Shipwreck

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1.18-20

Wage the warfare, Timothy, have faith and keep a good conscience because some others have turned aside and their ministries have been shipwrecked. Paul writes of something in another place where he talks about fearing being a castaway.

From what I am seeing these are not lost men who have been cast aside. It looks lot me like they were men serving God but got their lives so messed up that they were of no use and God laid them aside and let them carry on in their uselessness.

It’s a fearful thing to think that God might may us aside and allow us to be idle and on the shelf as believers. I don’t think there is any indication here of losing of salvation. It is simply a matter of God shelving us until we can get right with Him.

The only way to avoid this is to stay in the fight and waging the spiritual warfare against to the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Don’t get distracted. Don’t turn away. Look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.