1 Timothy 4:1–5
1But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
Focused Thinking:
It is important to connect these verses with the last verses of chapter 3. Don’t let the chapter break cause you to miss the continuation of thought.
Why was Paul writing to Timothy (3:14)?
I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God.
How does Paul describe the household of God (3:15)?
Which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
What does the Spirit say explicitly?
In later times some will fall away from the faith.
Why will they fall away from the faith?
They are paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…
Personal Application:
We underestimate this today.
- Deceitful spirits are everywhere today.
- The fact that we don’t think there are deceitful spirits proves how deceitful they are.
- The ideologies that aren’t godly are deceitful spirits.
- The lie that is closest to the truth is the most dangerous lie.
- The theologies that aren’t accurate are deceitful spirits.
- People who add or subtract from the gospel are deceitful spirits.
- People who add or subtract from the scriptures are deceitful spirits.
- False religions within the broader stream of Christianity are doctrines of demons.
- False Churches can do more harm than good for the gospel.
- Legalistic Churches can do more harm than good for the gospel.
- Churches that get the fundamentals wrong are wrong.
- Churches that focus on the non-essentials are wrong.
- We can afford to get the fundamentals wrong.
- Cults are the doctrines of demons.
- World religions are the doctrines of demons.
- Islam is a doctrine of demons.
How is this happening?
by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
What an incredible picture of how bad it gets.
This is another way to describe hardness of heart.
Scars are difficult to penetrate, not only physically, but more importantly spiritually and emotionally.
We must be 110% committed to knowing the truth.
The way you spot a counterfeit is to know the original.
We must become men and women who make the Word of God our passion and priority.
Focused Thinking:
What examples does Paul give of deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons?
Men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and the truth.
In light of this passage an obvious question emerges, why do Catholics forbid marriage for their priests?
More times than not our false doctrines begin with good intentions.
More times than not we are trying to heighten our spirituality, but if we aren’t careful we’ll move away from the internal to the external.
Whatever God declares as good we must declare as good.
God created marriage and it is good when we do it God’s way.
We can always abuse the things God created but that doesn’t mean God is wrong, that means we are wrong.
Sometimes the smallest things turn into the biggest errors (abstaining from foods).
What does Paul say next to Timothy about these types of issues?
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
God is a God of generosity not selfishness.
God created good things for us to enjoy.
This other type of thinking goes back to the lies of the serpent in the garden.
The serpent sold Adam and Eve on the lie that God wasn’t generous, that God wasn’t given them His best, that God was withholding something from them.
We must always see God as He is not as the Liar wants us to see Him.
We must always see God as Scripture presents Him not as the Liar presents Him.
We trust that God always knows what is best for us.
We trust that God always wants what is best for us.
We trust that God always gives what is best for us.
We must proactively and intentionally fight against the lies of the devil with the truths of the Word of God.
Interactive Prayer-Prayed offline.
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