Love Has a Name

Don’t you love a good ear scratch? I mean a good solid finger in the ear or q-tip in the ear? When you just get the right spot, not too deep and not too shallow, it can be quite blissful.

This is not the type of ear itching that I am talking about.

The Bible tells us, and in effect warns us, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4

3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

This is plain to understand for many, however, when someone finds themself in a situation such as this it may be confusing. I want to clarify quickly and, hopefully, simply.

The Apostle Paul here is writing to Timothy who is a young man that has been charged with preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is preparing Timothy for a time when many people he will encounter will reject “sound doctrine.” This is the rejection of Biblical truth for myths, or those stories or happenings that are based on personal experiences. We know through the Holy Scriptures that our heart is wicked and evil and is easy to wander, pursuing things that are sinful and self-gratifying. (Jeremiah 17:9)

In today’s world, 2 Timothy is a very strong scripture, and extremely true. Why?

These days how many times have you heard, “my truth”, or “there is no single truth”, or a statement similar to these. The idea of truth being objective is being eroded into something that is based on our subjective and constantly fleeting emotions or ideas.

This is a dangerous path our society and culture have embarked down. If I told you that the sky isn’t blue but instead is red, you would rightly call me a liar. However, if I told you that I hate the colour blue and in my own view I see the sky as red, I would still be wrong. Regardless how much I hate blue, blue is still blue. Now this example is a little over the top.

More close to home what if I told you that the world was flat. What if I said we are only robots in a video game.

You would again, rightly, call me crazy. My reply would then be “but I had a dream and I saw a man playing a video game and we were the characters.” Once again, you would correctly tell me a dream is a dream.

So why then, for Christians, when we hear, see, and/ or experience something that the Bible clearly states is NOT possible, or NOT true, do we rush to find a teacher that will agree with us instead of agree with God’s Word.

Let me demonstrate.

In recent years a multitude of people have begun sharing stories of heaven. I believe heaven is real and we will end up there after Jesus comes back to earth and claims His bride (that is the church which consists of those who believe in Him, not in the buildings). However these “teachers” are now claiming to have actually visited heaven and on occasion will make outrageous claims about what happens there.

Let me share a Biblical truth…

John 3:13 – “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man.”

So there you have it. the Bible says NO yet many people are now claiming to have gone into heaven. At this point people will begin to argue and find a way to prove the Bible wrong. Could we have a vision of it? Sure. Could God reveal something to us about heaven, potentially.

This is what 2 Timothy 4:3-4 is talking about. The Bible is directly contradicting a personal experience people are claiming to have, and instead of humbly accepting their experience as a simple experience, or simple dream/ vision, they are twisting, contorting, and often blaspheming the Lord in order to make their claims become their reality.

Perhaps you are thinking to yourself that this post is a harsh criticism or a pointed attack at these “teachers”, you would be right. Scripture clearly tells believers in Jesus to call out and defend the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I do not make this critique with a light heart, no, instead I feel a heavy burden for those people who are listening, believing, and scratching their ungodly itch to put their desires above that of the Father in Heaven.

So what then do we do now? Well I believe the answer is simple.

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your sin and turn to the Lord for His grace and mercy and seek out a Biblical and doctrinally sound Church (potentially the Church that most rubs you the wrong way).

If you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your sin and turn to the Lord for His grace and mercy and seek out a Church that is rooted in the Word, and has a focus on preaching and expositing the Word of God. A word of caution, if you go to a church and they charge you up emotionally with a concert every week and focus on feelings and focus on YOU rather than focusing on JESUS, leave that church.

I have also had the honour of conversing with several readers and followers of my meager blog and would be honoured to help you find a church near to you that would be a sound and solid place to visit and learn about the Lord Jesus Christ.

May God bless you and keep you safe in His presence.