Fads and False Religions

I Timothy 4:1-6

If you look at most of the ideologies pushed by popular culture today, they are evil. Many do not appear so on the surface, but when you dig in just a little, and see the motivation or belief system that drives them, they often have a new age movement origin. Sadly, many times Christians jump on board with these fads, and get overly defensive when they are warned. If we want to live for Christ, the standard by which we judge EVERYTHING must be God's Word. Anything that is contrary to God's Word is sin. It is truly that simple. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to "abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22). That is a diet that more Christians need to get on board with.

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“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”

I Timothy 4:1-6

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Verse one starts us off with a very strong statement, "...in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons". Paul is very clearly stating that the power of Satan will be driving these "lies in hypocrisy" from verse two. We should also take note that it is the Spirit that is saying this, not Paul of his own accord. I do not know for certain that we are living in the "latter times" that Paul was speaking of, but we are certainly in "latter times" from when he said this. If he was warning Timothy to beware, then we should be all the more aware almost 2,000 years later.

Paul goes on to say that these people have their conscience seared with a hot iron. That means their nerves are dead and they are completely insensitive to their conscience. Our world today could very much be described by this. People are not disturbed by evil. What God calls sin, they rejoice in. We have the law written on our hearts, but many people have numbed themselves to the conscience telling them that things are wrong and violate that law. Thus, culture is in the condition it is in.

We live in a world where people are not marrying like they should. Instead, self-help, self-discover, and self-esteem rule the day. It is all about what I want and what makes me happy. Many choose not to marry today because another person would take the attention away from themself. They want to be the best version of themselves that they can be, so they push fad diets and vegetarian or vegan lifestyles. Frankly, I have no problem if a person choses to eat only vegetables. What I do care about is their motivation. Let me explain.

If a person is eating vegetables due to cholesterol problems, that is fine. If a person is not eating meat because they believe that animal lives matter as much as human lives, that is a problem. Their views are not founded on Biblical truth. It is actually contrary to Biblical truth, and thus contrary to God. If a person only eats vegetables to try and lose weight to be a better steward of the "temple" God gave them, that is fine. If a person only eats meat because they are focused on beauty and showing off their body in vanity, that is a problem. They are living a self-centered life and need to shift their focus from themselves to God. This does not mean that a person should not exercise or diet. I'm not saying that. What I am asking is, "Who is your God?" and "Who are you serving"? Paul reminds us that God gave us meat to eat. We are to do so in order to glorify Him. We are to be thankful for His provision. The meat we eat is sanctified, or set apart for the glory of God, through His Word and our prayers. We are nourished by the food, and nourished by our faith in His provision and care. Eating should be an act of worship (while remembering that gluttony is a sin). When we eat, we should focus on God and His provision for us. Because it is worship, and not self-indulgence, we will not be gluttonous . I must confess, this is something I struggle with because I tend to over eat because I am enjoying the food and not thinking on God.

Father, thank You for Your provision in my life. Help me to worship You with every aspect of my being. It is in You that "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 27:28). May You be glorified through us, and in us.