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Who among us are wolves adorned in sheep’s skin?

Take God’s hand and follow Him, one step at a time.

Learning from the prophet Ezekiel to speak and serve faithfully, even in the face of rejection.

Who holds the truth that makes us whole?

God calls us to love and treat every neighbour impartially as He does.

You know when you’re working really hard on your laptop (or on paper) for your career/studies, initially you will be sitting in an upright position, a perfect posture. Then after a while, when you’re really focused, your posture starts to give way and before long, you realise that you’re sitting in a hunched position. Then there requires a conscious effort to straighten your back to ensure that you’re sitting in a healthy position again. Similarly, over time, when you have been very focused on doing your best to serve the Lord, unconsciously, you might gradually become more hunched–that is, unaware that you’re gradually letting go of some good conduct. Therefore, some self-reflection from time to time serves as a good reminder; with some simple adjustments, you’re good to go again. Is doing what is socially acceptable such as social work and charity really enough as a Christian whose core values are love, care and endurance? Not really. Paul tells us that we need to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men (Titus 3:1-2).  Diving deeper, why is there a need to portray these qualities as a Christian? This is to prevent self-deception (James 1:22-24). What you do is a reflection of who you really are. Elder James said, he who is “not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work… will be blessed in what he does” in James 1:25. Upholding your values and executing them come hand-in-hand.  For those who recently resolved to do better in your faith, having good conduct and doing good works can be the first step. But for those who are already in the faith and have been a faithful follower of the Lord, maybe it’s time to straighten your backs. Going back to our introduction, for self-reflection, there are a few things you can ponder about to reaffirm your resolve to continue doing good works for the Lord. Firstly, remember how the Lord Jesus had sacrificed Himself out of His absolute mercy to save our doomed selves? That, we could never work for, as it is the gift of God–which means we did not deserve this (Eph 2:8-10; Titus 3:5). Secondly, no one grew up being faultless. Surely, there is at least once in our lives where we went against His commandments because of our foolish, disobedient, and deceived selves, choosing to serve our various lusts and pleasures, and even living in malice and envy, hateful and hating others (Titus 3:3). I’m sure we know our own faults, and we know how the Lord had redeemed us from destruction, and crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies (Psalm 103:4). Thus, to fulfil our duty as His servants continually, we must straighten our backs to continue in good conduct and keep being ready for every good work.  This includes avoiding foolish disputes, contentions and strivings about the law because these are useless and pointless (Titus 3:9). Which makes sense because dealing with each other in harmony is pleasing in the sight of God and is also what works best in groups. As a church, influencing one another to do good works with a humble attitude will allow the church to thrive for a long time.  Additionally, there is a risk that one takes when they choose to bring dissension into the church and that is to be rightfully rejected by the church, for this man is deemed as “warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11). So, fear God and do your best for Him. 

Let the truth be manifest in our lives, that God may be glorified.

Paul reminds Timothy of the behavior of those who do not fear God in the last days (3:1–9). They love pleasure rather than God, are self-centered, and oppose the truth. Ironically, they are always learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Their pride prevents them from learning, understanding, or carrying out God’s will. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).  Today, these words are also spoken to us who believe in Jesus. We must stay alert and not imitate them, for such behaviors oppose and contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ. These serve as warnings and guidance for us, because we may unknowingly fall into these errors in our daily lives as well. When life becomes comfortable, we may love entertainment but dislike attending church services. When brothers and sisters in church face difficulties, we may stand by and care only for ourselves. We may become lovers of money, striving tirelessly for work and forgetting the work God has entrusted to us.  The Bible tells us that a person cannot serve two masters. They will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). The greatest commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).  In verse 10, Paul teaches us the attitude a God-fearing person should have: to follow sound teaching, have good conduct, steadfastness, faith, patience, love, endurance, and the ability to endure persecution. Verses 12–13 remind us: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”, because evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse. Blessed are those who rely on God to overcome persecution and endure trials, for through testing they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).  In the final verses (15–17), Paul mentions something crucial: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Therefore, we must search the Scriptures, for in them we find eternal life (John 5:39). The words of the true God are full of grace, and His promises will all be fulfilled. Let us hide God’s word in our hearts so that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:9–11).  We pray that brothers and sisters will continually rely on the Holy Spirit to open our hearts, so that we may know the Lord more deeply, hold firmly to the truth we should follow, and remember that the way to the kingdom of heaven is narrow, not wide. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13–14). 

In Paul’s epistles to Timothy, he instructs him with the love and guidance of a spiritual father. The message of Chapter 2 is clear, it is an exhortation on how to live as a Christian and how to live as a worker for Christ.

Recognise how easily the pursuit of “more” can draw our hearts away from God, and reminds ourselves that true gain lies not in having more, but in resting in the sufficiency of Christ.

Paul reminds Timothy and us of the importance of purity in our service towards God

Whether we are ministers or ‘ordinary believers’, God desires for us to uphold the standards of what it means to be His servant.