Lesson 2141

(Lesson 2141)(10-17-17)  1 Timothy 4:1-6
    “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

    Today’s lesson warns us about the coming of the forerunners of, what is today, the Roman Catholic church. When Paul prophesied that there would be those who would fall away from the pure doctrine of Christ and demand all manner of worthless rituals be installed into their tenets, he hit the nail square on the head. Today there are countless so-called Christian churches that have installed many non-scriptural rituals into their heretical religions. Paul named one rule in particular that is connected directly to today’s Catholic church. That is the requirement that certain meats are never to be eaten on certain days. The heretical ritual of water baptism at birth is another. The list goes on and on. Therefore, it behooves every one of us to be diligent and meticulous as we teach the gospel to would-be converts, always careful to point out that the true doctrine of Jesus Christ has ONLY two requirements of the children of God. They are to love our God with all that we are, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. As Jesus, in essence, said, ‘all the other requirements are wrapped into those two. God demands nothing of His own but devotion and faith.~