Abstaining

DEVOTION
1 TIMOHTY
ABSTAINING
1 Tim 4:1-5
4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
NIV
A whole lot to digest here, but I dare not break this up as it is one complete thought about those wicked people who pervert the Gospel with their own evil schemes for self gratification and gain. I don’t think they actually completely abandon all the truths contained in the Gospel, but rather make slight adjustments in an effort to deceive believers into becoming a follower of them. Now I also think that perhaps this might serve to speak to those believers who have allowed themselves to be bond to the law, or denominational rules and regulations rather than to Christ. I think it is easy enough to be catch up in an effort to live rightly by those who would deceive. Maybe I am too opposed to the smooth talk of supposed great scholars, preachers, and teachers. Maybe I should take counsel from their words. Yet I cannot help think I have the words of the supreme scholar, preacher and teacher right within my bible. I also have been given the Holy Spirit to guide me into real truth, not the false teachings of hypocritical liars. I know many of the rules and regulations are based upon the scriptures and may well be good doctrine and do not offend the Gospel, but there are still others which meet this abstain thing. Sometimes I think the list of don’ts is far greater paid attention to then the list of do’s. I do not think I will ever be sucked into this kind of thinking and receive with any credence the words of these kinds of teachers. I don’t think there is any danger from outside the church setting as I think most all believers know not to be drawn into believing anything a non-believer teaches about the Gospel. But I do think there is more than enough danger right within the body of believers itself. Wolves in sheep’s clothing speaking just enough truth to sound right on but then adding or subtracting or those slight adjustments to make an ever so small change that is very difficult to detect. I also think that the church itself, which is any denomination, can over time create change out of view and so silently no one even sees or hears it. I will not be distracted or deterred from the truth. I have the word of God at my fingertips and the Spirit to teach me. Yet I cannot allow pride to enter in by thinking I am the only one who knows the real truth and all others are wrong. That is just not the case. I am positive other believers are as right on about the truth as I think I am. I am convinced they too have the Spirit leading them into all truth and guiding their lives as well as mine. But I also believe there are other believers who have allowed the law, the rules to override the truth. To abstain from ungodly behavior is a good thing, but to abstain from those things God has provided for me is out of the question for what he created is good, even my wife, chocolate, ice cream, wine, sugar, coffee and much, much more….Of these thing I will not abstain.