Sound End-Time Teaching

Background Scripture: 1 Timothy 4, 6
Lesson Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-6; 6:3-6, 11-12

Introduction

We are living in the last time, and many spirits attempt to lead us astray, away from the truth. These are deceptive spirits that appeal to our base nature. They will seek to lift us up in pride and cause division among God’s children. Meanwhile, the world is growing darker and is ripe for judgment.

Key Verse

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The apostle Paul was writing to Timothy, a young minister in the church at Ephesus. Timothy was converted to the Christian faith at Lystra when he was young, probably when he was a teenager. As Paul was setting out on his second missionary journey with Silas, he passed through Lystra. There he met Timothy and heard a good report of his faith. Paul saw Timothy as a useful vessel for the work of the church, and he accompanied Paul and Silas on their journey. He experienced many things as they traveled, preaching the Word in the various cities. Later, Paul would leave Timothy in Ephesus to guide the young church there. This was a large responsibility for a young man, and Paul supported Timothy with the letter from which this lesson is drawn.

Ephesus was an ancient city built near the mouth of a river on the coast of the Aegean Sea in present-day Turkey. A great theater, which could seat 25,000 people, was built there. The magnificent temple of Artemis (Diana) was also here, so idolatry was interwoven with the daily life of the citizenry. It was in this kind of city this young church was located, a setting that today we would conclude was not conducive to Christian life, yet here in Ephesus, God had people who kept the faith. Would they keep it to the end? Surely there were many temptations and much evil around them. The people of the city were likely taken up with entertainment, rampant immorality, or trading and commerce. No doubt the evil one had much influence on the lives of the people around them. How would Christians fare in such an environment?

Timothy was warned. The danger to this church would lie in the deception of the evil one insidiously drawing them into strife, confusion, and worldliness. The immoral activities of the culture around them could sear their consciences and deaden them to the filth of the city, making it seem normal and acceptable. The devil would tempt some with pride and hypocrisy. He would draw them aside from everything beautiful and clean that God had created to bless mankind and seek to bring them into a world of darkness and envy, of thinking evil thoughts about each other, and of seeking worldly gain. That which God made beautiful, Satan would make to look evil. That which is evil, Satan would make to look desirable.

Practical Truths for Today

We are living in a setting similar to that of Timothy’s day. How are we faring with the opposition, deception, and materialism sent to us from the evil one? Are we recognizing his subtle influence of untruth all around us? Are we fleeing these things? Our victory lies in faithfully fighting against the lies of Satan.

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). Paul warned Timothy of the perils in the latter days, and John clearly saw the dangers of the last time. We must double our guard as we are certainly much closer to the end of time than they were. Any day now Christ could come. He will come! Are we keeping the faith? Are we at peace with our fellow Christians? Will we meet Him joyfully, or will we hide?

When Satan deceived Eve, he appealed to her reasoning mind. Even though we might look at Eve as simpleminded and primitive, she was likely wiser and more brilliant than us. She was the mother of all humans. Quite possibly we have degenerated in intelligence from the level of our first parents. We may think we are wiser, but we are not. Satan asked Eve questions to get her thinking. Then he made suggestions that deviously led her to commit a transgression against God. Eventually, Satan made a statement in direct conflict with what God had said, but Eve was already thinking the way Satan wanted her to think. She fell into his trap. Adam could not resist the situation with his beloved having eaten of the forbidden fruit and so joined in the transgression against God.

Then God came. He didn’t come to judge; He came to fellowship with his beloved creation, but they were hiding. Fear had gripped their hearts because sin had separated them from their Creator. Oh what grief!

Satan had accomplished his first goal. He is totally against godliness and wants to turn us away from all that is happy and pure and let him become the ruler of our lives. He offers us self-exaltation in place of humility, strife instead of unity, pleasures of the world in place of persecution, lust in place of love, lies instead of truth, hell instead of heaven, eternal torture instead of eternal joy. He comes to deceive by appealing to our reasoning mind. He says, “There’s nothing wrong with it; it will make you wiser than other people. Just try it once; you’ll never know unless you find out. They can’t treat me this way; who do they think they are?” and many other such thoughts. As the chief antichrist, he invites us to exalt ourselves against God. He wants us to taste sin, to be condemned. He can then tell us there is no use in trying to do right, we have ruined everything anyway, and we might as well enjoy the pleasures of the world. So begins the hopeless road; we become trapped in a vicious whirlpool of sin. We now must disparage others to make ourselves look better. This is sin’s cycle and Satan’s system. He wants to destroy everything beautiful and pure. He wants to displace God.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Even in the last hours, as the sun is setting on earth’s day, there is a way of light and hope for true believers. As we walk in a well-lighted path together, we can have fellowship with our Savior. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be our Guide. We do have light when we walk in unity with one another under the leadership of the Word of God and his Holy Spirit. There is no need to stumble on the path. If I do stumble, my brethren will help me rise and walk again.

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isa. 35:8). There is much deception and darkness all around. The only place of safety is on the highway of holiness. It is a humble way where the saints walk together in true fellowship with the Son. We warn each other of the dangers around us. We are traveling through a wilderness, but we are going home.

Questions

1. Can we have a quiet confidence that Christ is leading his church today?
2. How are young people to have confidence in the leadership the older ones provide?

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).