1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
:4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
:5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
If there is anything that prevails in today’s society, it is error and greed. Today’s economy can hardly be assessed due to the error in men’s thinking and the results of their actions. Greed blinds them from seeking wisdom from Above. Paul’s desire was to see a maturing of the saints but was constantly dealing with what seemed to be perpetual immaturity. Paul commented “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers.”
If there is anything we should expect as fruit in our lives, it is progress toward maturity. This does not happen overnight but takes constant focus and resolve. In today’s society of instant gratification, everyone wants everything now… I mean right now! Just as we are seeing a culmination of lawlessness on the macro level, we are also seeing the fullness of self-gratification on a personal level. Marketing and advertising firms are simply reflecting the carnal state of the population today when they promote “Have it your way!”
Emotions have overtaken Godliness. “Self” is the focus of ministering rather than the maturing as one the saints. The subtleties of deception are creeping into the thinking of those aspiring to be overcomers. Are you destitute of the Truth? As Paul mentions in the letter to Timothy, are you focusing on the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ? Or are you focusing on just about anything else in order to avoid the commands of Our Lord and Savior? Are you keeping busy in feeding “self” so that you don’t have to minister to others? Are you constantly sucking the life out of others in order to satisfy your emotions?
My friend Kemper made a comment in one of our recent Bible studies. When he figured out that he was doing the wrong things, he just quit doing them. It was better to do nothing than to do the wrong thing. He then studied the Scripture to find out what the “right things” were. As I have said many times in the past, you must inspect your own fruit. Look in the mirror. What are you producing? Is there envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, or useless wranglings seen in your life? Paul said to withdraw yourself. Quit being a part of the “wrong thing”.
Are you a giver or a taker? Do you keep your word or do you hide behind “busyness”? People keep on adding to their complex environment and thus their “word” becomes useless. What would happen if Our Heavenly Father’s Word was unreliable? Oops, there goes Mars out of orbit. Are you judging others by their actions but yourself by your intentions?
The culmination of evil is at hand. If the love of money is the root of all evil, the fact that the global economy is creating epic sums of money is a clear indication that we are reaching a zenith. Greed is operating at an unrestrained level. Everyone talks the talk about not being deceived by greed but the issue demands vigilance among the brethren else why would we be warned that if it were possible even the elect would be deceived! Greed is being catalyzed by the unrestrained lawlessness permeating our society. Perversion of words, deeds, marriage, ethics, morals… the list goes on. Words are redefined to fit the lawless attitude of the people. 10 and 11 year olds are plotting murder of classmates now. Schools need armed guards to insure their safety. What do you expect when you ban prayer in schools and remove the awareness of a Higher Power from the youth?
Now is the time to become fully committed to walking in the fullness of the Words of Jesus Christ. It is time to mature and become a giver, not a taker. It is time to assess whether you are living with the subtlety of greed permeating your decisions. It is time that you let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. The Grace and Mercy of Our Heavenly Father is sufficient to forgive you of your past error and greed. It is time to focus on maturing and walking in the deeper aspects of Our Heavenly Father’s Character- Love. As the saying goes “Put your money where your mouth is”. Think about it.