battle against spiritual powers, we do not use carnal weapons, but spiritual ones, the Word of God and prayer (2 Cor 10:4); we must keep ourselves pure; and we must be patient. Unfortunately, many of us fall out before we reach the finish line, disqualified because we did not maintain an unquestioning obedience to the word of God! Finally, we have the farmer. This involves endurance and hard work the whole year. Only if our work has been done well and unceasingly, will we see the results of our labour. Then we will see that our efforts are being rewarded and we will be the first to enjoy the fruit. This would serve as an encouragement to us, should we ever become discouraged in our labour for the Lord, knowing that such toil will not go unrewarded. Sometimes we get to see some of the results of our service here on earth. But the true enjoyment of all fruits of our service will only be known when we are with the Lord. I can see a bit of all three in myself; but I think I can associate myself more with the hard-working farmer. Someone has said: “A part-time Christian is a contradiction in terms; a man's whole life should be one strenuous endeavour to live out his Christianity in every moment and in every sphere of his life.”

Q2. Why do you think our churches tend not to declare the call to endurance and suffering? Why did Timothy tend to shy away from it? What is the result of a willingness to suffer for the gospel? Some of our churches tend to preach only what they perceive the congregation want to hear. Mostly prosperity teaching and then they focus on success and the good life. They tend to avoid anything about the trials and tribulations that we all must endure to produce a Jesus Christ like character. Timothy was a young and inexperienced leader. Being timid in nature and when he started to see Christians being persecuted for their faith this may have frightened him. From personal experience, I have found that suffering brings me closer to Christ. Otherwise, there is the danger of becoming complacent and smug – everything is going well so there is no need for Jesus. Also, I feel this then is the time to consider if we have been truly saved at all. 1 Peter 4:14 tells us to count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God's glorious Spirit is with you. Suffering causes believers to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, which gives assurance of salvation. Nothing is achieved in this life without discipline and endurance, perhaps even suffering.

Q1. (2 TIMOTHY 2:2) Why is it important for pastors and church leaders to execute a strategy of mentoring teachers and elders in a congregation? How much time should be devoted to this teaching of future leaders vs. the time spent in administration and programs? I would think it is vital. The integrity of the Word must be protected and spread throughout the congregation and further. It is about committing the truth of God’s Word to reliable disciples who in their turn also teach others this truth. Reliable means faithful, able, and trustworthy in the way of dealing with what is entrusted to them (1 Cor 4:1-2). This is important since the reason and aim is the building up or edifying of the body of Christ. It takes time to mentor future teachers and elders, so priority must be given to this task, above any other administrative functions.

Q4. (2 TIMOTHY 1:12) According to verse 12, what is the source of Paul's fearlessness? What does he trust God to guard for him? The source of Paul’s fearlessness was the gospel and his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul trusts God to guard the gospel that had been entrusted to him for the salvation of others; and to guard and care for his body, soul, and spirit - his eternal destiny. Jesus Christ was his Almighty Lord, and with Him there could be no defeat or failure. He is the key to assurance, because we discover that He is totally trustworthy and is fully capable of fulfilling His promises. Here is His promise: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39). It takes faith to deposit our life with Jesus Christ. When we put our trust in Christ to save us, we are admitting that we cannot save ourselves by our own efforts or good works. We trust Jesus, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). We take God at His Word by believing that Christ will do what He promised, namely, to give eternal life to every person who believes in Him.

Q3. (2 TIMOTHY 1:8-10) Paul is writing to encourage timid Timothy. How is Paul's focus on Christ and the gospel designed to encourage Timothy? How is this an antidote for shame? Paul encourages Timothy to be zealous, courageous, and bold in faith because of the wonderful way God has dealt with us in grace. He chose us before creation; He saved us from the penalty of sin; He freed us from this evil world; and He blessed us with spiritual blessings. Our calling and salvation are not dependent or given according to what we have done. We did not earn them; or even seek them; most definitely did not deserve them - they were freely given to us without any pre-condition or price. This was all done by God’s grace. Just the knowledge of God’s love in Christ Jesus and the gift of God’s grace, are enough to motivate Timothy to devote himself in acknowledging Christ and defending the gospel. It is when we ponder on these thoughts that we should be full of enthusiasm for the Lord and never to be ashamed to call His name out loud. Besides, the Holy Spirit also gives the courage to testify boldly of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Q2. (2 Timothy 1:7-8, 12) Can you give examples of how cowardice and shame may have kept you from identifying yourself as a Christian on occasion? From testifying clearly about your faith? According to verse 12, what is the antidote for cowardice and shame? How then do we combat the cowardice and shame we might recognize in ourselves? In the beginning of my Christian journey, I did not have the courage or confidence to speak openly about my faith and what my Lord Jesus Christ means to me. This was mainly from the fear of rejection, and because I was scared of being asked a question, I would not have been able to answer. But fortunately, since I’ve given my life to our Lord and Saviour Jesus, and because of the fact that I have spiritually matured a lot more since then, I’m no longer ashamed and will openly speak about Jesus. But I must admit I’m very reserved when it comes to a stranger, I won’t initiate a conversation about our Lord. I realize that God is in control and there is nothing to worry about or to be ashamed of. Jesus Christ is my Almighty Lord, and with Him there can no defeat or failure. So, I am not ashamed! I know the one I have faith in, and I know that He will guard and protect me.

Q1. (2 TIMOTHY 1:6) What advice would you give to a person who has let use of a spiritual gift or ministry lapse? How can a gift or ministry be rekindled? What might be involved in reclaiming use of such a gift? I would remind the person, in love, that the Holy Spirit imparts a spiritual gift to every believer; it has been given to build up the body of Christ; to honour God, and to bring Him glory. Also given so that we may serve others, faithfully managing God’s grace. However, it must be used if it is to reach and maintain its full potential – we must persevere in serving our Lord Jesus. We must be careful that our real interests are in our commitment to Him; not be looking for praise or approval from people but only from Jesus. Knowing what Christ has done for us should be enough encouragement for us not to let this gift lapse – we must/will want to serve. We don’t need a new gift but only to rekindle the one God has given us. Remember God has given each one of us a unique gift. Yes, this takes courage and discipline. We need to step out boldly in faith, knowing that God will give us the power we need to do the task He has given us. We might have become rusty but with determination and practice the Holy Spirit will help us, and give us the spirit of power, the spirit of love, and the spirit of self-discipline in reclaiming this gift.

Q5. (TITUS 3:5-8) If "regeneration" is necessary, what does that imply about our spiritual state before salvation? What is "new" after salvation? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our salvation? In our sanctification? We are all born sinners, and are spiritually dead, only deserving eternal punishment from God. But God saved us because of His great mercy, lovingkindness, and earned salvation for us by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. He made us spiritually alive by giving us new-birth, regeneration – we are now a new creation, a new creature (2 Cor 5:17). Regeneration was necessary because of our deprived state. After salvation we now have a new heart, a new mind, and a new will - old things have passed away, all things have become new. We are not the same anymore, the Holy Spirit has given us new life, we are now living in union with Christ (Col 2:6-7). We have the Holy Spirit as a deposit who will help us in our Christian journey as we strive to be daily more and more like our Lord Jesus. There will still be battles with sin, but the fruit of the Spirit starts becoming more visible to us and to others in our life. Sanctification is the progressive work in which the Holy Spirit helps us become more and more free from sin and continues throughout our earthly lives. Our sanctification will never be completed in this life. But once we die and go to be with the Lord, we are set free from indwelling sin and are made perfect.

Q4. (TITUS 3:4-5) Why is it important to stress that our salvation has nothing to do with our righteous actions? How can otherwise "good" works be corrupted by self-serving motives? How can pride and self-deceit keep us from salvation? Every person born into the world is enslaved to sin – spiritually dead (Eph 2:1). Dead meaning that in no way can we come to God or save ourselves – dead is dead. Sin has affected our mind, heart, and will; we have no interest in seeking God (Rom 3:11). Our salvation is completely a work of God, our righteous actions play no part at all – it’s all God’s kindness, love, mercy, and grace. Not the result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:9). Before our conversion our actions, deeds were under the influence of Satan and therefore in total disobedience to God. This includes our so called good deeds, which are tainted by self-serving interests and hidden agendas. Our pride and self-deceit gets in the way of our salvation thinking we can do it all. We don’t want to be dictated to by anyone even God. We put our trust in self-righteousness to our own downfall.

Q3. (TITUS 3:1-2) What should be a Christian's response to civil government, even government by those who do not share our values? How does an anti-government stance hurt the cause of Christ? How does gossip or backbiting hurt the cause of Christ? How does it hurt the unity of the church? I live in a country that is ruled by a criminal government that has plundered our country to the position that we are on the verge of being a failed state. Everything they touch has been sucked dry of all finances; combined with incompetence our roads are full of potholes, our water supply is threatened, and some areas are without electricity for days on end. There is no law and order. On top of this they increase our rates and taxes. People are angry and those that can are emigrating. Romans 13:1 tells us that every person should obey the government in power. These instructions are without any exceptions, so no matter what type of government is in power, we are told to “be subject to the governing authorities.” The reason is that the authorities that exist have been established by God. I feel that as Christians our proper response in this pagan society is not to confront the situation by trying to change moral values. People don’t like to be told what to do, or what they are doing wrong. Confrontation won’t change anything but will bring more harm to the cause of Christ. The whole world system is in the hands of the wicked one, and has been condemned by God (1 John 5:19). Jesus Himself said: “My kingdom is not of this world” (Joh 18:36), and as His ambassadors, we should represent this truth to the world. To bring about change it has to happen from the inside out. This we do by bringing people to God. Our chief goal is to lead people to our Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour. To do this we have to be living a life that honours our Lord (Tit 2:8). We live by example – displaying God’s saving power. What good advice: "If you can't say something good about someone, don't say it." As Christians we should speak evil of no one. Think of all the grief and trouble that would be avoided. We should be thinking of others and putting others first. Replacing gossip, backbiting, slander, ridicule, insult, verbal abuse with gentleness, kindness, humbleness, graciousness, politeness. As we grow in faith all this fruit of the Spirit should start to become more prominent. If not, we risk the chance of being called a hypocrite. Also, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Rom 12:18). The righteousness of God is not worked out by hostility and anger.

Q2. (TITUS 2:14) According to verse 14, what are the two purposes of Christ's redemption? Why do we need to purified so that we can do truly "good" works? Firstly, Christ wanted to make us “a people that are His very own.” For this to happen it was necessary for Jesus to redeem us “from all wickedness.” We need to remember what we were like: we were dead in our transgressions and sins; we followed the ways of this world; gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts; we were by nature objects of wrath (Eph 2:1-3); we were without hope and without God in the world (Eph 2:12). Christ saved us not only from the guilt and penalty of sin but also to redeem us from every lawless deed. Secondly, He wanted “to purify a people that will be His very own, eager to do what is good.” This control sin had over our lives also had to be neutralised, and this was also achieved by Jesus giving of Himself. Being made new creatures: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17); the old sinful nature has been replaced, and now we are keen to do good deeds. Our hearts are purified and out of the love for our Saviour we want to do deeds that will bring glory to Him.

Q1. (TITUS 2:12-13) If we were convinced that Christ would soon return, what effect would that have on the way we conduct ourselves? Why is this hope "blessed"? In what way will Christ's return exhibit His glory? If we truly believe Jesus is coming soon, this will have an effect on all that we do. A believer who truly loves Christ, and who is convinced and understands these things will want to live a godly life. Knowing what Jesus has done and why He has done it, we look forward to His return, and will not want to disappoint Him. On the other hand, ungodly living in a believer is a clear sign that they do not fully understand what is going on, or even that they don’t actually believe in Christ’s Second Coming. As sinners, we had no hope beyond the grave, but all who die in Christ will be raised from among the dead. This is our blessed hope, the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the fact that we will be taken home to heaven to be with Christ and to be like Him forever. It is blessed because of the blessings that come with it. One commentator calls the blessed hope “the link between our present and future.” At His coming we shall see Him in all His glory - His perfection. When one thinks of the glory of Christ, we are reminded about His great love and the great work He has accomplished for us, His disciples. His glory is completed as His enemies are made His footstool, and He is surrounded by His chosen ones. He who has been exalted to the right hand of God, will return in glory for the judgment of all mankind.

Q4. (TITUS 2:11-12) How does a wrong understanding of God's grace seem to give us a license to be sloppy in our behaviour? In what ways should God's grace motivate us to good behaviour? Once we have been saved; all our past, present, and future sins are forgiven; some might think that since all their future sins are already forgiven, they can be a bit careless in behaviour. But it doesn’t work that way, once we are saved, we will have become new creatures (2 Cor 5:17) and our goal will be to glorify God in all ways we can. We will be looking forward with hope of spending eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace motivates us to live a righteous life turning away from worldly lusts – **** for sex, wealth, power, pleasure, fame amongst other. And we will want to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.

Q3. (TITUS 2:2-8) What are the weaknesses are younger wives and husbands need to be careful of? How about employees? What positive qualities should substitute for these sins? Why is Titus's example so important in teaching good Christian behaviour and morality? How does our behaviour impact Christ's reputation? A weakness for a young wife would be not loving or caring for their husband and children, and neglecting their household duties. Not being submissive to their husband. The younger husbands not taking responsibility for their role in marriage. Examples of weaknesses are laziness, not careful in money matters, irresponsible, insincere, drunkard. Employees are to be honest, hardworking as to working for the Lord. Positive qualities would include faithfulness, loving, responsibility, prudence, integrity, dignity, self-respect, and a strong work ethic. All are to be sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. Without good Christian qualities the world will have lots of reasons to criticise us and see us as a bunch of hypocrites.

Q2. (TITUS 2:2-3) What seem to be the predominant sins of the older men and women in the churches of Crete? What specific behaviours does Paul urge in place of these sins? Older men drank too much, bringing disrespect upon themselves as well as the congregation. They did not act with proper seriousness or dignity; often being carried away by carnal desires and hysterical excitement – showing signs of immaturity. The older women as well needed to behave with dignity, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine, to be teachers of what is good. The apostle also refers to their conduct and overall behaviour, to the entire appearance of the older women. Both older men and older women should display the characteristics of maturity in their behaviour. Older men are to be temperate, worthy of respect, and self-controlled. They should be sensible, using sound common sense in all situations in which they might find themselves. They must show firmness of character, making them reliable and trustworthy at all times. Older women are also to live lives of respect, to control their gossiping as well as their wine consumption, and being a good example to younger women. This mature behaviour should be complemented by godliness, displaying the Christian virtues of faith, love, and endurance. In faith by placing their trust not upon their feelings, but upon the eternal and unchangeable Word of God. In love by letting all their good works be to the glory of our Lord, and not striving for recognition of others. In endurance, the willingness to be faithful also in the midst of persecutions and afflictions. Living in a pagan world this is easier said than done. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and discernment we need, and the fruit of self-control to control our wills, tongues, and passions, so that we do not dishonour our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q1. (TITUS 1:9) Why do pastors and elders hesitate to correct false doctrine today? What is the result of laxity? What is the result of gentle but firm discipline with regard to doctrine? Maybe the main reason is being scared of losing a member of the congregation. Could be that there is so much false doctrine floating around that it’s best ignored. I feel that today our churches are being attacked from within by unbelief, watered-down faith, and false doctrines. We are also busy seeing our true doctrines deteriorating into a type of social gospel, where God centred principles are being abandoned with a strong tendency downward into the debts of man centred naturalism or secularism. The end result of this laxity will be atheism/apostasy. To save the gospel this downward decline has to be stopped by gentle but firm disciple – somehow?

Q5. (1 TIMOTHY 6:20-21) How can we guard the faith without becoming narrow, backward-looking people who oppose all change, and complain about "what things are coming to"? How can guards be at the same time positive, loving, and pleasant to be around? If we remain faithful to the Word of God, I cannot see us ever becoming narrow-minded, backward-looking, opposing change, and complaining people. The truth is the truth, no matter what. Today, more than ever the Christian truth is under attack; we encounter daily opposition to the truth of God’s Word - we must be wide awake and ready to guard it at all cost. At the same time, we are to watch out for being led astray by so called new ideas. Some of which are falsely called knowledge, or so-called intellectualism, rationalism, modernism, liberalism, and every other “ism” which disregards or waters down Christ. There will be subtle inroads of error. We are to reject anything that is against the truth as garbage. To remain positive, loving, and pleasant is not always that easy. I live in a country rife with corruption and amongst the highest crime rate in the world. It is so easy to become negative about what is happening to our people. The only way to counter all this negativism is to put our trust in God. Knowing that God is sovereign we put our trust in His promises, His faithfulness, His goodness, and His mercy, amongst many other. We serve a mighty God!! With the help of the Holy Spirit, I’m reminded to see life from an eternal perspective. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), reminds me that the object of this life is to love, worship, and serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Q4. (1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19) What kinds of actions are the best antidote for the love of money? How can we cultivate generosity so that it remains healthy, rather than let it go overboard and hurt our families? I think we should be aware of the dangers of the love of money. Instead of trusting our riches we should rather put our trust in our Lord and Saviour. Money has a way of sprouting wings and flying away. Great resources give the appearance of providing security; the fact is that the only sure thing in this world is the word of God. Many of us are experiencing this truth in our present economic crisis. To cultivate generosity so that it remains healthy, we are to be generous and ready to share. We can be rich in good deeds which will not harm our families financially. This will act as evidence of our overflowing gratitude to God for His gift of eternal life. We can be generous in giving our time and labour to help others. Not only by our words, but also by our lives, we should show that we are children of God. John Wesley has been said to say: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Never forgetting that it is not our money, but God’s – we are to look after it as His stewards.

Q3. (1 TIMOTHY 6:7-10) How does love for money grow? How does it become a trap? How do you escape this deceptive trap? We mistakenly seek the power and status that we think riches will bring, so, not content with all that God has provided there is a great desire to be rich. But we know that the love of money is a root sin (6:10); that is to say, it lies beneath the surface and nourishes any number of other sins. Such sins may include theft, fraud, perjury, gambling, speculation, and even murder. This desire to be rich leads us into being tempted to resort to these dishonest means to achieve our goal, and this then leads to: temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge us into ruin and destruction. We have to confront our love of money and remove it by the roots every time we see it spring up in another area of our life, if not we can be sucked into the desire to make more and more money. This desire starts to grow, and becomes stronger and stronger, leading us into a snare or trap which we are unable to escape from. We might have set an initial target and promise to stop once this has been reached, but we cannot stop - this desire grows as we desire for more and more. Before we realize it, this desire can completely control and destroy our lives. Things can spiral out of control ultimately ending in our total ruin and destruction. The reason the pursuit of riches deceives is that money does not last, and it never brings true happiness. It has been said: “Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation; a passport to everywhere but heaven.” To escape this deceptive trap, we should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mat 6:33), and God will make sure we have all we need for life. There is nothing we can take with us into eternity. Why then do we strive after temporal things that cannot bring us lasting satisfaction? We should realize that money will not bring true happiness; it can’t reconcile us to God, because it doesn’t deal with our sinful self-will that alienates us from God and others. Only Christ through His death on the cross can forgive our sins. Only Christ can deal the deathblow to our love of self as we enthrone Jesus as our rightful Lord. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self” (Luke 9:25)?

Q2. (1 TIMOTHY 6:6) Why should we seek contentment? Doesn't contentment keep us from trying to get ahead so our families can have what they need? What's the balance between contentment and the quest for improvement? The truly godly person seeks contentment and is not interested in becoming wealthy beyond their needs. They realise that they possess inner resources which furnish riches far beyond that which the world can offer. They have peace with God, spiritual joy, and assurance of salvation. They know that: “...in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Therefore, they feel no need to store up earthly goods - which can never satisfy the soul (Luke 12:19-20). They are content with what they have (Philippians 4:10-13). They realize that: “...naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart" (Job 1:21a). This does not prevent them from doing the best for their family by providing for all their needs, but not their greed. In other words, they are content but are also free from the love of money (Heb. 13:5). They are content no matter what their circumstances are (Phil 4:11-13), and they are fully dependent upon His grace (2 Cor 12:9-10). This contentment combined with godliness is indeed of great gain – more than money can buy. We live in perfect balance between contentment and our quest for improvement as we realise it is our responsibility as believers to live for the Lord, trusting Him for the future with unshakable confidence that He will provide.

Q1. (1 Timothy 6:5) Why do you think people are so susceptible to distorted Bible teaching concerning financial gain? Admitting that there is some truth in popular teachings in our time, what are the distortions that you may have heard? How do they differ from the truth? Maybe it suits them to pretend not to understand, so that they can continue living their ungodly life of greed. Greed being the core motivation for dishonest financial gain (Titus 1:11). They are ungodly people who follow their own evil desires (Jude 1:16), never thinking of the harm they are doing. There is a commercialism which has become so common in Christendom. I think false teachers have become more numerous in our day; this is perhaps due to the mass media made available. These teachers also notice our greed and the way we always are looking for easy answers to our problems. They have found out that religion can be very profitable – to them; often displaying their own wealth as proof that it is God’s will for all to be financially successful. Paul reminds us that teachers who promote gain rather than godliness are not from God. Sound doctrine is not focused on personal financial gain. We err in living self-centred lives instead of a God-centred live. We must be careful not to see God as the servant of mankind; remembering that He is the sovereign, omnipotent creator-God. All this prosperity teaching is not based on the true Word. It is mostly based on a lie. The closer we get to our Lord Jesus the more we start to realise and experience that true godliness produces contentment and spiritual riches. We are truly content with what we have and don’t need anything else. We rather seek the true riches of spiritual contentment that come from complete trust in our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. A godly person is motivated not by the love of money but by our love of God. The richest person is the one who desires the least, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9).