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Keeping to the Core

Words of Faith Final

Keeping to the Core
Words of Faith 5-23-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Timothy 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.

Paul now brings a prophetic word to Timothy that rings true centuries later. He uses the phrase: "The Spirit says..." God had made it very clear within the heart of Paul that in later times, some would fall away following deceiving spirits. These teachers would be hypocritical liars with no conscience.
Hypocrisy comes from the root word in Greek for "acting." They will "act" with a spiritual façade but be quite different when no one is around. They will have their "spiritual act" quite polished, but they have allowed their consciences to be seared as with a hot iron. Because of sin, rebellion, or immorality, these religious leaders can no longer spiritually discern moral direction and truth. They will forbid people to marry or order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving.
Is it possible that Paul saw our day and time so clearly? Could he see the religious actors who dramatize the latest spiritual sensation? Could Paul see the myriad of cults that follow demonic teachings and then are found to have bizarre sexual sin among the leadership? Could he see denominations so seared that they could no longer distinguish right from wrong? Could he see in advance religious universities choosing to forbid all weddings on their campuses unless they are permitted to also perform same-sex unions? Could he have seen the confusion of our day?
The truth is that Paul was probably more focused on the various "gnostic" cults infiltrating the church in his day. Gnostic teachers sought to deny the goodness of God in creation by forbidding marriage and requiring a life of austere self-denial. Paul says the Spirit is clear on this. Everything created by God is good. Some things are helpful, and some are not. Moderation and temperance are certainly taught in the Scripture. But God gave food to be received with thanksgiving.
The Spirit clearly warns us even today. A faith relationship with God as a follower of Jesus is not about rules or contrived self-denial. Following Jesus is about discerning genuine sacrifice and self-denial in response to Christ. Following Jesus is not about putting on a façade or figuring out the right "act." It is about walking in transparent obedience to Jesus.

Lord, give me wisdom through Your Spirit to know the difference. Draw me near to Your truth. Draw me near to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.