We are continuing in our study of prayer as part of the PPOG or the Predestination provided by God for the believer in eternity past for the purpose of determining just how and what we should pray for as we function in his plan for our lives.
At the moment we are examining Paul's prayers, and we have seen in our study of his prayers in Eph 1:18; Eph 3:14; Phil 1:3; and Col 1:9; that the focus of his prayer was for believers to appropriate by Grace the spiritual resources that God has provided and be enlightened, empowered and enabled to advance in God's predetermined plan.
We are continuing in our examination of Paul's prayer for Timothy who was a pastor-teacher in 1Tim 1:2; Last time we took a brief look at just what was included in his request for Grace.
Today we will examine the next part of Paul's prayer request which is "Mercy".
Tim 1:2; Mercy is translated from the Greek word "eleos" and refers to aspect of Grace that is demonstrated as the good will and is the provision of God that is directed toward sin and failure.
Mercy is the expression and application of God's grace policy toward the failure and inability of His creatures as well as being an expression of the Church-age believer as they understand that they have received Mercy and are living inside the PPOG and functioning in the royal family honor code through the Filling of the Holy Spirit and the PMA of Bible Doctrine.
While grace focuses on God’s benefits that provide favor and provision toward meritless mankind, mercy focuses on His clemency in pardoning mankind of the punishment that they actually do deserve for their sins and failures. Rom 3:23; Rom 8:1-3; Heb 4:16;
Mercy is mentioned in a relationship of pardon displayed in response to depravity, sin and failure.
In 1Tim 1:13 Paul uses himself as an example of the sinner who needs mercy.
The mercy that is directed toward Paul’s sins and failures which is the same for all believers is distinct from but connected with grace as favor which enables Paul to forget what is behind Phil 3:13;and advance in the PPOG by means of grace and truth. 2Cor 9:8;
Paul also prayed for God to grant mercy to Onesiphorus in the day of evaluation because of his assistance to Paul in Rome and Ephesus. 2Tim 1:16-18;
In Titus 3:5, Paul shows that God has not saved on the basis of merit for works, but mercy even when those God saves do not deserve his blessing. Of course it is impossible to be saved by ones works because even one's righteous works are insufficient. Isa 64:6;
Timothy in his leadership role as pastor-teacher needed mercy in a practical sense for many kinds of failures that he would have such as the sin of lacking integrity love 1Tim1: 5; or failing in prayer 1Tim 2:1-2; or failures in his conducting his personal life as a leader 1Tim 3:1; or failure to pointing out the truth to believers 1Tim 4:6, 11;
Mercy is necessary for dealing with any failure regarding his personal function inside the PPOG 1Tim 4:12-16; 1Tim 6:9-14;
Mercy was needed for his dealing with different groups of believers in the local assembly 1Tim 5:1-3; in issues relating to widows 1Tim 5:4-16; or other leaders in the church 1Tim 5:17-25;
Paul requested Mercy so that Timothy would be able to function effectively in his leadership and communication role in the body of TLJC with a clear conscience. 1Tim 3:9;
1Tim 1:2; In addition to Grace and Mercy, Paul also prays for Timothy to have "peace"
"Peace" is translated from the Greek work 'eriene" and also a production of the Holy Spirit in the believer as the believer resides inside the PPOG for their lives.
Paul's prayer is for Timothy to have this mental attitude of peace.
Gal 5:22; We have previously studied peace as a facet of God's production in the believer, but since it is coming up again in this passage a brief review is appropriate.
Paul is interceding for Timothy to have peace, but for this to happen it would depend on how he personally understood and experienced God's grace and mercy.
Peace would be established in him based on his acceptance of Grace and Mercy from God as a result of trusting in absolute confidence that he would receive what Bible Doctrine reveals God will provide for him and his function in the Faith Rest Drill as he waits on that provision to be conveyed in God's timing. Isa 40:31; Isa 26:3;
Paul is interceding for Timothy to experience this grace benefit that is conveyed to all believers who continue in the advanced spiritual life and go on to ultra-supergrace and begin to experience their resurrection life in time.
This is a hidden peace because it surpasses all comprehension. This hidden peace includes sharing the happiness of God especially under pressure, as the disciples did in Acts 5:41;
This peace and tranquility of soul which comes from God includes fantastic capacity for life, love, happiness and blessing, Phil 4:12; It also includes total appreciation of the Character and the Essence of God, the ability to develop doctrinal rationales and an understanding of God's priorities for the Church Age believer and following them.
God's priorities have become the believer’s priorities; God's plan of grace becomes the believer’s plan of grace, which results in the believer being able to think as Paul did. Phil 1:21;
This quiescence of soul that comes from God includes the dynamics of Divine viewpoint mental attitude, as well as the ability to face and prevail in any suffering, pressure or disaster in life. Phil 4:13;
With this peace the believer understands, accepts and embraces the fact that along with it and their spiritual advance, they will have adversity. 2Tim 3:12; John 15:18-19;
The adversity that the believer does not understand is to be endured with absolute confident expectation of Divine good and this relaxed mental attitude and tranquility of soul, which is from the source of the God. Prov 3:5; Job 13:15;
The Greek word "eirene" which is translated "peace" in this passage can also be translated as tranquility, health and prosperity.
It refers to two types of prosperity: inner peace with God and overt prosperity and blessing.
This is the type of eirene or peace and prosperity that our Lord promised His disciples in John 14:27;
This is a special peace that the world cannot give, it is not based on the things of the world, which men commonly pursue such as pleasure, fame, and wealth but end up increasing worry, anxiety, and emptiness.
This peace that our Lord gives is not as the systems of philosophy and false religion give. Our Lord's peace meets all the desires of the soul, silences the fears of guilty and the condemned conscience, and will abide forever no matter what adversity.