Thursday, October 20, 2011
1 Timothy 6:13-14 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ ...
PRAY ... AND MAKE GOOD CONFESSION
When the Apostle Paul urged Timothy to make good confession of his faith by faithfully fulfilling his pastoral charge he pointed to the example of the Lord Jesus before Pilate. But to follow Jesus it is necessary to rely on His strength instead of our own. Here too our Lord is the best example. The night before He made good confession before Pilate He spent hours in prayer.
We don't know if Martin Luther turned to this particular Scripture as he prepared to make his stand at Worms in April 1521, but we do know that he spent much time in prayer the night before his "Here I stand" confession. Here is some of the prayer he prayed:
"O almighty and everlasting God, how terrible this world! Behold it opens its mouth to swallow me up, and I have so little trust in You ... How weak the flesh, and Satan, how strong! If only in the strength of this world I must put my trust, all is over ... My last hour is come, my condemnation has been pronounced ...
"O God, O God! ... help me against all the wisdom of the world. Do this! You should do this ... You alone ... For this is not my work but Yours. I have nothing to do here, nothing to contend for with these great ones of this world.
"I wish that my days would flow along peaceful and happy, but the cause is Yours ... and it is a righteous and eternal cause. O Lord, help me! Faithful and unchangeable God, I place my trust in no man. It would be in vain. All that is of man is uncertain. All that comes of man fails ...
"O God, my God, don't You hear me? ... My God, are You dead? ... No, You cannot die. You're only hiding Yourself. You have chosen me for this work. I know it well ... Act then, O God ... stand at my side, for the sake of Your well-beloved Jesus Christ, Who is my Defense, my Shield, and my strong Tower.
"Lord, where do You keep Yourself? ... O my God, where are You? ... Come, come, I am ready ... I am ready to lay down my life for Your Truth ... for it is the cause of justice, it is Yours ... And though this world be filled with devils -- though my body, which is still the work of Your hands, be slain, be stretched upon the pavement, be cut to pieces, reduced to ashes ... my soul is Yours ... Your Word is my assurance. My soul belongs to You and shall abide with You forever ... Amen ... O God, help me! Amen."
