2 Timothy 4:9-18

2 Timothy 4:9-18 Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The above passage indicates the humanness of Paul and the tenuousness of the message. We sometimes idealize the early beginnings of the church and its impact on society. We make the early disciples of Jesus bigger than life. However, in the natural they were a small group of nondescript, powerless people who had been energized and changed by their faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Jesus' resurrection was a real event to them. The Holy Spirit's infilling was a genuine happening. Therefore, they were willing to spread the gospel of Christ throughout the known world. We see the smallness of the group in the above passage, for Paul is calling on the same people who had helped him promote the gospel in Asia Minor to help him now. He had no others to call upon. He didn't have a host of Roman Christians to stand by his side, to provide for his needs in Rome. We see Paul denoting the fact that some of his faithful followers had left him for various reasons. Some even had gone back into the world. Nevertheless, even though Paul felt quite alone, his teachings were piercing the darkness of the Gentile world. But, to continue to fulfill their task, they needed each other even though they were few in numbers.

How comforting it is to have a number of supporting people around us when we stand for a Christian principle or promote a worthy idea. And how disconcerting and troubling it is to advocate a position when only a few are supporting our stance. How many of us are willing to speak up in a meeting when it seems the overwhelming consensus is against us, when it seems as if our idea is unworthy even for consideration. Well, Paul and Timothy were in that exact position. Not only was their idea about Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior considered unworthy, it was considered dangerous to the culture and the people in power. But Paul and Timothy never wavered; they kept preaching Jesus Christ and his redeeming power.

Sometimes we are the only Christian in our family. Sometimes we are the only one at work who believes fervently in Christ. Sometimes we just feel alone in our beliefs. Many of us don't belong to a large church where numbers alone validate and bolster our convictions. And sometimes regardless of the number of believers around us, we feel alone. Then we need a Timothy, a brother or sister in Christ, to come to us with a cloak of love to wrap around us, to help us realize that Jesus Christ knows our loneliness, knows our needs. We cannot always live a victorious life in Christ if we are alone in Rome. There are times we need help. Paul called on the faithful few to help him. We also need to call on the few to help us: a close friend, a partner in Christ.

Many times in my life I have had faithful Christians stand by me when I needed help to survive, to hold on. All of us need that help; no one wants to be caught in Rome alone, trying to survive. That is why there is the BODY OF CHRIST here on earth, to help us survive and minister effectively. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he stressed the need for the entire body to function together. While confirming that each part needs every other part, he said, The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12) No member of our physical body will live long without the other parts of the body. Alone the message is tenuous, weak. We are weak, lacking the strength we draw from our brothers and sisters. But in Christ, in his body, we are strong, and the message of Christ will pierce the darkness.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Do you long for his appearing or have you lost Jesus Christ in the crowd? Is He something more to you than just a wise, miracle working Lord? Is He your very life? When you breathe in, does He breathe out; are you that close? These are questions we need to ask ourselves because maybe we don't really long for his appearance. Maybe our lives have been too established here to desire his divine presence. Maybe our cares are too much with us to even think of him as a lover would think of his absent love. In our world of television, computers, blackberries, and so many competing attractions, do we spend any quality time with the Lord? Is He an afterthought, someone we push in between commercials or other interests? If so, we probably don't really long for his appearance, for He is not primary enough in our lives for us to long for him.

Paul longed for him because his whole life was poured out for Christ. As we see through his letters, his life was dedicated to the one he loved; he committed his all to the living Christ. Therefore, death to this world was his signature. If you had met Paul, you would have known he was a fanatic for Jesus Christ, for his every thought, all his strength, was committed to his Lord. He said, "I die daily." He was seeking a higher calling; this world was not his home. Are we so dedicated, so focused, or are we really focused on other things? Of course, we can always say that Paul was an apostle who was given a special ministry by the Lord himself, but Paul and Jesus are examples of how our lives should be lived. I come up short when I think of these things, for my epistle has too much of myself and not enough of Christ. Yes, I am confident in the power of God's grace to save to the uttermost, but many times I am aware that I am living too much for myself. I find myself reluctant to give extra time to Christ. Is this wrong? Of course it is, for I know biblically I AM IN HIM. Therefore, because I am IN HIM, HIDDEN IN HIM FROM THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD, RESTORED IN HIM TO NEW LIFE, my life and thoughts should be dedicated to him. My communication with him and my prayer life should be healthy and constant.

When I am thinking this way, I think of Jesus when He said his followers must eat of his flesh and drink of his blood. After that sermon the Bible says many left him. For them, Jesus was demanding too much. He was asking a closer walk than they were willing to give. Yes, they would follow him for the miracles, the fishes and the loaves, but they were not going to follow him if they had to eat and drink of him, if they had to have a fellowship that was that intimate. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:53-54) Of course, Christians understand eternal life comes through the cross and the blood atonement, but Jesus was asking his followers for a greater commitment than they desired. He was asking them to partake of his life. He is still asking us to partake of his life. He is still asking us to be a servant as He was to the people. He is still asking his sons and daughters to portray his life on earth. Portraying his life takes time with him, reflecting his likeness takes time with him, loving as He loves takes time with him. Loving Jesus so that we long for his return requires time spent in his presence away from the pressures of this life. Paul said there is now a crown of righteousness for all those who long for his returning. Do we long for his returning? If we have eaten of his flesh, drunk of his blood, and committed our lives to him wholeheartedly, we too will long for him.

2 Timothy 4:1-5

2 Timothy 4:1-5 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Once again we find Paul encouraging Timothy to keep the faith and to minister the good news regardless of what happens in his life. We see this theme throughout the Bible: faith in God in spite of life's circumstances. In the Old Testament we see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Solomon, King David, Daniel, the prophets, and many others possessing an enduring faith in God regardless of the difficulties and hardships in their lives. In the New Testament we see John the Baptist, Paul, Peter, Stephen, James, John, and the like struggling with the vicissitudes of life while keeping their faith in God strong. They all believed in miracles, they all saw miracles in their lives, yet they all sought another home. They talked about a Promised Land, a place of rest, Heaven. None of them, even in the Old Testament, thought this earth was their final destination, their FINAL inheritance. Even in Lamentations, a book of lamenting, it says, "Great is his faithfulness; his lovingkindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." (Lamentations 3:23-26). As priests, the Levites' inheritance was God himself. Consequently, they received no inheritance in the land of Israel. In the New Testament we are called priests of the Most High; therefore, our inheritance also is God, not this earthly dwelling place. We should live our lives with that thought in mind.

Christians have many miracles in our lives, for God is good, and we should expect miracles in our lives every day for each day is a new beginning. "Great is his faithfulness; his lovingkindness begins afresh each day," but this does not mean that we should seek the world and the things in it. However, we do have the privilege of asking God to bless us and to dispel the difficulties we are facing in our lives. But, rather than solely seeking the comforts of this world, we should constantly seek the will of God, and try to understand that his will does not always translate to our will. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. If we primarily seek our will rather than the will of God, our lives will turn into trash, that which is good for nothing but the garbage heap. His plans will make our lives beautiful, worthwhile. The men mentioned in the first paragraph sought first the kingdom of God, and if anything else of this world was supposed to be added to their lives, it was God's will not theirs. Foremost, they were oriented towards serving God, not themselves.

Itchy ears are ears that want the gospel of God to suit their own desires. These kind of ears will listen to any myth, any soothsayer, any astrologist or even any minister that will tell them they don't have to endure hardships, persecutions, deprivation, or the difficulties of life. Paul tells Timothy, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. We too must endure hardships, difficulties, and disappointments. We too must discharge all the duties that God has assigned to us. We too must run the race passionately and faithfully to the end. This is the assignment God has given to us. This is the assignment all the godly people of the Bible undertook. They ran the race to the end. They were troubled and even sinful at times as we are, but they did not give up. They ran the race, expecting a miracle to happen in their lives, expecting God to meet their needs, but they ran the race hard regardless of how they felt, or whether their flesh felt their needs were being met. They had their eyes on the prize of the high calling of God, and they were looking for a heavenly city whose builder and maker is God.

2 Timothy 3:10-17

2 Timothy 3:10-17 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Timothy is Paul's son in the Spirit. Timothy learned Christ through Paul's teaching and by viewing Paul's life. He tasted the Holy Spirit's attributes in Paul's spirit, and he heard from Paul's lips that God is faithful to anyone that follows Jesus closely, wholeheartedly. In other words, Timothy has been prepared to be a leader in the church by the faithful apostle Paul. Not many of us have such a person in our lives, and when we do, we look at that person as a foundational person. We can look to him or her when our faith is weak, when we are struggling with this world, and when we don't know how to finish the race well. But foundational people may not always be in your life; there are times when God alone is your support.

Paul tells Timothy that following the Lord is not easy. He declares to Timothy that persecution and hardships will come to all those who follow the Lord, and sometimes those who are evil, those who exploit others, will have an easier life, more earthly rewards. However, Paul asks Timothy to remember the living epistles in his life, those who have led him to the Lord, who have instructed him in the ways of the Lord. He wants Timothy to recall their lives when he is struggling, to remember their lifestyle when he faces persecution, to remember the Lord's faithfulness to them. I wonder what Timothy must have thought when he heard Paul had been killed in Rome. I wonder how much he would have had to pray the night he heard of the dastardly act of the Romans. I wonder. . .

Who are we following? Are we following Christ who has the power to save to the uttermost or are we placing our faith in others? We can remember their acts of faithfulness to God and follow their examples, but in the final analysis we must fight the good fight alone by learning of Christ, placing our faith in him, LISTENING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, knowing the Word. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Unless the Lord returns, your Christian elders that you depend upon will die off or they will not be available in a time of need. Your Christian parents will pass away. Then, what will happen to your faith? How much zeal and dedication will you display then?

Every Christian must accept the responsibility of taking the gospel of Christ to the world. Every believer must be a foundational person. A Christian life must be able to withstand the careful scrutiny of the world. Every Christian must learn of Christ without undue dependence upon others. Every Christian must eventually be able to stand firm, to resist the devil, to take up the cross and follow Christ. Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29) Christ has promised you that He would be with you through your life, and He sent the Holy Spirit to give us strength and power, wisdom and revelation. Consequently, every morning when your feet hit the ground, you must say in your heart, "Lord, what do you want for me today? I need to know you. Lord, let me hear your voice today." No other life will overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil successfully. Any other life will eventually falter or sink into unbelief or despair. Christians must be sustained in the Spirit, by their intimate walk with Christ, not merely by the inspiration and the words of others and their walk of faith.

Timothy's Christian mother died, Paul was killed, and other significant people in Timothy's life passed on, perhaps before their time, but I am confident that Timothy carried his vibrant Christian testimony to the end, through the gauntlet of life. I am also confident that all of you who are reading this breakfast will carry on to the end and be foundational Christians to all those who need you, depend upon you. For sure, you would not be reading this breakfast if that were not true. Praise God! He will perfect the good work that He has begun in you.

2 Timothy 3:6-9

2 Timothy 3:6-9 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth — men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Who are these people who worm their way into homes and gain control over people's lives and minds? They are those who have a form of godliness but deny the power of God to transform lives. They are those who desire wealth or status by preaching the gospel. Some of these men within the church will preach that godliness is a means to financial gain. (1 Timothy 6:5) They point men to the things of this world and the desires of this world as a substitute for true faith in Christ. Sadly, they lead others to love the world and the things in it. Of course, this doctrine adheres very well to man's self-interest and fleshly desires. Many will follow these men, for there isn't a cost to that gospel. There is no dying to flesh, there is no need to lead a life like Paul, Timothy, Peter, Stephen, James or even Christ lived. Those lives all had hardships, troubles and discouragements. However, their lives led to the Promise Land, but those who follow after fleshly, worldly desires, and self-interests lead to this world's corruption, which is definitely a dead end life.

Others, such as the cults, who have a form of godliness, bring up questions and disputes to separate the sheep from the fold. They worm their way into homes of the weak, the discouraged, the confused, asserting they have a better way of following God. They claim that they have a new doctrine, a better revelation, a current exposition that must be heard and believed. The Bible says these people are always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. I am concerned when I hear people say that they have a new revelation for this day. I just don't believe the simplicity of the gospel has been hidden all these years. The "good news" in its totality has been available to people for over two thousand years now, which is that Jesus Christ is Lord, and He alone has purchased our complete redemption by dying on the cross. These cult leaders refuse the simplicity of the gospel for self-centered reasons; they want to be lifted up, even worshipped. The Bible says in the last days there will be many who will claim to be THE CHRIST. They will assert that they are divine, or that they alone are imbued with supernatural knowledge, or that they are in possession of a new revelation from God, a new doctrine. However, Paul says that they are depraved, they are worldly, and they have been rejected by God, for they have rejected the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Eventually, they will be judged harshly by God for denying the Christ, the only Son of God.

As Christians we always should be wary of any doctrine that skews the Word of God AWAY FROM CHRIST. Sometimes because of our fleshly interests and desires, we want the gospel to say something that it doesn't. The gospel is about our redemption by the blood of Christ; it is about how we should live holy lives, set apart to God. And finally, it is about facing the temptations and trials of this world head-on IN CHRIST, for the vicissitudes of life are a part of living a life for Christ. When we try to short circuit any one of those realities by claiming a new gospel, a new set of rules, we are off on the wrong track. Life is hard sometimes. We will face difficulties and trials that will try our souls. But the Bible tells us to endure to the end. It also tells us that we have the Holy Spirit to comfort and to guide us. That is what faith is about, to endure, to fulfill the covenant that God has brought to us. A covenant is a forever statement, an eternal agreement by two sides. God's side: I will redeem you, take you as my own, you will be my sons and daughters; man's side: I will commit my life to you and to your will through faith in Jesus Christ. This covenant on both sides is sealed with the words: I WILL! Through this eternal faith covenant, we find power, hope, peace, and all that we need to overcome the pressures of this life. And we look joyfully towards the city whose builder and maker is God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Having a form (pretense) of godliness but denying its (godliness) power to change lives is a significant aspect of the above passage. When saved, all things should become new. A different way of thinking and living should be the inheritance of a changed life. If you want to know what a changed life will look like, check out the antonyms to all the words or phrases in the above passage that describes a fallen life. What is the opposite of lovers of themselves,

lovers of money, boastful, proud, and so on? When Jesus comes into our lives, we should reflect His Spirit, and godliness should be our inheritance: But the fruit of the Spirt is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)

Have we merely added Jesus to our lives or have we replaced our lives with Jesus' life? Are we living his life or ours? I think the modern Christian sometimes merely adds Jesus to his or her life, rather than replacing his or her life with Jesus' life. Our attitudes and our actions should change when we are saved. Our activities and choices should change. We don't go out and carouse anymore, we don't allow ourselves to have temper tantrums, we don't delve into the sinful things of the world. We should desire to live holy lives, to experience good things, not to participate in evil, to live for Christ rather than the devil. I once knew a man who enjoyed horror movies the most. I wondered why a Christian would like to view something that frightened people, that depicted evil. Is that where God is or is that where our flesh is? I think we sometimes confuse ourselves with such an attitude. We faintly believe we want to think on pure things, but our minds and activities seek out the gross, the unclean, the unfruitful.

Christian lives, newborn lives, need to be different. Are we denying the power of God to change our lives by insisting on our fleshly will? Are we substituting a form of godliness for real godliness? A form of godliness cannot only fool oneself, it can fool the world too. The world or self will not easily know the form-of-godliness heart, but God does. When we hold onto thoughts and lifestyles that are not good, we will eventually reap the rewards of such a spirit: a life of chaos and darkness. Such a life will be like a juggler with too many balls in the air, eventually they start to drop.

What then is a life of true godliness? Well, it is powered by the Holy Spirit, and it is primarily a crucified life, for a seed must die to produce life. As Christians, we must not allow our lives to restore old habits, attitudes, and experiences. Those remnants from the old life must die. If you drank and caroused before you were saved, stop drinking and carousing, stop going to those places that spawned such activity. If your mouth was filthy before you were saved, stop allowing your lips to continue in that mode. Pray those words will not be in your mind anymore. In every way, keep yourself from things that tempt you. In your daily life, keep your focus on Christ, your ears attuned to his voice, and your lips full of praises to him. Let songs of praise dwell richly in your heart. Of course the will of the Holy Spirit is that you daily seek first the kingdom of God. Nothing else will open his power to your life.

Christians are imbued with the Holy Spirit, but we must draw near to him in our faith walk or we will not be able to draw strength from him. A fleshly life, focused on this world, is not a life that can be inspired by the Holy Spirit. But if we draw near to the Lord Jesus with our lips and heart, the Holy Spirit will be activated to COMFORT US and to provide us with his strength and the power to overcome fleshly desires. God never takes away our will, but if we WILL to be close to HIM, He will be close to us. No other life but a committed life will be victorious in these last days. We Christians have sunk into the morass of this world inadvertently, much like a frog that has been placed in cold water and then heated up. He is cooked before he realizes it. As Christians we accept much more of the world than we used to. For sure, the environment around us has heated up, yet we hardly realize it. But rather than dwell on the negative, we should dwell on the positive, for greater is He who is within us than he who is in the world. If we commit ourselves to him wholeheartedly, we will walk in the victory and faith that overcomes the world.

2 Timothy 2:22-26

2 Timothy 2:22-26 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Have you ever tried to argue a person out of a position he or she has taken? You were probably not very successful. When we argue we are usually inadvertently highlighting self. In a dispute, self always has truth on its side. Self clamors, "If only you would listen to me, then you would have great wisdom too." Of course, all arguing is not wrong, for sometimes people hold to positions that are destructive and hurtful to themselves or others; therefore, they need direct confrontation about such ideas and activities, but usually we must be careful when we are contentious.

Notice the above scripture says to flee the evil desires of youth, or youthful lust (KJV). We tend to place evil desires too readily into the context of just sexual sins. Of course this has that contextual meaning too, but evil desires are much more than sexual sins or immorality. It has to do with the way people, especially youths or young men, view the world. Youthful lust is primarily a self-centered attitude: a desire to highlight self, to fulfill self-desires at the expense of others. Why? Young men in particular fight, argue, and kick the ground like angry bulls to prove that they should take home the prize, which is usually the lovely maiden. They need to win every confrontation. Their testosterone driven activities are to highlight self, to place themselves above the rest. They seek opportunities to display their physical or intellectual prowess, so the young women of the world will flock to their doors. Therefore, a young man is quick to act, to confront, to show off. Although others are prone to such faults, we see them magnified in the young.

Paul says, flee from these harmful attitudes; instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. How hard it is for a young man to stand out in the competition of life if he pursues such innocuous traits. Women are supposed to pursue these traits, not men, not warriors. For a warrior it is much easier to stand out, to stand on the dais, if he knocks a few heads together, if he wins the wrestling match, shoots the winning basket, runs into the end zone for a touchdown, punches someone in the nose, drives a car too fast, or wins a bristling, contentious argument. Then he will stand out; then everyone will know who he is, especially the women he wants to impress. The crowd will cheer him and tell of his wonderful exploits, but who will cheer the young lad who is full of the innocuous traits of a young man pursuing righteousness. Maybe mom will or a few milk-toast fellow travelers, but surely the world won't recognize the youth who chooses a servant's path as being brave and daring, a person with qualities, a person deserving the fair maiden.

A self-centered, self-highlighting attitude is the way of the world. But Jesus turned the world upside down. He said you must be a servant to all, must be kind to everyone, must gently instruct, must be pure in heart. A person must pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace and not be filled with a youthful nature of self-gratification, confrontation, and exploitation. Whoever will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven will be a servant to all. The great in the kingdom of God are servants, for that is Christ's spirit. Jesus came to serve. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5) The servants are those who have nothing to do with foolish and stupid arguments; these are the people who win the crown in God's kingdom. They not only escape the traps set by the devil, but they lead others to the safety of God's house.