Let's proclaim the truth ! (1)

Sunday June 27, 2021

Let's proclaim the truth ! (1)

“Proclaim the word of God emphatically, whether the occasion is auspicious or not...” 2 Timothy 4. 2

Prior to his execution, the apostle Paul wrote to his protégé, Timothy, encouraging him to preach the truth firmly, even “insistently”. Why does Paul find it so important to urge Timothy to teach true doctrine ? He explains : “The time will come when people will no longer want to listen to the true teaching. But they will follow their evil inclinations, and they will surround themselves with a host of teachers who will tell them what they like to hear. They will close their ears to the truth...” (2 Timothy 4, 3-4). In writing these lines, Paul was only following the warning of Jesus Himself : “For false christs and false prophets shall arise ; they will perform awesome signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even those whom God has chosen” (Matthew 24, 24). Today we see year by year an erosion of the teaching of “sound doctrine” anchored in the Word of God. A conference on praise will fill rooms, but try to do the same with a seminar on such topics as divine holiness, the need for purity in marriage, or the need for repentance in any conversion ; you may have some difficulty attracting crowds ! Pastor, if you dare to preach on the cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus or on the requirement to carry his cross every day, you risk being quickly labeled a "legalist" ! Better, if you want to please your audience, to preach about divine love, grace, and the forgiveness of sins. But do you know that in the expression "sound doctrine" (v. 3) the root of the word "sound" gave the word hygienic ? In other words, preaching Bible truth promotes good health and brings healing. Paul tells us about Christians in Corinth who turned away from Bible truth. He writes : “It is for this reason that many... are sick and weak, and many have died. If we started by examining ourselves, we would avoid falling under the judgment of God...” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). Our responsibility is to proclaim divine truth as the Bible presents it to us.

Source (His Word for Today)