It is believed Paul composed this letter in about 54 AD while he was residing at Ephesus. He originally visited Galatia on his second missionary journey. Since that time he has learned that troublemakers have been trying to stir up opposition against the gospel he preaches by claiming he is not a true apostle (since he isn't one of the twelve disciples) and that there are other ways to obtain salvation than through the Lord Jesus Christ. This letter clearly puts forth Paul's credentials as an apostle and it vehemently asserts that the cross of Christ is the only means of salvation. Paul will also inform the Galatians of the things he has experienced since he saw them last, so in many ways this letter is as exciting as the book of Acts, for it relates real situations and real conflicts between not only unbelievers and believers, but between believers. We tend to think that the apostles only experienced opposition from enemies of the gospel, but the fact is that they sometimes argued among themselves. They were human just like we are and they faced the same trials and irritations that we face today.
Since Paul's credentials have been thrown into question by troublemakers, in his salutation he reminds the believers at Galatia that he did not appoint himself as an apostle but was appointed by the Lord Himself. Since the cross of Christ has been blasphemed, in this salutation Paul reminds his readers that the cross is the only way to God the Father whose will it was for His Son to give Himself for our sins. "Paul, an apostle---sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead---and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Galatians 1:1-5)
So much is included in these five verses that we could spend a long time studying them. But if I could paraphrase what Paul is saying in this letter and in his other letters I'd put it like this, "I didn't appoint myself as a minister of the gospel. When I met Christ on the road to Damascus I was persecuting the believers of the gospel. I hated Christians and I hated the one they called Christ with all my heart. I am the last person on earth who would have pretended to be a Christian for any reason. I know I've been accused of doing it for personal gain, but I work as a tentmaker to supply my own necessities. I don't charge anyone to hear me preach. I don't dip my hand into the offering plate. I wear ragged clothes and often go without enough food or enough bedding to keep me warm at night. I've been beaten and imprisoned a number of times for preaching the gospel. Who would suffer these things if God did not truly call them as an apostle? No one! But God called me to preach the gospel of His Son who willingly became a sacrifice of atonement for us. There is no greater calling than to lead souls to salvation. A man does not call himself to this work; the Lord must call him and empower him to perform such work. I have suffered much for the sake of the gospel, but it has been worth it, because nothing else has the power to save souls from sin. If there were other ways to be made right with God I would not put myself in such a perilous position. If there were other ways to be made right with God then Christ would not have gone to the cross."
Now he moves on to address the shocking news that some of the believers have turned aside to a gospel that has been perverted by false teachers. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel---which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7) Since later on in this letter Paul will talk about those who are trying to make the Gentile Christians observe rituals of the Mosaic law, some scholars believe this is what Paul is speaking about when he says some have perverted the gospel. I can't say for sure that this is the case, but if so we can see why Paul is so upset and frustrated. He has been preaching a gospel of grace and not of works. Even the law left room for grace because no man or woman could perfectly keep the law. It was understood under the law that people were still going to mess up and that atonement would have to be made for sins they committed. But as Paul will later say in his letter to the Jewish Christians in the book of Hebrews, Christ made the sacrifice of atonement not as the high priest made it (once a year) but He made it once and for all time. Grace was available for another year each time the high priest stood before God in the Most Holy Place in the temple with the blood of the animal sacrifice; but grace is available forever through Christ's blood that He presented before God in the Most Holy Place in heaven.
Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. Salvation has always been by grace through faith. Was Abraham made right with God by keeping the law? The law hadn't even been given when Abraham was on the earth, yet God imputed righteousness to him because he believed God. Was Moses made right with God by keeping the law? Was David made right with God by keeping the law? Were the prophets made right with God by keeping the law? All these great men of the Bible sinned and fell short, yet they obtained salvation by faith. We can read of the mistakes they made; they are plainly written down in black and white. Yet we can also read that they belonged to the Lord and that the Lord imputed righteousness to them because they believed in Him and trusted that He would do for them what they could not do for themselves. Naturally Paul is upset that anyone would tell the Gentile Christians that after accepting the gospel of grace they must still be circumcised in order to be saved, or that they must observe dietary laws in order to be saved, or that they must follow any other ritual in order to be saved. If this is true, then what Christ did on the cross was not enough. If we have to add anything to what Christ did for us on the cross, then why did He cry out with His last breath, "It is finished!"? In the Greek this word is "tetelestai" which means a thing is a sufficient or acceptable payment or remedy. It comes from a root word that means "to complete or accomplish". If what Jesus did on the cross was not a sufficient and acceptable payment or remedy for our sins, why preach His gospel at all? If He said it was finished when in fact it was not, why worship Him?
But the fact is that the work of redemption was finished at the cross and we can add nothing to it. Good works will naturally flow from a heart that loves the Lord, but our good works don't save us. The work of Christ on the cross saves us when we accept what He has done for us by faith. This is why Paul concludes today with such strong words, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be under God's curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!" (Galatians 1:8-9) A harsh penalty is in store for those who pervert the gospel and lead people astray, as we learned from the Apostle Peter's letters. What great condemnation will fall on those who through their lies have prevented souls from being saved! There is no other gospel. We cannot through works make ourselves righteous because we cannot keep ourselves from sin. There are not "many ways" to God. There is only Christ who said of Himself, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:8)
Friday, November 16, 2018
Thursday, November 15, 2018
The Letters Of A Changed Man: A Study Of 1st and 2nd Peter. Day 28, The Day Of The Lord, Part Two
Peter concludes his second letter and the second half of his discussion on "the day of the Lord".
Yesterday we studied only one verse, a verse in which Peter says that the day of the Lord (the day of judgment) will come like a thief (suddenly and unexpectedly when life is just going along as usual). This is how the flood came in the days of Noah. Noah preached for 120 years and converted no one. The people didn't believe him. But then suddenly one day the rain began to fall. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was just as sudden. The people there lived in outright hostility toward God and toward the idea of lawful living. They didn't believe anything would ever change. They thought tomorrow was going to be just like today. But then fire began to fall from heaven. Peter wants unbelievers to realize that just because today is like yesterday and the day before, this doesn't mean God is going to allow wickedness to reign on the earth indefinitely. There comes a tipping point when the cup of wrath is so full that it overflows and will be poured out.
Because believers know this to be true, Peter reminds his readers not to drift away from the Lord. They want to be recipients of grace, not recipients of wrath. "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." (2 Peter 3:11-12a)
In what way will everything be destroyed? By fire, as Peter informed us yesterday. This means the world and the things in it are temporary. We must not value the world or the things in it more than we value being right with a holy God. We are tempted every day to put temporary things before eternal things, so before his martyrdom takes place Peter wants us to understand that the world has it backwards. Eternal things should come before temporary things. Peter is saying to the believers of the ancient world and to us today: "Keep your priorities in line! Your souls are of far more value than anything this world offers. The souls of those around you are more precious than anything on the earth. Don't do anything that puts distance between you and God or that keeps others from finding their way to Him. As Jesus said, 'What does it profit a main to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?'" (Mark 8:36)
We must never compromise our values or sin against the Lord and against our own souls in order to grab hold of temporary pleasures, for, "That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat." (2 Peter 3:12b) If we have put all our energy into obtaining temporary pleasures, we will suffer the loss of all these things because they are going to be destroyed. We will have spent ourselves for nothing.
But Peter is speaking to the Gentile churches in this letter, and he is trusting them to put the eternal things of God first in their lives, so he assures them they are not to live in fear of the coming judgment of the world. They are to live in anticipation of the new creation which Christ will rule over as King and in which those who have trusted in Him will reign with Him. "But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." (2 Peter 3-14)
Peter now makes mention of the Apostle Paul whose teachings line up with his own. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16) I always grin when I read verse 16 and find Peter saying that Paul's words are sometimes hard to understand. Peter only had a fisherman's scant education when he became a disciple of the Lord Jesus. It is likely his family had been engaged in the fishing business for many generations. It was expected he would continue on in the business along with his brother Andrew. There would have been no need for him to go to college since all he needed to be successful at was casting nets from a boat. He would have been given the usual spiritual instruction that was provided to a Jewish male and he would have been taught the basics (what we call "reading, writing, and arithmetic"), but his education probably wouldn't begin to compare with even that of today's high school graduates, much less with that of a college graduate. Peter is in many ways a self-educated man. After coming to know the Lord Jesus, he became an avid student of the Scriptures. He has learned how to be a public speaker. He has learned how to write more effectively so he can clearly share the message of salvation.
Paul, on the other hand, was highly educated. Paul not only learned the Old Testament inside and out in his zeal to become a Pharisee, but he also received the type of education that wealthy Greek and Roman males received. He was schooled in culture and philosophy. He was taught to speak and to read and write in several languages. So naturally the former fisherman Peter can say of the scholarly Paul, "Some things he writes are hard to understand." But instead of people concluding that Paul is talking high-brow philosophy and being deliberately vague, they should find their interest piqued by the parts they can't easily understand. They should look into the subject further, not twist Paul's words and claim he said things he didn't say.
In tomorrow's study we are going to pick back up with the Apostle Paul and study his letter to the Galatians. I believe we will be able, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to understand clearly what Paul is saying. The main reason people cannot understand clearly what he is saying is not because they aren't as well educated as Paul but because they are unspiritual and want to remain unspiritual. Peter says an attitude like that is ignorant and that it reveals an unstable character. He warns us that maintaining such an attitude toward the Scriptures leads people to their own destruction.
"Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen!" (2 Peter 3:17-18) Peter previously told us in this second letter that the time is at hand for him to give his life for the gospel. Knowing this, he has concluded that the best thing he can do is warn the churches against listening to false prophets and falling for false doctrine. He has decided that he must prepare the churches for the coming judgment of the world, for he doesn't know whether this will take place soon after his death or thousands of years later. His message is to be on guard and be ready. This is a timely message for us here in 2018. I don't know when Christ is going to call the church out of the world. I don't know when the final seven years of the end times, known as the Great Tribulation, will begin. Since I can't tell you when the judgment of the world will begin, I can't tell you what year the Second Coming of Christ will occur when He will assume the throne of David and rule over a restored earth in righteousness forever. But I can tell you this: these things are closer now than they were yesterday. Be on guard. Be ready.
Yesterday we studied only one verse, a verse in which Peter says that the day of the Lord (the day of judgment) will come like a thief (suddenly and unexpectedly when life is just going along as usual). This is how the flood came in the days of Noah. Noah preached for 120 years and converted no one. The people didn't believe him. But then suddenly one day the rain began to fall. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was just as sudden. The people there lived in outright hostility toward God and toward the idea of lawful living. They didn't believe anything would ever change. They thought tomorrow was going to be just like today. But then fire began to fall from heaven. Peter wants unbelievers to realize that just because today is like yesterday and the day before, this doesn't mean God is going to allow wickedness to reign on the earth indefinitely. There comes a tipping point when the cup of wrath is so full that it overflows and will be poured out.
Because believers know this to be true, Peter reminds his readers not to drift away from the Lord. They want to be recipients of grace, not recipients of wrath. "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." (2 Peter 3:11-12a)
In what way will everything be destroyed? By fire, as Peter informed us yesterday. This means the world and the things in it are temporary. We must not value the world or the things in it more than we value being right with a holy God. We are tempted every day to put temporary things before eternal things, so before his martyrdom takes place Peter wants us to understand that the world has it backwards. Eternal things should come before temporary things. Peter is saying to the believers of the ancient world and to us today: "Keep your priorities in line! Your souls are of far more value than anything this world offers. The souls of those around you are more precious than anything on the earth. Don't do anything that puts distance between you and God or that keeps others from finding their way to Him. As Jesus said, 'What does it profit a main to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?'" (Mark 8:36)
We must never compromise our values or sin against the Lord and against our own souls in order to grab hold of temporary pleasures, for, "That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat." (2 Peter 3:12b) If we have put all our energy into obtaining temporary pleasures, we will suffer the loss of all these things because they are going to be destroyed. We will have spent ourselves for nothing.
But Peter is speaking to the Gentile churches in this letter, and he is trusting them to put the eternal things of God first in their lives, so he assures them they are not to live in fear of the coming judgment of the world. They are to live in anticipation of the new creation which Christ will rule over as King and in which those who have trusted in Him will reign with Him. "But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." (2 Peter 3-14)
Peter now makes mention of the Apostle Paul whose teachings line up with his own. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16) I always grin when I read verse 16 and find Peter saying that Paul's words are sometimes hard to understand. Peter only had a fisherman's scant education when he became a disciple of the Lord Jesus. It is likely his family had been engaged in the fishing business for many generations. It was expected he would continue on in the business along with his brother Andrew. There would have been no need for him to go to college since all he needed to be successful at was casting nets from a boat. He would have been given the usual spiritual instruction that was provided to a Jewish male and he would have been taught the basics (what we call "reading, writing, and arithmetic"), but his education probably wouldn't begin to compare with even that of today's high school graduates, much less with that of a college graduate. Peter is in many ways a self-educated man. After coming to know the Lord Jesus, he became an avid student of the Scriptures. He has learned how to be a public speaker. He has learned how to write more effectively so he can clearly share the message of salvation.
Paul, on the other hand, was highly educated. Paul not only learned the Old Testament inside and out in his zeal to become a Pharisee, but he also received the type of education that wealthy Greek and Roman males received. He was schooled in culture and philosophy. He was taught to speak and to read and write in several languages. So naturally the former fisherman Peter can say of the scholarly Paul, "Some things he writes are hard to understand." But instead of people concluding that Paul is talking high-brow philosophy and being deliberately vague, they should find their interest piqued by the parts they can't easily understand. They should look into the subject further, not twist Paul's words and claim he said things he didn't say.
In tomorrow's study we are going to pick back up with the Apostle Paul and study his letter to the Galatians. I believe we will be able, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to understand clearly what Paul is saying. The main reason people cannot understand clearly what he is saying is not because they aren't as well educated as Paul but because they are unspiritual and want to remain unspiritual. Peter says an attitude like that is ignorant and that it reveals an unstable character. He warns us that maintaining such an attitude toward the Scriptures leads people to their own destruction.
"Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen!" (2 Peter 3:17-18) Peter previously told us in this second letter that the time is at hand for him to give his life for the gospel. Knowing this, he has concluded that the best thing he can do is warn the churches against listening to false prophets and falling for false doctrine. He has decided that he must prepare the churches for the coming judgment of the world, for he doesn't know whether this will take place soon after his death or thousands of years later. His message is to be on guard and be ready. This is a timely message for us here in 2018. I don't know when Christ is going to call the church out of the world. I don't know when the final seven years of the end times, known as the Great Tribulation, will begin. Since I can't tell you when the judgment of the world will begin, I can't tell you what year the Second Coming of Christ will occur when He will assume the throne of David and rule over a restored earth in righteousness forever. But I can tell you this: these things are closer now than they were yesterday. Be on guard. Be ready.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
The Letters Of A Changed Man: A Study Of 1st and 2nd Peter. Day 27, The Day Of The Lord, Part One
Peter provides us with a short but vivid description of "the day of the Lord". This term is synonymous with what is also called "judgment day" and "the second coming of Christ". It is not to be confused with what is commonly called the "rapture of the church" (from the Latin "rapio" which means to be "caught up"). Peter is going to tell us that the day of the Lord will come as suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief in the night, but we have to keep in mind that the Bridegroom will not come for His bride (the church) in this terrifying manner. In context we see that Peter has been talking for several days about the judgment of the false prophets and the judgment of those who have rejected the Lord. So his dire warning is for unbelievers, not for believers. As we talked about earlier in our study of Peter's letters, most mainstream scholars hold to a pre-Tribulation removal of the church from the world, and they back up this belief with the promise of the Lord Jesus to the church that He would "keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world". (Revelation 3:10)
As we proceed we must keep in mind that the terrifying picture Peter paints today is for those upon whom the wrath of God is going to fall, not for those who belong to Him. "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10) Who is it that should fear their deeds being laid bare to the eyes of a holy God? Those whose deeds are evil. We who are redeemed by the Lord have also had our deeds laid bare, but we laid them bare willingly in order to receive forgiveness for them. As the Apostle Paul said to his friend Timothy, "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going into judgment; and some men they follow after." (1 Timothy 5:24) We want to be of the group whose sins are open beforehand, so that when we stand before God He will say, "Your sins have been paid for by the sacrificial blood of My Son. They have already been dealt with. My Son bore the penalty in your place." We do not want to be of the group who stands before God with their sins uncovered and unredeemed, those to whom God will say, "You will bear the penalty yourself. You rejected the only acceptable form of redemption. You could have had your guilt transferred to the Lamb of God, but instead you chose to retain it."
The Lord is going to remake the earth. Peter describes a violent cataclysm which evokes images of boiling lava and a complete upheaval of the world. In Revelation 21:1 we find that the earth will be remade into a fresh Eden-like state for the redeemed of the Lord to inhabit. It would appear from Peter's words that this cleansing will be accomplished by fire; whether that fire is literal or symbolic I can't say for sure. Scholars are still debating the issue, but when reading the book of Revelation we can clearly see that a great deal of natural disasters will occur in the final days before "the day of the Lord" comes. Some years back we did an in-depth study on the blog of the book of Revelation and as we move through the New Testament I plan for us to revisit it. I think it is a book that has been greatly misused and misunderstood, so together we will be able to clear up the misconceptions that have occurred by popular culture's handling of the book.
Tomorrow we will conclude our look at the day of the Lord in Peter's second letter and we will be comforted by his assurance that the redeemed need not fear fiery judgment.
As we proceed we must keep in mind that the terrifying picture Peter paints today is for those upon whom the wrath of God is going to fall, not for those who belong to Him. "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10) Who is it that should fear their deeds being laid bare to the eyes of a holy God? Those whose deeds are evil. We who are redeemed by the Lord have also had our deeds laid bare, but we laid them bare willingly in order to receive forgiveness for them. As the Apostle Paul said to his friend Timothy, "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going into judgment; and some men they follow after." (1 Timothy 5:24) We want to be of the group whose sins are open beforehand, so that when we stand before God He will say, "Your sins have been paid for by the sacrificial blood of My Son. They have already been dealt with. My Son bore the penalty in your place." We do not want to be of the group who stands before God with their sins uncovered and unredeemed, those to whom God will say, "You will bear the penalty yourself. You rejected the only acceptable form of redemption. You could have had your guilt transferred to the Lamb of God, but instead you chose to retain it."
The Lord is going to remake the earth. Peter describes a violent cataclysm which evokes images of boiling lava and a complete upheaval of the world. In Revelation 21:1 we find that the earth will be remade into a fresh Eden-like state for the redeemed of the Lord to inhabit. It would appear from Peter's words that this cleansing will be accomplished by fire; whether that fire is literal or symbolic I can't say for sure. Scholars are still debating the issue, but when reading the book of Revelation we can clearly see that a great deal of natural disasters will occur in the final days before "the day of the Lord" comes. Some years back we did an in-depth study on the blog of the book of Revelation and as we move through the New Testament I plan for us to revisit it. I think it is a book that has been greatly misused and misunderstood, so together we will be able to clear up the misconceptions that have occurred by popular culture's handling of the book.
Tomorrow we will conclude our look at the day of the Lord in Peter's second letter and we will be comforted by his assurance that the redeemed need not fear fiery judgment.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
The Letters Of A Changed Man: A Study Of 1st and 2nd Peter. Day 26, The Patience Of The Lord
Today Peter talks about the patience of the Lord. We sometimes feel like the wicked just keep on prospering with no punishment in sight, but their day is coming if they do not repent. And we ought to be grateful for the patience of the Lord, for wasn't He patient with us? How many opportunities did He offer us before we accepted His invitation to salvation? Even though many will never accept His invitation, the Lord's righteousness will not allow Him to withhold the offer from anyone.
Peter knows he is going to lose his life for the gospel very soon. He's concerned about heresies creeping into the church. He's angry that false prophets are working hard to lead people astray. This is why in his final letter he has such strong words to say against those who promote false doctrine. Souls are at stake! There is nothing more serious than the eternal destinies of human souls.
"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate your wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles." (2 Peter 3:1-2) He urges them, "Hold to the truth! If you hide the word of the Lord in your heart you will recognize false doctrine. Study what the prophets have said. Study what the Lord Jesus has said. Study what the apostles have taught you. If what your teachers are saying do not line up with these things, reject their teaching."
Knowing God's holy word is the best insurance plan against falling for lies. Remember how Jesus handled His temptation in the wilderness? He replied to every taunt of Satan with the word of God. To every alternative to the cross that Satan offered Him, Jesus said, "It is written" and then He quoted the Scriptures. This is how we handle false doctrine and the lies of the devil and the deception of false teachers. We must know what is written.
"Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this "coming" He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as I has since the beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction for the ungodly." (2 Peter 3:3-7) Peter says, "They joke about the return of Christ as if it is not going to happen. The longer time goes on, the more they will scoff at the idea. They will say, 'Two thousand years have passed and Christ hasn't returned yet. Why do you believe He's going to? Why do you believe in such fairy tales? This world has always been here and it always will be here. Nothing is ever going to change. There is no 'judgment day'. There is no reward for the righteous. Life is the same as it always has been and it always will be the same. We need to get everything out of it we can instead of believing in myths.'"
But they forget that the world has not always been here and that the Lord spoke the universe into existence out of nothing. One day there was nothing; the next day there was something. They forget that the Lord destroyed the ancient world with the flood. This was an act of judgment against the wickedness of the world, so why would anyone believe God is not capable of bringing judgment again? Just because judgment seems slow in coming doesn't mean it's not coming. The people of Noah's day laughed and made fun of him during the 120 years he built the ark and preached repentance to them. With every year that passed, their scorn of Noah's message continued to grow. They probably said, "He's been warning us about a flood for 119 years and 11 months. Well, where is it? It isn't coming. Noah is a madman." But the next month the rain began to fall and Noah was proved right. This is how the final judgment is going to come. Those who have scorned the truth will see the error they have made.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9) Peter quotes the words of Moses from Psalm 90:4, "A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." God has all of eternity at His disposal. To an eternal being, a thousand years is a very short time. It is not difficult for God to be patient. Time means little for the One who has existed forever and who will continue to exist forever. He has not yet brought judgment upon the world because He can afford to be patient in giving mankind time to repent. He knows that some will and some won't, but either way no one will ever be able to stand trial before Him and claim, "You never gave me a chance!" The people of Noah's day could not truthfully cry out as they stood outside the ark, "The Lord never gave us a chance to repent!" They'd had 120 years in which to accept Noah's message from the Lord. The same will be true in the final days. No one can say, "But we never had time to change our minds! We never had a chance to hear the truth! We might have done something different if the Lord had only given us one more day to repent."
Today is always the day of salvation. We aren't promised the next breath, much less tomorrow. In a highly developed nation like the United States we have no excuse for claiming we haven't heard the truth. The word of God is available to us like never before. We don't even have to own a Bible. We can read His word on our phones, our tablets, or our computers. We can listen to it on the radio as we drive down the road. We can turn the TV on and find a generous selection of religious programming to watch. God has graciously made His word available to us in any form we prefer to receive it. If we refuse to accept it, we cannot truthfully ever say to Him, "You never gave me a chance to hear the gospel. If You'd just somehow made it more available to me, I'd have listened to it and repented. But I never had the opportunity." Even the patience of God will someday come to an end, and the judgment He has foretold will fall. Today is the day to accept what He has said. Today is the day to make our hearts right with Him.
Peter knows he is going to lose his life for the gospel very soon. He's concerned about heresies creeping into the church. He's angry that false prophets are working hard to lead people astray. This is why in his final letter he has such strong words to say against those who promote false doctrine. Souls are at stake! There is nothing more serious than the eternal destinies of human souls.
"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate your wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles." (2 Peter 3:1-2) He urges them, "Hold to the truth! If you hide the word of the Lord in your heart you will recognize false doctrine. Study what the prophets have said. Study what the Lord Jesus has said. Study what the apostles have taught you. If what your teachers are saying do not line up with these things, reject their teaching."
Knowing God's holy word is the best insurance plan against falling for lies. Remember how Jesus handled His temptation in the wilderness? He replied to every taunt of Satan with the word of God. To every alternative to the cross that Satan offered Him, Jesus said, "It is written" and then He quoted the Scriptures. This is how we handle false doctrine and the lies of the devil and the deception of false teachers. We must know what is written.
"Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this "coming" He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as I has since the beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction for the ungodly." (2 Peter 3:3-7) Peter says, "They joke about the return of Christ as if it is not going to happen. The longer time goes on, the more they will scoff at the idea. They will say, 'Two thousand years have passed and Christ hasn't returned yet. Why do you believe He's going to? Why do you believe in such fairy tales? This world has always been here and it always will be here. Nothing is ever going to change. There is no 'judgment day'. There is no reward for the righteous. Life is the same as it always has been and it always will be the same. We need to get everything out of it we can instead of believing in myths.'"
But they forget that the world has not always been here and that the Lord spoke the universe into existence out of nothing. One day there was nothing; the next day there was something. They forget that the Lord destroyed the ancient world with the flood. This was an act of judgment against the wickedness of the world, so why would anyone believe God is not capable of bringing judgment again? Just because judgment seems slow in coming doesn't mean it's not coming. The people of Noah's day laughed and made fun of him during the 120 years he built the ark and preached repentance to them. With every year that passed, their scorn of Noah's message continued to grow. They probably said, "He's been warning us about a flood for 119 years and 11 months. Well, where is it? It isn't coming. Noah is a madman." But the next month the rain began to fall and Noah was proved right. This is how the final judgment is going to come. Those who have scorned the truth will see the error they have made.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9) Peter quotes the words of Moses from Psalm 90:4, "A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." God has all of eternity at His disposal. To an eternal being, a thousand years is a very short time. It is not difficult for God to be patient. Time means little for the One who has existed forever and who will continue to exist forever. He has not yet brought judgment upon the world because He can afford to be patient in giving mankind time to repent. He knows that some will and some won't, but either way no one will ever be able to stand trial before Him and claim, "You never gave me a chance!" The people of Noah's day could not truthfully cry out as they stood outside the ark, "The Lord never gave us a chance to repent!" They'd had 120 years in which to accept Noah's message from the Lord. The same will be true in the final days. No one can say, "But we never had time to change our minds! We never had a chance to hear the truth! We might have done something different if the Lord had only given us one more day to repent."
Today is always the day of salvation. We aren't promised the next breath, much less tomorrow. In a highly developed nation like the United States we have no excuse for claiming we haven't heard the truth. The word of God is available to us like never before. We don't even have to own a Bible. We can read His word on our phones, our tablets, or our computers. We can listen to it on the radio as we drive down the road. We can turn the TV on and find a generous selection of religious programming to watch. God has graciously made His word available to us in any form we prefer to receive it. If we refuse to accept it, we cannot truthfully ever say to Him, "You never gave me a chance to hear the gospel. If You'd just somehow made it more available to me, I'd have listened to it and repented. But I never had the opportunity." Even the patience of God will someday come to an end, and the judgment He has foretold will fall. Today is the day to accept what He has said. Today is the day to make our hearts right with Him.
Monday, November 12, 2018
The Letters Of A Changed Man: A Study Of 1st and 2nd Peter. Day 25, Those For Whom Blackest Darkness Is Reserved, Part Two
Today Peter concludes his discourse on the coming judgment of false teachers.
"They will be paid back for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you." (2 Peter 2:13) Peter says, "They're shameless! Most carousing is done after dark, but they do it openly in your presence, enticing you to sin along with them."
"With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed---an accursed brood!" (2 Peter 2:14) We can tell Peter is angry, and he has a right to be. He and the other apostles have labored for the church with everything they have, and yet false teachers are creeping into the hearts and minds of those who are weaker in the faith to lead them astray. It hurts his heart to see the harm done by those who convince believers that it's ok to be a Christian and to live in sin.
"They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey---an animal without speech---who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness." (2 Peter 2:15-16) In the book of Numbers we learn that the prophet Balaam was willing to sell out. King Barak of Moab wanted to hire him to curse the children of Israel. Balaam was willing to do it for a large sum of money, but his donkey balked on the journey and stopped still in the road at the sight of an angel blocking the path. When Balaam beat his donkey in his eagerness to earn the money, the donkey rebuked him in a human voice. Peter is saying something like, "These false prophets are as bad as Balaam who was so wicked that an animal had more understanding than he did. The donkey recognized the presence of the angel and Balaam did not. The donkey had more spiritual awareness than his master."
"These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity---for 'people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.'" (2 Peter 2:17-19) Peter warns, "You will find no refreshment from them. They aren't speaking the words that give life, but words that bring death. They focus on those who have very recently emerged from pagan idolatry and say things like, 'Now that you are saved by Christ it doesn't matter how you live. You're free to do anything you want.' Nothing could be further from the truth! There is no slavery worse than sin. These false teachers have not only deceived you, but have even deceived themselves. They think they are living in freedom and are unable to see that they are shackled in chains."
"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." (2 Peter 2:20-21) Does this mean it's possible for a person to lose their salvation? I personally don't hold to that doctrine, but I do believe it's possible to become a completely ineffective Christian by not taking advantage to the freedom He offers from living in constant bondage to a particular sin. I also believe that some whom we assumed were saved (because they are active in the church) never really belonged to Christ in the first place. We don't have the time or space to debate such a complicated issue as "eternal security" or "once in grace always in grace", so I will only say that Peter's warning is to be taken extremely seriously. He warns his readers, "If you have been saved through faith in Christ, and then you fall back into your old way of living and you become indistinguishable from an unbeliever, you are in worse spiritual shape than you ever were when you were pagan idolaters. Before you heard the gospel you sinned in ignorance. Now you are sinning with the full knowledge that you are sinning. You will have to answer to a holy God for willfully doing what you know to be wrong and for bringing shame to the name of Christ."
My church started a weeklong revival yesterday, and the pastor who preached in the service last night commented on a sign he once saw in a restaurant. It said, "Our reputation is in your hands." He told us that God is saying the same thing, "My reputation is in your hands." The world judges Christ by those who say they are Christians. (Some, unfortunately, are not even Christians but are using His name for their own gain.) We who truly do belong to Christ are representing the holy Son of God in everything we do and say. We need to honor Him with how we live, not only because He deserves our honor, but because honoring Him draws other human beings to Him. If we who claim to belong to Christ do not honor Him with our lives, we can hardly expect unbelievers to be attracted to Him. In Peter's opinion this is the worst sin we can perpetrate against our fellow man.
"They will be paid back for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you." (2 Peter 2:13) Peter says, "They're shameless! Most carousing is done after dark, but they do it openly in your presence, enticing you to sin along with them."
"With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed---an accursed brood!" (2 Peter 2:14) We can tell Peter is angry, and he has a right to be. He and the other apostles have labored for the church with everything they have, and yet false teachers are creeping into the hearts and minds of those who are weaker in the faith to lead them astray. It hurts his heart to see the harm done by those who convince believers that it's ok to be a Christian and to live in sin.
"They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey---an animal without speech---who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness." (2 Peter 2:15-16) In the book of Numbers we learn that the prophet Balaam was willing to sell out. King Barak of Moab wanted to hire him to curse the children of Israel. Balaam was willing to do it for a large sum of money, but his donkey balked on the journey and stopped still in the road at the sight of an angel blocking the path. When Balaam beat his donkey in his eagerness to earn the money, the donkey rebuked him in a human voice. Peter is saying something like, "These false prophets are as bad as Balaam who was so wicked that an animal had more understanding than he did. The donkey recognized the presence of the angel and Balaam did not. The donkey had more spiritual awareness than his master."
"These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity---for 'people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.'" (2 Peter 2:17-19) Peter warns, "You will find no refreshment from them. They aren't speaking the words that give life, but words that bring death. They focus on those who have very recently emerged from pagan idolatry and say things like, 'Now that you are saved by Christ it doesn't matter how you live. You're free to do anything you want.' Nothing could be further from the truth! There is no slavery worse than sin. These false teachers have not only deceived you, but have even deceived themselves. They think they are living in freedom and are unable to see that they are shackled in chains."
"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." (2 Peter 2:20-21) Does this mean it's possible for a person to lose their salvation? I personally don't hold to that doctrine, but I do believe it's possible to become a completely ineffective Christian by not taking advantage to the freedom He offers from living in constant bondage to a particular sin. I also believe that some whom we assumed were saved (because they are active in the church) never really belonged to Christ in the first place. We don't have the time or space to debate such a complicated issue as "eternal security" or "once in grace always in grace", so I will only say that Peter's warning is to be taken extremely seriously. He warns his readers, "If you have been saved through faith in Christ, and then you fall back into your old way of living and you become indistinguishable from an unbeliever, you are in worse spiritual shape than you ever were when you were pagan idolaters. Before you heard the gospel you sinned in ignorance. Now you are sinning with the full knowledge that you are sinning. You will have to answer to a holy God for willfully doing what you know to be wrong and for bringing shame to the name of Christ."
My church started a weeklong revival yesterday, and the pastor who preached in the service last night commented on a sign he once saw in a restaurant. It said, "Our reputation is in your hands." He told us that God is saying the same thing, "My reputation is in your hands." The world judges Christ by those who say they are Christians. (Some, unfortunately, are not even Christians but are using His name for their own gain.) We who truly do belong to Christ are representing the holy Son of God in everything we do and say. We need to honor Him with how we live, not only because He deserves our honor, but because honoring Him draws other human beings to Him. If we who claim to belong to Christ do not honor Him with our lives, we can hardly expect unbelievers to be attracted to Him. In Peter's opinion this is the worst sin we can perpetrate against our fellow man.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
The Letters Of A Changed Man: A Study Of 1st and 2nd Peter. Day 24, Those For Whom Blackest Darkness Is Reserved, Part One
Peter has been explaining to us that some of the worst judgment God will ever hand down is going to fall on those who have led people away from the truth. It's easy to see why this is so. God loves every human being with all His heart. Anyone who turns a human being away from what is good is going to incur His wrath. You can put yourselves in His shoes by thinking about your own children whom you love. If someone were to lead your children away from a good and fulfilling life into drug addiction and homelessness, wouldn't you want that person punished to the fullest extent of the law? Wouldn't you want that person to suffer as badly as he or she has caused your child to suffer? I think this must be how God feels toward those who bring to ruin the lives of people who might instead have found their way to the light of the gospel. God created us for a relationship with Him; the worst thing anyone can do is cause someone to turn their back on Him.
In yesterday's study Peter gave us the examples of the wrath that fell on the ancient world through the flood and on Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. The Lord saved out of those calamities only the people who believed on and trusted in Him. If He brought such harsh punishment on those who perverted His word and broke His laws in the past, we can be sure that punishment is coming on those of our modern day who are doing the same. "This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord." (2 Peter 2:10-11)
The spiritual realm is a busy place. It would stun us to know just how much activity goes on in the unseen world, with God's faithful angels fighting for us against the forces of darkness. I think we'd be awestruck into an amazed silence if we knew only a portion of the battles that have been won for us that we were never aware were even being waged. We have been rescued countless times from plots that were formed against us by Satan and the fallen angels. The Lord Jesus said that Satan's only purpose in dealing with mankind was to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10) But thanks be to our powerful God who fights for us and whose angels keep watch over us! If Satan had his way, you and I would not be alive and breathing right now, but greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) We don't have to live in fear. Jesus was surrounded by probably more demonic activity than anyone else on earth while Satan brought to bear everything he had against the Son of God in an attempt to prevent the salvation of mankind. Many scholars believe this is why Jesus performs so many exorcisms in the gospels, because dark spiritual forces were at their peak while He was present on the earth. But did Jesus walk through this world in fear? No, and we don't have to either. Jesus knew nothing could take Him out of this world until the appointed time, and this is true for us as well. As I once heard someone say, we are immortal until the appointed time comes when God intends to take us home to be with Him.
Peter says that some human beings are so rebellious against all forms of power and authority that they even heap verbal abuse on the angels. Considering the faithful angels don't even curse the names of the fallen angels, it's presumptuous for a human being to do so. But this reveals the attitudes of their hearts, for they regard no authority over them. This is why Peter says, "But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish." (2 Peter 2:12) He says, "People who feel no sense of awe for God or for the beings God has created are like creatures on the lower end of the food chain who have not been given brains capable of feeling emotions or of reasoning things out. They are as incapable of spiritual reasoning as the fish I used to draw into my nets. Like creatures created primarily for consumption, those who refuse to use the brains and the emotions God gave them will be consumed by judgment."
God created us in His image to be able to commune with Him and so that both He and we could enjoy a fulfilling and satisfying relationship that is like no other. To settle for anything less is to fail to fulfill our destiny. We are the crowning glory of all that He created, and to refuse to take our place as the children of the Most High God is to lower ourselves to a level we were never intended to inhabit. A day is coming in which He will say to all who have said no to the very best He has to offer: "Have it your way. I wanted the best of the best for you, but you didn't want the best for yourselves. You didn't want to know Me or even acknowledge My existence, so in the judgment I must say to you, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:23)
In yesterday's study Peter gave us the examples of the wrath that fell on the ancient world through the flood and on Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. The Lord saved out of those calamities only the people who believed on and trusted in Him. If He brought such harsh punishment on those who perverted His word and broke His laws in the past, we can be sure that punishment is coming on those of our modern day who are doing the same. "This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord." (2 Peter 2:10-11)
The spiritual realm is a busy place. It would stun us to know just how much activity goes on in the unseen world, with God's faithful angels fighting for us against the forces of darkness. I think we'd be awestruck into an amazed silence if we knew only a portion of the battles that have been won for us that we were never aware were even being waged. We have been rescued countless times from plots that were formed against us by Satan and the fallen angels. The Lord Jesus said that Satan's only purpose in dealing with mankind was to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10) But thanks be to our powerful God who fights for us and whose angels keep watch over us! If Satan had his way, you and I would not be alive and breathing right now, but greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) We don't have to live in fear. Jesus was surrounded by probably more demonic activity than anyone else on earth while Satan brought to bear everything he had against the Son of God in an attempt to prevent the salvation of mankind. Many scholars believe this is why Jesus performs so many exorcisms in the gospels, because dark spiritual forces were at their peak while He was present on the earth. But did Jesus walk through this world in fear? No, and we don't have to either. Jesus knew nothing could take Him out of this world until the appointed time, and this is true for us as well. As I once heard someone say, we are immortal until the appointed time comes when God intends to take us home to be with Him.
Peter says that some human beings are so rebellious against all forms of power and authority that they even heap verbal abuse on the angels. Considering the faithful angels don't even curse the names of the fallen angels, it's presumptuous for a human being to do so. But this reveals the attitudes of their hearts, for they regard no authority over them. This is why Peter says, "But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish." (2 Peter 2:12) He says, "People who feel no sense of awe for God or for the beings God has created are like creatures on the lower end of the food chain who have not been given brains capable of feeling emotions or of reasoning things out. They are as incapable of spiritual reasoning as the fish I used to draw into my nets. Like creatures created primarily for consumption, those who refuse to use the brains and the emotions God gave them will be consumed by judgment."
God created us in His image to be able to commune with Him and so that both He and we could enjoy a fulfilling and satisfying relationship that is like no other. To settle for anything less is to fail to fulfill our destiny. We are the crowning glory of all that He created, and to refuse to take our place as the children of the Most High God is to lower ourselves to a level we were never intended to inhabit. A day is coming in which He will say to all who have said no to the very best He has to offer: "Have it your way. I wanted the best of the best for you, but you didn't want the best for yourselves. You didn't want to know Me or even acknowledge My existence, so in the judgment I must say to you, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:23)
Saturday, November 10, 2018
The Letters Of A Changed Man: A Study Of 1st And 2nd Peter. Day 23, 'The Lord Knows How To Rescue The Godly
Peter continues on with the theme of God avenging those who have been taken advantage of by false teachers. But we need never fear God will pluck up the wheat with the tares (Matthew 13:29) when He brings judgment on the wicked, for Peter reminds us of the examples of Noah and Lot. The Lord destroyed the world by a flood and yet rescued Noah and his family. The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah but pulled Lot and his family to safety. We are going to look at these two examples, plus one from Revelation, which should comfort our hearts concerning the coming judgment of the wicked and concerning the terrible time known as the Great Tribulation.
"If He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct he lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)---if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment." (2 Peter 2:5-9) We know that the Lord rescued Noah and Lot, so when Peter says "if this is so", it is the same as if he is saying "since this is so". Since God rescued Noah, who loved Him, God will rescue us. Since God rescued Lot, who lived among wicked people but did not join in with the wickedness, God will rescue us. Obviously God knows how to rescue the righteous; the proof is in the two examples Peter has just provided.
We are living in the end times. We have been living in the end times ever since Christ rose from the dead and returned to the Father's house to prepare a place for us. (John 14:3) I don't know how much longer it will be until Christ returns for the church---His bride. Personally I don't know how much longer a holy God can stand to look on the growing wickedness of this world, but at the same time He is longsuffering toward human beings in giving everyone an opportunity to repent. Christ may come to rescue us from the world today or a thousand years from now, but I think we can recognize the signs of the times the Apostle Paul spoke about, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God---having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5a) Every time we turn on the news we see evidence of these types of behaviors in our world. The Lord Jesus said that there will be wars and natural disasters which shall increase in frequency as the end draws near, just as labor pains increase in intensity as the birth of a child draws near. (Matthew 24:5-8) The news is full of dreadful floods, earthquakes, fires, wars, and the heartbreaking casualties of war.
Does all this bad news mean the end is imminent? Does this mean the terrible days of the Great Tribulation are about to come upon the world? Perhaps so, but we who have put our trust in the Lord need not fear the wrath of those days. We can look forward to the future because of a beautiful promise the Lord made to us through the Apostle John: "Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." (Revelation 3:10) We know Christ is speaking to the redeemed---the true church---for in the same passage He says to the church, "I know you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name." (Revelation 3:8) In context Christ is speaking to the church of Philadelphia, which was a literal church in John's day but which also represents a church age. It is believed by most mainstream scholars that each church the Lord writes a letter to through John in Revelation represents a different period of church history, and that the church of Philadelphia symbolizes the final period of the church before Christ's return. The last church the Lord tells John to write a letter to is the church of Laodicea, which represents the apostate church of the Tribulation. This is a church with the attitude Paul talked about, for it will have the form of godliness but will deny its power. There will be no true love of Christ in it. The members may use His name for various purposes in the same way that the false teachers of Peter's day used the Lord's name for various purposes, but they will not belong to Christ.
The Lord didn't allow the flood to take the life of His faithful preacher Noah. The Lord didn't allow the raging fires of Sodom and Gomorrah to take the life of Lot whose heart belonged to Him. The Lord is not going to leave His bride on the earth to endure the worst days this world has ever seen. This is why I agree wholeheartedly with the scholars and theologians who hold to the doctrine of a pre-Tribulation removal of the church from earth. Christ is going to sweep His bride off her feet before judgment falls. He will rescue the love of His life from impending disaster. This is what any mortal man would do, so we can rest assured our all-powerful Bridegroom will do the same. We don't have to fall into a panic about wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters. We don't have to read about the dreadful days of the coming apocalypse and shake with terror. Our eyes and ears, like those of the apostles and the believers of all ages, should be waiting for our Bridegroom to appear and to call out our names. We don't need to worry about the signs of the end but should interpret the signs of the end as proof that our Rescuer is on His way. It is not His intention for us to focus on this dying world or on its judgment, but to focus on the eternity we will share with Him.
"If He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct he lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)---if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment." (2 Peter 2:5-9) We know that the Lord rescued Noah and Lot, so when Peter says "if this is so", it is the same as if he is saying "since this is so". Since God rescued Noah, who loved Him, God will rescue us. Since God rescued Lot, who lived among wicked people but did not join in with the wickedness, God will rescue us. Obviously God knows how to rescue the righteous; the proof is in the two examples Peter has just provided.
We are living in the end times. We have been living in the end times ever since Christ rose from the dead and returned to the Father's house to prepare a place for us. (John 14:3) I don't know how much longer it will be until Christ returns for the church---His bride. Personally I don't know how much longer a holy God can stand to look on the growing wickedness of this world, but at the same time He is longsuffering toward human beings in giving everyone an opportunity to repent. Christ may come to rescue us from the world today or a thousand years from now, but I think we can recognize the signs of the times the Apostle Paul spoke about, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God---having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5a) Every time we turn on the news we see evidence of these types of behaviors in our world. The Lord Jesus said that there will be wars and natural disasters which shall increase in frequency as the end draws near, just as labor pains increase in intensity as the birth of a child draws near. (Matthew 24:5-8) The news is full of dreadful floods, earthquakes, fires, wars, and the heartbreaking casualties of war.
Does all this bad news mean the end is imminent? Does this mean the terrible days of the Great Tribulation are about to come upon the world? Perhaps so, but we who have put our trust in the Lord need not fear the wrath of those days. We can look forward to the future because of a beautiful promise the Lord made to us through the Apostle John: "Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." (Revelation 3:10) We know Christ is speaking to the redeemed---the true church---for in the same passage He says to the church, "I know you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name." (Revelation 3:8) In context Christ is speaking to the church of Philadelphia, which was a literal church in John's day but which also represents a church age. It is believed by most mainstream scholars that each church the Lord writes a letter to through John in Revelation represents a different period of church history, and that the church of Philadelphia symbolizes the final period of the church before Christ's return. The last church the Lord tells John to write a letter to is the church of Laodicea, which represents the apostate church of the Tribulation. This is a church with the attitude Paul talked about, for it will have the form of godliness but will deny its power. There will be no true love of Christ in it. The members may use His name for various purposes in the same way that the false teachers of Peter's day used the Lord's name for various purposes, but they will not belong to Christ.
The Lord didn't allow the flood to take the life of His faithful preacher Noah. The Lord didn't allow the raging fires of Sodom and Gomorrah to take the life of Lot whose heart belonged to Him. The Lord is not going to leave His bride on the earth to endure the worst days this world has ever seen. This is why I agree wholeheartedly with the scholars and theologians who hold to the doctrine of a pre-Tribulation removal of the church from earth. Christ is going to sweep His bride off her feet before judgment falls. He will rescue the love of His life from impending disaster. This is what any mortal man would do, so we can rest assured our all-powerful Bridegroom will do the same. We don't have to fall into a panic about wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters. We don't have to read about the dreadful days of the coming apocalypse and shake with terror. Our eyes and ears, like those of the apostles and the believers of all ages, should be waiting for our Bridegroom to appear and to call out our names. We don't need to worry about the signs of the end but should interpret the signs of the end as proof that our Rescuer is on His way. It is not His intention for us to focus on this dying world or on its judgment, but to focus on the eternity we will share with Him.
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