2 Timothy 4:10: “for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world…”
I often wonder when Demas knew he would leave Paul. The same could be said of Judas or even Peter when he denied the Lord. But such piercing words, hidden among a list of somewhat prosaic instructions, always capture my attention.
Yet up to this verse, Paul has written enough to suggest that leaving the gospel is not a sudden thing. It is gradual; first away from internal truth, then external authority, and then the church. Drifting is like the slow pull of a current we faintly feel but can’t see. Starting between the flags is easy until the whistle of a lifeguard alerts us. Only then do we realise how far we’ve gone. But spiritually, it begins in the heart. We lose sight of God there first.
The Heart’s Slow Departure
2 Timothy 4:3: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…”
Following sound doctrine requires our eyes to remain fixed on Jesus. It also requires that our faith rests in him. Faith opens the door to God’s plan and allows us to accomplish his will for our lives. It does so chiefly because it fosters a heart that yields to the counsel and leading of God. In this way, we remain on the road of truth.
For Demas, what began as a spiritual journey with Paul gradually became an arduous one: the external attractions of the world made it difficult for him to follow Christ, and subsequently, to follow Paul. Like the Israelites with their eyes on the comforts of Egypt, Demas was slowly becoming the sole authority over his life.
Verse 3: “but according to their own desires…”
Here, Paul uncovers an independence of spirit in the people of God; a separation that happens when we remove ourselves from godly authority and walk according to our “own desires.” With Demas, as the allure of the world took its toll, I am sure Paul was aware of his slow drift. Consequently, any spiritual unity in their relationship became compromised.
A warning sign of independence often manifests as a superficial relationship with the leadership of the church. Losing the desire for accountability, our hearts go wherever they please, and we move beyond the freedom God gives us until the world becomes our home. Lot was a bit like this. While he began with his tents close to Sodom, we next read of him inside the city itself. Such is the heart as it feeds its own desires: we may still attend church, but we live removed from godly counsel or direction. And we like it there. We do enough to ease our conscience but not to enter the plan of God.
Cooling Love and the Allure of False Teaching
Such is the decline towards a “cooling love.” In Matthew 24, Jesus warns that because of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. How is it possible to maintain a warm love for Christ when our lives are hidden from him and removed from godly authority? We wear one hat to church and another for the world. We learn to feign a form of godliness, but in the spirit, we stand disconnected from the warmth of God’s presence.
Sadly, we also lose our freedom with the people of God. Outside of the church, when our paths cross, there is an unease in our hearts. Often this serves as a reminder that we are not where we used to be but closer to an exit from the foundation of God’s word. In such a place, the simplicity of the cross becomes an offense, and we make Jesus, our cornerstone, into our stumbling stone.
Verse 3: “they will heap up for themselves teachers…”
It is difficult to believe that a saint can willfully leave the truth. Yet how many examples exist in the word of God? Demas is just one. We cannot share our hearts with the vision of Christ and with the compromise of this world. Jesus clarifies this in Matthew 6, saying, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.” In a similar vein, Paul clarifies that our will is involved: we willfully seek a gospel that is easier to digest—an unstable heart creates an unstable will. Unable to stomach godly food, we become our own teachers. We begin to entertain all sorts of preachers, heaping them up until we find a concoction that suits our appetite.
When Demas left Paul, I wonder what he said: “I’m not leaving you, there are just things I need to do…” I struggle to believe Demas ever admitted his preference for the world. I suppose few leave the foundation with the sincerity to acknowledge their state. But I am certain Paul could feel it. He understood the shape of a compromised heart, clarifying this with the simple but sad statement: “Demas has forsaken me.” If only, along the way, Demas had listened and submitted himself to Christ and to the authority of his mentor.
The Remedy and Our Crown of Righteousness
Verse 5: “But you be watchful in all things…”
With such words, Paul echoes earlier ideas from his first epistle: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16). Here, Paul presents the remedy for Timothy but also for every believer who desires to finish well.
Verse 8: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness … and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Was this not the desire God had for Demas? And is this not the desire God has for every believer? That we would value the crown of righteousness, cherishing Christ’s return more than the glitter of this world? Such a vision will hold us between the flags of sound doctrine. Here, like Paul, we will declare that we have finished our race. For we have kept the faith.
