the shun
2 Timothy 2.16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Ephesians 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
James 3.1 My brothers, don’t become many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment.
Proverbs 10.19 In a multitude of words sin is not lacking: but he who restrains his lips is wise.
2 Peter 2.18-19 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, in unbridled lust, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.
2 Timothy 4.3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
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The truth of God is according to godliness. Any teaching that leads believers away from godliness in any way cannot be the truth of God. If the net result of any teaching is an increase in ungodliness, there is no light in it. Specifically, teachings in the church that lead people to believe sin is an ordinary and expected part of a believer’s everyday life – these deny godliness. They hold God’s holiness and perfection at arm’s length, rather than calling men to a life of participating in the divine nature. These place man’s experience above the great and precious promises of God – and those who fall under their influence do not escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Lust is the source of teachings that lead to ungodliness. If those who are still mastered by their lusts start speaking as leaders within the church, and appealing to to lusts at work in their listeners – they can easily talk people out of holiness. When people are taught that they cannot expect to walk victorious over lust and free from sin, their lusts become unbridled. No longer is there a definitive restraint against lust. Instead of viewing the lusts of the flesh (and the corruption that is in the world by these lusts) as fighting to the death against their soul, people start seeing them as unavoidable forces of nature. When sin becomes inevitable, everything about what we preach becomes compromised – to the point where Paul would call our preaching profane: vain babblings and fables.
At the core of the good news of Jesus Christ is freedom from sin. Jesus came to save his people from sin. Not only is this repeated over and over in scripture, it is perfectly intuitive. People don’t need to be talked into holiness; the clear simple declarations of the Word of God mixed with faith can’t help but produce God’s own holiness in our lives. But at this hour in history, more than any other, it is imperative we set forth godliness as the standard for all truth; and shun anything short of that.
Christ = my righteousness
Rom 7:14-24 is the past
Rom 8:1-4 is now
…context
This is very encouraging. It brought to mind the following quote I had written down a couple months ago from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Cost of Discipleship,” about the discouraging effect of “cheap grace” teaching on those who would follow Jesus:
“The only effect that such a word could have on us was to bar our way to progress, and seduce us to the mediocre level of the world, quenching the joy of discipleship by telling us that we were following a way of our own choosing, that we were spending our strength and disciplining ourselves in vain….”
I hear this so much, this teaching that seems intent on relieving us of the call to obey our Lord and thus walk free from sin. How are these bad things? Yet I hear it so much that I often and genuinely wrestle with whether I am just some aberration for wanting to really learn to do what he says, and believing that that is what he wants. Why does it seem like an urgent matter to me, and not to so many others? Is it just me? It’s like you have a choice between being half-hearted or half-crazy. Maybe we’re both crazy, but your words encourage me.
Granted we are not to be legalists, and that we are not saved by rule-keeping. And my own experience is that it is quite a fight to put down the sinful nature; comparing it to “dying” seems about right. But in our fear of legalism (or is it something else?), it seems we obscure, if not obliterate, the call to repentance. But what a blessed thing that is! In our lowliness we are given a place to meet him who is highest: in honest repentance. It strikes me, sadly, that rather than show what a blessing is repentance, so much of what passes for the “good news” seems to take a road he has specifically forbidden: relaxing, nullifying, his words. E.g., Matthew 5:19.
Fight the good fight. May the Lord bless you, brother.
both Paul’s letters to Timothy, and his letter to Titus…are amazing. i’ve seriously been blown away meditating on them over the past month. the name “pastoral epistles” kind of threw me off. i think as a kid i thought they were just for pastors.
when John wrote, “I write to you young men, because you are strong, the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one,” he was holding out the blessing of maturing in the faith. thank God for his forgiveness, i feel like if we could move beyond infancy/toddler mentality (“tell me he will forgive my sins, just tell me he will forgive me”), we would really begin to rise to take our position as the church in the middle of this wildly whacked generation. there needs to be bright undiluted dose of light right about..
NOW
I have been meditating on these three letters as well. I totally agree with being blown away. I also agree that these letters are not just for pastors. You know I am always open to correction bro, but I hope it is okay for me to bring up a few things (surface views of what I am getting so far).
First Timothy represents a solid ground of what godliness “looks” like. I believe the spiritual and eternal things are more important than temporal things. But the doctrine outlined in first Timothy is needed to keep the man, whose mind is set on eternal things, on a solid ground of what godliness is and looks like. The things of first Timothy are written in a spirit of commandment and showing no partiality. It almost feels like there is a progression from Titus to first Timothy; Child to young man; As if you are drawing nearer to a understanding of this quote from Jesus:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished”
And yet another progression from first Timothy to second Timothy. But there seems to be a spirit of urging in second Timothy (as opposed to commandment). I think it is a good idea to read Peter’s reminder if you are considering stepping into practicing the things in second Timothy:
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.”
I also believe the entire second letter of John is written to a chosen body practicing the things in second Timothy (and practicing the things in the letter to the Philippians) and he is reminding them to love one another. This is inline with Peter’s reminder above. Also the issue spoken of in Galatians between Paul and Peter is related to this (I believe). When we read first and second Peter, we are reading from a man that has experienced and learned from that issue in Galatians. But look at how John speaks to Gaius in his third letter. He does not address him as chosen, but beloved. There is a sense of an overcomer in this letter. But John does not lack in important reminders to this man as well. Gaius seems to know love and is consistent in holding to love, but he was reminded to send those that he comes in contact with away “in a manner worthy of God”.
First Timothy has gotten a hold on me big time and I am continuing to meditate on this letter as well. I feel we have got to constantly remind each other of this progression you are speaking of Glen. Child, to young man, to father. I also continually remind myself of diligence and love. From Laodiceans to Ephesians. Laodiceans needed diligence (they had become lukewarm and thought they had everything); Ephesians were diligent but had lost their first love. I feel this can also be connected with the reminder of Paul to the Corinthians:
“When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or who are greedy or are swindlers or idol worshipers. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Don’t even eat with such people.”
I feel it is helpful to be conscious of who we are addressing (or what body we are addressing); Unbelievers or those who claim to be Christian. It may be necessary to be aware of who is in front of you to be able to practically handle the situation.
you’re absolutely right. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it. there’s no point lecturing someone drowning on the high seas…you just throw them a life preserver.
but when you’ve got people safe on the boat building big saltwater jacuzzis and seeing who can float face-down the longest, then maybe it’s time to speak up on the whole point of the life preserver >>
Dude! I actually can’t wait to learn that, cuz I KNOW that message is for me. But if it is okay, you gotta check this out! Cuz the homeboy you just brought on board has the lungs of a whale! Where’s the jacuzzi!?
I’ve noticed that when I hold my breath too long, I come back to the surface a little confused. Is it like that for anyone else who does that?
Ha! Yea dude! Dazed would be an accurate description. Takes a minute for the pupils to kick back in… It surely isn’t something you wanna do for the fun of it. lol.
wow. Im a big fan. Just don’t know what to say. everything i just read blew my mind.