It's All Good
It’s All Good!
“ Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which
God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which
believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and
nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:.” 1 Timothy4:3,4
The early church had to face a variety of false doctrines and beliefs.
The text above is from an epistle written by Paul to Timothy. Timothy,
at that time, was a young pastor of the Ephesus church. Paul
explained to the young pastor that severe fanaticism would come into
the church. Many will teach that all things within the world are bad
including the wonderful blessings that God created just for us. They
went as far as saying that marriage is wrong calling it selfish and that
it fulfills selfish worldly pleasure. As we all know priests and nuns do
not marry. But God blessed the institution of marriage. 1 Cor.7:1-4;
Heb.13:4
In Gen.7:2 God tells Noah which animals were clean and unclean and
goes on after the flood to let Noah and his family know that since
there is no longer any vegetation, to go ahead and eat the clean
meats. Paul was letting Timothy knew that people will try to bring a
doctrine in that will say not to eat meat period and will make it as if it
is a salvation issue. We see this today. However we understand that it
is not a salvation issue but a health issue for us today. God wants us
to prosper and be in good health.(3 John 1:2) and we know that to
prosper in these times its best to refrain. Some churches today force
this practice.
Everything God made is in fact good according to the great creation
chapter of Gen.1. But just because everything created was good, and
they are God’s creation, doesn’t mean we eat each and every
“creature”? Should we take maggots and put them on our plates and
serve to our company expecting them “not to refuse” but to “receive
them with thanksgiving”? Some of us take texts and run with them for
convenience. Let’s be realistic. How about we take our pet kitten and
serve it for dinner. All creatures of God are good. No, not good to eat
but good for other things. As in good to have as a pet. God, through
Paul is not saying that ALL creatures are good for food.
God describes and instructs clearly which foods are for the purpose of
human consumption to maintain proper health and growth. It was all
good. He also made creatures to maintain proper health and growth of
his other creations which would be gross for human consumption but
still all “good” as God said they were good.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 Paul tells Timothy that in the last days, people will
preach and teach doctrines of the devil. We know that these are the
last days because you have Christians teaching the doctrines
mentioned above among many others. This is why the Christian
church has broken off into many different Christian-based
denominations. Yes we all follow Christ but many of us have fallen
away and have gone outside of Christ’s true teachings.
How do we know if we have or if we will begin to fall away and follow the
“teachings of devils” as mentioned in 1 Tim.4:1-2? John, a great
teacher, apostle and prophet says, “If any man will do God’s will, he
shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of
myself.” So, we have a responsibility to follow God’s will or we can and will be deceived. What is God’s will? See Eph.1:4, 5 Seek the Word of God in
Spirit and in Truth. So, Everything God made is good, everything in his Word is good. Everything He does for us is good. It’s all Good!
Be Blessed.
R. Denise Johnson