Read 1 Timothy 4:1–6
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the
faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
1 Timothy 4:1
Satan works “by means of the hypocrisy of liars” (1 Tim. 4:2, literal
translation). One of the marks of a true servant of God is his honesty
and integrity: He practices what he preaches. This does not mean he is
sinlessly perfect, but that he sincerely seeks to obey the Word of God.
He tries to maintain a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9). The
word seared means “cauterized.”
Just as a person’s flesh can be “branded” so that it becomes
hard and without feeling, so a person’s conscience can be deadened.
Whenever we affirm with our lips something that we deny with our
lives (whether people know it or not), we deaden our consciences just
a little more. Jesus made it clear that it is not religious talk or even performing miracles that qualifies a person for heaven, but doing God’s
will in everyday life (Matt. 7:21–29). An apostate is not just wrong
doctrinally; he is wrong morally. His personal life became wrong
before his doctrines were changed. In fact, it is likely that he changed
his teachings so that he could continue his sinful living and pacify his
conscience. Believing and behaving always go together.
Something to Ponder
Are there any ways in which your behaviors and beliefs don’t line up?
When they don’t, how do you deal with that?