Guard Your Content Of Knowledge: 1 Timothy 6:20-21
“20) O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21) which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.” 1 Timothy 6:20-21
Every Christian must guard what has been entrusted to them “in Christ.” All the benefits of salvation from forgiveness and freedom to a clear conscience and fellowship with God can be lost. Fruitful ministry can be recklessly bartered away.
The solution is to place a guard around our heart and mind? Think about this, in John 10:10 Jesus Himself pictured Satan as a thief. He aims to steal, kill and destroy your walk with God. He wants to steal from you and your family. He wants to thwart the abundant life Jesus has for you.
Note, according to these verses, this has everything to do with guarding your mind from worldly and empty chatter. It involves guarding your mind from false “knowledge.” Colossians 2:8 issues this same warning; “8) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Secular and godless philosophy and psychology blended together with false religions and erroneous conclusion from so called scientific theory can derail truth and a biblical world view. I welcome true science and unbiased research. It is the secular and humanistic spin that I reject. Truth can set you free, but lies and deception lead to ruin, sinful bondage and slavery.
I believe if Paul was living and writing today, he would also include the entertainment industry and every medium of communication that proliferates culture with a secular and antichrist message. What you pump into your mind and heart comes out in your life. You become the expression of what fills your soul.
Guarding what goes into your life is the easiest way to determine what you become. The same is true for food and diet. You literally wear what you eat. If you want to look differently, then consume food and drink differently.
So also, you think, perceive, act, believe and behave according to what fills your soul. Your view of reality is shaped by the content of so called “knowledge” you pump into your mind. Assume responsibility for what fills your heart and mind. Guard yourself!
This leads directly into a discussion of education systems. Certainly, this admonition for Timothy to guard his soul also becomes the parents responsibility to guard their children.
The last eight years in the Iowa Legislature has forced me to face the fact that secular education is now ground zero of the culture war in America. Public education has been hijacked by the enemy of the human soul.
We are now at a crisis point. Public education is no longer transparent, neutral, quality or accountable. It has become the indoctrination tool of the left. My prayer and hearts desire is to save public education, but we have a monumental task in front of us.
I applaud and praise God for every Christian teacher, administrator and school board member on the front lines this crucial battle for public education. We are literally now at the point of needing to turn the tide starting with the department of education.
My only purpose in mentioning education systems is to encourage parents to prayerfully consider what it means to “guard” their children. You will reap what you sow in the education of your children. Many Christian youth and young adults are going astray from the faith because of what is “falsely called knowledge.”
As you can see, these two verses that conclude the book of 1 Timothy are packed with application. When we let down our guard at any level, our soul will be under siege. This fallen world is Satan’s domain for a little while longer. Remain vigilant. Be on guard!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
