June 13, 2025 - 1 Timothy 4:1,2 - "Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils"

1 Timothy 4:1,2

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"

The Holy Spirit distinctly and clearly warns us that in these last days, many professing "christians" will listen to and follow evil men, who are self-proclaimed preachers, who profess to speak for God, who out of covetousness and hypocrisy handle the Word of God deceitfully (1 Timothy 4:1). They will not only listen to these deceivers but will receive their lies and false doctrines. These are not merely secular philosophies, but religious lies preached by men who claim to speak for God. They are, as Paul calls them elsewhere, “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13). Their aim is not the glory of Christ but personal gain, who handle the Word of God deceitfully (2 Corinthians 4:2). They speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2). Those who follow such deceivers are themselves deceived. They are blind, ignorant, and lost. Men prefer to be told something to do or something to give up for salvation rather than bow to the LORD Jesus Christ and His work accomplished for sinners there at the cross, by His shed blood unto death for their complete justification and sanctification before God (Romans 11:2,3).

This departure from the Faith is a departure from the Gospel—the truth as it is in the LORD Jesus and the justification of sinners at the cross exclusively. It is a turning from the sufficiency of Christ’s Person and work to the empty efforts of man. Paul warned the Galatians as well: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). To add anything to Christ's perfect work is to deny its efficacy and to insult and pervert the grace of God. The Father sent the Son to die, not as a supplement to our righteousness, but because there was no other way for sinners to be justified before the Holy and Just God. Christ is the only Way (John 14:6), and He alone has made peace “through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20).

Many have departed from the Faith, both preachers and their followers. These are preachers whose effort is to persuade their followers to worship God or seek acceptance before God by the works of the flesh, such as mentioned in the previous chapter, abstaining from certain meats or even from marriage or from food on certain days, and observing certain rules and days of fasting. Sound pretty familiar? These things may appear spiritual, but they are merely “a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body” (Colossians 2:23). It is self-imposed religion that appeals to the natural man. Men would rather do something—fast, observe days, abstain from foods—than simply bow to Christ and trust Him who finished the work. This is the religion of Cain, who brought the labor of his hands instead of a blood offering.

Natural-minded men, without the Spirit of God, are inclined towards such self-righteous activity, in what the Scriptures call carnal worship, or fleshly worship of God. And, therefore, they are averse to true spiritual worship and dependence on the Righteousness and Mercy of God in the LORD Jesus Christ alone. Such men are blinded by Satan. It was so from the beginning, and this is why Paul calls it here "giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." Such blindness is the work of GOD, who blinds the minds of those who believe not, “lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The religion of the flesh says, Do and live. The Gospel says, Christ has done—believe and live. Men, in their blindness, prefer to be told to do something or give something up for salvation, rather than be told that they are helpless sinners and must look only to the shed blood and finished work of Jesus Christ.

But true worship, true godliness, is spiritual. It is to rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). The natural man is opposed to this because it strips him of all pride and ability. The Gospel declares, “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11), and that salvation is entirely by grace through faith, not of ourselves (Ephesians 2: 8–9). But to those who are taught of God, Christ is everything. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

In the immediate context of this portion of Scripture, the apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to exercise himself in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). This word does not mean to strive for a sinless life. That would be impossible in this flesh, and it would go contrary to all that the Scriptures teach concerning our nature being sinners from birth. The Word of God declares plainly, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and again, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8).

Godliness has to do rather with a God-fearing, knowledge of God in truth, which can only be taught by the Spirit of God. So, it is a spiritual gift which God gives, the revelation of the LORD Jesus Christ in the heart of a sinner, and stands in contrast to much of what is preached as godliness, which is nothing more than works or something that the sinner himself attempts to do to make himself like God. That’s an impossibility. It is not a product of human effort, but a gift of Divine grace. True godliness is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22–23), and it springs from a heart that has been brought to know the LORD Jesus Christ through the power of the Gospel. It is “the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16), revealed not by flesh and blood, but by the Spirit of the living God. As Christ said to Peter, “Blessed art thou... for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

This God-taught knowledge of Christ stands in direct contrast to the false godliness promoted in much of what passes for religion in these last days—external works, moral reform, dietary restrictions, religious rituals, and other things In which the sinner attempts to make himself acceptable to God. But Scripture is clear: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). Any effort by the natural man to be like God or to come to God by his own works is an utter impossibility. The flesh profits nothing (John 6:63).

In Christ’s death, the elect of God were declared righteous. “He hath made him to be sin for us... that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God accepted the one offering of Christ, and all for whom He died are perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14). This is the true Faith. It is the doctrine which is according to godliness in Christ, from which elected, redeemed, justified, and called out sinners can NEVER depart.