Bible League: Living His Word O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-- by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.What was it that the Apostle Paul wanted Timothy to guard? It was everything that Paul had given to him. It was all the wisdom and knowledge that he had imparted to him. It was the wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ. God had entrusted these things to Paul (I Timothy 1:11) and He had entrusted them to Timothy. Why did Paul want Timothy to guard this wisdom and knowledge? The reason is that when one departs from the path of wisdom and knowledge, when one departs from the straight and narrow, then one falls into the "babblings" and "contradictions" of false knowledge. When one strays from the truth, then anything may be believed in. Jesus said, '"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction"' (Matthew 7:13). The gate that leads to destruction is wide because it could be anything---anything other than the narrow gate to true wisdom and knowledge. There is a famous saying that applies in this case: "When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing, they believe in anything." That is, when truth is rejected everything is up for grabs. If the truth that comes from heaven above is rejected, then human speculation may put anything in its place. All of the false alternatives, however, have no solid basis in reality. They are mere babblings and contradictions that never fully satisfy the quest for truth. According to the book of Proverbs, those who accept any of them are fools (Proverbs 1:7). What was true in Jesus and Paul's day is true today. The road to destruction is still very wide and there are still many alternatives to the truth that make it up. In a world full of false teaching we must realize how precious the truth is and how destructive its loss can be. Like Timothy, we must guard the truth that has been committed to our trust and we must stand fast in it. We must avoid the false alternatives that are passed off as knowledge, for they add nothing to our lives and only lead people astray. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJeremiah 23, 24 Jeremiah 23 -- I will restore to David a righteous Branch; False Prophets NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 24 -- Two Baskets of Figs; Captives Will Return NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Timothy 2 2 Timothy 2 -- Timothy Exhorted to be Strong, Persevering and Unashamed NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.Insight Do you sometimes feel as though you aren't making progress in your spiritual life? When God starts a project, he completes it! As with the Philippians, God will help you grow in grace until he has completed his work in your life. Challenge When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you. He promises to finish the work he has begun. When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Songs 5:11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.Comparisons all fail to set forth the Lord Jesus, but the spouse uses the best within her reach. By the head of Jesus we may understand his deity, "for the head of Christ is God" and then the ingot of purest gold is the best conceivable metaphor, but all too poor to describe one so precious, so pure, so dear, so glorious. Jesus is not a grain of gold, but a vast globe of it, a priceless mass of treasure such as earth and heaven cannot excel. The creatures are mere iron and clay, they all shall perish like wood, hay, and stubble, but the ever living Head of the creation of God shall shine on forever and ever. In him is no mixture, nor smallest taint of alloy. He is forever infinitely holy and altogether divine. The bushy locks depict his manly vigor. There is nothing effeminate in our Beloved. He is the manliest of men. Bold as a lion, laborious as an ox, swift as an eagle. Every conceivable and inconceivable beauty is to be found in him, though once he was despised and rejected of men. "His head the finest gold; With secret sweet perfume, His curled locks hang all as black As any raven's plume." The glory of his head is not shorn away, he is eternally crowned with peerless majesty. The black hair indicates youthful freshness, for Jesus has the dew of his youth upon him. Others grow languid with age, but he is forever a Priest as was Melchizedek; others come and go, but he abides as God upon his throne, world without end. We will behold him tonight and adore him. Angels are gazing upon him--his redeemed must not turn away their eyes from him. Where else is there such a Beloved? O for an hour's fellowship with him! Away, ye intruding cares! Jesus draws me, and I run after him. Daily Light on the Daily Path Luke 10:19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Ephesians 6:11-16 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. • For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. • Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. • Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, • and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; • in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Micah 7:8 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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