"God's Requirement To Be Saved"

I Timothy 2: 8-15

8. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

9. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10. But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

11. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve

14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

15. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

A

sking what God requires for salvation will illicit varying answers from Man—all according to his personal biases and what will please him. The problem with this is that Man has no heaven into which to put anyone and because his concept of right and wrong is flawed (due to the flesh), his “picture” of heaven and what it takes to get there is flawed, also. Without a doubt, this particular passage of scripture is filled with information guaranteed to make some uncomfortable. Therefore, it is shunned by most. However, because the Lord wants all to be saved, we can afford to be ignorant concerning nothing regarding Him.

No doubt, verse 15 of our text might cause some questions. How might a woman be “saved” in childbearing? Well, the Jews, having the promise of a Redeemer, saw every birth as potential salvation. Because of this promise, if a Jewish woman had no children, it was felt that she was under a curse, for it meant that she could not participate in the promise.

For women, today, the latter part of the verse holds great significance. You see, the promise of salvation through childbearing comes with a requirement—that the bearer “continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” Every woman in the history of the world should be able to identify with this statement. What all must realize is that the trials of motherhood, specifically, if taken personally and not handled in the Spirit (in faith, charity and sobriety), will keep one from heaven. For some, this will be the primary means of crucifying the flesh.

Being fleshly beings, we look to depend upon that with which we are comfortable. We are comfortable with us—how we think, what we know and what we believe. In that the flesh is not “programmed” to trust God, we trust ourselves and to avoid feeling totally “lost,” we look to depend upon our intellect. Unfortunately, the kingdom of God is not accessible through the intellect, so the means that we use to “do” things are ineffective, at best, “dangerous” at worst.

Repentance is required from all such behavior because as we attempt to use these means, the Lord shows us at every hand that we must have Him. When faced with an uncompromisable choice, the only way to be found in His will is to change.

Though Israel frequently found themselves in this situation, they were never willing to accept the futility of attempting to “do” for themselves. Because they could never come to accept the sovereign place that God was to have in their lives, they were never able to keep the Law. You see, the “key” for them as well as for us is to understand that “the Law” and the keeping of it is inaccessible to us, outside of allowing God full control and authority.

We already know that flesh can never be sanctified or made holy. The only option for “control” of the flesh is that it be killed. This is, indeed, what salvation is all about. If the flesh is dead, then one has his deliverance from it—and one is saved then from the consequences of its operation.

Verses 8 and 9 of our text provide us with some valuable instruction. Verse 8 tells us to “…(lift) up holy hands” but admonishes us to do so “without wrath and doubting.” It is deceptive, at best, to attempt the “exercises” of salvation without the accompanying faith.

Though verse 9 instructs women in that which will lead to their best witness for the God they profess to love, there is often much attention more attention paid to things than is necessary. The “short and the long” of all that is in the Bible is that what God says just needs to be done. God knows that Man in his fleshly state is not as “bright” as he believes himself to be. This is because all fleshly knowledge is inferior to that which is spiritual. That being the case, He attempts to make what He requires as simple for us to understand as possible. We are the ones who complicate matters.

Many problems are perpetuated between the sexes as a result of either “side” attempting to “pad” his side. Everyone wants to “interpret” scripture to his advantage. Therefore, that which God offers to us to bring order and harmony ends up “prostituted” and causing bitterness and disunity. Specifically, scriptures that are offered to women about their behavior can be interpreted by men as to allow them “rulership” and “authority.” We know by now that the only rulership one has is over his own flesh—and that through the Spirit. The key to anyone gaining cooperation from anyone else is to show himself obedient to the requirements placed upon him.

The deception caused and perpetuated by the devil keeps women running in fear of someone (a male) “doing something” to them; “taking advantage” of them. This then, is the “test” of women: looking beyond a person to faith and trust in God.

Verse 12 speaks to us of the circumstances under which a woman is to operate. Yes, it says that a woman is not to teach, but the stricture is explained in the second half of the verse. That is, she is allowed to teach, but not to the point of usurping the authority of a man.

Frequently, problems are caused because women attempt to rationalize non-submissiveness by citing that men are required to be submissive to no one. Everyone in the world must be submissive to someone. Contrary to popular belief, even pastors are required to be submissive. After all, they are called by God, not themselves. Just as laymen, they must fulfill the part given them by God and this will happen only as they are submitted to His will.

For centuries, women have been offended by being designated the “weaker” sex. What is generally not understood is that she is considered “weaker” only because Eve was taken from Adam. Therefore, she can never be independent of him, but rather, is complete only with him. In that marriage is a representation of the relationship between Christ and the Church, as churches must operate with Jesus, so must marriages be operated with husbands and wives existing in unity.

“God’s requirement (for us) to be saved” is that we trust Him. No matter where we decide we want to “be” in God or what we decide that we want to “do,” God will not change—whether based upon our decisions or anything else! What we will or will not do for Him will never affect (change) Him. Our decisions affect our circumstances, situations and surroundings, only—not God’s. What is “true” of and for Him remains true—whether it is true for us, or not.

Believe it or not, we would be well on our way to fulfilling our requirements before and responsibilities to God if we would simply keep our minds upon Him. You see, we cannot do that which we don’t know and we can’t know what we won’t seek.

If God did all that we might be saved, we will not be able to escape testing. Otherwise, we would receive all of the benefits while escaping any responsibility. The “responsibility” of trials and tests? To “ace” them that the World might become convicted of a victorious Savior.

The myth of Jesus being a type of “genie” in the proverbial lamp has been perpetuated for too long. Not only does He not exist for us, neither is He interested in our being what we want to be. He “works” on us as hard as He does that we might become what He wants us to be. In that we begin this life severely “handicapped” by virtue of being born “human beings,” if we are ever to meet “(His) requirement to be saved,” we will have to determine to commit to Him. Only then will we be able to “press” through the flesh and forward to the glory of God.