sample quiet time

friends,

Remember when Heather explained her method of studying the Bible? Here's what she studied today:

(thanks for sharing, girl!)

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Today I was reading this passage in 1 Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:1-5 "[1] Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, [2] speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, [3] forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. [4] For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; [5] for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

There is so much in here, but there are a few things I was thinking hard about.  This passage is so relevant today, we are surrounded by teaching that is not based on truth, but on feelings or wisdom from the world.  We need to make sure that we know the truth that we stick to the doctrine of the Bible and know it so that we aren’t deceived (just like we were talking about in our Spiritual Growth study).

In verse 2 Paul talks about what the false teaching looks like, that it’s hypocritical and that the teachers have repressed their conscience so much that they can no longer feel right from wrong (a very dangerous place to be). 

Verse 3 Paul talks about some of the legalistic requirements that these false teachers will burden people with.  There are probably denominations that you can think of where people are required to eat according to Mosaic principles and are considered to be more holy if they are single.  The holy spirit condemns this.  We are allowed to eat all food as long as we are thankful and marriage is permissible. Here is a quote from the commentary I read on this passage:

“We often think that if we sacrifice something for God (such as the right to marry or to eat certain foods), then He owes us something. This is legalism at its worst; trying to manipulate God into giving us something. The idea is that we can make God indebted to us, make Him our servant and make ourselves His master. In this we fulfill the original doctrine of demons - that we should be gods.” -David Guzik

I think it is important to remember that Paul (and the Holy Spirit speaking through him) was not against marriage. He was shown by the Holy Spirit that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. And he pointed out that marriage helps us control our passions so we do not fall into sexual immorality. He highlighted the blessings of singleness which would have been foreign as a positive concept in Jewish and Gentile cultures, but he never said that believers cannot marry.

This passage reminds me that I need to be aware of what the Bible teaches so that I am not deceived.

That if I ever think I can curry favor with God by living more strictly than the Bible tells me to, I have fallen into pride and have missed the mark.  That I need to listen to my conscience so that it remains sensitive to God, because I want it to help protect me from sin and the accompanying guilt.  It’s a scary thought, but if we repress our consciences enough this can happen.  When you feel your conscience prompt you listen to it!  God put it inside every human being for a reason.  This passage (especially verses 4-5) was also a good reminder that I need to be more thankful to the Lord for food and drink and not take it for granted.  I encourage you to make tomorrow a day where you not only give God thanks for food, but for everything He has blessed you with.  It is so easy to think that we have a right to certain things (food, drink, clothing, housing, money, etc.) but these are all gifts from God.  We only get to be a steward of these things for the time being so let’s have an attitude of gratitude and remember what Christ has done in our lives.

-Heather