If you point these things out to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus who has been trained by the words of faith and the good teaching that you’ve carefully followed. But stay away from the godless myths that are passed down from the older women. Train yourself for a holy life! While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come. This saying is reliable and deserves complete acceptance. We work and struggle for this: “Our hope is set on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially those who believe.” Command these things. Teach them. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Instead, set an example for the believers through your speech, behavior, love, faith, and by being sexually pure. Until I arrive, pay attention to public reading, preaching, and teaching. Don’t neglect the spiritual gift in you that was given through prophecy when the elders laid hands on you. Practice these things, and live by them so that your progress will be visible to all. Focus on working on your own development and on what you teach. If you do this, you will save yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:6-16, CEB)
I love it when the lectionary gives us readings like this. That obviously starts in the middle of a thought. Today’s reading starts, “If you point these things out to the believers,” What are these things?
Here is 1 Timothy 4:1-5:
The Spirit clearly says that in latter times some people will turn away from the faith. They will pay attention to spirits that deceive and to the teaching of demons. They will be controlled by the pretense of lying, and their own consciences will be seared. They will prohibit marriage and eating foods that God created—and he intended them to be accepted with thanksgiving by those who are faithful and have come to know the truth. Everything that has been created by God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected. These things are made holy by God’s word and prayer.
People will turn away from faith and be deceived. They will be controlled by their own pretenses. They will prohibit marriage and eating foods. They will turn from God and not see what is holy.
Now we can read this in many different ways, and different groups do. You will read it and say that those who do not agree with your understanding are the ones who have drifted away from God and those who don’t agree with you will say you and those who agree with you are the ones who have drifted from God. But who has drifted from God? Maybe them, maybe you, maybe all of us?
In moments like these, I want to err on the side of grace and love and love like Jesus. Unconditionally.
Love like Jesus.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 