Tag: spiritual pitfalls

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1 Timothy

Spiritual pitfalls: When we violate our consciences

Crossroads

Our consciences are a gift from God. God has given them to all people, even non-Christians to give them a sense of right and wrong. Without our consciences, this world would be far worse than it is now.

The problem, of course, is that our consciences are not perfect, having been stained by our sin.

But when we become Christians, the Holy Spirit starts to whisper to our hearts and shape our consciences, and as we listen to him, we become more and more like Christ. At least, that’s how things should be.

Unfortunately, the false teachers in Timothy’s time were not listening to the Spirit as he poked their consciences. Rather they violated their consciences, ignoring what the Spirit was saying, and as  a result shipwrecked their faith.

Instead of holding to the truth of the gospel, their love for money and prestige had twisted their beliefs, and as a result, their teaching as well.

And so Paul told Timothy,

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.

Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

Paul told Timothy, “Don’t be like these false teachers. Fight the good fight. Take on these false teachers for the sake of the gospel, and hold on to your faith as you have been taught. And hold on to a good conscience too.”

This mirrors what Paul had said earlier, saying that the goal of their teaching (and/or warnings) is “love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (5)

So Paul says, “Since this is the goal of our teaching, hold on to them.”

He then said, “Some have rejected these.” A better translation is “Some have rejected this,” referring to a good conscience. The NLT makes this very clear, reading,

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. (1 Timothy 1:19)

Paul then gives two examples of such people, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who shipwrecked their faith by violating their consciences.

Many people do the same today.

Some violate their consciences because, after all, “We are all saved by grace. And if we are saved by grace, why not just live as I want? I can just ask for forgiveness later.”

But they ignore the fact that because God has saved us, he now calls us to holiness. (I Thessalonians 4:1-8)

Others violate their consciences by convincing themselves that what scripture calls evil is actually good.

We see this with people practicing homosexuality, all the while claiming to be Christians. They know what the scripture teaches about homosexuality, yet because they feel they can no longer fight their sinful passions, do everything they can to pervert the gospel that has been preached for 2000 years.

The gospel and the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality has never changed. But more and more people are violating their consciences and as a result shipwreck their faith.

Note that Hymaenaeus, Alexander, and others were not saying, “We reject Christianity.” They said, “We embrace Christianity,” when all the while they were changing the gospel itself.

Many people do the same today. They say, “We are Christians,” and yet violate conscience, changing the faith they have itself.

It is a dangerous thing to violate your conscience. To do so inevitably leads to compromise and a corruption of the gospel you say you believe.

Let us not do that. Rather, let us as Paul charges, hold on to faith and a good conscience, seeking above all things to please our Lord.

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Ephesians

Spiritual pitfalls: Taking sin lightly

Ephesians

If there is one problem in this world, it’s that it takes sin lightly, even to the point of joking about it. But sin is not something to be taken lightly. Especially by Christians.

So Paul says,

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:3-4)

In other words, our lives should be so holy, that no one should be able to even begin to accuse us of any impropriety, not even in our speech. Again, sin is not something to take lightly or joke about.

But how often do we do that when talking about TV shows, movies, songs or anything to do with pop culture.

How often do we ever say, “You know, what that character did in that drama or comedy was sinful.”

Or “What that singer is singing about will lead to eternal death if she doesn’t repent.”

We just don’t think that way.

“Oh come on. Lighten up,” some of you may say. “This is the world we live in.”

But that’s exactly the problem. Too many Christians are becoming like everyone else in the world, taking sin far too lightly.

But Paul reminds us,

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 5:5-6)

In short, sin is serious business. People are under God’s wrath because of these things. People are going to hell because of these things. How then can we take them lightly?

So Paul tells us,

Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. (Ephesians 5:7-14a)

God calls us to be totally different from the world around us. They are living in the darkness of sin. We used to live that way too. But now Paul says we are light in the Lord, and because of that we should live that way.

Our lives shouldn’t be bearing sin with all its fruit. We should be bearing the fruit of all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

So instead of celebrating sin, we should be exposing it with the light of Christ for what it is: something that destroys.

And we should be calling out to those around us,

Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. (Ephesians 5:14b)

How about you? Are you taking sin lightly? Have you forgotten how serious it is?

Remember that Jesus died because of sin. And now he calls us and those around us to come out of it, and into new life.

Are you living that new life? And are you calling others into it as well?

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Jeremiah

Spiritual pitfalls: The trap of self-pity

Jeremiah

Sometimes when following God gets hard, it becomes easy to complain. 

“Why is this happening to me?  I don’t understand.  I thought that if I followed you, all would go well.  Why are you allowing this to happen?”

And that’s how Jeremiah felt.  Once again, he felt the sting of rejection and persecution from his own people. 

As a result, he started to face doubts about what he was doing for God, saying,

Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? 

Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?  (Jeremiah 15:18)

In other words, “I’m suffering here.  Can’t you see?  Are you truly going to help me?  Or will you let me down like so many others have in the past?”

But once again, God doesn’t allow Jeremiah to wallow in his own self-pity.  Rather, he challenges him, saying,

Therefore this is what the Lord says:  “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. 

Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. 

I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the Lord. 

“I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.”  (Jeremiah 15:19-21)

Put simply, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Walk away from your pity party so that I can use you.  Stop your complaining, and instead speak the words I give you. 

“These people around you would have you become like them, but you must not.  Instead, you must make them bend to you. 

“They may fight against you and persecute you, but they will not overcome you.  I will rescue you. 

“So take your eyes off of yourself, and put them on me where they belong.”

How about you?  Do you wallow about in self-pity when things get hard because you’re serving God? 

Satan loves that, because it makes you utterly useless to God.  Satan wants you to focus on yourself, because when you do, it’s impossible to focus on God or the people around you.

Let us not be people that focus on ourselves and our own troubles. 

Rather, as the writer of Hebrews says,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Hebrews 12:2-3)