Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-7
I want to talk about our Mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ. For this is merely one of His titles, and yet, we could not live without His intervention for us, He is our Comforter, He is our Healer, but today I’d like focus on this passage brought to us by Paul, because it is the right time for us to know these truths.
The Ephesian church had evidently stopped praying for the lost, since Paul urged Timothy who was their pastor, to make it a priority again. I believe that it is important that we pray for our leaders in government. Our apathetic view some Christians have toward government officials who have failed us in their promises cannot be what we make our decisions by. Or justify it as the reason they won’t even register to vote. No, If you are a Christian today, your viewpoint has to be biblically correct. And Paul here is exhorting us to begin by praying for these people we have in authority over us. Supplications—The Greek word is from a root word that means “to lack,” “to be deprived,” or “to be without.” So we can say, “This kind of prayer subject occurs because of need.” Now the purpose of the prayers is that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. The real purpose of government is not to tax people, but to preserve what is good. All laws were meant to be designed to preserve what is good, yet, because of all the evil influences and powers in government in our world, government actually is ordained to preserve what is good, by keeping out all of the evil influences. So what has happened instead? Study your history books and you will see it is true over and over again. Most governments begin with high ideals of preservation of good for the people, but in time, the corrupt forces moved in. The laws were liberalized to where good was no longer being preserved but evil was being allowed, being tolerated and then being protected by laws. We are at that stage in the United States today, where evil is being protected by law.
The lost have a great need of salvation, and believers should always be asking the Lord to meet that need. And so why not ask the Lord to bring more Christian believers in government leadership positions, it could be the only way for God to preserve our nation from its self destruction. Intercession—This word comes from a root word meaning “to fall in with someone,” or “to draw near so as to speak intimately.” The verb from which this word derives is used of Christ’s and the Holy Spirit’s intercession for believers (Romans 8:26) and in (Hebrews 7:25). Paul is saying, That the Ephesian Christian’s is to have compassion for the lost, to understand the depths of their pain and suffering by coming intimately to God pleading for their salvation and conversion. That they all would live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness. Shouldn’t that be our prayers today?
How many of us know of someone who is suffering by the consequences of their lives? Yet, without ever coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they will perish in their sins. Sad, so sad that people who have this great need of peace in their life, won’t come to the One who offers us His peace. And so we know that this is good and acceptable in the sight of our all seeing God, and our Savior, who desires all men to be saved. Who also desires that all men should come to the knowledge of truth. And what is truth?
There is one God—There is no other way of salvation (Acts 4:12); hence there is many gods in our world today, but there is only one God for those who are lost can be saved! And one Mediator between God and men—This refers to someone who intervenes between two parties to resolve a conflict or ratify a contract, or in this case a covenant. Jesus Christ is the only Mediator who can restore peace between God and sinners (Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, 12:24). We can remember from the Book of Job, of all of his afflictions, his loss of possessions, children, his own health. Lying in misery even his own wife told him, “Why don’t you just curse God and die!” Then we read his friends came to comfort him. But rather than bring him comfort, they became accusers, and condemners. The gist of which was to say to Job, “Why don’t you just confess your sins and get right with God?” Job saw the enormous task of trying to bridge the great gulf between God the infinite One, and man the finite one. The only way Job could see it happening is that there be a source of mediation between God and man. Someone who can touch God and touch man. Jesus Christ is that Mediator who comes between us and God, by giving Himself as a ransom as our substitutionary death for believers, which He did willingly, and to fulfill the purpose for which He came to our world for; That we may have our relationship to God restored and be in right standing before Him on the Day of judgment. How thankful every Christian should be, that we have Jesus Christ interceding for us as we live our lives in this world. Even when we blow it, and sin against God, He intercedes for us to Father, that we might be restored into right fellowship again with Him. Jesus stands between God and me/us who are believers, and puts His nail scarred hand upon God, and reaches down and puts His hand upon us, and brings us in touch with God. Amazing is the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord. Simply amazing grace!
Beloved friend, Now what does that mean? That means if you who are reading this want to come to God today, you don’t get there because of me, or any Pastor/teacher, were not the mediator between God and you. If you want to come to God today, you must go to Jesus Christ, He alone is the mediator between God and man. You can’t get there praying to saints, or the virgin Mary, or any other entity. There is only one mediator, the Man Christ Jesus. And He alone can bring you into touch with God. He said in the gospel of John, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: and no man comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
May the Lord bless your walk with Him today!
