Watchword: Daily Text
August 17, 2013
I Timothy 1:1-11
Great
Awakening of the Children in Herrnhut
August 17, 1727
Paul is writing to Timothy, his young son in the faith, whom
he left in Ephesus to see to the spiritual health of the people, because
certain men had been teaching aberrant doctrines. He reminds Timothy that the goal of the
gospel is to teach us to love one another in a way that honors God and to avoid
sin. He refers to the glorious gospel –
the gospel delivers unbelievers from the power of sin at the moment they
receive Christ as Savior and become believers– the gospel is delivering
believers from the power of sin – the
gospel will deliver believers from power of sin one day future.
Paul’s list of sins in vs. 9 tells me that no one is exempt
from the all-seeing eye of God in this sin question. He is using his list to
answer the question, “well who is the law for?” Yet it gives me pause to think again who is
guilty – who has sinned? We all have
place in that list; the phrase “things which are contrary to sound doctrine
i.e. teaching” covers a great deal of
human behavior. We are all sinners in
need of forgiveness, but we find it in Jesus, because of His death on Calvary .
That’s the good news of the glorious gospel of God, and we need to hear it daily.
According to Moravian tradition, today was a significant day
in Hernnhut. On August 17 1727, the
children of Herrnhut were touched and many of them converted to genuine faith
in Christ. It was noted as a “Great
Awakening of the Children.”[1] Count Zinzendorf had grown increasing
distressed over the spiritual state of the children. In May of 1727 one of the
young girls lost her mother to death and was subsequently converted. This
seemed to be a catalyst to the Lord’s work among the children. The young girl’s name was Susanna Kuhnel. She
was a friend of Anna Nitschmann.[2]
In 1725 Anna Nitschmann and her family immigrated from
Moravia to Herrnhut to escape persecution.
At least two of the Nitschmann brothers and Anna’s father had been in
prison, and upon their release, Christian David saw them safely to
Herrnhut. It was in Herrnhut that Anna
began to enter adolescence, and her
family and others decided it was time for her to be serious about spiritual
matters. [3]Anna
thought otherwise. The adults were indulging in behaviors that did “become
sound doctrine” (I Timothy 1:9), and Anna was quick to point that out.
Whenever anyone spoke to her about the state of her soul, she said, “First
convert yourselves, then come and then you may begin to teach me.”[4]
Rather saucy and direct for a child –but true.
When the adults got right with God, he converted their children. When they brought their lives in line with
things which “become sound doctrine” (I Timothy 1:9 KJV) i.e. that made good teaching
look good, then He saved their children.
Watchword for the Day – Preach the Gospel to yourself; Live the gospel
before others so that they may believe it when you preach it to them.
[1] The Memorial Days of the Church of the
Brethren. Translated from the German. London: Moravian Publication Center,
1895. Retrieved from : http://moravianarchives.org/publications/e-books.
[2]Mike
Atnip. Handmaiden of the Lord: The Story of
Anna Nitschmann,. www.PrimitiveChristianity.org.:
17,
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