What's Your Payoff?

...imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Timothy 6:5b

Text: 1 Timothy 6:1-5

During my years, I've seen many people say they want to follow Jesus—even enthusiastically for a season—but then jump ship when their lives don’t get "better" and easier. Yes, Jesus does make our lives better. He gives us Himself! We have peace with God and we find our purpose, our satisfaction, and our eternal future through Jesus. But Jesus by no means promises a better life in the sense of all your circumstances.

In Ephesus, slaves who were now committed to Jesus were experiencing this tension. In verses 1-2 of our text, we see Paul warn these redeemed slaves that their newfound faith doesn't entitle them to redemption from their current circumstances or even special treatment from their masters—especially believing masters. Paul actually commands slaves in these circumstances to "serve all the better."

The false teachers in Ephesus were attempting to use their vast knowledge and impressive oratory skills to swindle people of their money. They were attempting to use God for monetary gain. Paul's choice of words for them leaves no doubt of the extent of their evil. He writes, they are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth. Paul will continue his warning about the dangers of money through verse 10 (next Sunday's sermon).

Following Jesus doesn’t mean that everything will go smoothly, that you'll have more money, that every aspiration of your heart will be achieved, and you and all your loved ones will live a long and comfortable life and die peacefully during sleep. So what's your payoff? What's your reward?

Read Romans 8, and especially focus on verses 31-39. Paul writes, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" God is now for you in Christ! Paul Tripp writes, "If God was willing to give up his Son so that we would know his love, doesn’t it make sense that he will also with him give us everything else that we need?" John Piper provides clarity by writing, "Everything will be given to us that we need in order to do God’s will in order to glorify God most fully, even if it means death."

Read and pray over the application points below. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, fight feelings of entitlement and the temptation to think that God is in your debt in some way because you're doing the "right things."

YESTERDAY'S APPLICATION: