Welcome!
Today: Committed to word or world?
Passage: 2 Tim 4
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4, NIV 84) –emphasis added
Paul was always committed to a cause whether he was working against or for Christ. Previously, when he was working against Christ, Paul was 100% committed. Now, as he was turned around and became a follower of Christ, he wanted to be 100% committed, not 99!
He wanted to live and die for Christ!
Look at apostle Peter. After walking with the Lord for his entire time of ministry, Peter made the most hopeless and discouraging comment on Jesus: “I don’t know him”. That is much worse than saying “he is bad”. That hurts so much!
But Jesus didn’t give up on Peter. He went after him. Jesus turned him around, to be the best, even though he made one of the worst comments ever!
Have we given upon somebody just because of one statement or action? May be we need to take a second look at it; may be they can be the best!
Now look at Paul’s case. You and I might have stamped him “hopeless” or “horrible”, but Jesus looked at him differently. He knew what Paul was going to be. People opposing the gospel are more likely to become supporters of the gospel than those who take a median stand!
Now that Paul was 100% converted and 100% committed, he wants to pass on the same type of zeal and commitment to his spiritual son Timothy. Paul was investing in Timothy, just like Jesus did with Peter and others
There was a good number of false/fake teachers those days, just as we have today. These preachers would not preach or promote sound doctrine. Instead, they tune their messages according to the demand of their listeners. Their supply didn’t come from God!
The true/real church belongs to Jesus, where real truth is preached by real ministers, to (make) real people!
When the word of God is “compromised”, it will fire back sooner or later
We can confirm either to “the word” or the world, not both. Church is supposed to teach and train its people how to advance in the word and to be transformed heaven-ward. A person going to space will be trained in simulated situations similar to the one he is to go to. A similar approach is needed in the spiritual. When church takes a light stand on the doctrines of God’s word, it will be producing third grade citizens for heaven. (Such will have to “wait” for others to first get-in!). A minister who truly loves the people will not promote such!
Make sure you become a first grade citizen of heaven!
Have a blessed day.
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me. Thanks for all your love and grace. You were 100% committed to me and there is no reason for me to be less committed than that. Deliver me from compromise to commitment. Amen
“It’s not right to expect another person to be committed to us than we are; I mean, God”