1 Timothy 1:18-20 New Living Translation
Timothy’s Responsibility
18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
To experience an actual shipwreck would be one of the scariest experiences a person could go through.
When we hear of diverse ships being stranded at sea, starting to sink, or having mechanical issues, we hold our breaths deeply until people are safely rescued.
Psalm 107:23-32 New Living Translation
23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.
The apostle Paul knew very well the first hand experience of being shipwrecked probably better than anyone.
“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:25 NIV)
Three times he was shipwrecked!
And yet, he survived to tell the story.
While most of us can only imagine such an ordeal, I’m afraid others of us may end up going through something just as terrible—the shipwreck of faith.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. – (Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV)
Drifting away from our relationship with Jesus is a very serious situation that requires serious action.
We are in constant danger of reaching a place, in the open sea of life, where we will completely abandon our faith and outright reject the Lord.
There is an interesting line, in 1 Timothy 1:20, that mentions a couple of men by the names of Hymenaeus and Alexander—men to whom Paul “handed over to Satan.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I never want to be “handed over” to Satan!
The context of the passage is that Paul recognized two grave things that these men had allowed to happen—two things that basically shipwrecked their faith.
When Paul warned Timothy to “fight the good fight with faith and a good conscience,” he was outlining two necessary things for the Christian walk.
Unfortunately, Hymenaeus and Alexander had rejected these and been expelled from Paul’s leadership in order that they would learn a hard lesson.
Following the example of these men, here are 2 ways to shipwreck your faith:
1. Reject
In a world where everyone is encouraged to embrace “whatever feels right,” there is an extreme danger of being mislead toward ideas that are contrary to the Scriptures.
These ideas plague our culture, our homes, and even our churches.
Eventually, they may lead a person to outright reject faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16 NKJV)
Belief and the acceptance of Jesus as the only true God is foundational to the Christian faith.
Any other ideas that try to distort this truth are ideas that can lead to shipwreck.
It is crucial to our faith we trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not try to add or take away from it.
2. Ignore
When our conscience becomes hardened to the point that we no longer hear or heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faith becomes like a splintered ship, tossed against the rocky shore, useless and abandoned.
The Holy Spirit’s role is “God in us.”
When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Spirit comes to reside.
John 14:23-26 New Living Translation
23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
He guards, guides, and directs us in the way we should go.
Without His navigation, our faith will surely be shipwrecked. It is of utmost importance that we remain in step with Him and listen to His still, small voice.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NKJV)
Paul’s charge to his protégé Timothy was to remain strong in the battle, steady on the open seas, and faithful in the Lord.
He knew that temptations would come—temptations to reject and ignore the only God and Savior, thereby risking the shipwreck of his faith.
For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1Timothy 4:10 NKJV)
Is your faith strong?
Is your faith battling a raging category 5 storm all around you? (Mark 4:35-41)
Is your faith taking, hit an iceberg on the water and is sinking like the Titanic?
Is your faith already sunk to the very deepest depths of the very deepest oceans?
Psalm 38:8 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 I am benumbed and [a]badly crushed;
I [b]groan because of the [c]agitation of my heart.
Psalm 143:3 New American Standard Bible 1995
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
Do you believe you place 100% of your trust in your God?
Consider well all the scars you privately carry where only God can find them.
What triggers those scars to come to the forefront of your heart and soul?
How fast are you triggered?
How fast do you lose focus?
Now, about how you uncharacteristically act out in response to those moments?
Then why does your faith teeter on the very brink of being shipwrecked by any crisis as Job’s wife did when she commanded of her husband to “curse God?”
Job 2:9 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”
I have seen so many, too many, Christians that let the worlds circumstances continually beat them down, pound their souls, destroy their faith in the Lord. (Listen to the deep depths of emotion of the captives coming from Psalm 137)
Even in such times, the bible tells us that God is there through it ALL! not some.
Psalm 34:18 New American Standard Bible 1995
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are [a]crushed in spirit.
Authentically, Realistically, consider how fragile your faith in God actually is!
Job 1:4-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
Today’s prayer is that we would continually assess the fragility of our faith, always trust in the Lord no matter what the circumstance is………Be Blessed!
Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart!
Lean not on your own understanding!
In all your ways acknowledge Him!
Do not be wise in your own eyes!
(Reverently) Fear the Lord and turn away from evil!
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new 2 Corinthians 5:17.
He will make your paths straight!
It will be healing to your bodies!
It will be healing to your souls!
It will be refreshment to your bones!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 