One Mediator (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

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1 Timothy 2:1-7 (ESV)

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ² for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

 

1. Prayer for all (v 1-2)
   First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ² for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
   1. We are urged to pray
      1. General prayers – the concerns we normally think of in terms of our daily living, health, concerns,…
      2. Intercessions – Where we go to God on behalf of others.

• Thanksgivings – Thanking the Lord for His provision even in whom He ordains for our government

1. Praying for all kinds of people – kings and all who are in high positions
   1. We pray for their salvation
   2. We pray for a government that will permit us to worship freely and to live lives that are peacable.
2. Prayer is for a quiet, godly, and dignified life in our conduct
   1. The Christian life is not one that is supposed to necessarily attract negative attention
   2. We aren’t to go out of our way to be obnoxious

• Our conduct is to be dignified and godly and not bring disrepute upon the Church

2. God Desires the Salvation of Sinners (v 3-4)

   ³ This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

   1. Earlier in 1 Tim 1 Paul reminds us that Christ came to die for sinners.
   2. It is the Father’s love of the world that He sent the Son to die that whoever believes in Him might have eternal life (John 3:16)
   3. We understand from other Scriptures that God has loved His own from the foundation of the world and provided for their sure salvation in the Son.
   4. But we are men and this reality is always the case – that God has provided for the salvation of sinners in Christ.
   5. We should never announce the Gospel leaving any in doubt that a sinner may come to Christ in faith.
   6. All who hear the Gospel are sinners and there is salvation to be found for all who come to Christ in faith.
   7. God saves men from all tribes, tongues, races, and nations.
   8. He saves the rich and the poor in Christ.
   9. He desires the salvation of people from every corner and we ought to always proclaim the desire of God for sinners to believe upon Christ.
3. One Mediator (v 5-7)

   ⁵ For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

   1. Why do we pray?
   2. Why do we care that God desires the salvation of sinners to come to Christ?
   3. Because there is only one God.
      1. Men are idol factories and place many other objects in the place of God.
      2. Men imagine other Gods.

• Men imagine themselves to be God.

1. But there is only one God.
2. Man’s problem is not that he does not know there is one God and that he is created by Him.
3. Man’s problem is one of rebellion.

• He suppresses the knowledge of His creator and refuses to glorify Him.
• He refuses to pray to Him in dependence.

1. He refuses to worship Him.
2. In Adam, we have all been plunged into sin and misery and the wrath of God that we all deserve.

1. There is only One Mediator – the Lord Jesus Christ.
   1. It’s not that He is just the Mediator.
   2. In the text He is both God and the Mediator

• He is both God and Man

1. He alone is sufficient tobe the Mediator.
2. He alone is both God and manin one Person – the Son of God.

1. What is a Mediator?
   1. A mediator is one who stands in the middle.
   2. Man is under the wrath and curse of God.

• He is bound to perfect obedience.

1. The problem is that man begins by being under the wrath of God for being culpable in the sin of our first parents.
2. But we also store up wrath for our continued disobedience.
3. We are in a situation where we start in wrath and are heaping up wrath in Hell that we cannot resolve on our own.

• The distance between God and man is not only unbridgeable because we are creatures but we lack any way to make payment for the infinite debt we have accrued.
• The Son of God was sent to take on human flesh to obey as a man because we could not.

1. Because His is fully man, His obedience to God’scommands was the obedience to the full demands of the Law. He obeyed and loved God perfectly in every eay.
2. Everything we were bound to accomplish and have not obeyed, Christ obeyed.

1. The beauty of the Cross is in the Mediation of Christ
   1. He became a sacrifice for us.
   2. All our sins were placed upon Christ, the innocent Lamb.

• He stood, as a man, in our place and took the penalty for our sins.

1. He became what He was not – He became sin – became our sin.
2. And the full wrath of God was poured out on sin in Christ.
3. The full ransom was paid by Christ for our sin.

• Because He was righteous, even though He died for sin, God pronounced Him righteous by raising Him from the dead.
• He was raised with His indestructible life.

1. Because He was God,Christ’s death and resurrection are given infinite value.
2. As Mediator, all who place their trust in Christ are counted as being judged in Christ.
3. As Mediator, because He was perfectly righteous, all His righteousness is counted as our own.

• As Mediator, because we are counted with Him we receive the adoption as children.

1. The great before and after
   1. Before Christ we stood directly before a Holy God
      1. We were under wrath.
      2. We owed perfect obedience we could not perform.
      3. Everything we desired was sinful.
      4. We were dead in sins and trespasses.
   2. Because of Christ,our Mediator, we have been ransomed
      1. Christ has taken away the wrath for our sins.
      2. We are not God’s beloved children.
      3. Even our obedience ischanged from a mere exacting of the Law that only brings condemnation to beloved children who obey out of gratitude and love.
   3. China’s social ranking
      1. They track everything through mobile payments
      2. The only way the Chinese can navigate the economy is through mostly mobile payements – everything from government payments to house payments, groceries, entertainment.

• Everything is tracked.

1. If you step out of line it affects your score.
2. If you are friends with the wrong people it affects your score.
3. It’s like a credit score for life.

• If you shipwreck your social ranking then you’re ruined and cannot climb out.
• Think of all your life and activity being tracked and scored.

1. This frightens us.
2. It should.

1. Our situation before a holy God is much worse apart from Christ.

4. We proclaim Christ.
   1. This Church proclaims Christ.
   2. We don’t proclaim Him as a solution to deal with insecurities.
   3. Wedon’t proclaimChrist as a way to make your life well adjusted.
   4. We don’t proclaim Christ as a way to economic or social adjustment.
   5. We proclaim Christ because He is the only Mediator between God and man.
5. Believe upon Christ
   1. Christ has been clearly portrayed as crucified for sinners.
   2. He is an offense to those who believe they can be righteous apart from Him. Who needs a Mediator if you are already righteous.
   3. He is an offense to those who believe they have the right to worship as they please.
   4. Who needs a Mediator if there are many ways to save yourself or that the key to happiness is through self-improvement and believing you are the maker of your own way?
   5. But for those who hear the Gospel proclamation, Christ is a Savior.
   6. He is the only Savior.
   7. He is the only one who has paid the ransom for sinners.
   8. He is alone sufficient to bring the dead to life.
   9. Look to Christ alone, the One Mediator.
   10. Believe on theGospel and be saved to everlasting life.