Hi guys,

Here is the new Bible Study again. Hope you will enjoy it.

The text I'm reading can be find here:
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1 Timothy 5:24, “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them, the sins of others trail behinds them.”

Interesting points:
1. In this verse Paul begins to conclude this section concerning the selection and management of elders in the church. Having warned about haste in appointing elders in Verse 22, Paul helps us understand the different ways sin manifests itself so that the Church can better evaluate potential candidates.

2. Some sins, like drunkenness and violence are readily apparent: those that succumb to these flaws will be noted by others such that their tarnished reputation precedes them as the community of believers is warned: their sins are revealed even before they sit before God in judgment. Other sins, like adultery and gossip, are not readily apparent and will eventually be discovered in the course of time. The first is observable whereas the second is a result of discernment, intuition or God’s revelation.

3. By not rushing to appoint, the church can properly vet candidates for eldership/overseers by interviewing those that directly observe them outside the church environment and by hearing the promptings of God in our hearts. When something does not sit well in our spirit, we ought to trust God’s voice over what we see. If this uneasiness registers itself with others in the body of believers, the Church would do well to remove the candidate from consideration.

Application.
Brothers, one day everything will be revealed before God: hidden sins, the motivations of our heart, our shameful behavior. Nothing will be left uncovered. Fortunately, we are all covered by Christ’s righteousness.

But our outward sins serve as an indicator of a brokenness that lies much deeper whereas ongoing hidden sin prevents us from living victoriously in Christ.

Rather than grieve our Lord, why don’t we lay everything into the open and invite God to provide strength to deal with our spiritual baggage and our brothers in Christ to hold us accountable, support us in prayer and remind us of His promises when we need it most? Telling ourselves “Later…” only delays the inevitable – that our sin will be discovered and our shame revealed. Better to deal with it in a straightforward manner and now so that we can live the victorious and intimate life with God we were created for all the sooner!