Chapter 11: Emptying “Grumbling” In the previous chapter, we looked at the life of emptying ourselves of sexual immorality and wrongful desires and turning our love back toward God. Now, in Chapter 11, we will look at another problem that easily settles into our hearts and onto our lips. It is a grumbling heart. As we go through life, there are many moments when we grumble. “Why did this happen to me?” “Why does that person treat me this way?” “Why is my family going through such a difficult time?” “Why is the church like this?” “Why did God allow this?” Even when we do not speak these words aloud, we may repeat them countless times in our hearts. But in the Bible, grumbling is not merely a matter of uttering a few complaints. Grumbling can change the direction of our gaze, cause us to forget God’s grace, and even change the way we look at people and circumstances. Therefore, ...
The sincere faith “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy, the spiritual son of the Apostle Paul, was a possessor of sincere faith. Like his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, he had a faith without hypocrisy in his heart. He could truly be nothing less than a precious holder of faith. His name suits him well. The name "Timothy" means "God's treasure" (Park). Such a possessor of faith is indeed a true disciple of Jesus. In other words, a genuine disciple of Jesus possesses a faith without deceit in their heart. A faith without deceit means faithful faith, faith without hypocrisy, and genuine and sincere faith. As an example, we can consider the faith of Abraham mentioned in Romans 4:18-21. Abraham's ...