The Bible speaks directly to us about these
matters, and the Word is more than story lines ... it is life to all who find
it!
I Timothy 1:4
Neither give heed to fables and endless
genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in
faith: so do.
Fables are simply fictitious stories that have the
intent of relaying morals. And endless genealogies are family stories
and/or experiences that have been passed down as truth (most are outside the
realm of Gods truth). And these things simply stir up questions instead
of edifying (building up) people in faith, and godly living.
When this happens strife and confusion lives in the
minds of the people. And where strife and confusion is, peace is vacant and
faith does not abide.
I Timothy 4:7
But refuse profane and old
wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Here we see exactly what we are to do with Old
Wives' tales (fables) ... Refuse them! Do not give them a place in
your ideas of faith's realities. Instead give yourself wholly to sound doctrine
as to exhort and convince every gainsayer (people who speak things that oppose the truth).
In the last days many will be turned from truth.
As darkness moves into the earth people will begin
to become lovers of self, more than lovers of God and righteousness. In
this they will heap up teachers to themselves who will scratch itching ears;
[People itching to have someone of position side with them].
When they don't get what they want, they will
look elsewhere until they find someone to side with them.
*II Timothy 4:4 And they shall
turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
This in fact is self-deception; having
heard the Word, they refuse it to seek after bobbing head teachers who want a
following.
People like this go after the 'feel good' philosophy.
I call it the 'feel good' philosophy because it offers a quick emotional
high, and requires no godly responsibility, but it feels good.
The low side of this, is that it offers no
solids instructions for life and it will leave a person as dead as
the fable itself.
Titus also speaks to us about living godly lives
according to truth and sound doctrine. He admonishes the church to turn
away from unrighteous living and fables which turn people away from
liberating, life giving truth. (Titus 1:14)
And then we have Peter (a third witness) ...
speaking to us of godly teaching that is void of cunning devised
fables.
II Peter 1:16
For we have not followed
cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Peter is speaking truth to the people. Things
that had been taught him by the Lord Jesus Christ himself ... of which he had
seen, heard, and beheld in all of His Glory.
Here Peter calls them cunningly devised fables.
Cunning defines as: a wise deception of philosophers. People
who study ideas about life and truth.
We find Paul had encounters with such cunning
devised fables from Philosophers.
Acts 17:
16-18
Paul had some days to wait at Athens for Silas and
Timothy to arrive, and while he was there his soul was exasperated beyond
endurance at the sight of a city so completely idolatrous. He felt compelled to
discuss the matter with the Jews in the synagogue as well as the God-fearing
Gentiles, and he even argued daily in the open market-place with the
passers-by. While he was speaking there some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers
came across him, and some of them remarked, “What is this cock-sparrow trying
to say?” Others said, “He seems to be trying to proclaim some more gods to us,
and outlandish ones at that!”
18-21
For Paul was actually proclaiming “Jesus” and “the
resurrection”. So they got hold of him and conducted him to their council, the
Areopagus. There they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching of yours
really is? You talk of matters which sound strange to our ears, and we should
like to know what they mean.” (For all Athenians, and even foreign visitors to
Athens, had an obsession for any novelty and would spend their whole time
talking about or listening to anything new.)
Many people are searching after some
new philosophy, and others can't leave the past idea of cultures and
traditions in which they grew up.
Colossians 2:8 tells us to Beware:
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.
Today I was scanning Facebook, and
noticed idea after idea posted about Christian living; although many were bible
based truth, there were just as many that were vain
ideas, philosophies and stories that pulled on the soul of men.
When I say they pulled on the soul of men, I speak
of the 'feel good' philosophies I had written of prior. They reach to
the unregenerate mind, the unstable will and emotions of men toward
deception, merely tickling the ears.
I have also had people come to me with stories and
ideas about spirituality that have been passed down through family members
which are unbiblical. They have no bible foundation. There are even religious ideas men have picked up and passed from the pulpits that have not foundational truth, it is merely mens traditions.
Some have to do with the way children should be
trained, some have to do with spiritual gifts, while others have to do with
marriage or other serious life matters such as health and longevity or financial prosperity.
- People teaching their children fist fight instead of living in peace and overcoming evil with good, (turning the other cheek) and trusting God to stay the hand of the enemy.
- Minsters encouraging divorce without bible bases.
- And people thinking they can have spiritual gifts given to them by family members.
- People believing God intends for people to die young or glorify him through sickness.
- A big one has to do with resistance to prosperity and instead "being poor and holy."
These are just a few. And then there are those who live in the granny and pa days. These are the ones who never let go of traditions of men to move on to realities of truth and revelations from God.
Fables, Old wives tales, and traditions of men will never take a person over in life. And yet there is an overcoming life. A life of Faith which comes from the Word of God. A life where one can always triumphant ... therefore:
• Let us
be challenged to the truth.
• Let us
be led by the Spirit.
• Let us
do as Timothy admonishes us and "Refuse Fables and Old wives tables.
Let us heed the Word to the Colossians and Beware
lest any man spoil us through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition
of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
