Beating the Bush

277 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:13-15, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 3:13-15) These evil men and impostors are those false teachers that rise up out of the church mentioned in the previous verses. Some were already around in Paul's day, and he warns Timothy that they will be around in his day, and in fact will just get worse and worse as time marches on toward the end. Jesus spoke of these false prophets in Mt 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. These false prophets began a relentless march for victims in and out of the church since Christ's church was established on earth and will continue with increasing intensity until the end! The word “grow” here is interesting, it means to “advance by beating.” Perhaps you've hear the term, “beating the bushes,” it's a method of hunting birds that involves people advancing in a field and pounding the underbrush to cause the birds to fly and become easy targets for the hunters. Don't let these false teachers, who make a lot of noise, sway you from the path of life! Jesus said in Mt 24:13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Don't take flight from the true gospel! The false teachers make a lot of noise but their teachings can't harm you if you remain under the cover of Jesus! Paul gives Timothy and us the solution to resist false teachers KNOW THE SCRIPTURES! Know them from your youth and CONTINUE IN THEM! Do you see how important it is to teach the Scriptures to your children at an early age? And how important it is to continue in that education until they fly the coop and are on their own. This foundation will give them something to come back to should they stray, It is these same Scriptures that “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” It is this hammered home doctrine of salvation by grace through faith that enables us to resist the false teachings and in the end lead us to eternal life!