Teacher devotions: Turning Away - 1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 5:15           Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

I’ll say this about Paul: he didn’t believe in pulling any punches.

As I read through this personal first letter to Timothy, I get the impression that Paul was very direct when it came to dealing with issues of faith. He didn’t beat about the bush or dance around the issue. He went straight to the heart of the problem and dove deep into the center of the enemy’s stronghold. If some people left the church to fulfill their desires, he let them go. He wasn’t the type to stand still and wring his hands. He wasn’t into bemoaning and bewailing the fact that some people couldn’t maintain their faith. He just spoke the truth and boldly stated what needed to be said: that they had turned away to follow Satan.

I wonder how Paul would have survived in today’s church world. That kind of blunt, direct, and candid way of speaking is nullified, diminished, and discouraged in our current ecclesiastical circles. Paul would be labeled as a narrow-minded, intolerant bigot whose words were reckless, rancorous, and disrespectful. He would be categorized as a cold-hearted conservative whose words went against the all embracing love of Christ.

But if Paul was all of these things, then why did Christ choose him on the road to Damascus? If Paul was such an odious and ornery buffoon, why did the resurrected Jesus appoint him as His Apostle to the Gentiles?

Perhaps the answer is this: Paul became Christ’s chosen servant because the Gospel confronts us into making a bold decision to give our hearts to Jesus and His Kingdom, instead of Satan and the world.

Prayer:             Lord Jesus, keep reminding us of Your message of repentance and love. Keep challenging our ways and rebuking our wrongs. Deliver us from delusions that would separate us eternally from You. Protect our souls from passively accepting the world’s ways instead of Yours. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest waterfall prints. It features the well known Running Eagle Falls in the Glacier National Park. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5134/5514129374_ac4e954bbc_b.jpg