1st Timothy 2:6. “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
GAVE HIMSELF. He gave Himself for all; there is no wider scope. The sacrifice of Christ gives universal hope. A ransom price was paid for each and every one. The Mediator God chose was His own blessed Son.
He gave Himself for us; this brings His work much closer
When this is understood, it is wise to think this over. This was not just an event affecting those in distant past. The ransom the Lord Jesus paid is for generations from first to last.
He gave Himself for me; His death and crucifixion Were such a work that through Him, I obtain salvation – For when He died for me, God reckoned I died too – So now I live in Christ, a life that is anew.
He gave Himself for our sins; they had separated us from God. He did such a sacrificial work to deliver us from this present evil world. This was the plan of God; not an act of divine desperation – By which the giving of Himself, there would be a unique generation.
No more are we independent and lost, but a new life in Christ we live. We have this wonderful blessing of eternal life He gives. So now there is a message we pass on through which we testify – “In Christ we are accepted with God; for it was for us He died.”
“Father in heaven, the personal aspect of salvation is what is so precious. It goes way beyond generalities to His sacrifice for me. I bow my head and my heart as I praise Thee for the Lord Jesus Christ; and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Paul was a preacher (herald of the King), an apostle (with a special commission) with a unique work, and a teacher of those who were in darkness as to the word of God. He had been given a divinely appointed task to herald the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The outworking of the Gospel message involves preaching that reflects God and is consistent with the Person, the work, and the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. He knew who he was, what he was called to, and how to do it. It was his responsibility, as for any believer, to fulfill the service to which we have been called. That attitude is often reflected in the way we pray. A man of humility and appreciation for the grace of God, and yet with a vision of the work the Lord has given him to accomplish, will not hesitate to earnestly pray for divine guidance and power.