Laws Publishing

 

 

 

TIME WITH GOD FOR BUSY PEOPLE

 

JIM LAWS

 

There are some people the church can do without, until they repent.  In the New Testament there was a man named, Alexander, who was a metal worker.  I Timothy 1:18-20 states,

 

“This charge I commit unto you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went on before you, that you by them might war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” 

 

Alexander was a Christian who fell.  The last thing the church needs is unbelief.  Unbelieving hearts have always been a serious threat to the welfare of the church (Heb. 3:12; 12:1-4).  Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).  One of the greatest hindrances to the cause of Christ is the detrimental influence of unfaithful members of the church.  As you look around you and witness the continual attack upon the church and the truth the church has been entrusted to teach, now is not the time to be unfaithful, nor is it a time for unfaithful members.  There is no place in any army, much less Christ’s, for retreat or deserters!

 

Alexander rejected a good conscience (19).  He did that which was against his conscience.  If we are not careful, we may find ourselves doing that which we know is not right, and over time our conscience will no longer hurt.  Each one in the church needs to guard and protect his conscience, so that we do not face Alexander’s problem.  Learning to love issues from a good conscience (I Tim. 1:5).  Learn to say from a good conscience, “This is wrong; therefore, I will not do it, or this right; therefore, I must do it.”

 

Alexander blasphemed. (20). This means that he was guilty of slandering or speaking against that which was holy.  We don’t know what Alexander said; perhaps it was something against the name Christian (James 2:7), or something against brethren (James 5:9), or, maybe it was something against the doctrine of Christ (I Tim. 6:1) or the word of God (Titus 2:5).  The church can do without people, who slander and speak against the Lord’s church by word or deed.

 

Alexander did harm (II Tim. 4:14).  We do not know the exact nature of the harm, but we can understand the harm caused by someone like him.  Alexander’s unfaithfulness, as with all who fall away from the church, harms the cause of Christ.  The Bible teaches that a Christian is to be harmless (Mt. 10:16).  The church has enough enemies from outside without having to face enemies from within. 

 

If you have slipped into the same type of sin as Alexander, hear God’s plea for you to repent, turn from your wickedness, and become a faithful Christian serving in the body of Christ once again.

 

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