SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/10/2025 9:00 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1
“A Discerning Mind”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 2:23
Message of the
verse: “But
refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.”
Believers who are to be vessels of honor to God must
develop a discerning mind. Now an
unguarded mind, even of a believer, is subject to deceit, misunderstanding and
confusion, which will inevitably produce false doctrine and sinful living. Let us look at Ephesians 4:14 to help us
better understand this: “As a result, we
are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about
by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.”
MacArthur writes “That danger is what prompted Paul
to establish the basis safeguard of discernment with the command to ‘examine
everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form
of evil’ (1 Thess. 5:21-22).
“Paul also emphasized the importance of discernment
in his first letter to Timothy:
3 As I urged you upon my departure for
Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to
teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless
genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering
the administration of God which is by faith.
5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good
conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things,
have turned aside to fruitless discussion.”
MacArthur suggests to look
at 1 Timothy 4:7 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old
women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”
“Later
in that epistle he gravely warns, “3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine
and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with
the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands
nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes
about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,
5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth,
who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:3-5). As he ends the
letter, he implores, ‘O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding
worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’—which
some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith’ (6:20-21).”
As
I look at MacArthur’s commentary I can see that what I am looking at in the
beginning of it is similar to what he does in many of his commentaries and that
is to give a kind of introduction to what he is about to say. I will continue, Lord willing to look at this
section in my next SD. I do covet your
prayers for my wife who we just found out that she has cancer and we are
seeking the Lord on how He desires us to deal with this problem.
3/10/2025 9:21 AM
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