Paul Instructs Timothy - Part 10

“Traitors” are next up on this very long list. Application to the world at large is obvious; it is a reference to those who turn on former friends to fulfill their own selfish purposes—usually in the name of the almighty dollar. Regarding the application of this characteristic to the church today, it’s a natural designation for those who have embraced many of the traits already discussed up to this point. Those who claim the name “Christian” or identify with the “church” are in essence declaring themselves friends of Jesus; yet when their actions deny the truth of His word, they are essentially classifying themselves as traitors just as surely as Judas did.

Paul next warns Timothy about those who will become “heady,” those who act in passion without restraint throwing caution to the wind. My mind went blank at this point, and as I was asking the Lord for some help, I got some thoughts about those who have responded to so called “new” manifestations of the Spirit in the “church”—i.e., uncontrolled laughter and barking like dogs, etc. They are responding to the deception of the enemy by responding in the heat of the moment without first applying careful discernment of their actions according to the scripture. They are so hungry to experience more in their relationship to God that they become caught up in an experience without questioning or giving careful discernment to its source. I know I have said it before, but experience can be deceiving. There is no scriptural basis for such bizarre and uncontrolled behavior by one who is indwelt and under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He always directs our attention to the Savior, not to self.

“Highminded” is the next trait addressed, and it describes a mindset that is magnanimous, embracing noble and honorable goals. Our world is full of people and organizations that are dedicated to such goals—The Red Cross, The Peace Corps, World Vision, Compassion International, The Salvation Army, etc. No one would deny that they all do good noble things. In the “church,” however, such noble ministry is to be done to the glory of God first and foremost. There are many that claim the name “Christian” and are involved in noble deeds, but the reason they serve is not to glorify God and share the love of the Savior with others, it is to serve self. It gives them a sense of satisfaction and pride and increases their self-esteem. The first person that popped into my mind as I thought about this character trait was Oprah Winfrey. Through the years I’ve been confused as to whether she really knew the Lord as Savior. All the pretence is now down and her false belief system fully exposed as she promotes a “new spirituality,” the current designation of “new age” philosophy. There are many other professing “Christians” that seem to have established a priority of serving the needs of humanity and relegated sharing the truth of God’s word and the gospel to secondary status. The purpose of the church as a whole is to share God’s love with others by declaring the wonderful gospel message of salvation available in Christ alone as we share God’s love in ministering to their needs. In that way we bring glory to God and not to man.