Anchor Devotional

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Those Who Believe

“This is a trustworthy saying … (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:9-10

The end to which we “labor and strive” is our training in righteousness, which Paul has been writing Timothy about. What should press us every day to fight against sin? What should awaken our conscience to say “no” to unrighteousness? It’s the fact that we’ve cast all our hope on the living God who has given us a Savior in Jesus Christ.

We need to understand what Paul means when he says that God is the “Savior of all, especially of those who believe.” He is not speaking of two types of salvation, as if God is everyone’s Savior (believer or not) and also in some special way is the Savior of those who believe in Him. That is not the point at all.

We must take a closer look at the word “especially” in verse 10. Greek scholarship on this word shows it can be translated as “to be precise.” Thus, it would read that God is “the Savior of all men, to be precise, of those who believe.” Paul is saying that God is most assuredly the Savior of only those who believe in Christ, the One who labored and strived for us to pay the penalty for our sin.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
1 Thessalonians 1:3

INSIGHT
Heavenly Father, thank You for our Savior Jesus who has secured our eternal destiny with You. Cultivate godliness in us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
2 Samuel 5-6
Psalm 138
Philippians 1-2

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