For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:14 NRSV.

She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 NKJV.

Our chapter, 1 Timothy 6, is the final chapter of this epistle. He speaks to the reality of their day when slavery was everywhere and part of their lives. All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words – those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness – he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. v. 1-6. A different form of slavery then and now. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich, fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time – He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainties of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” – which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.

So many forms of slavery then and now. The love of money and desire for it at any cost; conceit and disdain for others; envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, constant friction between people – arise from a different doctrine that does not agree with sound words – the sound life-giving words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who will save us from our sins. And walking with Him now we learn how good is righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Whether we find ourselves bound in slavery as were so many in Paul’s day, or living in a world bound in the slavery falsely called “knowledge” today, we can know the one thing that is true. Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, IS. Last night as I prayed, I thought about everything God created…God…who gives life to all things. Who could have accounted for the beautiful fitting together of living systems dependent upon one another for life itself? Even thinking about it leaves us in wonder of how anyone could be that intelligent to account for every part needed. There is a richness in knowing and trusting God. We can finally let go of control we never really possessed as we trust in Him. We can ask Him for help to understand as we read so we don’t veer off into well-worn ruts of worldly and empty chatter and opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” that are always present in our fallen world blinding us to the truth that God IS and He knows and understands with a wisdom we can only try to understand and comprehend. Blessed is the man or woman who trusts in Creator God and looks to Him for answers we don’t even appreciate to know we need. He knows. He knew before the foundation of our world that we would need Jesus – and His name means the One who saves us from our sins.