"if anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain."
thank you, paul. (1 timothy 6:3-5)
more and more i understand my world to be dangerous and cold and hostile. there aren't many who uphold Scripture - as it stands. it gets mangled all the time.
each book in the Bible is genuine, and lasted a while before it was settled into place within a tome of 66 individual accounts. letters gathered from authors over a span of hundreds of years, only a few of them knew each other. all of them are dead, now. they were just vessels relaying God's message, and all the compiled messages flow beautifully. i love it. i love the Word of God.
even when it's hard on me. even when i have to break apart to understand something or to take something by faith. the faith part comes easy for me - which is funny since i'm so skeptical and critical of people! but i have experienced ease in wrapping my mind around Scripture - believing every last word. it's easy for me to believe that God is just but also merciful. that He is sweet and frightening, too. He is perfect in all that He is. in all that i have read. i love Him.
but, it's hard for me to believe that rubbing a lemon on your face can be good for you.
so, passages like the one i put up first, reinforce my heart. i can say that, while looking around the united states, i believe that there are some screwy churches out there who only believe bits that they want to believe. paul is warning timothy - believe it all, or you have nothing but a rotted heart.
to say that someone has such a great grasp on the Bible that they can twist it any way they want, they are conceited. they are trying to perfect something they can only ruin. it's already perfect. it's already sound. you can't improve on Jesus. i have seen and heard and met many people who use the Gospel for their own gain. whether that means monetary, or as a means to exercise some kind of power over someone else - or even over God! it's not pretty and it never ends well. that's why i say...if you are looking for someone who has a true love for God, and a true love for spreading the Gospel and seeing souls wrought from the snares of death, look for a content man.
"but godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. for we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. if we have food and covering, with these we will be content." (vv 6-8)
i'm not master over contentment - i often feel panic clutching at my throat when i look at bills and wasted time! - but these words are so encouraging to me. false teachers have a way of making themselves known by being greedy for something. but, seeing someone who is content? so refreshing. instead of grappling with wealth..."flee from these things, you man of God! pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses...
(and here's the clincher!)
"i charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time - He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. to Him be honor and eternal dominion!
AMEN!"
nothing else matters, friends of Christ!
our purpose here is big and our time is short!
fight the good fight and take hold of eternal life.
pursue these things.
live where you are planted, and be content.
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