Daily Devotions Series of ECWA 2023 Food for the Day

MONDAY, 30 JANUARY 2023

TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:14-26

14. Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

15. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

16. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

17. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

18. who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

19. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

20. In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.

21. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

23. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

24. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

25. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

26. and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: STAND FIRM AGAINST WRONG DOCTRINES

Martin Luther once said that prayer, study and suffering make a pastor.

Paul advised Timothy to, whenever necessary, treat false teachers like doctors would treat gangrene - excise them from the body of believers to stop them from spreading the poison of false teaching.

Moreover, Timothy was also enjoined to protect himself from being defiled by the false teachers as a vessel of honour and insist on preaching the truth. Even at his impending death, Paul was concerned about the wrong doctrines being preached and warned Timothy again and again to stand against such wrong doctrines and avoid them like a plague.

In view of the ways some were spreading wrong doctrines, Paul even warned that it is only God who really knew those who were His own. It was obvious that Paul had doubts whether all those spreading the wrong doctrines were even saved in the first place.

QUESTION: Are you standing firm against wrong doctrines?

PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to stand firm against wrong doctrines being spread in the Church and Christendom today, in Jesus name. Amen.