Bible League: Living His Word The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.— 1 Timothy 4:1 NIV Our verse for today contains a warning that applies to the present—what the Apostle Paul refers to as the "later times." Hence, it is something that we need to be aware of, and ready for, just as much as the Christians of Paul's day. When the Bible uses terminology like "later times" and "last days," it does not always refer to the days immediately preceding the return of Jesus Christ. Quite often it refers to the days between Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven and His second coming. That seems to be the case in our verse for today. How so? It's because some have been abandoning the faith and following deceiving spirits and things taught by demons since the very beginning of the Christian era. No doubt, as the Gospel spreads across the globe, there will be an increase in this kind of activity; but it has been around at least since the days of Paul. Why do we need to be warned about this? It's because there will be teachings proclaimed that are deceptive in nature. Deceiving demons will work through what Paul calls, "hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron" to draw people away from the truth of the Gospel and biblical teaching (1 Timothy 4:2). They're hypocrites because they don't really believe the teachings they try to impose upon people. All they care about is drawing people away from the truth for their own selfish purposes. They're wolves in sheep's clothing that want to feed on the flock (Matthew 7:15). It's true; the hypocritical liars and their followers will abandon the faith, because they never really believed in the first place. The Apostle John tells us, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1 John 2:19). Nevertheless, we who do believe still need to be warned about the false teachings we may encounter. We need to be warned so that we are motivated to prepare our minds. If we are steeped in God's Word, we will easily recognize their deception, and there will be no chance that we will fall for it. Then we will most assuredly persevere in the faith and be saved. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingMicah 4, 5 Micah 4 -- The Glory and Peace of the Latter Days NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Micah 5 -- Out of you, Bethlehem will come a King; Deliverence by His Hand NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 11 Revelation 11 -- Two Witnesses Prophesy; The Seventh Trumpet NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.” Insight People often base their self-concept on their accomplishments. But our relationship with Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as his very own, and we have been called to represent him to others. Challenge Remember that your value comes from being one of God's children, not from what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God does, not because of what you do. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.Sometimes the Lord Jesus tells his Church his love thoughts. "He does not think it enough behind her back to tell it, but in her very presence he says, Thou art all fair, my love.' It is true, this is not his ordinary method; he is a wise lover, and knows when to keep back the intimation of love and when to let it out; but there are times when he will make no secret of it; times when he will put it beyond all dispute in the souls of his people" (R. Erskine's Sermons). The Holy Spirit is often pleased, in a most gracious manner, to witness with our spirits of the love of Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and reveals them unto us. No voice is heard from the clouds, and no vision is seen in the night, but we have a testimony more sure than either of these. If an angel should fly from heaven and inform the saint personally of the Saviour's love to him, the evidence would not be one whit more satisfactory than that which is borne in the heart by the Holy Ghost. Ask those of the Lord's people who have lived the nearest to the gates of heaven, and they will tell you that they have had seasons when the love of Christ towards them has been a fact so clear and sure, that they could no more doubt it than they could question their own existence. Yes, beloved believer, you and I have had times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and then our faith has mounted to the topmost heights of assurance. We have had confidence to lean our heads upon the bosom of our Lord, and we have no more questioned our Master's affection to us than John did when in that blessed posture; nay, nor so much: for the dark question, "Lord, is it I that shall betray thee?" has been put far from us. He has kissed us with the kisses of his mouth, and killed our doubts by the closeness of his embrace. His love has been sweeter than wine to our souls. Daily Light on the Daily Path Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In loveEphesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. • It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29,30 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; • and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Ezekiel 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 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. 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