Advice to those who would serve

O sinful soul that I am...

When I read the Bible, I quite often stumble across phrases that I have read so many times before, but that never quite impacted me the way they do this time. I ran across just such a passage this morning.

2 Timothy 2:23–26
Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

This passage is just chock-full of gems. Be patient with me and I'll explain the things that jumped out at me from these verses.

We must be kind

The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone

In an era of talk radio, our culture thrives on controversy. We love to hear a good "smack-down" on the news, on television interview shows, or on call-in talk radio shows. Our culture adores the verbal fist-to-cuff nature of such spectacles.

The Christian community has become infected with this disease and we now often hear of Christian leaders speaking in provocative terms. A few visits to some of the more prominent blogs and Christian interactive news services will bear out this fact. We have become a nation of belligerents and the Church has followed right along with it. I was proud of my pastor recently when he declined an opportunity to be on a popular Christian radio program to discuss a contentious situation between Ergun Caner, the Dean of Liberty Theological Seminary, and James White, the head of the apologetics ministry Alpha & Omega. In his letter declining the interview, Pastor Mike O'Brien quoted Dr. Paige Patterson as saying:

"The splitting of the two did them no favors and pushed them in opposite directions that were very unfortunate. . . If we allow Satan to have his way, we'll divide up over it, as we certainly should not."

Would that we all could have the calm spirit of reconciliation that my pastor shows.

We can't do it—but God can

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance

The next thing that smacked me in the face from this passage is the reason the Apostle Paul gives that the servant of God should be a peacemaker: "God may perhaps grant them repentance." I see in this phrase the total sovereignty of God being taught to those of us who would rather argue people into the kingdom. It is not up to us to bring people into the kingdom; it is up to God. We cannot convince anyone of the truths of scripture if they do not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit enlightening their minds.

God wills and does His good pleasure

and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

As if to reinforce the important concept here, Paul strengthens his argument by pointing out that it's not simply that God must grant them repentance but that God actually captures them to do his will. The total sovereignty of God. We must swear off all violence and manipulation and preach the Gospel message with gentleness. And we must let God do the violence and manipulation to the will of man. God will manipulate the wicked and sinful hearts of His elect to change those hearts of stone into hearts of flesh that willingly seek to honor God.

What a wonderful and glorious God we serve!

Who are our opponents?

Another thing that jumped out at me from this passage is the fact that Paul assumes that the ones we consider to be our "opponents" are nonbelievers. The members of the household of faith are not to be considered opponents. We may have disagreements with them from time to time, but they are not our enemies. So if we treat nonbelievers with gentleness in the desire that God may grant them repentance, how much more gentle and patient should we be with those who are our brothers in Christ?