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A
good friend recently shared with me an incident that happened when he
left his local “law plus a little bit of grace” preaching church.
The pastor’s parting words to him were, “Be careful, Ed.
I’ve seen many folks leave this church and end up shipwrecking their
faith!”
After
considering the pastor’s frightening comment for a moment, I wondered
what it meant to have one’s faith “shipwrecked”. Other than
Paul’s description of actual shipwrecks he experienced during his
various journeys (2 Cor. 11:25), the only other time I see him mention
“shipwreck” is, in fact, like the pastor said, in relationship to
faith:
This
charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies
previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good
warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected,
concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and
Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to
blaspheme.
-1
Timothy 1:18-20, NKJ
I’m
going to go out on a limb here and assume that Ed’s pastor meant that
if Ed didn’t stick with that church, he was in peril of developing a
burning passion to chase women, rob banks, and things of the like.
Again, just a guess. Nevertheless, it appears as if Paul has
something else in mind when he speaks of those who “suffer shipwreck
in regard to faith” (v.19).
According
to Paul, having a “good conscience” ties in closely with faith. When
we are resting confidently in Christ’s work and not our own, our
conscience is clear from the finger pointing of “the accuser” (Rev.
12:10) and the condemnation of the law (2 Cor. 3:1-18). There is no need
to defend or right one’s self before God when we know and believe that
He has already done so. Our hearts and minds are now resting - the
sailing is smooth - the water is calm. We are free to own up to our
shortcomings with others and reconcile with those we may have offended.
On
the other hand, Paul goes on to describe those who have seared
consciences as those who live life by rules, guidelines, and a list of
“do’s and don’ts.” In this case, it is men who forbid marriage
and advocate abstaining from foods (1 Timothy 4:1-4). Those who live
life with this sort of focus have been bewitched (Gal. 3:1-5) by the
doctrines of demons and the deception of spirits into thinking that
their righteousness with God is gained or maintained by submitting
themselves to such decrees (Col. 2:20-23).
Since
failure to abide by these commandments of men is always guaranteed, the
waters of their hearts then become agitated and disturbed. Their hope
and confidence in Jesus plus nothing sinks down under the weight of the
law’s condemnation. The law begins a struggle in their hearts,
“their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately
accusing or else defending them” (Romans 2:15). The sad result is that
they are run aground - shipwrecked in regard to the faith - because
their confidence has shifted off of the Savior and onto their
performance.
Friend,
Jesus shed his blood so that your conscience might be cleansed from
worthless deeds and you might then serve the Lord (Hebrews 9:11-14). I
encourage you, therefore, to guard your mind and to stand firm in the
faith so that you won’t be “tossed here and there by waves, and
carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by
craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14).
Our
hope is that you would not suffer shipwreck in regard to faith but
rather that you would enjoy smooth and peaceful sailing in life, buoyed
by the knowledge that “there is one God, and one mediator also between
God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for all,
the testimony borne at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Grace and peace to
you always!
John
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