Don't Get Off At The Wrong Stop!

1 Timothy 1:1-7 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

My first time in Brooklyn I was invited to join a group headed to the city by subway.  I got my children ready and we were excited to take our first ride on the famous subways of NYC.  We bought our tickets and found a spot to sit in the train car.  I was chatting away with a colleague when we came to the first stop.  The doors opened and my oldest son who was only 12 years old at the time, promptly exited the car and stood facing me.  He had a kind of puzzled look on his face because we were not getting off with him.  I jumped and screamed at the same time, warning him to get back in before the doors closed.  He quickly entered as the doors slammed shut.  He had narrowly escaped being lost in the middle of a strange city.  My heart still races when I think about what could have happened that day.  I am glad I was near enough to him and paying attention.

Paul is warning Timothy about not getting off at the wrong station.  He doesn’t want Timothy to blindly follow the opening doors.  He makes it clear that there are those who would teach a whole bunch of things and produce a whole lot of questions, none of which were edifying.  He tells Timothy to focus on the end of the commandment, the destination of his faith; charity, a good conscience and faith unfeigned. 

I have been a Christian for 30 years.  I have been in the ministry full time for 20.  During those years, trust me, many a person has come along with some fables and vain jangling.  Sadly, there have been times when I took heed and got off at the wrong stop.  I wasted my time lost in someone else’s false interpretation of the Scripture and it aggravates me to no end.  I am writing this today to make sure we don’t get off on the wrong path in our quest to know God better.  He is not found in spooky beliefs and weird far out places.  No, He is found in Truth.  His dwelling is Grace and Truth, not ideas and speculations.  If what you are listening to someone say doesn’t match up with the Word of God, even if it were something, God forbid, in this blog, don’t follow after it.  Be a Berean Christian and daily search the Scriptures for yourself.  Don’t be a foolish woman led off by every wind of doctrine that blows the curtains in your house. 

Mark and I teach our children to make decisions based on Scripture.  Not just because we tell them that it is what the Bible says, but for them to search it out and decide.  They have not always made the right choices.  Sometimes I cringe when I see them about to make the wrong decision.  But they will all four tell you that they believe God’s Word to be their basis, and not man’s traditions.  You and I need to be constantly aware of where we are on this journey.  We don’t need to get off on bunny trails that waste our time and our provisions.  Let’s be reading the Scripture on our own, daily.  Let us compare His Words with His Words and stand firmly on Truth.  God has been merciful to me and given me two pastors during my life that hold firmly to the Word of God.   My pastor as a young person, was Dr. Andy Bloom.  He never swerved aside to vain jangling.  He always pointed me towards Truth in every single sermon.  Matter of fact, a sermon I heard from him in December changed my outlook on a situation and helped me.  Why?  Because he taught truth.  Dr. John Smith became my pastor in 1998.  He is a preacher of preachers.  He preaches the Word and points our church towards Truth.  I remember the day in his office when he taught me what the doctrine of imputation is.  He quoted Scripture to me and opened my eyes to what Jesus had actually done for me at Salvation.  Truth, not Tradition.

As you seek after God and read His Word, don’t get off on the wrong stop and get lost.  Sometimes these popular new devotionals look inviting and so good, but beneath some of their words is a faulty foundation.  If you are ever unsure ask your husband or Preacher to clarify things you don’t understand.  Keep a commentary nearby so you can study.  And ask God to guide you to ALL Truth, never fiction. 

If you truly want to know Him better, get to know what He says about Himself.  You can’t err by following God’s Word. 

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri