[…holding on to faith and a good conscience]…which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
Summary: Paul uses a metaphor to help explain the importance of maintaining control over our thoughts and actions.
This passage brings up a sensitive topic for many people. They read these words Paul wrote and wonder, “Does this mean we can lose our faith?” Others take the question one step further and ask, “What about salvation? Does this mean we can lose our salvation?”
There is another question which these people rarely, if ever, ask. The real question is, “Can we know what God will do in any given situation?”
We can know what God tells us about himself in the Bible, but beyond that, we are in deep waters if we think we can sit in God’s judgment throne and decide who gets to go to heaven and who doesn’t.
So…
Let’s look at this passage from a different perspective. Instead of asking questions we can’t know the answer to, let’s ask some questions we can know the answer to.
First, what does it mean to be “shipwrecked?”
The Bible actually has a lot of information on this topic. Paul, himself, has a lot of experience with shipwrecks! In his letter to the church at Corinth, he writes:
“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:25)
Just because a ship goes down or breaks apart on a reef or shoal doesn’t mean that everyone dies. What it does mean is that the ship itself is lost, and any cargo or personal belongings that were aboard. A shipwreck strips us down to the bare essentials of life.
A person adrift at sea or stranded on a deserted island is extremely vulnerable. They could be attacked, wounded, fall sick, or die. All these things are true, but they can also live as Paul himself lived after surviving three shipwrecks.
To expand on Paul’s metaphor, if you were sailing a boat, you would need to hold onto the “sheet” and the “tiller.” The “sheet” is the rope that controls the sails, and the “tiller” is the handle used to steer the boat. Both of these work like “faith” and “good conscience.”
If you let go of the sheet and the tiller of your boat, your chances of getting shipwrecked increase dramatically. If you hang on tight and keep control of the rudder and the sails, the boat will go where you want it to go.
Our Christian life is the same, especially for those who are tasked with being leaders in the church. Hanging onto our faith and good conscience is critical to maintain control — not control over others, but of ourselves. If our ship is our service to God, we don’t want to see it wrecked.
Application: Hang tight!
Food for Thought: How does allowing ourselves to “cheat” a little affect our faith and conscience?
One thing I know from personal experience with sailboats is that change happens fast. Letting go, even a little bit, can have unexpected results. Sometimes not bad and other times very bad.
Thank you CV.
I suppose the same is true for faith and conscience.
Good devotion! I especially like the sheet and tiller metaphor for faith and a good conscience.
How does allowing ourselves to “cheat” a little affect our faith and conscience?
I think if one knows they are “cheating” and allow themselves to do it anyway, they are placing their will above God’s. There is an absence of humility in “cheating.” Cheating always requires some kind of justification and why the person is “entitled to do it.” The justification and entitlement are meant to ease the conscience, but really just sears it. The Holy Spirit uses our conscience to convict us, guide us in discerning right from wrong. If we are desensitized to His voice, we will act on what we think is right or wrong. Living according to what we think is right or wrong does not align with a life of faith in God. Acting in faith through the guidance of the Holy Spirit is evidence of the faith within us. When we are incapable of acting in faith in God, we begin to question our faith. This becomes a barrier to us and His presence. It is very “downward spirally.”
We can look at David in 2 Samuel 11. His “cheat” went from a glance to gazing at Bathsheba, and resulted in a season of pain, sorrow and destruction.
Sometimes when I answer these questions on 3MB I feel like the Holy Spirit is guiding me through an answer to a question I asked Him. 🙂
Chris,
It certainly sounds like the Holy Spirit has a hand in your answers. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. The reference to David and Bathsheba is a powerful example.
How does allowing ourselves to “cheat” a little affect our faith and conscience?
Cheating a little is like being a little bit pregnant. A person either is or is not. We are Gods creation. We exist in God, who in His infinite knowledge knows our every thought.
Romans 8:27, God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.
We are imperfect beings seeking to serve our perfect God, and can only truly experience the life He offers to all, as we surrender our will to Him, allow Him to clean us up and use us to minister to others as He chooses.
Life lived in Gods will is like living in a warm home, by a fire during a wild winter storm. We can see storm out the window, but are warmed by the fire in our home.
Thank you, Ron.
Well said! It certainly is nice being here by the fire! 🙂
Good study, Thanks Jeff.
You’re welcome, Paul!
Thanks for being here. 🙂