Stand Guard

1 Timothy 6:20-21  “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,  which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.”

Read those words again.  It sounds like a dramatic scene in the climax of an action movie, doesn’t it?  The hero hands the treasure to his young protégé and gives him the final instructions before the enemy breaches the gate and surrounds them.  “Guard what has been entrusted to your care.”  You can almost feel the energy and danger, can’t you?

The Apostle Paul knew what was coming.  Timothy had a daunting task ahead of him- to continue to lead and teach the church in Ephesus while combatting the dangerous teaching that was gaining popularity. Paul knew that deception was brewing and would at first creep in….but then would boldly begin to make it’s way into the church and make itself at home there… unless the believers were wary and on guard.

Paul warned of the opposing ideas of what is falsely called “knowledge”- those things that set themselves up against the truth of Scripture.  The things that sound good, feel comfortable and don’t conflict with societal culture.  This '“knowledge” lures us to call what is wrong, right, and to blur the lines of what scripture identifies as sin and accept it as ‘personal choice’. What typically follows is a watering down of Scripture and a tolerance of things that should be rejected.  When we don’t hold to Scripture alone, we open the door for the Enemy to corrupt our thinking.  We become soft on sin and we allow and practice what God says we should not.  We compromise, become lukewarm and essentially walk away from the standard set by God.

Paul wanted Timothy to understand that he should guard his faith with his very life, cling to Jesus, because He is life, and hold fast to scripture, the Words of Life.  Centuries later, the Reformers held tightly to this same message when they stood for the gospel.  The “5 Solas” were 5 unshakable, uncompromising truths that these believers embraced to mark their faith: Scripture alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Let’s pray that our sons and daughters hold fast to their faith in Jesus by guarding the truth of the gospel that’s been entrusted to their care.  Pray that they don’t listen to ‘godless chatter’- that they wouldn’t even entertain it or be curious about it.  Then, pray that they would pursue Godly knowledge so they can stand firm in their faith and not be swayed by false teaching. 

Pray without ceasing.