Just as an astronaut needs a spacesuit to live in space, so God has given us an "earth-suit" to live on earth. These suits are important and we need them. Our bodies are not evil; they were created by God and are good. So we should take care of them as best we can. But just as with astronauts, we are more than the suit. We are more than our bodies. We are souls and we must take care of the person within this earth suit. If we ignore the needs of our "outer man" it begins to fall apart. The same is true for our inner man. We must also nourish, exercise and care for our souls. As we continue to unpack that truth from 1 Timothy 4, we notice how Paul puts great emphasis on studying the Bible to know God as the first and most important discipline for growing in godliness and caring for our souls.

1 Timothy 4:7-8

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We can often learn a lot about the spiritual world of believers by considering the natural world of animals. Consider the Portia Spider for example. When it attacks other species of spiders, it uses a variety of methods to lure the host spider into striking range. Sometimes it crawls onto the web and taps the silken threads to mimic the vibrations of a mosquito caught in the web. For a type of spider that maintains its home inside a rolled-up leaf, the Portia dances on the outside of the leaf, imitating a mating ritual. The Portia spider is a master predator whose chief weapon is deception. Christians have a predator as well; his name is Satan and like the Portia Spider, his weapon of choice is deception.  In 1 Timothy 4, Paul exposes Satan's deceptive schemes through false teachers and gives the reader specific steps for overcoming his temptations.

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Even though some surveys would tell us that as much as 75% of Americans identify with Christianity, the Judaeo-Christian values that once undergirded our society are no longer joyfully accepted. In a society abandoning its moral foundations of gold, silver and precious stones for wood, hay and stubble, those of us who follow Jesus have a challenging road ahead. We didn’t ask to be born for such a time as this..... but here we are; what will we do?

Just as Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith, He is also the Author and Perfecter of Nations. Jesus Christ brought this nation into existence and through His people, the Church, He gives it hope. To be sure, we are not the saviors of our country, only Jesus saves. But it is through His church that He proclaims a truth that can save a nation. Paul gives us unique insight into that reality through his letter to young Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:14-16.

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