Pass It On

Our faith is very fluid as we do not let it stop with us, but pass it on to other reliable people. Paul wrote the following words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2: Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. ² You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. There are some important factors to think about when following through with the scripture listed above.

1. Know that what you teach is the pure Word of God, and not some weak version of it that has been watered down or changed from the core message in the Bible. There have been some studies done to see just what version of The Word is being followed by born-again believers. Some are passive learners, and their source of using God's Word in their lives is only when they attend a church building and do Bible studies with other believers. When we teach truths, we need to make sure they are true and develop a study plan for growing in our relationship with the Word of God. Be an active learner, but make sure your source is reliable and that you are deepening your walk and your learning. Don't add a book of assumptions to your reading source. Only God's word.

2. Don't live off secondhand information. We consume mass amounts of information, and much of it is only opinion, but that means it is not pure and is many times flawed. The commercial that shows a guy getting some information off the internet and foolishly saying "The internet never lies" is a fictitious look at a Christian reality. Many believers are living off of a leader's opinion about the Word of God and not just the pure, unadulterated truth of The Word. This is very dangerous and has led many a Christian down a wide path to destruction, and the information from that followed path leads many others down that path as well. Know your source and make sure that source is pure before sharing that with others as the truth you know.

3. Don't fall into a ditch. There are pitfalls out there, and if your path for your walk with God is from your wagon attached to a person and not the Word, you may be deceived and not know it at the time. I have had many discussions with some of my friends about the way they believe and where they got that belief, and they are finding out that some of those beliefs were only from a commentary in a certain Bible. When you read the footnotes and commentaries, please realize that it is a man's opinion (through study) of a certain scripture, and you can research that truth yourself and find your own way about the scripture. Denominations have been formed and taken root from some "truths" that are questionable at best. Know your Bible and find your own way from knowing the Word of God, then your information will be pure to your walk.

4. When you are well-studied in your Bible, pass it on. Make sure what you are passing on lines up with scripture and reason with other believers to further deepen that truth for you. God spoke to Isaiah about the condition of Sodom and Gomorrah before they were destroyed, and that condition was full of people who had their own impressions of truth. Those impressions did not pass the "truth" test, and God called them to come together and reason the truth out according to God's Word. In Isaiah 1, the prophet reveals God's words on the subject and the present condition of those two cities. Isaiah 1: ¹⁸ “Come now, and let us debate your case,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land; ²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.”For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The rebellious people of that day did not heed the warning and ignored God's call to get right. May we heed the same warning to be pure in our study of the Word of God and pass that truth on to others. Now that is what I call a BIBLE STUDY.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren