Encouraging Word for Today - What Kind of Example Are You? (6)

Be an example...in faith... 1 Timothy 4:12

Having the faith required to get answers to your prayers is an important truth. But that's not what Paul is speaking about here. He begins the chapter saying, '...some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits...' (1Timothy 4:1 NKJV).


He warns, stay anchored to the truth, or you'll be caught in the undertow of error. Here's a fact that should alarm us: 90 percent of all those who end up in cults started out in mainline churches. How come? Because they weren't grounded in the truth of Scripture! They are like the guy who was asked, 'What do you believe?' He replied, 'The same thing my church believes.' When asked, 'What does your church believe?' he replied, 'The same thing I believe.' When asked, 'What do you both believe? He replied, 'We both believe the same thing.' Bottom line: he didn't know what he believed! You say, 'But doesn't God have more truth to reveal to us?' Yes. 'The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day' (Proverbs 4:18). But God doesn't destroy the foundations of truth, He builds on them. Sometimes Bible teachers with fresh revelation act like 'the party started when I arrived!' That's ego, not anointing! We are not called to be tasters of experience, but testers of truth. We must honour the ministry, but understand that just because a preacher says it, doesn't make it so. The Bereans '...received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so' (Acts 17:11 NKJV). You must do that!