Tuesday 13th February
Read 2 Timothy 4:3-5
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (NIVUK)
It is incredible to realise that the greatness and glory of the gospel could, for some, be considered simply a plain vanilla message. The very ‘soundness’ of the gospel uninspiring. Yet the third important reason Paul gives Timothy to be ready to ‘preach the word’ is that a time is coming when that word will not be enough, its demands will be too great, and people will simply want a word that suits them better, that allows them to do the things that they want to do. That time has come again and again in the history of the church. That time is now. Paul encourages Timothy, and us, to be sober-minded, suffer, but work hard and stay faithful to the gospel truth that saves. Keep holding out that ‘vanilla’ slice that is the great and glorious gospel of God!
