Asebeis

When I told my grandpa I was taking a church as a senior pastor he said a prayer for me. One thing he prayed is that I would dive into the letters Paul wrote to Timothy. The first two weeks I spent just reading, getting a general overview of the letters. Today is Day 3 of my 40 Days in 1 Timothy. I'm taking it just a few verses at a time, really trying to look at it.

Today I was in 1 Timothy 1.8-11, and as I was reading William Barclay's thoughts I stumbled upon a Greek word that caught my attention.

Asebeis (A-say-base)Barclay has it in English as "irreverent", the New American Standard Bible has it as "ungodly". This is yet another time when the English language fails to capture the true meaning of the author. In English irreverence is simply, "lack of reverence." Reverence is a form of revere meaning, "show honor and devotion to." So irreverence would be not showing honor to God.

Greek is a much richer language. Asebeis is not simply indifference to God, or a lapse back into sin, it is much deeper than that. Asebeis is "positive and active irreligion." It is an attitude of defiance towards God. It is an attitude that withholds from God what is His by right.

Do you have the attitude of asebeis?

Do you tithe?

Leviticus 27.30, "Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S; it is holy to the LORD."

Do you give God your worship?

Exodus 20.2-5a, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God."

Do you give God your time?

Romans 12.1-2, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Do you give God His Glory?

Psalm 46.10b, "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

May we not be guilty of the sin of asebeis. May we always give God everything that He deserves, everything that He alone is worthy of.

Peace be with you