Read 1 Timothy 2:1–7
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.… 1 Timothy 2:1

“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40 NKJV) is a basic principle for the conduct of the ministry of the church. Apparently, young Timothy was having some problems applying this principle to the assemblies in Ephesus. The public worship services were losing their order and effectiveness because both the men and the women members of the church were disobeying God’s Word.

“The church is an organism,” a pastor told me, “so we shouldn’t put too much emphasis on organization. We should allow the Spirit to have freedom.” “But if an organism is disorganized,” I quickly reminded him, “it will die. Yes, I agree that we must permit the Spirit to have freedom, but even the Holy Spirit is not free to disobey the Word of God.”

Often, what we think is the “freedom of the Spirit” are the carnal ideas of some Christian who is not walking in the Spirit. Eventually this “freedom” becomes anarchy, and the Spirit grieves as a church gradually moves away from the standards of God’s Word. To counteract this tendency, Paul exhorted the men and women in the church and reminded them of their spiritual responsibilities.

Something to Ponder
What are some of the ways you balance the ideas of “freedom” and structure?