Preserve in These Things
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” I Timothy 4:16 NASB
After Paul instructed Timothy to “Pay close attention to yourself and your teachings,” he told him to “preserve” in these things. To preserve in something is to keep something, or to continue in something. The Word of God tells us to preserve/keep/continue in the process of paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching. This preservation in paying attention to ourselves and our teaching needs not only to become what we do, but who we are.
When one preserves fruit or vegetables, he will use another ingredient such as sugar or vinegar as the preserving agent. For the Christian our preserving agent is Jesus. Jesus is the assurance of salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear us. When we are preserved in Him, focused, and centered, in Him, kept, and continued in Him we are fully preserved.
This extra ingredient used to preserve the other changes the original ingredient causing its flavor to be forever transformed in accordance to the preserving ingredient. When we are preserved in Christ we are forever changed in Him. The flavor of our lives no longer represent us, they represent Christ in us, thus changing every area of our lives. Our moral character is forever changed for His glory. Our beliefs, and thus our teaching, are forever changed to represent His will, His heart, and His teachings, and not our own. Therefore, when we are paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching, our focus is through the lenses of Christ.
The gospel isn’t something we simply proclaim because we are commanded to. The gospel is who we are. It is the very representation of our lives. It is the message of our lives. Although Paul was an extraordinarily educated man, he said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2). For this purpose he dedicated his life and ultimately gave his life.
I am thoroughly convinced that there are two reasons why so many who attend church Sunday after Sunday refuse to be obedient in proclaiming the gospel. The first reason is that their lives have never been impacted by the gospel. The second is that they have not preserved in paying close attention to themselves or their teaching and have allowed more of the world to impact their lives than Jesus.
I am also thoroughly convinced that those whose lives have been transformed by the gospel and those who have preserved in Christ and are consumed in Him will share the gospel with this lost world just as naturally as they breathe. The more they lose themselves in Christ the more in love with Him they will become, resulting in them telling the world of their love for Him. In the same way that a mother will rush into a burning building to save her child the Christian in love with Christ will not cower down in fear, or bend to persecution, he will proudly and boldly share His love for Jesus. His focus will not be on the world that is against Him or on himself. His focus will be on Jesus, just as the mothers focus is on the child. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18).
When we proclaim the gospel out of duty and obligation the world will see it for what it is and not respond. All they will see is another religion. After all, that’s what duties and obligations are. Yet, when we share the gospel out of the overflow of our love and devotion of Jesus the world will respond and God’s mighty anointing will fall. Thus, we will, “ensure salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear you.” Rusty Kuhn
After Paul instructed Timothy to “Pay close attention to yourself and your teachings,” he told him to “preserve” in these things. To preserve in something is to keep something, or to continue in something. The Word of God tells us to preserve/keep/continue in the process of paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching. This preservation in paying attention to ourselves and our teaching needs not only to become what we do, but who we are.
When one preserves fruit or vegetables, he will use another ingredient such as sugar or vinegar as the preserving agent. For the Christian our preserving agent is Jesus. Jesus is the assurance of salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear us. When we are preserved in Him, focused, and centered, in Him, kept, and continued in Him we are fully preserved.
This extra ingredient used to preserve the other changes the original ingredient causing its flavor to be forever transformed in accordance to the preserving ingredient. When we are preserved in Christ we are forever changed in Him. The flavor of our lives no longer represent us, they represent Christ in us, thus changing every area of our lives. Our moral character is forever changed for His glory. Our beliefs, and thus our teaching, are forever changed to represent His will, His heart, and His teachings, and not our own. Therefore, when we are paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching, our focus is through the lenses of Christ.
The gospel isn’t something we simply proclaim because we are commanded to. The gospel is who we are. It is the very representation of our lives. It is the message of our lives. Although Paul was an extraordinarily educated man, he said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2). For this purpose he dedicated his life and ultimately gave his life.
I am thoroughly convinced that there are two reasons why so many who attend church Sunday after Sunday refuse to be obedient in proclaiming the gospel. The first reason is that their lives have never been impacted by the gospel. The second is that they have not preserved in paying close attention to themselves or their teaching and have allowed more of the world to impact their lives than Jesus.
I am also thoroughly convinced that those whose lives have been transformed by the gospel and those who have preserved in Christ and are consumed in Him will share the gospel with this lost world just as naturally as they breathe. The more they lose themselves in Christ the more in love with Him they will become, resulting in them telling the world of their love for Him. In the same way that a mother will rush into a burning building to save her child the Christian in love with Christ will not cower down in fear, or bend to persecution, he will proudly and boldly share His love for Jesus. His focus will not be on the world that is against Him or on himself. His focus will be on Jesus, just as the mothers focus is on the child. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18).
When we proclaim the gospel out of duty and obligation the world will see it for what it is and not respond. All they will see is another religion. After all, that’s what duties and obligations are. Yet, when we share the gospel out of the overflow of our love and devotion of Jesus the world will respond and God’s mighty anointing will fall. Thus, we will, “ensure salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear you.” Rusty Kuhn
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