To the critics of the church…Paul saw you. (1&2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon)

1:4--7

What value does someone who offers only questions? It's similar to the value that is provided by a critic. If we simply question what is said or what is done or, worse, only criticize rather than contribute, we are worthless in building the kingdom of God. "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." Paul was warning Timothy to not give heed to those who simply question rather than edify.

I've found that I can poke holes into any argument, history or person. I can question the validity of any principle. I can find weakness in just about any belief system. If I ask enough questions to create enough doubt, I could perhaps sway someone's faith. If I look hard enough into any religion, I can surely find faults.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. When you add humans to it, you introduce imperfection. The title page of the Book of Mormon includes this statement. "And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ." Instead of looking for those imperfections and becoming fixated on it, see the perfect gospel as Christ taught.

Paul continues about them. "From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." The phrase "vain jangling" means "vain, idle, fruitless discussion." I have listened to several people's vain jangling. They criticize, propose their own invented theory, and attempt to be "teachers of the law" without truly understanding what they are talking about. It's a frustrating experience to listen. Every sentence has a flawed spin to it. Their arguments are based on an incorrect premise and they attempt to build a straw man argument on a misunderstanding.

As I listen to critics of the church, I never hear about faith in Jesus Christ. I never feel love. Whatever path we are on, it should lead to faith in Christ and developing Christlike charity. That is the purpose of our religion. "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." If what we do religiously doesn't lead us to Christ and pure love, we are doing it wrong.

1:15-16

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." It's important to remember that Jesus came to save sinners - not perfect people. I think some of us feel like we have to be saved through obedience. If we are perfect enough, we can be saved int he kingdom of God. That's not how this mortal life works. Jesus came to save the sinners like you and me.

It is good that Paul is humble. He says that he is a "chief" sinner. In fact, he says that he's valuable in showing others how longsuffering Jesus is. He sees himself as a sinner who needs Christ. He sees the value in showing others that Christ is mighty to save even the most vile sinner. His life is a pattern for others.

His humility places him in a position of growth. He will continue to look for opportunities to repent and progress if he remains humble. When we start to consider ourselves great, our desire to improve naturally decreases.

2:9-10

What makes a woman truly beautiful? Paul suggests that it is righteousness rather than adornments. "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." Those who seek to be better by what they wear have missed the point.

Because one of my weaknesses is being judgmental, I will confess this: I have often seen women who are beautiful and stylish but seem to be hollow and self-centered. I know, I am judging. But, if my judgment is correct, these women will one day see that their beauty worked against their eternal salvation by focusing their attention on their appearance rather than their goodness. But, I shouldn't judge.

4:1

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." This, again, is describing the people who are falling into apostasy. Many are seduced into leaving. There are many in the world who are determined to seduce others into leaving the church. Why is what they say so seducing? Well, let's look at some seductive thoughts:

• Just do what is right for you and your family.

• All religions are good.

• Christ taught us to love. Religion can be bad if we don't just simply love everyone and accept what they do.

• It is good to be free from the rules and guilt that come with religion.

• God loves you no matter what you do. We shouldn't feel pressure to be better.

For those of us who are naturally selfish - which most of us are - these things sound pretty good! It feels comfortable to be okay with doing exactly what we want to do without any distractions or pressure or direction from someone else. If feels good to do what we desire. Of course doing what we want is aligned with our preferences! Many who leave the church feel a sense of relief as the do what they want to do and not feel guilty about it. It's a seductive proposition.

4:6

Instead, we should determine if the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and then diligently continue to repent and improve until we die. "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained." The phrase "whereunto thou hast attained" means "which you've followed closely." We should follow good doctrine rather than our own personal whims.

4:8

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." I exercise six days a week. I've lost weight and gained muscle. I'm loving the changes.

However, this week, I've dedicated twice as much time to exercise as I have to scripture study. I've certainly spent more time exercising than serving others. Being healthy and fit will serve me well in being able to physically do what I want to.

This life is much about investment. What do we invest in?

• Are we investing in our physical health? True, investing in this will help me live a more capable life, I still have bad news. No matter how much I exercise, I'm going to die. No matter how well I eat, my body will eventually break down until I die. Looking at this from an eternal perspective, investing in my health will eventually fail.

• Are we investing in our financial future? Money will give us freedom to do what we want in this life and even give us more opportunities to help others. Again, with an eternal view, this investment will eventually become worthless. The moment we die, all of that investment disappears. We cannot take one dime with us.

These investments eventually have a return of zero. Only our righteousness has an eternal return. Only faith and humility and love will profit us in the next life. Also, faith, humility and love will bless us in this life. Truly, these qualities will be "profitable in all things."

4:12, 15-16

"Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." If we were all examples in this way, much less people would be leaving the church. Instead, many of us are self-righteous and judgmental. Some don't interact authentically with those we see at church. Others don't truly see people or listen or notice when support is needed. Many of us aren't very good at truly fellowshipping. If we were perfect "examples of the believers," many more people would be drawn to this church.

"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." As we truly live the principles of the gospel, we will blessed and that will be visible to others. As we live according to the doctrine of the church, we will be blessed and so will those who witness it. Our righteous lives will be a magnet for others to be pulled towards.

5:6

“But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” What does this mean? I believe this is about progression. If we are living for pleasure, it means we are doing exactly what we want. We are seeking to fulfill our needs, however carnal they may be. When we do what is “right” for us, our course is not charted but will meander through life - not really making progress. If mortality is about progression, to “live in pleasure” means death to our progression. This is bad.

On the other hand, if we can kill our will and truly submit to the will of God, we die in Christ. Our rebellious soul is controlled. As we follow the will of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can progress eternally. The old person is dead yet while alive. This is good.

I think the people reading this are not super sinful. You are not living in pleasure. However, it’s possible that you may be following your will enough to hamper your progression. I know it happens to me all of the time. I don’t live in pleasure but I certainly live in distraction. I like to sit on the couch and watch TV for hours. I like doing crossword puzzles. I like reading the news. None of these are sinful acts but they can make me “dead” while I continue to live. Frankly, when I lay on the couch and watch TV, I do appear somewhat dead. I’m in a trance. I’m into the show. I often choose to do this rather than study the scriptures or search out my family on FamilySearch.

I shouldn’t feel guilty about this. There’s plenty of guilt to go around among church members. However, I need to recognize that it’s possible that, if I am distracted enough, it’s like I’m living the same year over and over again. In terms of spiritual progress, I can be “dead while I live.”

5:13-14

Paul talks about younger widows not needing to be taken care of. However, he has a warning for them. “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” If someone is taken care of, they can “learn to be idle.” Idleness does not breed righteousness - that’s for sure.

Idleness can also lead to trouble. If I’m not anxiously engaged in my own work, I can give unneeded attention on others’ lives. I can become a sharer of gossip. Nothing much is going on in my life so, to be interesting to others, I need to talk about the juicy goings on of others. This must have been a pretty big problem according to Paul.

“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” If we are busy with being married, having children, guiding the house, there is little time to be idle. When we are anxiously engaged in a good cause, it’s much harder for Satan’s minions to wedge their way into our lives.

5:24

“Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” Some of our sins are in plain view. If we are a criminal, we often get caught. If we use illegal drugs, there are often quick consequences. Usually, adulterers are caught soon enough.

These sins are “open beforehand.” They become exposed over the course of our life. However, most sins are not open and in plain view. Many sins can happen simply between our ears. Because they aren’t exposed, we can continue in these sins until the end of our mortal lives. These “follow after.” These are invisible. Their invisibility makes them more permanent in that we can carry them without it affecting our social standing in the world. We need to regularly seek the Spirit to enlighten us to what sins we may be carrying and may not even be aware of. The Spirit can reveal these to us if we ask. Just be ready to hear it.

6:4-6

“He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” There are many in and out of the church that are “doting about questions.” The Greek is “obsessed with questions.” Critics of the church are obsessed with questions. They question the origin of the Book of Mormon. They question the fallibility of past and present prophets. They question each policy that the church creates or ends. Truly, some are obsessed with questions.

I’m more interested in answers. I’m more interested in discovering principles. I’m obsessed with learning more about the purpose of life and Christ’s gospel. I have questions but I don’t obsessively question principles I already know. For example, I know that the Book of Mormon was inspired. I’ve read it many times and my common sense brain has discovered that it is what it claims to be. I don’t need to question is any more.

Some love to question. They point to a lack of evidence as proof that it couldn’t be true. For example, many began to question their testimonies when no ancient structures were being found in central and south America that would support the story of the Book of Mormon. Because of this lack of evidence, many questioned the books authenticity. They began to question it. However, with the discovery of LIDAR technology, it is clear that their are thousands of structure and full cities that were overtaken by the Amazon jungle.

Some discover “anachronisms” and begin to question. They point to metal not being used until the arrival of Europeans UNTIL metal is discovered. Experts believe that horses didn’t exist on this continent until after the arrival of Columbus. They base this on not finding bones or other things proving that horses existed. Since the Book of Mormon talks of horses, some question its authenticity. What are the odds that, at some point in the future, evidence of horses will be found? When they do, it won’t matter to the questioners. They will move onto to some other question to dispute the truth.

We can easily be overcome with questions. There can be a rabbit hole of questions. We can get so far into questions that we lose our bearings. We can begin to doubt what we once knew to be true. We cannot let that happen.

There are “perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds” that we must be aware of. They are full of “evil surmisings.” The Greek for this is “wicked suspicions.” I’ve listened to their podcasts and they are truly suspicious of any aspect of the past and present church. These men and women are gaining followers and that equals success to them. They are “supposing that gain is godliness.” It is not.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Godliness is not about worldly gain. Godliness with contentment is great wealth. To strive to be godly and be content with what we have is very valuable. It is very hard to be righteous yet yearn for more of what this world has to offer.

6:7-10

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” This is true. We know this simple fact. However, we sometimes act like we have forgotten this. When we place so much on our material gain and all we see is the physical world, it’s easy to get our priorities out of whack. It would be good to remind ourselves of this verse occasionally.

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Paul is saying it clearly. To have money is a temptation that many do not handle very well. I’ve had times where I’ve had a lot of money and times when I haven’t. I can say that it’s easy to believe that you are self-made and self-sufficient when you have a lot of money. It’s easier to see yourself as the source of what you need.

When you don’t have money, it’s easier to depend more on God. You see him as the source of goodness and it’s easier to realize your dependence on him.

To be wealthy is a similar temptation to being idle. In fact, the two go hand in hand. Marci and I currently do not work 9-5 jobs. We are in a position to do that. There is the temptation to be idle. Idleness is not a good condition for the natural man. We work hard to resist the temptation to be idle.

When you have money and lots of free time, it’s easier to be “fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts.” You have the ability and time to obtain exactly what you want. A rich man with time can buy what he wants and attract young women. He can afford various, pleasure-inducing drugs. He has the opportunity to seek out and obtain whatever pleasure suits his fancy.

I’m currently on a rooftop next to the beach in La Jolla. I’m thankful that I do not have the desire to sit at my computer and seek hurtful lusts. I’m grateful that God has given me the desire to study and ponder scripture. I consider that a gift from God rather than an accomplishment of my will.

Paul doesn’t say that money is evil. He says that “love of money is the root of all evil.” Money itself isn’t bad. It’s just the lust for money or the temptations that it brings once you have it is the root of ALL evil in this world. As many of us know, it was one of the first statements Satan spoke to Adam and Eve. Satan’s attempts to turn our focus towards money has been since the very beginning.

6:18-19

“That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” Instead of focusing on being wealthy, we should focus on being “rich in good works.” Good works is what will make us eternally wealthy. It’s not that we are earning our salvation, it’s that we are establishing behavior that will continue after our salvation. We won’t suddenly desire to do good works after we are saved. We’ll always have our agency. We want to be the type of people who are rich in good works even after we are saved.

Marci and I are preppers somewhat. We have food and water and guns and ammunition. There are many who are preparing even more than we are. Many are “laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come.” The challenge is that they are focusing only on their future physical needs. Good work is what we can do to prepare for our spiritual well being in this life and the life to come. Adding good works to our righteousness storehouse is the way to “lay hold on eternal life.”

2 Timothy

1:6

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." We all have gifts of God. Some of us place those gifts in cold storage or we don't use them for building the kingdom. Paul is encouraging Timothy to "stir up his gifts." To me, that feels like stretching. It feels like purposefully tapping into those gifts. It feels like using the gifts to build the kingdom. For example, if I have an ability to teach - given by God - I should look for opportunities to use that gift. I should see every opportunity to teach as an opportunity from God to use the gifts that I've been given...from God.

It's interesting that these gifts were given to Timothy by Paul "putting on of his hands." This matches our current beliefs about blessings, ordinations, setting apart by the laying on of hands. I love it when we see key elements of our church illustrated in the Bible record.

1:9

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." Our callings are not about being able to do what we want. Our gifts are not about boosting our own works. Our gifts are not to make us better to accomplish our goals. Our gifts are given simply to fulfil God's "own purpose and grace."

Our gifts are to do his will. Of course, if our will matches the Lord's, our works become his works. There is no separation between our purpose and the Lord's.

1:13

"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." This is great writing by Paul. Marci and I love how poetic this is. Words are so important. They can lead someone to salvation. They can teach doctrine. Words can also be used to deceive or corrupt. Paul is asking Timothy to "hold fast" to the example of uncorrupted words.

Words can be rods or iron or wind that attempts to push us around. We need to figure out which is which. If we listen to those who are attempting to push us away from the church, we are giving into the wind of words. These words don't give us anything substantial but simply attempt to erode anything firm and push us away from the good words that would lead us to eternal life.

The scriptures are "sound words." They are a rod of iron that can keep us heading in the right direction regardless of which way the wind is blowing.

2:3-4

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." We need to keep our bearings about his life. We are in a battle for our souls and the souls of others. There is an enemy who seeks to destroy us. It's that simple.

For those who are in the battle - which is all of us - we cannot entangle ourselves in the almost meaningless affairs of this life. We cannot be pulled into the whirlwind of an entire world of endless distractions. Of course we all have worldly responsibilities, we just can't get entangled so that we are not squared up and ready to do battle.

2:14-16

"Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." Paul is encouraging Timothy not to argue with people. There are so many who love their words. They love to argue and poke holes in your argument. They strive to make a compelling argument with the goal of winning and looking wise.

Unfortunately, these arguments generally lead to the "subverting of the hearers." Another word for subverting is destabilize. We are hearing this a lot from apostates of the church. Their goal is to destabilize the testimonies of anyone who will listen. They love the sound of their own words and have worked long hours refining their argument to be as compelling as possible.

It's important that every member of the church, no matter how long they've been a member, to "study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the the word of truth." We cannot coast through life with a shallow testimony and understanding of the gospel.

We should avoid "vain babblings" (vain disputation). We shouldn't get into arguments that we already know that result. There is no good that comes from arguing for the sake of arguing. It will certainly lead to "more ungodliness." Our time would be better spent if we seek out those who have an open heart - ready to hear the words that will save them.

2:22

"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." When we are young, we are more likely to be swayed by our natural desires. We haven't tempered our lusts. Sometimes this lustfulness continues into adulthood and beyond. Paul is telling Timothy to flee.

Run away from youthful lusts and "follow righteousness." I think it's important that Paul encourages Timothy to find those who "call on the Lord out of a pure heart." We should surround ourselves with those who have similar goals. We need to strengthen others and be strengthened. We need good friends who can be good examples to us. Being one as God and Christ are one is unity of purpose where all are strengthened.

3:1-5, 7, 13

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." This prophecy is being fulfilled. Let's talk about a few of these.

• "Lovers of their own selves." What's the problem with loving yourself? Obviously, we must have a basic self esteem. We must see ourselves as children of God with natural worth and divine potential. The problem is when you become your own God. You can tell if this is happening when you say things like "I just need to do what's right for me." Or, "I have to be true to myself." Or, "That church wasn't working for me." Or, "Religion just supresses who I am." Or, "I must live according to my truth." If you are listening to someone talk about why they have left the church, you'll hear many of these phrases. They have been misled into thinking that what is right for them is what is right. Their will is supreme. It doesn't cross their mind that this gospel is about discovering God's will and submitting to it.

• "Proud." You cannot make yourself the center of the universe without a healthy dose of pride. We feel like we are the smart ones and others are deceived. We believe we are enlightened and see things better than the simple-minded church members.

• "Incontinent." This is about lacking self restraint. This is about doing what you want to do. Anything you want is good because you're just being true to yourself. You do what you want to do. There are many who are lacking self restraint. You don't have to look very far on YouTube before you see people who incontinent.

• "Despisers of those who are good." Why do the wicked hate the righteous? Is it because they are a reminder of what they could be? Does the sight of the righteous make the wicked feel guilty? Is it that misery loves company? Is it jealousy? Is it pride? It's probably some of all of the above.

• "Traitors." This is definitely true these days. Those who leave the church are the most vocal antagonists. It is not enough to leave but they feel compelled to attack. The most diabolical enemies of the church come from it's past and present ranks.

• "High minded." This is connected to pride of course. These people think that they are the ones that think clearly. They are the ones who get so far inside their own heads that they lose their bearings. They feel enlightened because they see things in a novel way, as they suppose. They've thought a lot about some controversial issue and believe that their opinion is the one that matters because they've given it so much thought.

Verse seven describes them perfectly. "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." I've listened to people who have researched so much about church history or mistakes by prophets but are becoming further and further from the truth.

The problem with learning is that it is often connected to pride. Their pride can allow them to build a straw man of understanding that doesn't have any actual truth. We have all heard those who pontificate continuously and sound wise but are so disconnected from actual truth. For some reason, they seem determined to resist the actual truth.

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." The problem with slipping down a slope is that, if you go slow enough, you don't realize that you're moving at all. Truly evil men are pushing the limits of their wickedness. Many slip lower and lower. As they deceive others, they further deceive themselves. If you make an argument over and over to someone, they'll start to view what you say as truth. Needless to say, if the argument is coming out of your own mouth, you hear it every time and become further entrenched in your flawed thought.

3:16-17

I'm not sure if you can tell, but I love the scriptures. I love gaining wisdom through the millennia of experience of others. I'm glad I don't have to be isolated and reinvent the entire wheel of wisdom. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." The scriptures we have provide doctrine. We can get a glimpse of God's nature. We can learn his will for us. We can understand the plan of salvation. How great is that!?

The scriptures can provide guardrails for us. We can compare our behavior to what is outlined in these books. We can self-correct through reading the scriptures, softening our hearts. We can learn THE truth, not our personal truth.

I love the instruction that the scriptures provide. It's not instruction about any worldly skill. It's "instruction in righteousness." It's a guidebook for us to learn the things of heaven. "That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Through the scriptures, we can learn how to be "fully furnished." We are well-equipped to endure this mortal life.

4:3-4

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Sound doctrine is not pleasing to the proud. They don't want to learn about submission and dying in Christ. They want to learn something that supports their world-view.

Many find teachers who tell them what feels good. If I can find a teacher that tells me that my goal is to be exactly who I am, that's pretty easy and feels awesome! No pressure! Even better would be a teacher that teaches that we should watch 3 hours of TV each day and receive lots of money. I like both of those things so it's perfect!

Our ears "itch" to hear what feels good to us. We love flattery and encouragement. We love a person who will tell us not to change a thing about our behavior.

4:7

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." I've hear this verse before. I want to say this at the end of my life. It will feel amazing to feel completely fulfilled and content with the life that I've lived. I haven't achieved that level of refinement yet.

4:18

"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Did the Lord deliver Paul from every evil work? Not according to the worldly perspective. Paul suffered death.

I think this is a good reminder that we shouldn't be viewing our deliverance as a mortal event. The world will do all kinds of bad things to us. We will not be delivered from our worldly trials and tribulations. But, in the end, every one of us will be delivered.

Titus

1:10-11, 15-16

"For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake." Who were the really unruly and vain talkers? Those of the circumcision. Ironically, it was Jews who were the most deceptive critics.

It is the same today. The harshest critics of the church are those who were once members. I don't know exactly why. I think that Satan has something to do with it. Some of these critics are making a living doing it. They rely on views of the public on their YouTube and TikTok channels. With more subscribers, they make more money.

"Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." Jesus Christ is pure. What he taught is pure. However, if you want to be cynical about Jesus's teachings, you can surely find some kind of contradictions. If you seek to assign flaws to his actions, you can. A critic can find impurities in something that is the definition of pure.

Many of these critics attempt to craft an image as a spiritual guru. They claim to speak for God. For example, they say that God would never deny someone's own gender identity. However, there is no evidence of holiness in them. They never speak of faith. The name Jesus Christ rarely if ever is heard. Many of these critics, who were past members of the church, are currently atheists. It's always interesting to hear an atheist talk about what God wants.

2:14

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Christ truly gave himself to redeem us. His works save us in eternity. However, Christ's purpose was to "purify unto himself a peculiar people." He wants us to stand as a light to the world. He wants us to be different. How are we to be different. One way is to be "zealous of good works."

We should all think about what that means. To me, it sounds like Christ wants a people who is anxiously engaged in doing good. To be zealous is "showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective." We should be energetic and enthusiastic in our living as disciples - looking for opportunities to do good in the world.

3:5-7

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." This is another reminder that it is not our works of righteousness that saves us. It is through Christ's mercy that we are saved. We can only be justified by his grace. We cannot justify ourselves.

This is truly a beautiful truth of the gospel. I relish in this truth. I have done so many bad things in this life. I can't even remember most of them. I certainly can't make everything right that I have done. I continue to make mistakes and act in unchristlike ways. I'll probably do something wrong later today. My weaknesses seem insurmountable. I will never be able to perfect myself.

The good news is that it isn't only on my shoulders. The burden is not mine to save myself. Christ has already done that. I will never be perfect on my own. But, with Christ, I am perfect right now. His perfection is enough for both of us. His merits are mighty to save - not mine. I love this about the plan of salvation. Praise Jesus!