July 20 devotion - Faith School

2 Timothy 1:13           What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

            When the apostle Paul was writing to his protégé Timothy, he was trying to ensure that the next generation of believers would hold fast to the faith that Paul personally experienced and taught. This would be have been written about thirty to forty years after the Resurrection of Christ. During those 3 or 4 decades, Christianity had flourished across the Mediterranean, especially in the southern region of what we now call Turkey. However, with this wonderful growth, there also came a plethora of different teachers and preachers who all had their own personal ideas of what constituted the Gospel Truth.

            Paul’s personal appeal to Timothy in writing reveals to us that the apostle, who was imprisoned at this time, was gravely concerned about the faith of the new churches being hijacked by false teachers and greedy preachers. Paul advised to Timothy to be on his guard against such unscrupulous people who would use their charm, influence, and power to mesmerize believers, in order to lead them down the wrong path and away from Christ. Paul also knew that Timothy, who was destined to become the Bishop of Ephesus, would be very influential among his peers. If the fledgling faith was going to survive in the region, it would require Christian leaders who had been inspired by sound teaching, and who expressed their beliefs through their faith and love in Jesus.

            With the amazing amount of information available to us from the Internet, we can sometimes experience difficulty in discerning what is true or false teaching with regard to our Christian faith. New ideas, fresh perspectives, and novel opinions can sometimes attract us, but they may also detract us from following the truth. I personally go back through the four Gospels whenever I’m faced with a new approach to my faith. If I can’t find something that would corroborate the new idea, I set it aside. That may be too simple for some folk but, after almost forty years of trying to be a Christian, I have learned that it works for me.

            May God bless you as you grow in faith and enable you to share the love of Jesus.

Questions for personal reflection

Who initially taught me about the Christian faith? How have I passed on my faith experiences to the next generation?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of faith which has influenced, shaped, and directed our lives. We praise You for Your true teaching about God. Grant us new opportunities to share our faith and love in You with others around us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. Please also feel free to share or forward this message to your own family and friends.

Today’s image is one of my Celtic Cross drawings called ‘Celtic Heart.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Cross.

Being a Christian - 2 Timothy 3

2 Timothy 3:12-13 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

            I can’t honestly read Paul’s second letter to Timothy without reflecting on how his words are relevant for today. The great apostle was forewarning his protégé that things would get a lot worse before they became better. He was telling Timothy that trying to live a godly life as a Christian would make him a target for harassment, criticism, and persecution. In fact, within a couple of years of writing this letter, Christians across the Roman Empire would be hunted down and killed for their faith in Jesus. Paul’s epistle, then, was a serious word of caution, informing Timothy to be prepared for the troubled times ahead.

            Being a Christian has never been easy, especially when believers speak out against injustice, violence, and wickedness. They are criticized for being political instead of spiritual or castigated as being subversive and disloyal. Their voices of dissent are demeaned or silenced, especially in nations where powerful regimes suppress civil rights and limit personal liberty. When Christian leaders lend their support to social justice movements they are pilloried for their passion and sometimes convicted for their beliefs. The words from Paul, which were written more than 1900 years ago, are highly relevant in our world today, especially when people are blinded by their own prejudices and paralyzed by their own inadequacies or fears.

            So, how do we know when to stand up and speak out against injustice or oppression? I think Paul gives us the answer to this question in his final words from this third chapter:

3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

            In other words, we need to honestly ask ourselves if our beliefs are scripturally based or just our individual notions that we’ve personally attached to our faith for our own convenience. Scripture is a great litmus test of whether or not we are being indifferent, insensitive, or prejudiced. Believe me, I need this godly check of my own ideas on a regular basis, too.

Point to ponder

Think about some current news or controversial event. Ask yourself, “What is God needing me to see and understand here?”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your ministry was radical and Your mission created a lot of turbulence because You were honest, faithful, and fearless. Help us to see the world through Your eyes, granting us the courage to face our fears and overcome our prejudices. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You’ll enjoy the experience and be made very welcome.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Promised One.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Promised.