Turn
and Be Turned!
The 2nd Epistle of Paul to Timothy
was his last writing to be included in the canon of inspired scripture.
It’s full of encouragements, warnings about the last days and
admonitions for personal ministry. Paul’s focus upon TRUTH as being
central to ministry is front and center. A church ministry without
TRUTH is like a body without breath. But TRUTH for many can often be a
hard pill to swallow. Paul described it as follows:
“For the time will come when they
will not endure [tolerate] sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy
4:3).
An itching ear is one that likes to
be tickled, one desirous to hear pleasant things. There are many TV
preachers (a.k.a., televangelists) who pride themselves in ‘positivity’
preaching that goes out of its way to avoid ‘negativity’ that may turn
someone off. That’s just fine for the thousands with itching ears who
pack their pews.
The word of God (i.e., TRUTH) is a
sharp sword with two cutting edges (Hebrews 4:12). It pierces the soul
of the hearer, divides it asunder and discerns (exposes, lays bear) the
thoughts and intents of the heart. A man with itching ears will avoid
at all costs the preacher of unadulterated TRUTH! Note an aversion for
TRUTH doesn’t necessarily translate into an aversion for being TAUGHT.
One can have a HEAP of teachers without having to encounter the TRUTH!
Paul continues: “And they shall TURN
away their ears from the truth, and shall BE TURNED unto fables” (4:4).
The word “fable” (muthos) is our root word for “myths.” A fable is a
fictional narrative, a falsehood, an invention of the human
imagination. Like Satan in the Garden of Eden, TRUTH is not ABANDONED
(outright denied), but rather ALTERED (modified) to appeal to one’s
senses. When cleverly done, the teacher of itching ears can actually
make his hearer feel at ease with their disobedience.
When one with itching ears TURNS
(active voice) away from the truth, he will unavoidably BE TURNED
(passive voice) unto fables. When one by HIS OWN volition rejects
truth, there is ANOTHER (Satan) whose volition stands ready to turn him
unto fables, fiction and error.
Here’s a sobering TRUTH written by
the Psalmist David: “The
wicked SHALL BE TURNED (passive voice) into
HELL, and all the NATIONS (including America) that FORGET (turn away
from) God” (Psalm
9:17).
When Satan turns one who rejects
TRUTH unto fables, he does so with the clear intention of turning that
individual into HELL. The FABLE is but an intermediate stop for the
train bound for the Lake of Fire! At the current hour, America is BEING
TURNED into HELL due to its deliberate TURN away from the TRUTH. Only a
heaven-sent revival, a spiritual awakening that TURNS America BACK to
TRUTH can save our nation from spiritual and eternal ruin!
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