A Shipwrecked Faith
Text: 1
Ti. 1:18-20
I. Charge to Fight for Correct Doctrine
A.
Refers back to verse 3
B.
This is the conclusion of the introduction
C.
Timothy was to “fight the good fight”
1.
Because Paul gave him the responsibility
2.
Because of the prophecies concerning him
D.
What are these prophecies?
1.
New testament gift of prophecy (explain)
2.
Some had dealt with Timothy and indicated that he was called
to the ministry
E.
The combination of faith and a good conscience
1.
Right doctrine coupled with right living
2.
These two always go hand in hand
II. What does is mean to make shipwreck of one’s faith?
A.
Possible views
1.
Lose salvation
2.
Lose your testimony or effectiveness
a)
To become a “castaway”
b)
To become ineffective or useless in your service
c)
To become disqualified
3.
Refer to someone who was never actually saved
B.
Loss of salvation?
1.
Verses To Consider
a) Romans
8:29
(1)
“Predestined to be
conformed”
(2)
God has already
predetermined that we will be like Christ
(3)
Compare Ephesians 2:10
(a)
We were “before ordained” to walk in good works
(b)
We were preprogrammed
(4)
Part of salvation is the “program” to be like Christ
b)
Romans 8:30
(1)
“Justified, glorified”
(2)
The progression is such that if you have one part, you have
all of the parts
(3)
You may not have them all presently, but you are guaranteed to
have all the parts if you have one part
(4)
These various aspects of salvation are intertwined and cannot
be separated
c)
Romans 8:38-39
(1)
“Nothing shall
separate”
(a)
Beings cannot separate us from God
(b)
Circumstances cannot separate us from God
(c)
Note that “things to come” (future events) can’t separate us
from God
(2)
We are more than
conquerors
d)
John 6:37-40
(1)
“I will in no wise cast out”
(2)
“I shall lose none”
(3)
Cp. 2 Ti. 1:12
e)
John 10:28
(1)
Eternal life refers not only to duration, but quality
(2)
If I HAVE eternal life then by logical definition I cannot
ever not have eternal life
(3)
“No man can pluck them
out”
f)
John 3:36
(1)
“Hath eternal life”
(2)
Two options, have life
or condemnation
(3)
Again, if I have
eternal life, then it must be ETERNAL
(4)
If it were
conditional, then it could not be called ETERNAL life
2.
5 Concepts to Consider
a)
We are saved by faith, kept by faith (2 Tim. 1:12, 1 Pet.
1:3-5)
(1)
Once saving faith is exercised, Christ will make sure that I
keep my faith
(2)
Even when my faith is weak, He upholds me
b)
Our sins were paid in full (John 19:30)
(1)
If my sins are not all forgiven, then Jesus LIED when he said
“It is finished.”
(2)
If my sins have been paid in full, this includes all of my
sins, past, present, future
(3)
Note: when Jesus said this, all my sins were future
c)
We are a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17)
(1)
We have a new nature that by its very nature cannot die
(2)
If we could lose our salvation, then what would become of this
new nature?
d)
We are sons of God (John 1:12)
e)
We are saved unto good works (Eph. 2:10)
3.
Answering the Objections
a)
Hebrews 6:4-6
(1)
Two views
(a)
It is referring to professors, but not possessors
(b)
It is referring to saved individuals
(2)
It must be referring to saved individuals
(a)
“tasted” was used earlier for Christ’s death for every man
(b)
The descriptive words are too many to dismiss as a mere
professor
(i) Enlightened
(ii) Tasted
the heavenly gift
(iii) Partakers
of the Holy Ghost
(iv) Tasted
the good Word of God
(v) Tasted
the powers of the world to come
(3)
The “falling away” here is not falling away from salvation,
but from obedience
(a)
Repentance is not always repentance to salvation
(i) The
churches in Revelation 2-3 are told to repent
(ii)
(b)
It is possible for a Christian to get to the point in their
life where they bring Christ to an open shame and they won’t repent
(4)
This leads to judgment and the sin unto death
(a)
Compare 1 Co. 11:30
(b)
Compare 1 John 5:16
(c)
There are sins “unto death”
(d)
The sin unto death is not a particular sin. It can be different for different people at
different times
(i) Annanias
and Sapphira lied and died
(ii) Korah
rebelled and died
(iii) Moses
struck the rock and was prevented from entering the Promised Land
b)
Hebrews 10:26
(1)
It is referring to a Christian
(a)
Note the use of the word “we”
(b)
They “received” the knowledge of the truth
(c)
The context is a saved person
(2)
There is no more sacrifice for sin
(a)
We have already had our sins paid for
(b)
OT there was no sacrifice for willful sin
(3)
There is only judgment to look forward to
(a)
This is not damnation, but judgment
(b)
It can be chastisement
(c)
If we sin willfully we can expect the judgment of God
c)
2 Peter 2:20-22
(1)
This passage is speaking of professors, not possessors
(a)
In verse 19 “they” are the servants of corruption
(b)
In verse 22 they started as dogs and remained as dogs; started
as pigs and remained pigs
(2)
They reformed for the purpose of using Christianity for their
own advantage
(a)
They wanted money (2:3, 14)
(b)
They were lustful (2:10, 14)
(c)
They were prideful (2:10-12)
(3)
Those who reform the outside, using the truth without applying
the truth will have a greater judgment than if they had never known the truth
(a)
It is better to be a heathen who has no knowledge of the truth
than to have a knowledge of the truth and reject it or use it wrongfully
(b)
Knowledge makes us responsible
C.
Refers to some who wasn’t actually saved
1.
This may be possible in the case of Hymanaeus and Alexander
2.
They may have “shipwrecked the faith”
3.
If they are the same as the men mentioned later, then it seems
that they were not saved
D.
Refers to someone who lost their usefulness
1.
In 1 Corinthians 5:3-5 we have a person who is “delivered unto
Satan”
2.
They seem to be saved because of the phrase “that the spirit
may be saved”
3.
Thus, it is possible to be saved and yet be “delivered unto
Satan.”
4.
Paul was worried that he too might become a “castaway” (1 Co.
9:27)
5.
Possible to become disqualified (1 Ti. 3)
III. What does it mean to be “delivered unto Satan?”
A.
Some think that this was a judgment only possible in apostolic
days
1.
Illus. would be Ananias and Sapphira who were physically
killed because of their lying
2.
This judgment would not be possible today since we no longer
have apostles\
3.
It was the ability to “unleash” death as in the “sin unto
death”
4.
The difficulty in this view is that in 1 Co. 5 the church
seems to be able to exercise this prerogative
B.
To excommunicate from the church
1.
The person is removed from church after the proper discipline
has been exercised
a)
Proper order
(1)
Personal confrontation
(2)
Two or three witnesses
(3)
Bring it before the church
b)
Deal with this in detail in chapter 5
2.
This puts the person in the “sphere” of Satan and away from
the protective influence and positive benefits of the church
3.
This means that you treat the person as if they are unsaved,
even though they may be saved