Smoke and Mirrors

161 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:3,4 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,” (1 Tim 6:3,4) Anyone who teaches things contrary to the Word of God and denies the creed of 1 Tim 3:16 is a false teacher. His or her teachings will result in envy, strife, reviling, and evil suspicions. This is not the kind of church Jesus was looking to build on this earth. Such teachers are “proud.” Interesting word, it literally means smoke, and is associated with pride. Think in terms of false teachers being nothing but smoke and mirrors, using words and twisting contexts to make things appear different than they really are. False teachers are in one respect illusionists! An illusionist relies on distraction to dupe his audience into believing something untrue. The very first illusionist was Satan who provided a distraction to Eve as he disguised himself as a snake and then drew Eve's attention away from the word of God as he caused her to concentrate on the beauty of the fruit, and then was able to suggest to her, “Did God really say?” And the rest is history and with smoke and mirrors, the devil caused Adam and Eve to believe that they shall be as God knowing good and evil.! Instead of knowing good and evil, Paul says these false teachers know nothing! They are obsessed with finding loopholes in the Word of God as it concerns sin. In so doing they turn the healthy words of God into unhealthy modes of living. You will recognize them by their constant plea, “But what about this circumstance and what about that circumstance?” and they will create extreme scenarios in order to distract you and lead you into a disregard for the wholesome words of God and into a life of sin. Don't fall for it! It's a trap! Seek to learn to live by the words “Thus saith the Lord,” or as Jesus masterfully handled the smoke and mirror temptations of the devil in the wilderness, “It is written!”