Day 209

Key Verses: 5, 7, 12, 15, 16-17

As we read the news these days, I see a lot of people who look like these first few verses. There are so many plastic people, people with only a veneer of respectability. But what is worse are the people who don’t even pretend to cover up their emptiness. They just live it out for the whole world to see. Paris Hilton comes to mind. What a wasted life, so far. People like her love themselves, money, and pleasure. Can anything of real and lasting value come from this kind of approach to life? What is the lasting legacy of Larry Flynt of Hustler magazine? What would happen if we all lived selfishly and used each other as objects?

Paul tells Timothy to avoid such people, to have nothing to do with them. But aren’t Christians supposed to be loving and accepting? Love the sinner, but hate the sin? “Tolerant?!?” There comes a point when associating with a flagrant hypocrite becomes counterproductive. Instead of influencing them, their reputation rubs off on us and our witness gets compromised. When the Gospel message is being stained by the sin, then the only alternative is to push the sin and the sinner away.

Some people just don’t want to know the Truth! We see the results of this kind of people. Rather than providing protection, they take advantage of the weakest of society. They sometimes put on the appearance of helping, but their true motive comes out in the end.

Paul contrasts himself with these kinds of people. He persevered through persecution without compromise. That is the mark of someone holding to the Truth, but not the only mark. Some people will stubbornly hold to their belief in the face of overwhelming contradictory evidence. Paul holds to his belief solidly through life-threatening persecution. He urges Timothy to do the same.

Timothy was raised in a home where Christ was lived out. Scripture was taught and lived. His mother and grandmother were both faithful to the Gospel, and he learned it from the cradle on. The Scriptures came from God, empowered by the Spirit and accomplish their purpose. And that purpose is that we would be thoroughly equipped. God wants to provide everything we need to live the kind of life that we were designed to live, lives of fulfillment and connection.

But in order to get the kind of life God intends us to have we must understand and follow the Scriptures. The Scriptures will equip us, empowered by the Spirit. What is stopping you from fully embracing them?