2 Timothy 4:2-5 (Readiness)

PREACH THE WORD - "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

What an encouragement from the Word of God! When we stand up for God's truth and hold accountable false teachers and their doctrine, we are fulfilling the ministry He calls us to.

I can personally attest that this act of faith is perhaps one of the hardest to apply because often it comes with some of the most ruthless persecution fathomable, both inside and outside the church walls. Therefore, it is encouraging that we are instructed to "endure suffering" for the sake of truth despite what the popular opinion of culture teaches.

I have often believed that Christians are their own greatest asset to spreading the Good News of Christ and consequently their own worst enemy. Ultimately, we are held accountable to the very faith we publicly profess. If our doctrine is not pure and Biblically sound, it will collapse on all we have foolishly built our lives upon.

I have learned the hard way that the only absolute truth available to mankind is Scripture (i.e. the Word of God, the Bible). For if we do not hold firm to the sound doctrine of the Word, we not only fool ourselves but those around us that our morals, values and belief systems are based on feelings, emotions and/or opinions rather than absolute truth.

Without question, I am grieved the most these days by how many ministry and pastoral leaders are not willing to stand up for the truth of God's Word and more importantly apply what the Scriptures instruct. They are so focused on their own personal agendas that they water down the Gospel to suit their needs and justify their actions with half-truths that simply mask the selfishness and pride that has enveloped their spirits like cancer.

Moreover, the audacity of many of these leaders to proclaim they are "one" in spirit with the living God while justifying their thoughts and actions without the exegetical truth of Scripture is perhaps the greatest sign of pride and arrogance the church has ever seen.

I have unfortunately experienced firsthand pastors that refute the sound doctrine of God's Word when held accountable and consequently suffered immediate persecution for holding them Biblically accountable.

The tragic fact is they surround themselves with people who are willing to support their ungodly passions and insulate themselves from true Biblical accountability. Consequently their hearts and minds never receive truth spoken in love.

Rather than embracing direct messages from God that He is communicating to them, they unleash all their fury and anger by persecuting the messenger God has called. They choose to mask their personal agendas publicly, but underneath the surface their true identity resides in full display to Jesus Christ—and He will not idly turn his face from their sin and unrighteousness!

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).

On the flip side, the pandemic is just as dangerous as 2 Timothy warns. Not only will false teachers surround themselves with those who will justify their sin, but ordinary men and women will seek false teachers that will accept and justify their sinful passions in return. You need not look any further than the church down the street for proof of this truth!

For example, the Lutheran Church just voted in favor (69%) of allowing practicing homosexuals to lead in ministry positions within the church. Not only is one of the most serious sins Scripture will ever address rampant in society, but now it is being welcomed and escorted in with open arms of acceptance and justification within a protestant denomination.

Standing up for the truth is never easy. But if we never put our faith to the test and see if we are who we profess to be as Christians, we will never know the infinite blessings of God that come with being persecuted for Christ.

The mark of Biblical persecution is learning to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and willing to stand boldly and not apologize for the absolute truth of Scripture, regardless of the persecution that may come. For Jesus stated clearly, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).