WRITTEN BY DR. JIM GRASSI
Filters separate undesirable components from fluid, gas, or signals, allowing the desired elements to pass through while trapping the rest. For example, air filters remove dust and pollen. Water filters remove impurities, like sediment, taste, odor, and bacteria, and filters in electronics and signal processing remove or diminish certain frequencies, such as noise, to isolate the desired signal.
God’s Word is also a filter: It separates falsehoods, foolishness, and wickedness; changes our worldview to God’s perspective on truth, wisdom, and righteousness; gives us a clearer perspective of who God is and who we are in Christ; and attenuates the noise and distractions of this world to reveal God’s will for our lives.
When the Apostle Paul made his final journey to Jerusalem before being arrested, he stopped in the port of Miletus and sent word to the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him there. He knew it would be the last time they would see his face, so he spoke to them about things that were most urgent. In his charge to them, Paul warned,
“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).
Paul’s warning doesn’t just apply to those elders. As believers, we all carry the responsibility “to be on guard”—and to watch ourselves (1 Timothy 4:16). Paul referred to these troublemakers as “savage wolves.” Jesus gave a similar warning about these deceivers:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…” (Matthew 7:15-16).
It’s not merely a matter of having the right theology or doctrinal statement. It’s also a matter of the “fruit” of a person’s life as guided by the Scriptures. To be able to discern good fruit from bad, truth from fiction, and sheep from wolves—and to know where or how we fall short of God’s holiness—we must allow the truth and wisdom of God’s Word to filter and shape our perspective. We must know God’s Word intimately and let it permeate our lives.
God’s Word is the standard, the filter through which we identify sin around us and in us. The Scriptures can open our eyes and our hearts, providing discernment, allowing us to know our Lord intimately, and illuminating His direction for our lives.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:9-11, 105
Personal Application: When has God’s Word revealed falsehoods, foolishness, and wickedness to you? How intimately do you know God’s Word? Each day, pray for wisdom and God’s perspective, and then get in His Word. Let it be your filter for life.
- Taken in part from The Watchman: A Clarion Call for Men to Stand in the Gap by Jim Grassi, D. Min.
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5