Today you should read: 1 Timothy 4:1-5
In our passage today, Paul is telling Timothy that people are going to leave the faith. Paul says the people will do so by, “devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (v.1). The people who depart from the faith will start believing in what is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And we know that Paul has spoken truth in this passage, because so many people have departed from the faith in our world today.
When I think of people who have walked away, one name comes to mind: Joshua Harris. In 1997, he wrote a book titled, Kissed Dating Goodbye. This book focused on Christians moving from dating to marriage. It sold over 1.2 million copies since it was released. But over this last year, Harris has since divorced his wife, and has denounced the faith. (You can read more about it in this article).
You might be wondering, “I thought the Bible taught that people cannot lose their faith, can people actually lose it?” Well, in the article, Albert Mohler writes, “The answer is no. The Bible is very clear about that. Once one has been regenerated by the power of Christ, once one has become a genuine Christian and been united to Christ, nothing can separate us from Christ, not even our own sin.”
This means for Joshua Harris and for others that have “departed from the faith”, they are in either two places. First, they never actually had faith in God. Secondly, they have faith, but sin is currently blocking that relationship, and one day they will return and have a restored relationship.
Our job as Christians for people who have left the faith is to do two things. First, we pray for them. We ask God to work in their hearts. Secondly, we remind them of God’s goodness, just as Paul did in verses 4-5. Our hearts should break for those who have come in contact with God but never experienced Him. It should also motivate us to share Him with others. We have the greatest news in the entire world, why would we not share it to others?
By: Brice Stockton — Student Ministry Apprentice
JumpstartCPC.com 