"SHIPWRECK" (copied)

Some have strayed concerning the faith. - 1Timothy 6:21

In the early part of this century, an American ship was wrecked off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed into the rocks.

In life too, powerful currents of compromise can catch the soul and carry it to shipwreck. Spiritual drifting is usually a slow and imperceptible process. We know it has occurred when we have lost the strong resistance to evil and the passionate desire for truth that we once knew.

The apostle Paul wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen to those to whom Timothy ministered. He encouraged him to be faithful in telling others what they needed to know so they wouldn't stray from their devotion to Christ and cause their faith to be shipwrecked.

In our day, for every professing believer who is lost to the Christian cause by a savage assault of evil, a hundred more slowly drift away from God's truth, regular worship, and a life of faith.

We must give careful attention to what we know about Christ so that we don't get caught in a drift. - HWR

Lord, help us from Your blessed Word
All error to discern,
And by Your Spirit's truth and light
From satan's snares to turn. - Henry G. Bosch

Not Grieved for Joseph (Amos 6:6)

“Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountains of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came… That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” (vs1, 6)

People who don’t love God’s elect are not saved – (I John 4:7-8) “and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.” The Lord Jesus removes this selfishness from us, because He chastises the heart and makes us see everything is vain, except Him.

We’d destroy ourselves, but He rescues by affliction, causing us to see our shame. He says, “Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself”, but this happens to us in this life (Amos 2:14). He makes everything I would be enamored by, everything that would choke out the word, to become fruitless and empty. I can’t find the peace, love, and power that I need, and when all else is gone, Jesus Christ the Comforter of my soul comes in to give me faith and life by what He did.

He takes away earthly joy, to give us joy everlasting and spiritual. He removes earthly hope, so that we can have the true hope – (II Cor 4:17-18) “For our light affliction, which is but for a momen6t, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal”.

Some are not chastened, and they go on in their way, but God’s people are afflicted for our good. The Lord teaches us by what we endure, so that Asaph would not have looked and worshiped God, if he had not seen the folly of his unbelief. He said, after coveting the life of the ungodly, “My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever” (Ps 73:26).

The flesh crowds the word and wants vengeance upon us, but the Lord Jesus makes me care for others, by pardoning my sin – “Wherefore I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven; for she loved much”, this is how we know, “but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Luke 7:44-47). He gives us hearts to help the church and love people, because He gives us love for Himself in the remission of sins and acceptance in the Beloved.

The religion of Christ PRODUCES love to people, and those that don’t have it, don’t know God’s grace – “He that loves not knows not God; for God is love” (I John 4:8). The Word means nothing to us, unless we love.