1 Timothy for the life of..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. So good evening once again to our Bible studies every Wednesday. And as we do every Wednesday, let's open up our Bibles to the first letter of the Apostle Paul to Timothy.

Chapter 4. We are going to be doing, I hope, verses 6 through 9. in chapter four, verses six through nine. But let us read the whole chapter together. Chapter four, this is First Timothy, chapter four.

This is the word of God, brothers and sisters. Now, the spirit expressly says that in later times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it's received with thanksgiving. but it is made holy by the words of God and prayer. If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed, and have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths, rather Train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

The same is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end, we toil and strive because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially of those who believe. command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching, Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. Amen. This is the word of God.

Last week, brothers and sisters, we we had the opportunity to start addressing chapter four that was addressing that was speaking on the topic. We tried to have this meditation on the topic of apostasy and those people who be part from the faith and what we're going to be doing today from verses six through verse nine is a somehow a continuation is related somehow to that section of scripture that comes from verse one to verse five but before we go into it let me just set a little bit of a framework in which that i want you to have in your mind that is that every time that we're coming to this letter of the apostle paul to the disciple timothy there is a sense in which Paul is writing this letter to Timothy to instruct Timothy as his disciple on those things that he is to be and the things that he is to do within the context of the church. But at the same time by instructing these men, the men who has been called by God, anointed by God to serve in the church in the ministry of the Word, Paul is also instructing not only Timothy but the church in the things that the church should do and the things that the church should B. This should teach us the important relationship between the men or those who have been called to minister the word of God in the context of the church and the health of the church of Jesus Christ. Paul is writing to Timothy, but Paul is also writing, of course, to the church at Ephesus, which is the church that he was pastoring, and also by the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the church of Jesus Christ in this age.

This is vital and this is a very important relationship that we need to have in mind. So we can say that the spiritual health of the men of God who has been called to preach and to minister the Word of God inside of the church defines and influences the spiritual health of the church to which he has been called to minister to and you can just reverse those things so one depends on the other the men of god depends or the spiritual health of the men of god depends on the spiritual health of the church that he is ministering and serving in or two and the spiritual health of that church also depends on the spiritual health of the men that has been called to minister the words of god and this could be a a theme that you that we will be able to trace throughout this entire letter. We may see here that Paul is writing and communicating to Timothy and then he instructs Timothy to instruct things to the church from Timothy to the church and from things of the church to Timothy and theological things that apply to both of them and this is because the man of God who has been called by God to minister the word is and defines the health of the church just as the health of the church defines the spiritual health of that man. That's why Paul is very concerned with those who call themselves to be servants of God and who are within the context of the Church, who are everything except healthy when it comes to that which is spiritual. that are sick, that are even deaf spiritually.

He's concerned about that. And he's not only concerned because they are in the church, but he's concerned because those men have an influence to the church. Now, what we said last week is that imagine that God has allowed and he has determined in his sovereignty and in his wisdom that these things may take place within the context of his church. This is terrifying. He has decreed and he has allowed that these things may take place within the context of his bride, of his church.

The church is not going to be exempt. That's the word, right? Exempt of all of these things. The Church is going to go through these things. The Word of God says that.

So that's the burden of the Apostle Paul throughout the letter. So then when we came to this chapter four, this chapter four, beloved brethren, is only divided into two simple sections. Chapter 4 of the first letter of Timothy, of Paul to Timothy, is divided in two sections. The one that speaks of the apostates, those who are the wicked men, the sick men, the unrighteous men who pretend to be servants of God and who are not. from verse 1 to verse 5 and then from verse 6 to verse 16 to the end of the chapter the apostle is going to give us the characteristics of the good servant of Christ Jesus as he calls Timothy in chapter in verse 6 if you put these things before the brothers and sisters then you are a good servant of Christ Jesus that's verse 6 So from verse 6 onwards until verse 16, the apostle is going to outline those things that make a servant of Christ, a good servant, in opposition or different to what he has described in verse 1 to verse 5.

So those things are very important for the church that we understand that which is not and that which it is. So last week we addressed the things that are not, beloved brethren, and this is so important. that we understand and that we memorize and you have to bear with the words and with the time and with the things that i'm saying it's important that you know these things that you meditate upon these things because these are things are contained in the words of god the only two things that i wanted you to have in your mind when it comes to apostasy to the apostates as the apostle describes it in this first section of chapter 4 in verse 1 to 5 is two things the first one was the reality of apostasy the reality of it and the second thing is the characteristics of apostates as they are given to us in this section of scripture when i say the reality of apostasy i said to you last week that this is not something that could happen but it will happen that it is happening apostasy is something that god has decreed he has appointed to happen to it to happen so he will take a place from the beginning of the church if you want to call it after the ascension of the lord jesus christ after he comes back all of these new covenant church or this church age will be tainted by apostasy From the beginning until the end, men will depart from the faith. And now, beloved brethren, when I say men will depart from the faith, I'm not saying that men will walk out the door of the church. This may happen.

But I'm talking spiritually speaking, men will depart from the faith of Christ. They will turn to teachings and to things that do not correspond to the truth of the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints according to Jude. This faith that was given to us, some people will depart from it. That is the reality of apostasy. And then the apostle gives us at least three things that are characteristics of these apostates that are certain that will be in the life of the church.

The way that I try to explain it to you is that they necessarily will depart from the Word of God, from divine teaching, from holy teaching. They will depart from it and they will devote themselves to seducing spirits and to doctrines of demons. Now, departing from the Word of God, or let me just take that better, your relationship to the Word of God, and for that matter, the relationship of a being to the Word of God, defines the relationship of that being to any other thing. The relationship of a creature, of a human, to the Word of God, defines the relationship of that human to every other aspect of his or her life. It is either the existence of the relationship to the Word of God or the lack of it.

So when a person departs from the relationship, the submission to the Word of God, this is going to define a relationship to other things. And in this case, this person is turning the eyes from the authority of the Word of God to demonic teachings. seducing spirits the doctrine of demons so these men are taught by satan and because satan is the father of lies opposite to the truth of scripture then the heart of that man will abound in lies and the mouth of men who have departed from the word of God because they are not submitted to the truth then they will utter lies in hypocrisy and now because they have departed from the word of God the word of God does not even pierce their consciences anymore because they have been given over by God They have been given over. This is fearful. This is terrifying.

God has given them over so that they are led by seducing spirits and they are taught by Satan himself. So their conscience is seared with iron and their mouths speak lies in hypocrisy. And these lies that they speak are the teachings and the doctrines that they teach now to others, which as Paul says in chapter one of this first letter are not according to the gospel or not according to sound doctrine this other doctrine is not according to the gospel they are opposite to the gospel and in the example that we see in chapter four is that these men were imposing things were requiring things of people adding things to the gospel adding things to the message of grace of jesus christ to be corrupted you see beloved brethren When it comes to truth and when it comes to the gospel, there's only two categories. It is either the truth of God, which is perfect, and everything else is imperfect, impure, and profane. There's no 99% truth.

There is no 88% truth. There's only two categories with God. That which corresponds to godly wisdom that comes from the holy mouth and heart of God, which is his word, and is perfect 100%, and everything else, which is profane, and is demonic, and it is unrighteous. So the line is very thin. And men cannot walk and decide to which side they belong.

It's only the grace of God that takes unrighteous men from darkness and places them into light. And it's the same grace of God that keeps those men walking in that light, in the light of the truth. We cannot, if it's not Him that holds us fast as we have just sang, then we are not able to keep walking in the grace that He has given us. the Spirit of God, the one that empowers, that gives us life, that quickens us unto life, is also the Spirit of Christ, the one that keeps us walking into that. This is what the apostates were doing, but the concern of the apostle is not only to point into that which is not.

The concern and the burden of the apostle is to point to that which it is. So it is not to point into the apostates, but it's to appoint pointing to the men of God, to the servant of Christ. And this is what he's doing in in verses six through 16, the whole section. But we're going to be addressing only verse six through nine. Now, beloved brethren, I said something very important because we're going to be addressing four things.

I want us to address four things of the servant of Christ, of the good servant of Christ, not the wicked servant of Christ, not the one who says that he's a servant of Christ and he's not, and he's looking for his own thing instead of the things of Christ, as Paul would say somewhere else, but rather the good servant of Christ. And I said something to you that the relationship between the servant of Christ and the church is vital. It's important. Remember, This is not about a man. This is not about not even a group of men.

This is about a people. God did not save men to serve him. God saved a people, a chosen race, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, his peculiar people. It's about a body in which we are all members and all of us depend on one another. The man who speaks on behalf of God is the one that ministers the Word of God and we depend on one to the other.

And this is what, there is a very important verse that will give us this light in this idea that I'm trying to express and communicate to you, brothers and sisters, and that's verse 16. Pay attention to what the Apostle says to Timothy in verse 16. Keep a close watch on you. Of course, speaking to Timothy, keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching on you as a man, as a human being, as a person and the teaching that has been given to you and the teaching that you communicate to the church. Persist in this.

Not that once it has been given and now you have it, but rather persist, endure in this. For by so doing, you will save both yourself and your hearers. You will save both yourself, Timothy, and your hearers, speaking of the church, speaking of the importance of the vessel that God has chosen to minister the word of God to his people. This is about a body. It's about a collective.

This is about a church, a community, not about a person. But God will define who that person should be. And that person is, of course, Timothy in the immediate context here. So he's going to, as I said, he's going to describe the characteristics, if you want, of the properties or characteristics, probably better, of the good servant of Christ. And I want us to see four things that are given to us from verse six to verse nine.

The first one is that the good servant of jesus christ beloved brethren the good servant of jesus christ is supposed to warn those who hear of error the servant the good servant of christ is supposed to give warnings of error and the apostle puts it in his words in verse six if you put these things before the brothers that's why every time that we read a scripture I say to you let's read with reverent hearts and paying much attention to each one of the words because in that simple statement that Paul is teaching us that for Timothy to be a good servant of Christ Jesus he is to give warnings to the church and to the people of the errors he says put these things, which things, the things that he has just mentioned from verse one to verse five, five, that he pertains to apostasy. So put these things before the brothers or lay down these things before the brother. So present these things before the brothers or exposit this thing. So bring these things to the attention of the brothers and sisters, the things that he has said pertaining apostates. This is, give a warning to the brothers through the teaching, by bringing the word of God.

Bring a warning to the people of God. Present these things to them before brothers and sisters. giving a warning of errors and giving warnings of the things that are not is a very important thing in the role of a good servant of Christ. Pointing towards the things that are not, especially in times because in times in which because of political correctness we are limited to and sometimes afraid of opening our mouth when it comes to things of the truth of God. The Bible calls us to be bold in the truth that is being given to us and to point to the things that are not.

Put these things before the brethren. Now I want us to ask ourselves two questions, at least one question initially. How did the apostle put the things before Timothy so that Timothy put those things before the brethren? How did Paul taught him, Timothy, these warnings against apostasy so that Paul can now say, Timothy, you are to put these things before the brethren? Because by us, analyzing the way that Paul communicates to Timothy when it pertains to warnings against apostasy, we are going to learn, of course, how these things are supposed to be presented to the church.

And I hope that that makes sense. But let's see from verse one to five, the way that Paul gives warnings against apostasy. And let's see what we can learn from these things. Now, I've said to you that what Paul has done here is, first of all, is speaking of the reality of the error, that in this case is apostasy. The Spirit expressly says that in the later times there will be some people departing from the faith.

This is the error. Then the apostle speaks of the nature of this error, which is these apostates that we have already said, that they are departing from the words of God, devoting themselves to seducing spirits, speaking in lies with their conscience that are seared, and now they are coming and teaching things that are contrary to the gospel. They are doing these things. but the most important thing that I want you to see is what the apostle does in the last section of this portion of scripture because the apostle does not only point to the error but the apostle points to the truth he is going to say in verse 3 go to verse 3 he says who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods And I hope that you get what I'm just trying to say here, beloved brethren. The apostle, because of his authority, he could have end up there and say, Timothy, those people who are teaching about forbidding marriage and required abstinence from foods, stop them.

And that would have been sufficient in his warning of the error that was happening within the context of the church. That would have been sufficient for Timothy to actually go and say, those who are teaching that marriage is forbidden and those who are requiring people to abstain from certain foods, stop and leave the church. That would have been sufficient. But the apostle, rather than just simply saying that, he's going to take the error and he's going to present the truth. He is going to say, continuing in verse three, foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it's received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. Brothers and sisters, what I want you to see is that the best way to prevent error within the context of the church It's not by studying error. It's by pointing our eyes to the truth. Because the more that we see the truth of Scripture and the truth of God, the better that we will know that something is not of God. This is very important.

When it comes to the life of the church, we want to be taught by God through his spirit, through his word, so that we will know his truth. And then when the teachings of men will come inside of the church, then we will know that these things do not correspond to godliness or these things do not correspond to the truth that comes from scripture. This is the way that we will prevent. Now, beloved brethren, we're not having a Bible study just for the sake of recording here and putting it online and that is just there. The reason why we're taking the time to do this is because we desire and we want that you understand these things, that you take them in your heart and then you apply them for the context of our church, our family, our community, that we may know these things, that we may not think that we are firm in the faith, lest we may fall, but rather that always with holy reverence we may walk before God, united, exhorting one another, sharpening one another, so that our eyes might be always placed in Christ.

The truth of the man who speaks and the spiritual health of the man that speaks depends on the church, just as Timothy depended on the church at Ephesus and the church at Ephesus depended on the man. Now, this is, I think, the pattern that we can hear or learn here, but beloved brethren, let me just take this now to a higher level, not from the text, but from the canon of scripture that will help us to understand now the role and importance of it. Because it's not about only preaching truth. There are many men that preach truth. And that truth goes over the head of people, or better, over the hearts of people.

And then that truth that has not accomplished or has not done anything, at least when it pertains to edification. Because it's not only about the teaching, or it is not only about the speaking of truth, or it is not only about the proclamation of truth, beloved brethren, it's also about the hearing of that truth. Our church, our community is not going to be able to protect herself from false teachers, from false doctrine, from error if truth is spoken but truth is not apprehended. Because when truth is spoken and truth is not apprehended by faith, by those who hear, nothing has been accomplished. And sometimes the worst thing can happen.

This truth can end up being lies and because the receivers were never used to content or to analyze things that were said, they would just simply receive lies as if it was true. Go to Acts chapter 17, please. This is what I'm just trying to say. Go to Acts chapter 17. You may remember the famous passage of the Bereans.

And every time that someone thinks about the Bereans, they say, you know, they were very diligent or very noble. Because every time that they hear they went and they will try to confirm the things that they heard if they were according to what is written. But let's just check the passage very carefully. Acts chapter 17. And let's see what we can learn from the principle that I'm just trying to lay before you, beloved brethren.

Because here we have Paul proclaiming truth. I'm saying to you that the best way for us to protect from error is by the continuous, ongoing, Spirit-empowered, Scripture-based proclamation of truth. That this is the best way for us to protect us from error. Not that we have to devote ourselves to understand what error is, but that we have to devote ourselves to proclaim the truth and to understand the truth so that when error comes, we will know that there's error. So here we have an example of Paul proclaiming constantly the truths that pertain to the gospel of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 1, chapter 17. Now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. So Paul was just traveling from different cities, and he would always go to the synagogue first. Now, in verse 2 it says, And Paul went in, as was his custom, into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures. You have to memorize this verse.

Pay attention to this. Reasoned with them from the Scriptures. explaining and proving that it was necessary, that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying, this Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ. This is the truth of the gospel that he was proclaiming. After being in Thessalonica, then he goes to a different city.

Go to verse 10. the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. They were sent to Berea. And when they arrived to Berea, they went into the Jewish synagogue, because that was the custom of Paul to go into the synagogues. Now, verse 11.

Now these Jews, the Jews of Berea, they were more noble than those in Thessalonica, the previous city. Why? because three things are going to happen. They received the word with all eagerness. Now, we always, when we hear the Bereans, what first comes to our mind is that they went to test the things that they heard against the scripture to see if they were true.

But the first thing that they do before going and testing is that they received the word of God or the word that was spoken from Paul with all eagerness. Their hearts were enlarged by the grace of God to receive the graces that God had bestowed upon the lips of the sinful man, speaking of the mysteries that had been hidden from the ages, that now had been revealed to these Jews and also to Gentiles, that Christ is the Savior of the world. They came to hear these things with eagerness. And by having heard, having received these things, beloved brethren, with eagerness, than examining the scriptures daily. I love that.

Examining the scriptures daily. He could have said with lots of diligence, ongoingly, but he says daily. Why? To see if these things were so That was the attitude of the heart that was being drawn by the mercy of God unto Christ, that they were searching the scriptures with all diligence, so that we're receiving beloved brethren. This is for you.

This is not for me. This is for you. receiving the word with all eagerness, an eagerness that abides in the heart, an eagerness that abides in the soul of those who hear the word that is preached. We are all to receive the word with eagerness and with faith, and then to test against scripture, to confirm that the things that are said correspond to that which is written. Now, beloved brethren, go to the next verse.

Many of them. Which word do you have next? Therefore, because of or as a result, believed Not a few Greek women are high standing now. They are not saved because of their diligence or because of the eagerness that they had. It is by grace, the grace that had been given to God.

But God uses or there is human means in this process of salvation, just as when a person professes faith in the heart and through the mouth, then these people also, because of the eagerness that had been granted unto them to receive the words, therefore they believed. Now, the truth that is communicated within the context of the Church will not empower the Church to protect herself from the attacks of Satan if the Church does not receive the words of God with all eagerness and with all faith, confirming the things that are said against the Scripture daily so that we all together might reach steps of glory, steps of holiness, advancing holiness and conformity to the person of Jesus Christ. This is what this is what Paul says to Timothy. So let's go back to first Timothy. That's the first thing, beloved brethren.

He says, if you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ. And now it's important to note, and this is a very important thing, that while Paul was teaching these things at Berea, he was with Silas, and also he was with Timothy. He was also with Timothy there. The Timothy that we have here, there later, like two or three verses after what we read, it is said that Timothy and Silas remained there when Paul went on to a different city. So Timothy, as the disciple of Paul, he was there.

And this is very important for what we're going to say after, because brothers and sisters, it's not only that we are to give warnings to the church about the errors by pointing them and speaking and proclaiming and preaching the truth and also by grace the people that receive that truth with eagerness and with faith. But the man who opens his mouth, beloved Brethren, has to be trained, what it says here, being trained in the words of faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed, he says. If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ, being trained. Now, other translations will say it, in my opinion, a little bit better. It says nourished.

nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine. That is, that the words of the faith and the words of this doctrine are the nourishment and the food for this man, in this case, Timothy, that he is trained in the word. Now, beloved brethren, Two things that I want you to note, because I could say now the man of God should abide in the words of God day and night, meditate on the word of God day and night in the law of God, so that the man of God will produce fruit to do season like a tree planted to the streams of water, that we should treasure up our words in our hearts that we might not sin against God, that the words of God is the path of righteousness that points us towards Christ. We could say all of these things, but there are two things which are true, by the way, but there are two things that I want you to see here. The Apostle says that the men of God, in this case Timothy, should be trained in the words of the faith, the words of the faith, and the words of doctrine.

It is the words of the faith, and then Jude will say, the faith that has been given once for all to the saints. This is the faith that it is not established upon human understanding of human wisdom, but is the faith that Christ has given to his church upon the apostles and upon the prophets upon the oracles are contained in holy scripture this is the faith that we all agree that it is founded in a scripture it is the faith that god or christ gave to the church as a whole it is a collective faith this might not make a lot of sense beloved president but it's a very important thing because the faith men can come and say with their mouth that the things that they are teaching correspond to that which is written. But if the things that they are saying through their mouths go against the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints in the first century and throughout history, then those words do not correspond or are not submitted to the faith given to us. And this is why I think that Paul will add another very important element. He says, speaking of that, the words of faith and the good doctrine that you have followed, the doctrine that you have followed, the doctrine that he, Timothy, had learned from Paul, his apostle, his, what do you call, disciple, and the mentor, his mentor, the one, his teacher, the one that guided him, the one that instructed him, his instructor.

He had heard these things, and this is the organic nature of truth. Paul says, imitate me as I imitated Christ. Because faith is not something that happens in a vacuum in a particular person, but we are all a body. We are all pointing our eyes towards Jesus Christ. So in a sense, we can follow one another if we are following Jesus Christ.

If we are reflections of the shining glory of Christ, then imitate me. If someone of you is the reflection of the shining glory of Christ, so let's imitate that person, because ultimately we are not imitating that person, but we are imitating Christ. This is the doctrine that Timothy followed. The doctrine that is meant to be passed from one man to another. This is what he says in 2 Timothy chapter 2.

Go to 2 Timothy chapter 2 please. Paul is speaking to Timothy. He says, You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me, that is the doctrine that he had followed or the teaching that he had followed. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses.

Now you, Timothy, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach who? Others. Because this is the doctrine that is meant to be passed from one to another, and that is meant to be followed. This is the doctrine, beloved brethren, that men, according to Paul in 1 Timothy 4, is to be trained in, is to be nourished in. It is supposed to follow these words.

It is supposed to continue in these doctrines and in the words of faith. This is why, beloved brethren, once a man of God is given entirely to the words of truth, then this person will be able to discern the things that are not. But Paul does not only say, put your eyes on the truth. There is a sense in which putting our eyes on the truth It is sufficient for everything that we need, but there is sin. And there is sin not only around us, but there is sin in us.

And because there is sin in us, the next thing that the apostle is going to say in verse 7 in chapter 4, going back to our text, It's not only that you are to give warnings to the church about these things. It's not only that you need to be trained in the words of the faith and the words of the doctrine that you have followed. But he also says, have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Have nothing to do. Some other translations put it, refuse, refuse profane teaching.

The Greek speaks of something that it is unholy. And I think the apostle has in mind the seducing spirits that the apostates were paying attention to. He says, refuse those things. Beloved brethren. The scary thing about this is that the apostle is not ignoring the existence of these things that are going to be seducing the ears of each one of us.

But rather, he says, refuse those things. They are going to be there. Refuse. Have nothing to do with these irreverent talks, with this silly myth. Some other translation would be with this fable of women.

That is, things that are not true, that are silly. The terrifying thing about this, beloved brethren, is that we must be careful, that we have to be careful, that the rudiments of this world are always going to be speaking to our ears things that seem to be similar to what God has said, but they will be just in the spirit of the serpent. Has God said? Has God said those things, saying to our ears? This is what the apostle says in Colossians 2.

Go to Colossians 2 and read it yourself. Colossians chapter 2. Verse six, he says, therefore, as you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and build up in him and established in the faith just as you were taught abounding in thanksgiving. I don't know if you see the many similar concepts that we are addressing in the portion of scripture, but what I want you to see is the reality of seducing spirits in the life of true believers. Verse 8, see to it Some other translations would say, be careful, be aware, see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Brothers, ignoring or being indifferent or denying the existence of this thing around us. It's like the soldier that when the enemy is coming to destroy them, ignores that the enemy is actually approaching. The Bible speaks of these realities. It speaks of seducing spirits. It speaks of apostates, of people departing from the faith.

And he says, have nothing to do with those things, with those irreverent things. with those profane things. Put your eyes in the person of Jesus Christ. And this necessarily, beloved brethren, takes us to a whole transformation of the being. And I just want to address that.

shortly than the last point, which is that the Apostle Paul is going to say to Timothy, not only give warnings against error, focusing on the truth, give warnings about these things, put these things before the brethren, but besides that, he says, train, be trained or nourished in the words of the faith and of doctrine that you followed. And also, not to quote it wrongly, have nothing to do with irreverent sea limits or refuse profane talks. As I said, the other translation will say, but he is going to say rather train yourself for godliness. And this is not only for Timothy, beloved brother. This is for each one of us.

Sometimes our higher view of the sovereignty of God and the work of the spirit in us diminish the responsibility that each one of us has in our walking with the Lord. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. This is what the apostle says in Philippians, that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, that we are to be in Christ. In Philippians chapter one, it will say, so that we may found without blemish and without a spot in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, producing the fruits of righteousness that are in Christ Jesus for the glory of the Father, that we are the ones that are supposed to produce those fruits of righteousness in the person of Jesus Christ, that we are the ones who are supposed to train ourselves in godliness. The gospel of Jesus Christ, as our brother explained to us like three weeks ago, the gospel of Jesus Christ has two elements, beloved brethren, and now pay attention to this.

It is not only about the truth of the gospel. It is not only about the truth, the abstract truth of the gospel, but it's also about the application of that truth in the life of the person who receives this gospel. That's why Paul and Titus, when Paul is writing to Timothy and to Titus, he says, speaks of the gospel or the truth that corresponds to godliness, or the truth of the gospel that is according to godliness, because the truth of the gospel, indeed, produces in the life of a person conformity to Jesus Christ. And beyond that, the truth of the gospel within the context of the church will produce a church that if each member is being conformed to Jesus Christ, will be a church that can be confronted to the clear indicators of spiritual health that are contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. So that's why Paul is going to say to Timothy, exercise yourself.

or train yourself or give yourself not to bodily exercise which profits just a little but rather to a spiritual one and he's going to compare it saying that a spiritual godliness or godliness that is spiritual this one has benefit for this age and for the age to come. Basically, he's saying that the exercise and devoting ourselves for things that are passing away, well, these things are going to pass away. But exercising in the things of the spirit and in godliness that it is in Christ Jesus is both for this time and the time that it is to come that has benefit for us and for the life of the church in the time or the church age and the time that it is to come. Now, beloved brethren, The Apostle and God and the Spirit is holding on one side the destiny or the future of the Church and her health in men, saying, pay attention to the Word, give yourself to Christ, be trained up in the Word, exercise for godliness, do not pay attention to seducing spirits or to do false doctrines. He is placing his bride, his wife, the health of his wife, the one for whom Christ died.

And he's saying, do all of these things. Now, not because we can do these things, beloved brethren, but it's just because the same grace that was given to us in the beginning is the grace that sustains us to keep our eyes. And this is why he finishes that section saying that this is a saying that is trustworthy. and we should accept it entirely. Why, beloved brethren?

Because it is indeed truth. It is indeed truth, beloved brethren. If we give ourselves entirely to the truth as it comes from the lips of God, we are going to be able to discern the things that are not and not only able to discern intellectually or abstractly the things that are not, but give ourselves entirely to the truth that has the power to change us and to affect us and not to take us away or to let us straight in the things that are not truth. And just remember, as I said, the relationship of Timothy with the church is one of dependence. the spiritual health of the men of God who are speaking on behalf of God influences, impacts, and depends on the spiritual health of the Church of Jesus Christ and each one of their members.

Why? Because these two are not separated. Or better, they are not separated. They are a single body. So each member has sorrow when another member has sorrow, or one member feels with the other member feels, or one member is wounded when the whole body is wounded.

And what we want to present to Christ, beloved brethren, is not only hearts that are without blemish and without a spot, we want to present the church that way. We want to present one another that way. We want to come before Christ as his bride and as his church and present ourselves that way. So when it comes to protecting the church, it is not a mission of the ones who speak truth. It is a mission of the church as a whole.

It is a mission of each one of the members constantly coming to the book to see if the things that are said within the context of the church are according to the book. And not only that, if the things that are being said within the context of the church are producing the things that they should produce according to Scripture. And beyond that, that when someone walks through the door, and they come with different doctrine or with different teaching, it is not the person that teaches the one that is ultimately responsible for whatever they are teaching, but it's all of us protecting one another, protecting the truth that is contained in Scripture, because by protecting one another, beloved brethren, we are protecting the Bride of Christ. We are protecting the Beloved of the Son. We are protecting, imagine, those for whom the Father, in eternity past, decided to send His beloved Son, the object of His love, to die, or to, better, just to be incarnate and to take the likeness of men, and then just to submit Himself to the standards of men, by living a perfect life, going to a cross, and die on behalf of those people, so that the wrath of God will be administered completely and entirely on Him, and not on the Church, So that Him being God will be powerfully resurrected, and death will not have power over Him.

He will be resurrected unto new life, and then those who have faith in Him will also be resurrected unto a new life, a new life to have them together joined from eternity past unto eternity future. This is the church for whom He died, and this is the church that He is calling us to protect in the truth. May He give us grace to do so. Amen.