Friday, August 20
Read II Timothy 3
Think About It:
- Love of self is the basic sin, from which all others flow. The moment a man makes his own will the center of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but the obliteration of self” William Barclay. Paul said in Romans 12:3 (NIV 1984), “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you”. We must see ourselves as we really are – both the bad of what we are in the flesh and the glory of what we are in Jesus Christ. “‘Lovers of self’ aptly heads the list since it is the essence of all sin and the root from which all the other characteristics spring. The word is literally ‘self-lovers’ and points to the fact that the center of gravity of the natural man is self rather than God” Edmond Hiebert. Take some time to pray and use the measure of faith God has given you to check yourself against Paul’s list in verses 2-5. Where do you stand? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in this process.
- Verse 5 says that people will have a form of godliness but deny its power. In our self-obsessed world, people feel very free to have a “salad bar” religion – they pick and choose what they want. They feel free to be very “spiritual,” but sense no obligation to be Biblical. The power of godliness that men will despise in the last days is the power it should have to guide their lives; power in the sense of rightful authority – and many, many, today deny that God has the power to tell them what to do through His Word. Do you practice a “salad bar” religion picking and choosing what is palatable to your taste? Or do you recognize the truth of verses 16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Family Time:
1. How as a family can you be sure that you are not listening and believing false doctrine?2. Have you established time as a family to study the Bible together?3. Read 1 Timothy 3:1-5 again. It is good to check your own life for any traits of these sins. Do you see these things in your children’s lives? In your own life? Pray together and confess your sins to each other.
