The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Timothy 4:3,
"For the time will come when people 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
What is it that folks desire when they gather to themselves teachers who tell them what they want to hear? What is it they are seeking from these teachers?
We have a listing of what people will become "in the last days". We read in 3:1-5, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."
This morning my mind is on those who have a "form of godliness but denying its power." These would be religious people with their "form of godliness". They look the part and they play the part... but when it comes to faith, they deny the power of godliness.
Faith and the power of God are inextricably tied. The faith that the Scriptures teach us about, faith that leads to a righteous standing with God is bound to the confidence we must have in the power of God. We can have faith in anything. I crossed a bridge to get to work this morning, being confident it would hold up under the weight of my car and the others crossing with me. But it is not faith in bridges that brings salvation.
Abraham is presented to us as the example of the kind of faith God looks for in each of us. Paul tells us, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Romans 4:20-24. Abraham was "fully persuaded" in God's power.
In another place Paul provides the definitive answer to the question, "how do we get saved", in his explanation of the gospel. He says, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10. Note again, the issue of our salvation rests on our being persuaded of God's power... the power he demonstrated when he raised Jesus from the dead.
Faith demands we recognize God's ability to save us. It provides us confidence in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins. It persuades us of Jesus Christ's divinity and the Father's acceptance of his sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for our sins.
We are saved through faith. Faith in God, a faith that recognizes the power of God. Some, who apparently struggle with this kind of faith advance other ideas, hence, gathering to themselves teachers who teach what their "itching ears want to hear." At times the truth that salvation is by faith is replaced with a laundry list of religious things that must be done. Other times faith is taught as not bringing salvation but merely manifesting salvation. These folks believe in salvation by appointment, rejecting even the possibility that we can have faith without manipulation by God (which, of course denies genuine faith.)
Paul's perspective in salvation by faith, specifically in God's power, is underscored when he speaks of the gospel itself, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Romans 1:16-17.
"For the time will come when people 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
What is it that folks desire when they gather to themselves teachers who tell them what they want to hear? What is it they are seeking from these teachers?
We have a listing of what people will become "in the last days". We read in 3:1-5, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."
This morning my mind is on those who have a "form of godliness but denying its power." These would be religious people with their "form of godliness". They look the part and they play the part... but when it comes to faith, they deny the power of godliness.
Faith and the power of God are inextricably tied. The faith that the Scriptures teach us about, faith that leads to a righteous standing with God is bound to the confidence we must have in the power of God. We can have faith in anything. I crossed a bridge to get to work this morning, being confident it would hold up under the weight of my car and the others crossing with me. But it is not faith in bridges that brings salvation.
Abraham is presented to us as the example of the kind of faith God looks for in each of us. Paul tells us, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Romans 4:20-24. Abraham was "fully persuaded" in God's power.
In another place Paul provides the definitive answer to the question, "how do we get saved", in his explanation of the gospel. He says, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10. Note again, the issue of our salvation rests on our being persuaded of God's power... the power he demonstrated when he raised Jesus from the dead.
Faith demands we recognize God's ability to save us. It provides us confidence in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins. It persuades us of Jesus Christ's divinity and the Father's acceptance of his sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for our sins.
We are saved through faith. Faith in God, a faith that recognizes the power of God. Some, who apparently struggle with this kind of faith advance other ideas, hence, gathering to themselves teachers who teach what their "itching ears want to hear." At times the truth that salvation is by faith is replaced with a laundry list of religious things that must be done. Other times faith is taught as not bringing salvation but merely manifesting salvation. These folks believe in salvation by appointment, rejecting even the possibility that we can have faith without manipulation by God (which, of course denies genuine faith.)
Paul's perspective in salvation by faith, specifically in God's power, is underscored when he speaks of the gospel itself, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Romans 1:16-17.
Faith is a struggle for many. It requires us to have a heart for God. It requires we have a confidence in God's love for us and a fear of God's judgment at the end of the age. Salvation is by faith, faith in the power of God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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