Friday, October 4, 2013

2Tm3

What kind of people should we avoid? Paul instructs us on several occasions to "avoid these people!" but who are "these people"? And why would we do such a thing?

At face value based on the list in this chapter, we would have to avoid everyone! And everyone would have to avoid me! The list seems to be all inclusive. Most of us would fall victim based on "lover of self" alone! Not to mention proud, boastful, lover of money, disobedient, unloving, conceited, lover of pleasure, etc. The fact is all of us struggle with these things and we know that Paul is NOT telling us to avoid all human contact.

What he is saying seems to be clear. It is the same message he repeats to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians. As believers we are to avoid anyone who "holds to a form of godliness" but refuses to live by God's word. In other words, they say one thing and do a completely different thing. God has no effect on their sin and they have no ability to turn from it to follow Christ. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is not enough for them to choose to obey God. We are to not associate with any "so-called christian" who willfully continues to pursue sin. That seems to be clear.

But why? So that they would feel the pain of lost relationship and come back to the ways of Christ. And so that all of us would be careful to deal rightly with our sin and help others to obey the teaching of the bible. Satan is out to destroy all of us. If we refuse to do what God desires and go our own way, expecting God's affirmation, we are sorely deceived. It is often other believers who keep us on the right path. We need to help each other. 

Loving someone sometimes means "avoiding them".



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