Guard Your Hearts

In Paul’s first epistle to Timothy he asks him to guard what has been entrusted to him. We read, “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—which some have professed and thus gone astray from the truth.” 1 Timothy 6:20,21.

What saddens me is that this false knowledge has crept into our Christian literature. There are many so-called bibles that present someone’s opinion of what is in the Bible, but the words chosen in no way match those of the Bible. The result is that we have something that is easier to read, but it leads us into perversions of God’s Word. It also appears that these diversions into falsehood are deliberate—carefully designed to make an author’s point without presenting the truth of God.

Let me illustrate. A recent Christian bestseller contains a discussion of what the author claims should be our motive for conducting our life. He calls for us to be focused, and he quotes the following: “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 4:13, NLT). Then, after discussing more about focus, he quotes the following: “Let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.” (Philippians 4:15, The Message).
Dear friends, why is the true goal, as revealed in Philippians 4:14, never discussed?

Quoting from the New American Standard Bible, the entire passage reads:
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Philippians 4:12-16. It is easy to see that the author has entirely omitted any reference to seeking the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Instead the author is telling us to seek everything God has for us. The author leaves us to be drawn by our own imaginations as to what God may have for us. Is this prosperity theology? Is this hinting that we can achieve what we want by staying focused and trying harder? I have no idea. I just know that the Christian life is lived by reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and He will continually show me His ways. I claim that I am new creation who seeks this upward call to Christ. That is the proper focus—it is clear before me, but not at all clear in this bestseller.

I encourage all my friends and readers to examine every scripture presented to you by searching God’s true word. Use reliable translations, not shallow, watered-down opinions about the Bible.
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