Advice concerning false
teachings
Key Verses: 4, 7, 9, 15, 17,
There are
people who are up to no good! We can’t trust the motives and actions of some
people. We are in a political season right now, so I don’t need to say anything
more, do I? This is not a new phenomenon. Paul had it in his day.
Paul left
Timothy in the city of Ephesus to provide an anchor for the believers. Timothy
would not stray from the Truth, unlike others who were all too eager to drift.
They were getting pulled into endless speculative arguments about a
non-existent hierarchy of gods that was being circulated in their world at the
time. Paul tells them it does them no good to spend time doing this, because it
gets them off track. Love is the goal: love experienced and love expressed.
I notice
that we too can get pulled off track and into activities that have little or no
eternal value, that pull us away from love in action. They may not be
theological speculation, but something as simple as Facebook. We, like the
original readers of this letter, must evaluate our activities in light of our
central work a Jesus-followers. Otherwise we seek attention for ourselves
instead of for Christ.
The short
list of characteristics of people who are not following Jesus is given. But
notice that Paul says the Law is not for believers. That is because the purpose
of the Law was to bring us to our knees in humility and contriteness. As
believers, we have already been and continue to stay on our knees. We know that
it is grace that brought us into a relationship with God, and grace that
sustains us.
But there
are some things that can ruin our relationship with Him, some things are
contrary to God’s character, and some things that God just can’t stand. Some
things on Paul’s list we would all agree on, and some have become so
politically charged that we might waver in our support. Don’t waver because of
political correctness, even if it means you get labeled “intolerant.” When we
get labeled this, they are being intolerant of us. And I am OK with that.
In order
for us to really understand grace we must know just how much we needed it. Paul
had Christians killed before he came to faith. He knew he needed God’s grace,
that his actions had violated God’s standard, that he had done wrong. If we
aren’t able to see the depths of our sin we can never see the heights of God’s
grace. And when we do see our depths, we give genuine honor to the Lord when we
surrender.
Not
everyone stays the course of faith. Some get off track. Some fall away.