October 20 2026

Tuesday October 20, 2026

“One God, One Mediator”

1 Timothy 2:5–7

Welcome to Pastor's Chat! Today, we're continuing our study through Paul's first letter to Timothy. And we've come to one of the clearest and most wonderful statements in all the Bible concerning our salvation. Yesterday, we saw how Paul encouraged Timothy to make prayer a priority and to pray for all people, including those in positions of authority. And he reminded us that God's desire is for people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now, in verse 5, Paul explains the wonderful truth that makes our salvation possible. Listen to 1 Timothy 2:5: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." What a tremendous statement! There is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and humanity. And that Mediator is Jesus Christ! Now, what exactly is a mediator? A mediator is someone who stands between two parties to bring about reconciliation. And that's exactly what Jesus Christ has done for us. You see, the Bible teaches that our sins have separated us from a holy and righteous God. Isaiah 59:2 reminds us that our iniquities have separated us from God. And Romans 3:23 declares that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That includes every one of us! But here's the wonderful news. God loved us so much that He provided the One who could reconcile us to Himself. And that One is His Son, Jesus Christ.

Notice that Paul specifically refers to Him as "the Man Christ Jesus." Now, that's important because Jesus is both fully God and fully man. He is the eternal Son of God who took upon Himself human flesh. And because He is both God and man, He is uniquely qualified to be our Mediator. No other person could accomplish what Jesus accomplished. No religious leader, no prophet, no priest, and no human effort could ever provide the salvation that Christ alone makes possible. That's why Jesus declared in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Now, listen to verse 6. Paul says that Jesus "gave Himself a ransom for all." Think about that expression! A ransom is the price paid to secure someone's release. And that's exactly what Jesus did when He went to the cross of Calvary. He gave His own life to pay the penalty for our sins. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:18–19 that we weren't redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. And what a price He paid! Jesus willingly suffered and died so that we might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life.

Now, I want you to notice something else. Paul says that Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all. The invitation of the gospel is not restricted to one nationality, one social class, or one particular group of people. The wonderful message of salvation is to be proclaimed to everyone! And that's why the Great Commission is so important. We're commanded to take the gospel into all the world. After more than fifty years in ministry, I can tell you that there's nothing more rewarding than sharing the message of salvation with someone who needs to know Jesus Christ. And whether that person lives across the street or on the other side of the world, the message is the same. “…Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day!”  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Now, in verse 7, Paul explains that he was appointed a preacher and an apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. In other words, Paul understood that God had entrusted him with the responsibility of proclaiming this wonderful gospel. And although we're not all called to be apostles or pastors, every Christian has the privilege of telling others about Jesus.

So let me leave you with this thought today. There's only one Mediator between God and man, but that one Mediator is sufficient for every sinner who comes to Him in faith. And if you've never personally trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I encourage you to do so today. He is the only way to the Father, and He stands ready to save all who come to God through Him.

Let's pray together. Our gracious Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful truth that there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. Lord, we recognize that our sins separated us from You and that we could never earn our way into Your presence. But thank You for loving us enough to send Your Son to die upon the cross for our sins. Thank You that Jesus willingly gave Himself as the ransom for our salvation. Father, I pray especially for anyone listening today who has never personally trusted Jesus Christ as Savior. May Your Holy Spirit open their heart to understand the gospel and lead them to place their faith in Him. And Lord, help those of us who know You to faithfully share this wonderful message with others. We give You all the praise and glory. For it's in the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

God bless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!