My wife and I love going to the beach. There is just something about the ocean waves, the tides, and the sounds that draw us there at least once a year. We always return relaxed and refreshed.
Yet, there is a darker side to the ocean that a friend who works there witnesses first hand every summer season. Swimmers, unaware of its dangers, pay little or no attention to the rip tides that are so common. A rip tide is a strong current that runs perpendicular and away from the beach. Swimmers caught in them face the prospect of being carried far out to sea. Rescues from rip tides are common, even though warning signs proliferate most beaches. The greatest danger from a rip tide is you may not immediately realize you are caught in one. If you are unaware of the methods for escape, you will be in trouble.
As followers of Jesus, we also must be aware of the dangers of spiritual rip tides. Like a visit to the beach, there is great joy and refreshment in being in relationship with the Savior. There is the unconditional love and mercy we enjoy, the sense of peace of being forgiven, and the hope of a life in eternity without suffering and without end. But there are also dangers that lurk around us in the midst of this fallen world—an Enemy that seeks to trap us and drag us away from our Lord through various and clever schemes (II Corinthians 2:10-11; Ephesians 6:11)
Like a swimmer caught in a rip tide, we need to be aware of how to escape the devil’s schemes. In the 1st Century, there were plenty of schemes to lead believers away from the Lord. Some were saying that since God’s grace covered all sins, people should sin all the more! Others took the view that believers should avoid certain foods and celebrate certain days in order to secure their salvation. Some were saying that only Jewish Christians would be saved and so were encouraging non-Jewish believers to convert.
These were among the many things Timothy had to deal with as a pastor, schemes that led believers away from the Truth. Paul’s counsel to him was simple: correctly handle the word of truth (i.e., the Scriptures). And later in his letter, he explains why: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (3:16-17)
Like the untrained swimmer caught in a rip tide, we can easily be carried away by various false teachings popular in the institutional church or the culture if we do not know and correctly read the Scriptures. By not being intentional about reading and learning the Scriptures, we make ourselves vulnerable to those who will either intentionally or mistakenly interpret what the Bible says. These are the spiritual rip tides of which we must be aware.
Today, while you should enjoy your relationship with the Lord with all its many blessings, recognize that as long as you live in this world, our Enemy, the devil, is looking to destroy you (I Peter 5:8). You must be on your guard and you must learn the Scriptures to avoid being led away from the Truth by his clever schemes.
© Jim Musser 2014
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