Former Blackout Artist

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. – 2 Timothy 4:2-4

There is a battle within the modern church – a subtle, insidious shift that is compromising the truth of God’s Word. Sermons once rooted firmly in Scripture are becoming increasingly diluted by cultural preferences and human opinions. This did not happen overnight… Satan is far too cunning for that. Little by little, liberties are taken with Scripture – a verse is misinterpreted here, a command is softened there. Before long, the authority of God’s Word is questioned with the same words Satan used in the Garden of Eden: “Did God really say…”

Paul warned Timothy about this exact struggle. The time will come, he said, when people will reject sound doctrine. They will seek out teachers who affirm their desires rather than confront their sin, exchanging truth for myths. We see this happening today as churches prioritize cultural relevance over biblical truth, reshaping the Gospel into something more palatable but far less powerful.

This is not a new problem. In 2 Peter 2:1-2, Peter warns, “There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” False teaching always begins subtly, as error is smuggled in under the guise of compassion, tolerance, or progress.

John also speaks to this in 2 John 1:9-11: “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God… Do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.” The Word of God must not be tampered with or abandoned. To tolerate false teaching is to participate in it!

This is why Paul’s charge to Timothy is so urgent. “Preach the Word… correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” It is not enough to merely proclaim the truth; we must also defend it with boldness and love. Truth is not a weapon to wield carelessly, but a treasure to guard faithfully!

Paul, in Galatians 1:8, again reminds us of the seriousness of this charge: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” There is no room for compromise in the Gospel. Any message that deviates from the truth of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is no Gospel at all.

Fellow believers, today we must ask ourselves: Are we standing firm on the truth of God’s Word, or are we compromising to fit the culture? Paul is emphatic in his response to that question. “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

Let us be watchful, discerning, and unwavering in our commitment to God’s Word.

Today’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to stand firm in Your truth. Give us the courage to preach Your Word in season and out of season, even when it is unpopular or uncomfortable. Guard our hearts against false teaching and give us discernment to recognize error. May we be faithful stewards of the Gospel, proclaiming it with boldness, love, and unwavering conviction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.