God’s command to me: Stick to what you DO understand by the revelation of God’s Holy Spirit in you as you read My Word and you live it out. This is all I will judge you on.
What the Spirit teaches me, no one can take from me. The testimony I have of Jesus Christ ‘personally,’ no one can debate or argue.
Apostle Paul told Timothy: “Command certain people not to teach false doctrines, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers [of the law], but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” 1 Timothy 1:3-7
What is a myth?
A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events; a synonym for a despised religious dogma, or a religion in which anyone no longer believes.
“Have nothing to do with godless myths…rather, train yourself to be godly…godliness has value for ALL things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come….Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in the them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:8,16
What is a genealogy?
The study of family history, tracing of lines of descent or development; discovering of ancestors.
Why does Paul use the adjective “endless” with genealogies? Have you ever gone in search of your ancestry? How far back did you go? Noah? Adam and Eve? What did you learn about your ancestors? Learning about them will take so much of your time and strength and money. Then what has it really been good for? That’s why Paul called it ENDLESS.
Although interesting to know, both myth and genealogy have nothing to do with the life we should come to live ‘in Christ’ by the Spirit and the Word. The forgiveness and healing of Jesus Christ sets us free from the past. He is our present and future glory.
I know people who would rather live in the past with their memories. I believe it has to do with them not knowing Jesus Christ personally. They have not known what He promises those who believe in Him. Therefore, all they have is the past to bask in and the present to grieve over and resent, or maybe work at trying to be happy with. No wonder God has chosen and called believers to Christ’s ministry that frees us from guilt, grief over the past, resentment and bitterness, and fear about tomorrow and the future, and over the thought of dying and God’s judgment.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the NEW CREATION has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Christ has anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21
There are many kinds of teachers, but to be a teacher of the things that truly matter in life and for godliness and contentment in any circumstance of life, is of God and not of trained men who believe they have the truth in themselves.
Teachers who try to explain things that are far too wonderful for us to truly understand about God, are false teachers, no matter how much we study the Bible and other books from men who study the Bible. They are “false” because their teaching comes from men, fallen angels, or from the Old Covenant of God’s Law that Jesus in Himself fulfilled. True teachers (on life and God) teach from the revelation of the Holy Spirit of God’s Word.
Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit/Advocate: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about Me after I’m gone from you.” (John 15:26-27) And He said:
“The Holy Spirit will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I AM going to the Father…and about judgment, because the prince of this world (Satan) now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine.” John 16:8-15
Teachers of religion are false teachers because Jesus did not come to give us many religions (churches of many denominations) as we see today, where each have their own separate belief about God and how we are to live and serve. But rather Jesus came to forgive and heal, and to have a fulfilling personal relationship with each of us who believe in His way of salvation.
When I finally came to the end of my own will of how to serve Him, I cried out to the Lord: “What would YOU have me to do Lord?!” He quickly replied audibly to me: “Carol, I love you. Just WALK WITH ME.” (October of 2001) He set me free from all the things in life that DO NOT matter. Now I live the simple life in Christ Jesus my Lord, my first-love whom I long to see face to face on that glorious day, whether in death or rapture. GLORY to the LAMB and KING ETERNAL!