Our brother Paul was such a warrior for the kingdom Gospel. We just love him so and can’t wait to meet him when we all get Home! He knew intimately the stumbling that false teaching and false prophets brought to the body of believers. He lived in the backwash of that terrible result.
To his beloved disciple and fellow church planting apostle Timothy, he writes his last words in those two letters. And he begins the first one with the warning that “certain men” are leading others away from the real Christ.
He counters with this truth in a juxtaposing proclamation: saints have a pure heart (like Luke 8), not despicable; saints have a good conscience (like 1 Cor 4); saints are saints, not sinners, and have a sincere, pure faith.
1 Timothy 1:5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The he returns to the warning here with a verse pregnant in truthful wisdom…
1 Timothy 1:6-7 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
These men have been seduced and deceived from the path of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. The consequences are “fruitless discussion,” not fruitful. Moreover, they are blind to the fact that they are fools for the world and not Christ’s sake.
But…and a big but…they are so deceived they make “confident assertions” about the very deception they are preaching. They may be humbly confident…but I guess not. For all the men I know who seek the truth together would not be lumped together here in Paul’s warning.
These “certain men” are most likely arrogant, cocky, full of themselves. In short, they act like the false leaders of Jerusalem in the days of Jesus Himself: the Pharisees.
Are you too in your pursuit of the truth, blasted by the “confident assertions” of similar false doctrines? People who claim Christ but act with little to no real sacrificial love? Do you wonder sometimes, or often, if it’s you since they are so “confident?”
Well, beloved, be sure you’re squeaky clean with our Lord, and you know indeed what you’re talking about with His Word: His Purpose, Principles, and Practices. Seek out others who also have a humble and open heart. But when the Spirit confirms the real Gospel, let no one disregard you!
Titus 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
And if they continue to stonewall you and the Lord’s truth, roust out the bad leaven, dear one…and then shake the dust off your feet unless they repent. Which is highly unlikely, but always possible with God. But refuse to cast your pearls.
1 Timothy 5:20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
“Our dearest Lord God and Father, fill our sails with the wind of Your courage, Your resolve. Help us to rightly divide Your precious Word, and proclaim it to the body and the world. Help us, like Your Son, to set our “face like flint” to our Home, our heavenly Jerusalem, with all Your holy creation. We love You so very much.”
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
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