1 Timothy 4:16
16 Take heed [epecho] unto thyself, [seautou] and [kai] unto the
doctrine; [didaskalia]
continue [epimeno] in
them: [autos] for [gar] in doing [poieo] this [touto] thou shalt [sozo] both [kai] save [sozo] thyself, [seautou] and [kai] them that hear [akouo] thee. [sou] KJV-Interlinear
16 Pay close attention to
yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this
you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. NASB
Jesus Himself made the
statement:
John 8:31
31 "If you abide
in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; NASB
Most people, most
Christians that is, say that they love Jesus.
But most Christians don t even crack open the Bible very much during
their lifetime, let alone on a yearly, monthly, or daily basis.
And as for those who go
to church or do something of a Christian nature, a bit more often, they still
do not comply with the command, to abide in the Word. Their spiritual reality is more of a
convenience, or for social entertainment, or do as they see fit approach to
their spiritual life.
If you had the ability
to see those who actually hunkered down in a daily study, in this world, I
think you would be surprised to discover just how few they are in number. Then you might realize that this world hangs
on only because of the grace of God, and certainly not because of the ingenuity
or brilliance of any human effort.
Of course, the best
example of human failure will come in the future when the Tribulation unfolds
into history, as humanity brings itself to near extinction in less than seven
years following the Rapture.
Most folks believe that
it is their option to view all things in life, and make their own way through life
as they see fit, and that, that is what sustains humanity in this world.
And that could not be
further from the truth.Dust cannot
sustain dust unless there is an overriding power to help it out.
And so Paul closes this
chapter with good advice.
Pay close attention, be
alert, do not be foolish, listen, observe, notice, regard. That is your command to stick with truth
(Bible doctrine).Learn it, and
understand it, and keep it as your most prized possession.
Persevere in your
spiritual life, no matter what the world throws at you. Never be discouraged. The world wants you to become
discouraged.Never give up. The world wants you to give up. Never doubt.
The world wants you to have doubts.
Doctrine preserves your
life and completes your life.The world
doesn t want you to have anything good, but will try to entice you or
disappoint you so that you will be certain to fail (and the world wins).
And if you ever do take
the challenge to advance in your spiritual life, the world will only get
tougher on you, so that you will quit.
But God is greater than
the world, and with nothing more than words on a page, and I will repeat that,
with nothing more than words on a page, you can defeat the entire system of
evil that runs rampant in the world and there is nothing that the world can do
to stop you.Harass you, of course, but that
is all.
The word for salvation
or save, sozo, means to preserve, to sustain, to
keep.And in this context it is not
being saved as in believing in Christ, for this verse presumes that you are
already saved. After all, doctrine does
no good for the unbeliever until they have been saved. Works never save.
However, continued
exposure and adherence to your daily studies, will keep God, Christ, and
doctrine in the forefront of your mind and thoughts, so that you will not stray
away from your spiritual life, but continue to advance in your spiritual
growth, building up spiritual muscle and faith.
Both of which help you to face and endure every possible trouble that
the world can think up and throw against you.
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are a Facebook member, then please join the Bible Study Group that best suits
you:
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