Sound Teaching

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Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:3-5 (NLT)

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Devotion

            What Paul claims as a future event “for a time is coming.” I declare to you is a present situation. Our world is going after false teachers and false ideas at an ever-increasing rate. Examples abound all around us. What I am saying here is not a complaint against the world in which we live. For we should expect them to go into deeper and deeper delusions as time goes by because they have no standard of truth to guide them in the right way.

            No, I am unfortunately talking about those who claim the title, Christian. In our 21st century environment those who claim to follow Jesus are falling for the lies our culture is spewing out daily. We as a church have neglected teaching the true doctrine of God leaving our folks to fall prey to all kinds of false religions. When Christians are polled by Gallup or Barna or some other reputable polling agency they find very little difference between Christians and non-Christians on a whole host of issues.

            The issues that trip these “Christians” up starkly shows how we have failed at discipleship in the modern church. Not only do they give wrong answers on matters of cultural contention, for example: sex and gender issues, abortion, and life issues. Over two thirds believe that Jesus was not God but just a good moral teacher, high percentages express doubts on such main teachings as the resurrection of Jesus, and salvation by faith alone.

            What to do about such deficiencies? First, we must begin with cleaning our own house. Christian Pastors and teachers must follow Paul’s teaching in these verses and offer sound teaching on the main tenants of the Christian faith. The leaders of the church must be living examples of solid Biblical living. (Believing the right things is a start but not the full answer.) In matters of cultural importance leaders must show courage to speak and to live according to the teaching of the Bible and not be drawn into the culture’s lies. Most importantly, the church must be compassionate toward a world that does not know right from wrong anymore. We must teach and live in such a way that Christ is honored, and people are offered Christ as their savior from this culture’s depravity.

Prayer:

            Lord lead us in your ways. May our speech and actions be full of love for you and for our neighbor. Help us to have our walk match our talk on issues vital to our communities. Speaking truth to power. Acting in love toward our neighbor. Living as Christ would have us live in the world. False and deceptive teaching will not go away on its own, we must evict it by the power of the most high God wherever we find it. Amen

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