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)

When Faith Is Shipwrecked

Faith is the central characteristic of the heart to believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Without faith, there is no hope. A dead faith is a life that has no works to show its faith. Believing Jesus is the Son of God requires faith to accept the life of a man that lived and died two thousand years ago, and that was reported to have risen from the grave by many witnesses. There is no physical proof of Jesus’s life apart from the scriptures’ testimony. The empty tomb of Jesus has long been lost to the centuries of time. When a man accepts the truth of Jesus to follow the will of the Father, he does so by faith.

There is no doubt that faith is necessary for salvation. What is also defined in scripture is the possibility of those who once named the name of Christ and obeyed the gospel of Christ to turn away from God’s grace for the attraction of the world. Obedience to the gospel is a necessary part of the Christian’s life. Washing sins away in baptism will not guarantee salvation alone. Only those who do the will of the Father will be saved. If a man refuses to obey the will of God, he has cast aside his faith to embrace the will of the carnal mind.

Ships sail on the waters, moving from one place to another. They are sturdy and seaworthy to make long voyages and carry great loads. There is something majestic about a ship sailing on the wide open spaces of the ocean. The greatest tragedy to befall a ship is to experience a shipwreck. This is where the ship is lost and irretrievably damaged. Over the centuries, many ships have been lost to neglect, accidents, wars, and human error. The remnants of a shipwreck can be discovered, but the ship can never be returned to service.

Paul uses the image of a shipwreck to describe the condition of the hearts of two Christians. Hymenaeus and Alexander suffered shipwreck of their faith, as Paul says he delivered them to Satan so that they may learn not to blaspheme. What happened to Hymenaeus and Alexander was not damaged by running into a rock or suffering the loss of the mizzen, main mast, or foremast. Shipwreck shows the totality of the condition. The faith of these two Christians was destroyed. It is unknown how or why this happened, but the sad reality is that it did happen and can happen.

Ships endure many things in the harsh waters of the world, and a good sailing crew will continually make repairs to keep the ship afloat and useful. When a ship suffers a shipwreck, there is nothing more to repair. It is beyond hope. Faith will endure many hardships in life. The spirit of the devoted Christian will continually repair the damage brought on by the evil one. Sadly, some of God’s children allow the trappings of the world and the lies of Satan to shipwreck their faith, leaving them with no hope.

Rejecting sound doctrine will shipwreck a soul. Giving up the warfare against the lust of the flesh will sink a Christian life. Allowing a good conscience to be filled with the desires of the world brings the soul to the depths of sin. A life shipwrecked is a life ruined. Sin will continue to beat upon the soul of the Christian. Unless the ship is found on the rock of Jesus Christ, it will be destroyed. There is nothing left to hope for.

Faith must be secured in God’s promises to survive life’s storms regardless of how bad conditions become. God will not allow the heart of His child to be destroyed if that child will continue to trust in Him. Storms will come, and some will have great winds of fear. Trusting in the Lord will keep the ship secure. Do not let Satan bring your life to shipwreck. There is nothing worse than a child of God suffering shipwreck. Stay the course. Trust in God. He will guide you to the fair haven of rest.