DEVOTION – DAY 622

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “Guard Your Hearts And Minds”

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.”

The apostle Paul advised Timothy to guard carefully what he had entrusted with him, that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. At that time, there were false teachers who were teaching a different message. There were Gnostics that preached that one could be saved if they just have more knowledge. Today, Christians have been entrusted with the truth by our Lord and that is His Word. The Bible clearly teaches us that the only way that anyone could be saved from their sins, was through belief that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for the sins of all who would believe in Him as their Lord and Savior. And that God accepted His sacrifice by raising Him from the dead on the third day (John 3:16). Again, there are false teachers today that distort the gospel message. Some may say that belief in Jesus Christ alone for one’s salvation is not enough. It requires us to do good deeds, or it requires us to correct some of our bad habits first before Jesus will save us. Other false teachers say that Jesus was a good person but He is not the Son of God. Islamic teachers today call Jesus a prophet but deny His deity. As a prophet, how could he atone for anyone’s sins. 

All this is “godless chatter” that seeks to confuse Christians and to undermine their belief in Jesus Christ, and may result in some Christians turning their backs on the gospel message. That was why Paul wanted to warn Timothy and all Christians about this.

We know someone who responded to the gospel when it was shared with her. But her faith was immature. So, we advised her to join a Bible Study group to know God’s Word better. Sadly, she did not do so. Instead, she chose to go to a retreat in Thailand. There, she was exposed to some teachings by Thai Buddhist monks that she said resonated with her more than the Bible. So, she turned her back on the Lord Jesus and returned to her idol worshipping ways thinking that would earn her salvation. She had failed to guard her heart against false teachings, failed to be grounded in God’s Word, and failed to allow the gospel to transform her life. Instead, she chose to believe that she can earn her salvation through good works and better karma.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please help us to guard our hearts and minds against false teachers and their teachings. Grant us discernment and your wisdom. Help us to know You and Your Word so that we have a firm foundation in the Lord Jesus. We humbly pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

• How can you guard yourself against false teachings and worldly thinking?

• Why is it important for you to guard your hearts and minds against false teachings?

• How can you help your children and grandchildren to safeguard themselves against false teachings and worldly thinking?