“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;” (2Ti 3:14 AV)
It’s amazing how a new set of circumstances can change what we thought we knew and believed all along. Paul is encouraging Timothy to preach the word among the lost is spite of the persecution that will follow. Timothy is a young man. He hasn’t faced nearly as much opposition as he was fixing to. Once he took the pastorate, the wolves would enter. As the pastor, he is supposed to lead the way in evangelism and defense of the faith. This suggests he would face others who were older and more suave in the art of debate. HE would face doctors of philosophy, religion, and the law. Timothy would debate others twice his age. He would face obstacles that would seem impossible to overcome. It is in these times, that the things we have learned can begin to waver. Note especially the underlined phrase. The things he has learned were also affirmed. That means the things Timothy learned from his mother, grandmother, and Paul were affirmed in life experience and further study. The challenge is simple. Do not let the circumstances of life rob you of what God has revealed to you. Don’t lose what you have because life gets difficult.
Life brings very difficult circumstances. Regardless if they are ministry-related, or life-related, there are times we begin to doubt what we thought we knew all along. Many years ago, something happened to me that I couldn’t believe. Our church was hosting an evangelist who was in his advanced years. The LORD had used him for decades to revive churches and win souls. He was a prolific soul winner. He came up to me and admitted he still, once in a great while, questions his salvation. Now that I am getting older, I can understand this. Our memories are not what they used to be. I am forgetting the details of the day I got saved. I can remember the facts, but I cannot remember the experience. Another time, an aged preacher came to me and asked my advice on how to handle a church problem as it affected him personally. I was a third his age. His emotions were clouding his judgment and he was making a grave error. One that he wouldn’t have done as a younger man. Still, another man of God, who was well grounded in his faith, came to me and because of family issues, began to doubt sound doctrine he has espoused his whole life. If experienced men of God can have times of doubt, surely we can.
Life can be stressful, fearful, and unpredictable. Serving God is not easy. The devil, as he did in the garden, will cast doubt on what we thought we knew. It is in these times we must remember what we have been taught and of what we have been assured. We must also remember the events of life that brought about this assurance. If God took care of you in the past, He will take care of you in the present and future. If eternally security was true years ago, it is still true today. If God used you in the past, He will use you in the future. If God was with you while you were single, He will be with you if you are single again. If God provided for your needs in the past, He will do so in the present and in the future. God is the same God. Truth is eternal. Our experience doesn’t change that.
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