Question:
Why did Paul tell Timothy that the holy Scriptures would make him “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15) when Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:5 that he already had faith in him?

Answer:

Paul is encouraging Timothy to stay in the Word of God, because it is through the Word that Timothy has his faith in Christ. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).
There are three aspects of salvation: “(1) Who delivered us from so great a death, (2) and doth deliver: (3) in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10).
(1) Salvation from the PENALTY of sin, which we receive the moment we confess that we are sinners, and trust in Christ.
(2) Salvation from the POWER of sin in our lives after we are saved.
(3) Salvation from the PRESENCE of sin when we are taken home to glory.

(1)  Timothy had salvation from the penalty of his sins from the moment he placed his faith in Christ and in the work He did for Him on the cross of Calvary (2 Timothy 1:5).

(2)  But he needed salvation from the power of sin (2 Timothy 3:15), which we receive by being occupied with Christ when we meditate on the holy Scriptures and trust His strength to please Him.

(3)  The Lord desires that we “watch” for His coming: “What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37). “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”

 

The benefit to us for watching for His return, is: “And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:2, 3).

Question:
Can we compare the Kings of Israel and Judah to people of today?

Answer:
Here is my comparison: the first type of king, the evil king, could be compared to an unsaved person since no unsaved person can ever do anything in their power to please the Lord.

The second type of king, the king that pleased the Lord but allowed the high places to remain, could be compared to a person that is saved but has things in their lives that hinder them and take time away from the Lord or maybe even take the place of the Lord. The third type of king, the king that pleased the Lord and tore down all the idols and high places, could be compared to a saved person who truly has the Lord as the center of his/her life and is devoted to the Lord and to nothing else.

Question:
Why does God need us and what was His ultimate reason for creating us?

Answer:
If I may, I would like to add a brief, belated thought to the very good and full answers already given. I’ve wondered about this question for some time. I believe that we have indeed been told in Scripture of the ultimate Reason behind all of God’s thoughts and purposes and actions.

That Reason is that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8, 16)!
Of course, love is infinitely, eternally, and perfectly satisfied and fulfilled between the three divine Persons of the Godhead. But He (the Three are One) will not contain that love or confine it solely to God alone. God’s love, by His will, overflows in a flood to others, His created beings.
No, He doesn’t need us. Instead, He created us, and then redeemed us, in order to bless us with a wonderful ability to love. The cross of Christ is the ultimate display of the love of God. “We love…because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Therefore, when we love (give, sacrifice) in our small measure we partake of the blessings of loving that He enjoys.
Jesus sums it up nicely by saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). This is not just some proverb your grandmother made up. It is a simple, but most profound, statement of the mind of God. When we respond to His love, we love, voluntarily giving (sacrificing): our heartfelt worship, praise, and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15); our love and affections for the Father and the Son (john 16:27); and all believers (1 Peter 1:22); our bodies (Romans 12:1,2); and our belongings for His service and for one another (Hebrews 13:16).Isn’t this the grand “Why” behind the grand purpose, plan, and glorious outcomes already presented in the last issue? God is Love! That’s why.