They are Innocent and Harmless at the Beginning

2 Timothy 3:6
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,

New Living Translation
They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires.

English Standard Version
For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,

Apostle Paul tells Timothy that there are dangerous people within the church whose he should totally avoid. Apostle Paul explains their characteristics in 2 Timothy 3:2-5. Anyone who wants to avoid regret must avoid these people at all costs.

In our text today Apostle Paul further tells Timothy that these people whom he and the church should avoid, are people who seek to gain control over gullible members of the congregation. Those who are tricked and fooled by these people are vulnerable and weak. If you are vulnerable and weak, you can be an easy target for dangerous people.

If all you need is attention, you will get attention at the cost of your eternal life. You will be given attention by people who will demand that you pay for it by compromising your faith, adopting strange beliefs, and even engaging in outright sinful acts. If you crave the attention it becomes your point of vulnerability or weakness or gullibility.

If all you need is money, that becomes your point of weakness. If all you need is quick wealth, that becomes your point of vulnerability. If all you need is power or leadership, that becomes your point of gullibility. If all you need is companionship that becomes the point where these dangerous people will get in and manage your life.

The weakness you have is what has led you to sin. Since this weakness is always with you, you are loaded with many sins courtesy of this particular weakness. This particular weakness comes with a strong controlling desire and you can’t stop yourself from doing things against God’s will. Therefore, by the time these dangerous people come, you are already too wicked and you only get accelerated to a direction you had already chosen.

Many times we blame wicked people for misleading others. However, the Bible reveals that those who are misled are always on the path away from God even before the wicked people mislead them. Our text today tells us that the wicked people go for already weak people who are deep in sin. The origin of sinfulness is vulnerability.

What vulnerability are you nursing in your life? What weakness haven’t you confronted and put an end to? Unless we address this, it will be the breaking point of our faith and there will be no one to blame. What is it that makes you so desperate? That could be your weakness. What are you so afraid of? That could be your point of vulnerability.

If you fear rejection and loneliness, you will put up with abuse in relationships. That abuse can even take your life because you are desperate to have companionship. If you fear job loss, you will compromise your rights and right doing in order to impress those who can fire you. If you fear failure in exams you will attempt to cheat. Your point of weakness is the beginning point of your downfall and wicked people only come to complete a process you began yourself by nursing that weakness instead of killing it.

Finally, the wicked people are said to methodically come into the lives of people. They worm their way. They creep in. They come in as if innocently with no intention to harm. But once they are in, they gain control and destroy the individuals’ spiritual life. They are innocent and harmless at the beginning.

Alcohol, tobacco, and other illegal and addictive drugs are innocent and harmless at the beginning, but in the end, they gain control over you and you can’t stop using them. Relationships begin small and safe, innocent and harmless, but over time your partner gains too much control, you cant even leave in peace if you want. They are innocent and harmless at the beginning.

May God save us from our weaknesses. May God give us the wisdom to avoid being fooled by that and those who begin as innocent and harmless yet they are dangerous, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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