The one thing separating your sin from God's wrath is the Man in the middle.
Read / Listen
Read 1 Timothy 2:5-6
Listen to passage & devotional:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 18
Q. And who is this mediator—
true God and at the same time
truly human and truly righteous?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who was given us
to set us completely free
and to make us right with God.
Summary
Paul’s reminder that there is one God echoes the words spoken to the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. This is expressed in the Shema, which comes from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one.”
For the Israelites these words would have been a reminder that they serve the one true living God, not the idols worshiped by surrounding nations. Likewise, Paul expresses that there is one God and continues that there is also one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ.
As we know, Jesus is more than our mediator, he is also our redeemer. Jesus gave himself as a ransom, paying a price to secure our freedom from our bondage to sin. A price had to be paid as God’s punishment on sin, and Jesus paid that price on our behalf.
Dig Deeper
A mediator is the “middle-man” in a dispute. It is the role of the mediator to go between the various sides in a dispute and work towards reconciliation. In this case, it is humanity and God who are “in dispute” with one another. As a result of our fallen nature, humanity is at odds with God via our rebellion and refusal to obey God's law.
Despite the deposition of human hearts against God, we have peace with God because of Jesus’ work of reconciliation.
Jesus is not the first mediator between God and his people. Moses, for example, served as mediator between God and his people. And while there have been other mediators, Christ is superior to them all. Not only is Jesus our deliverer, but he also continues to mediate on our behalf.
Jesus is the one mediator Paul refers to in 1st Timothy. You need no other mediator, no saints to pray on your behalf, or priests to hear your confession, because Jesus is already your perfect mediator, continuing to speak on your behalf even now.
Take great comfort in knowing the one speaking on your behalf is the same who was willing to take the penalty that you deserved.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would fully trust in Christ as your mediator, and that you would submit all things to His Lordship (v8-15)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 12
