September 2026 – Elder’s Message
2 Timothy 2:22-23
“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. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” (NIV 84)
When the Apostle Paul wrote these words to ‘young’ Pastor Timothy around 62 A.D. it was godly advice. There are a number of other verses from Psalms, Proverbs, and several other books of the Bible that instruct and direct us at God’s command to do essentially the same thing. Paul was a mentor, and a sort of adoptive father for Timothy, referring to him as a son in several verses of Scripture. 2 Timothy is a far more personal book than 1 Timothy, which discusses practical matters about running the fledgling church.
Why would God preserve these rather personal words of fatherly advice for almost two thousand years for Christians to read today? Because they aren’t just for pastors, and they aren’t just for the young. We love to believe that as we age we grow out of things like fighting with our siblings and friends over our toys, our room, who gets to go first, and who gets to decide what happens next. But the truth is, we never do. We have been, and always will be sinners until the day that Jesus comes to bring us home (Ps 51:5). Our arguments get more complex, the toys get bigger and more expensive, but we continue to quarrel in much the same way. The evil desires of ‘youth’ never really leave us. This is not the plan that God has for his people.
How many times have these words passed your lips, “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Mt 6:12)? Jesus, died for your sins on the cross. He died for every foolish word you uttered, for every stupid argument you started, and so much more. In Jesus, forgiveness is assured for each one of us, secured by his precious blood. How many sins have you committed today? If we have been forgiven so abundantly, how can we not also forgive abundantly? The opposite is also true. It may be harder in our culture to ask for forgiveness, to admit that we are wrong than it is to forgive. God hates pride, and it is part of what defiles a human from the inside out (Pb 8:13, Mk 7:20-23). But the push – pull of holding out on forgiveness, and our sinful pride keeping us from admitting fault and asking for forgiveness tears us away from God, and from our brothers and sisters. How many quarrels, and outright feuds could be ended or prevented if both parties put the love of God and the love of neighbor above themselves? What would it look like for each of us to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace instead?
As you study your Bible today, as you meditate on God’s Word, as you look to enter your mission field outside of your doors, I urge you to pray for the strength to follow the words the Spirit led Paul to record here for you.