Page 72 - Pastoral Epistles I & 2 Timothy, Titus

We are called to live a holy life.
What does “living a holy life” look like – and how is it different from the way non-Christians live
their lives?

If someone claims to be saved but continues living in sin, he or she had
better examine themselves to see if they are truly saved at all. It dishonors
the name of God when someone claims to be saved, especially someone
in public ministry, when he or she lives in sin. While no one can be totally
free from sin in this life, those whom God has saved will sin less as they
grow in holiness in thought, word, and deed.
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Romans 8:28-30. And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose. For those God

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foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he
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called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

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2 Timothy 1:13-14. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith
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and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the
help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Each of us is investing our lives in something. It may be a career. It may be building a solid marriage and raising
our children to love the Lord. But we are given a certain number of days. We spend them doing something. The
total of how we spend our days amounts to the investment of our lives.
But, it’s amazing (at least in America) that while people are careful about investing their money, they are not
nearly as careful about how they invest their lives.
In V14, Paul tells Timothy that he should guard the good deposit that was entrusted to him.
Everything that we are and have has been entrusted to us from God, for our safekeeping. Some things entrusted
to us are temporary. But the gift of eternal life is just that – eternal! We only have one life. Why would we want
to reject faith in Jesus for anything less?
Yes – the Gospel is indeed found within the pages of our Bible, but the Gospel is also kept and preserved through
the lives of God’s people.
 We guard the deposit by living a godly life.

Luke 6:46. Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
1 John 3:18. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

In one of his books, Watchman Nee points out that a person will walk
differently when he has a treasure in his pocket. If you’re walking down the
street and only have one kwacha in your pocket, you aren’t very concerned
about losing it. But if you’re given 10,000 kwacha and told to guard it in your
pocket as you go from one place to another, you’ll walk a bit differently than
if you only have one kwacha. You’ll be careful not to go to certain places, where you could get mugged. There are
certain things that you just won’t do, for fear of losing that treasure.
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