Fruit of Repentance Helping Others Come to Repentance

 

Fruit of Repentance

Helping Others Come to Repentance

 

We, too often, offend others with the little things

And never get the opportunity to lead to the greater things

Your political views will not get people to heaven

Your pet peeves will not change a life

Your anger in the moment will not bring eternal change

Beware of the traps of the devil

Our goal is in hope that God will grant them repentance

leading them to a knowledge of the truth v25

If we are to help people come to repentance,

We must pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace

We must not quarrel especially about foolish and stupid arguments

Be Gentle

 

 

Helping Others Come to Repentance

 

Timothy was a young man from Lystra.

 

He came from a mixed family…

 

His mother was Jewish

and his father was Greek.

 

He became a friend and

helper to Paul, the apostle.

 

Paul groomed Timothy.

 

Paul had great confidence in Timothy

to carry on the work of the ministry

where Paul had already laid a foundation.

  

In 2 Timothy 2 verses 22-26,

 Paul writes to Timothy to…

 

Flee the evil desires of youth.

 

Paul was encouraging Timothy

to stay on the path of Repentance.

 

To flee, to run away, and

escape youthful lusts and desires.

 

Paul is strongly encouraging Timothy

(already a godly man, proven to have

given his life and service to God)…

 

To put as much distance as he

can from the desires of the flesh.

 

 Repentance is a change of mind

and that change of mind means…

 

A move; a distance is created

that makes it hard to go back.

 

A change of mind means new pursuit.

 

Paul describes the new pursuit…

 

Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,

 along with those who call

on the Lord out of a pure heart.

V22

 

Paul warns of distractions for

the one who has repented…

 

Don't have anything to do with foolish

 and stupid arguments, because

you know they produce quarrels.

 V23

 

Now in verses 24-26,

Paul speaks to Timothy, as a leader

and his purpose is to help

people come to repentance…

 

And the Lord's servant must not quarrel;

instead, he must be kind to everyone,

able to teach, not resentful.

Those who oppose him he must gently instruct.

 

Why is the leader to do these things?...

 

In the hope that God will grant

 them repentance, leading them

to a knowledge of the truth.

v25

 

Repentance comes before

knowledge of the truth.

 

We don’t need to know all the

teaching on the truth of God to repent.

 

Once a person becomes unhappy

with the life of this world

and their fleshly desires…

 

 They will come to their senses and they

will want to know more about the truth…

   

And that they will come to their senses

and escape from the trap of the devil,

 who has taken them captive to do his will.

V26

 

If we are to help people

come to Repentance…

 

 We need to avoid quarrels.

 

We must be kind.

 

Able to give good instruction,

to teach.

 

We can resent a lot of things in this world,

but we must not become resentful.

 

When opposition comes…

 

 Be gentle.

 

Learn to pick your battles.

 

There are a lot of things that are wrong…

And you can spend a lifetime

attacking the wrongs.

 

But remember the goal is

repentance that leads to eternal life.

 

We, too often, offend others with

the little things and never get the

opportunity to lead to the greater things.

 

Your political views will

not get people to heaven.

 

Your pet peeves will not change a life.

 

Your anger in the moment

will not bring eternal change.

 

Beware of the traps of the devil.

 

Our goal is in…

 

Hope that God will grant them repentance

 leading them to a knowledge of the truth.

v25

 

If we are to help people

come to repentance, we must…

 

Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.

 

We must not quarrel especially

about foolish and stupid arguments.

 

Be Gentle.

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

2 Timothy 2:22-26 NIV

 

22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.