OUR FATHER WHO IS THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE

1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 - 15 says this;

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 10 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. 11 These things command and teach.

12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

The Apostle Paul alerted Timothy of a specific detail that the Holy Spirit expressed which was about the way that that parts of the body of Christ would drift away from faith in the gospel and adopt the false doctrines of demons.

The false doctrines would include dietary and marital strictures that these false doctrines would be administered by people who had contravened their own consciences so greatly that they would have been numbed to normal understanding of spiritual truth. 

For example, Paul mentions the people who had seared their concsciences would forbid certain foods as a route to acquire righteousness but this would be an obvious deception because food over which thanks had been given for by those who had believed and knew the truth, was santified by the word of God and prayer.

Paul encourages TImothy by telling him that he would be a good minister if he followed and taught such doctrine and rejected fables. Paul counsels Timothy to exercise godliness in his life similar to the way one would do physical exercise except that physical exercise gave temporal benefits while godliness provided benefits in this life and in the eternal life to come. 

The apostle mentioned that their efforts in the kingdom undertaken in hardship and resistance was done in trust in God who was the saviour of all men and particularly those who believed. This implies that there is a stratification that will occur where some people are saved to a greater placement by their faith in Christ while there are others who will be generally saved who trusted in God but by means other than by faith.

Paul tells Timothy, in spite of his youth, to be an example in behaviour, love, spirit, faith and purity and to keep up with reading, teaching and with the observance of doctrine.

Paul reminds Timothy not to neglect the gift that was bestowed on him by the elders when they laid hands on him, Paul informs Timothy that meditating on those things continually and commiting wholly to them would yield noticable spiritual growth.

Pauls also writes that Timothy should be self-aware and careful about his own affairs and to be attentive to doctrinal issues because by doing this, he would save himself and those who are reached by his ministry.

Amen.

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