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Received With Thanksgiving

(Midweek Devotions - 1st Timothy, 02 Aug 2023)

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Going back to our Midweek Devotion series, we are now in the new chapter of the first epistle of Apostle Paul to Timothy. In chapter 4, Paul begin to remind and warned Timothy, his child in faith, of the things to happen in the future.

Again, this is not just an apostolic instructions given by Apostle Paul but a testimony of what the Spirit of Truth has revealed on him. The detailed description pertaining to an act of departing, deserting, or falling away from the faith (in the Gospel that they received from the Apostles).

Paul have described some of the key reasons or features of a person that may lead into departure from faith. One main reasons is the devotion to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons, which is characterised by insincere liars.

Paul gave some illustrations by citing instances of this kind of activity such as:

  1. who forbid marriage

  2. and abstinence from food

These two seems to be very popular devotions and teachings spreading out in the churches then, which could be one reason why Paul wants to address it through his letter to Timothy. Paul explicitly identify these kind of malicious norms to be against the teachings of the Gospel.

Paul have clarified that food are God’s created things and to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. From identifying those who have unbelief in the truth of the Gospel, now Paul is explicitly identifying the true genuine Gospel believing Christians in this passage when he mentioned of “those who believe and know the truth."

In other words, any Christians who are (not just believing but also) knowing the Truth (the Word of God or Jesus’ Gospel) are those who know that Jesus neither forbid any holy matrimony nor food abstinence as a devotion to faith, instead, they received them with thanksgiving - full of joy and gladness in heart - morally and truthfully. Paul reasoned that everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected.

- Marriage is definitely created, designed, and instituted by God.

- Foods are obviously from the creations of God who received benediction the moment they were created, therefore, is good.

Goodness is not something anyone can earn by themselves, even God’s creation. Only God pronounce and declare who are good and who are not good.

See the examples of Creation Week, every after the creation day, God saw them as good and blessed them. In the exception of man when the first malediction pronounce that it was not good for a man to be alone. In order to fix such, God instituted the union of male and female in marriage, that is why marriage is also good and blessed by God.

And as true and genuine Christians, who is also known as the bride of Christ, we are predestined, engaged, and be united to Christ for all eternity. This marriage has already been announced and waiting for its grand day of the Lord. Therefore, the bride of Christ (the church) needs to remain holy and blameless through the Word of God and prayer.

In our wheel illustration of Components of Christian Living, our vertical relationship to Christ is developed through devotion to the Word of God and Prayers. The church personal growth is held captive by the Word of God and his plea is an overflowing joy of thanksgiving. This is the kind of devotion in worship that God is looking for, to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Therefore, if we advocate for anything outside of the Gospel, let us be careful that we are not falling into insincere lies and seared consciences. Just like what the Spirit told to Peter in Acts 10:15.

The voice spoke to him again, a second time, "What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean!"

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