As we noticed in the previous section, we should never underestimate the power of words – both good and evil. Understanding how important our speech is, we must be sure that our words reflect wisdom at all times.
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March 25, 2013
The Application of Wisdom: Speech (Part 3)
December 28, 2012
Maintaining Purity in the Midst of Persecution (12/28)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Revelation 1-5.
Occasionally brethren will speak of the alleged “benefits” of persecution. One such “benefit” is that Christians focus less on doctrinal errors and combating false teachers because of the extra attention that needs to be paid to the persecutions and encouraging the brethren to withstand them.
However, if we notice the letter to the church in Pergamum, we will see that persecution does not give Christians permission to ignore or tolerate error.
“I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2:13-16).
December 25, 2012
False Prophets and Teachers (12/25)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Peter 1-3; Jude 1.
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2 Peter 2:1).
Peter warned that the existence of false teachers would be a certainty among God’s people. He did not say there might be false teachers. He said there will be false teachers, just as there were false prophets in times past.
But what is a false teacher? Brethren sometimes differ on the definition. Some believe that one’s status as a false teacher is dependent upon him having corrupt motives. Yet the context helps us to determine who should be described as a false teacher. In fact, the two preceding verses give us the key, though we may sometimes fail to make the connection because of the man-made chapter divisions. Though there is a chapter break, the context is the same. We can learn what a false teacher is by noting the contrast between a false prophet and a true prophet.
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December 11, 2012
Deceiving the Hearts of the Unsuspecting (12/11)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Romans 14-16.
Too many Christians are content to ignore the threat of false teachers. They naively assume the best of their brethren at all times, not wanting to believe that a fellow Christian could ever lead them away from the Lord. But if we notice Paul’s warning to the saints in Rome, we will see that this type of attitude puts one in danger of being led astray by false teachers.
“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (Romans 16:17-18).
False teachers are to be marked (KJV) so that we know who they are. This is not popular in a society that values political correctness and religious ecumenism at all costs. Yet this is vitally important for our spiritual survival. Notice some of the things that false teachers do to those who are persuaded by them:
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December 4, 2012
“Peddling the Word of God” (12/4)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Corinthians 1-4.
When one has a product to sell, he will highlight its impressive features and keep silent about any real or perceived problems it may have. It is common for one to exaggerate and even lie in order to sell his product. If sales are not as good as he hopes, he may even decide to change the product altogether to make it more appealing to his target audience. When one is selling a regular product or service, there is nothing wrong with making changes in order to improve sales, as long as he continues to “provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17, KJV).
However, too many people view the gospel as a product to be sold and will, therefore, change it in order to make it appealing to a larger group of people. Yet the gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), not a common product to be marketed and sold. Therefore, we must not treat it as common or changeable. Notice what Paul told the brethren in Corinth:
“For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 2:17).
November 27, 2012
“Abstain From Every Form of Evil” (11/27)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Thessalonians 1-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3.
It is common for brethren to take Paul’s warning to the church in Thessalonica about abstaining from every form of evil and apply it broadly to every type of sin imaginable. It is certainly true that Christians are to strive to abstain from sin and every form of evil (Romans 6:11; Ephesians 5:1-11). But Paul was making a specific point here. Notice the context:
“Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).
In the context, Paul was discussing what had been revealed by God. To quench the Spirit would be to remove the power from the gospel that had been revealed by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:7-10). To despise prophetic utterances would be to disregard the message of “men moved by the Holy Spirit” who “spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21). Paul’s point was that these brethren (as well as all of us today) needed to accept the inspired word of God.
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August 21, 2012
Burning Sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven (8/21)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Jeremiah 41-45.
Divine judgment was coming against Judah for the idolatry of the people. Yet they were not willing to listen and refused to acknowledge the negative consequences of their behavior. Those who are caught up in false religions today do the same things.
“Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, ‘As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you! But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune. But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine’” (Jeremiah 44:15-18).
These people, in their error, refused to accept certain things:
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