Remain Faithful

But you must remain faithful to the things you have been

taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust

 those who taught you. You have been taught the holy 

Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom

 to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.

-Second Timothy 3:14-15 (New Living Translation)

Why is it, that as we grow, we abandon the things that laid the

 foundation of our lives. Let me put it this way. In school, we'd 

learn to add, subtract, multiply and divide. By the time we 

reach high school, we are not reinforcing the elementary 

teachings, therefore, many forget them. I know people who are 

intelligent in book smarts, but can't add, subtract, multiply or 

divide without a calculator. We abandon the early teachings. It's 

the same in our walk with Christ. We build our lives upon the 

teaching of Jesus. We move beyond and discuss things that are 

not important. We move beyond the basic teaching of Jesus, 

and into the doctrines and teachings of men. I think that is the 

idea behind what Paul told Timothy in these verses.

Verse 14 says, "But you must remain faithful to the things 

you have been taught. You know they are true, for you 

know you can trust those who taught you." In Second 

Timothy 3:1-8, Paul is warning Timothy about the coming end 

times. Look what he says in verses 2-5, "For people will love 

only themselves and their money. They will be boastful 

and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, 

and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They 

will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others 

and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what 

is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be 

puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that 

could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!"

 Paul is warning Timothy that he must remain faithful to what 

he was taught, because he was taught by someone he can trust. 

Verse 15 says, "You have been taught the holy Scriptures 

from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to 

receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ 

Jesus." Timothy must remain faithful to the Scriptures taught 

to him from childhood. He came from a background of people 

who loved Jesus and His Word. Second Timothy 1:5 says, " I 

remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that 

first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, 

Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in 

you." Those are the things he must remain faithful to, the 

genuine faith taught him, and the genuine faith that teaches 

our need to salvation.

It seems that genuine faith that teaches our need for salvation 

has got sidetracked somewhere. Are you remaining faithful to 

those early teachings that laid the foundation of your life in 

Christ? Or have you forsaken those and chase after the doctrines of man? 

Think About It.