The Church that Upholds the Truth

“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” ~1 Timothy 3:15

Paul was not referring to a building with stained-glass windows and padded pews. He was referring to a family, a household, the church. It is the “pillar and buttress of the truth” ~1 Timothy 3:15-16. In other words, the church is not merely a gathering of people who have discovered the truth. No, the church is a gathering of people who uphold the truth. In other words, a pillar does not create what it upholds; it supports it. God’s truth does not rest on the church, but the church’s assignment is to display it, to make it visible through its holiness, love and faithfulness, to make it known in a world that is busy re-writing morality and re-defining righteousness. We are not the editors of the truth; we are the depositary of it, the custodians of it, the exhibitors of it.

Paul then turns his attention away from the Church to the person, to the Mystery of godliness. “This has now been manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” This is the very foundation of everything we represent, the basis of our message, the ground of our confidence. Christ is the truth we are to lift up. The gospel is not merely good advice; it is the manifestation of God in the flesh.

When the church has forgotten that, it becomes the problem instead of the pillar of the truth. When the church spends more time accommodating to the world than it does adorning itself in it, it has lost its vision. Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” ~Matthew 5:14. The light of a city is not bright words or ideas; it is the radiance of a reflection. It is a city built on the rock that does not shift. It is an immovable and unshakeable foundation. A city set on a hill can be seen for miles around.

The world is crying out for truth that does not move with the polls. It wants to see something, someone to believe in. It wants to see people who walk their talk. It wants to see models of godliness not only on Sunday, but on Monday, not only in the sanctuary, but in the streets and highways. The mystery that Paul talks about is not mystical; it is convicting. Godliness begins when the Christ who was taken up in glory is allowed to reign in your heart and mine, in this very moment.

If the church is the pillar, then you and I are the bricks. Every time we walk in obedience, faithfulness and integrity, it only adds to the strength and substance of what God is building. Let not the foundation crumble under the rubble of compromise. Lift Him high. Hold it steady. Let your life shout what your lips confess, that He alone is Lord, and His Word stands forever firm ~Psalm 119:89.

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44
1 Timothy 3:1-16
Psalm 88:1-18
Proverbs 25:20-22

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New Testament: 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Summary:
Qualifications for Overseers
Qualifications for Deacons
The Mystery of Godliness

Overview: 1 Timothy  –  Click Here

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Dr. J. Vernon McGee – Thru the Bible

 

J Vernon Mcgee – Thru the Bible

 

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