The Deception of Culture!
The Scriptures are the most important thing in my life. They are the only true source of truth. They are a mirror that exposes the error of my ways. And because of the finished work of Christ and God’s grace working in my life it is easier and easier to trust God’s ways. That what is meant by the “Fear of the Lord”.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be searching the scripture to see what life is going to be like prior to the coming of the Lord.
There is abundance of scriptures that foretell these events.
2 Peter 3:14-18
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. NKJV
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand.
You Fall from: To fall from any state or condition, i.e., to lose one's part or interest in that state
Steadfastness: to establish, fix. A setting firmly
How does this happen in our lives?
Led away: to take off together, to be seduce, to passively yield.
Gal 2:11-13
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. NLT
Error: A wandering out of the right way
Wicked: this did not refer to a law enacted by a body of lawmakers but that which became prevalent by custom and was expected to be observed as if it were a law
1 Tim 4:1
4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; KJV
2 Peter 2:6-8
6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. NLT
16b which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
Twist: to distort so that a false meaning results
Destruction: Refers to the state after death wherein exclusion from salvation is a realized fact, wherein man, instead of becoming what he might have been, is lost and ruined.
There are people that are in here that know the truth and have slowly allowed the culture to seduce them, walking away from what they should be and if they do not turn from their error, their life will end in loss and ruin!
God is being patient, but judgment will come!
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV
When dealing with the people during the time of Moses, God gave them 120 years to hear the truth, but they did not take it seriously!
Matt 24:36-44
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. NKJV
What is God’s Solution?
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. NKJV
Grow: to give increase, cause to grow, enlarge
What is living in us and will act upon us?
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. NKJV
Grace: the divine influence upon the heart
Knowledge: mental excellence, to understand, wisdom
Next Week:
2 Peter 3:1-7
3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. NKJV
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be searching the scripture to see what life is going to be like prior to the coming of the Lord.
There is abundance of scriptures that foretell these events.
2 Peter 3:14-18
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. NKJV
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand.
- If you do not know, you will in the next couple of weeks
- The sad thing is, many do know, and have fallen away for their steadfastness!
You Fall from: To fall from any state or condition, i.e., to lose one's part or interest in that state
- Like a ship that gets off course
Steadfastness: to establish, fix. A setting firmly
How does this happen in our lives?
Led away: to take off together, to be seduce, to passively yield.
Gal 2:11-13
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. NLT
Error: A wandering out of the right way
Wicked: this did not refer to a law enacted by a body of lawmakers but that which became prevalent by custom and was expected to be observed as if it were a law
- A wandering away from what is right and passively being accustomed to the culture.
- I think this happens because the consequences have not been severe of enough Yet!
- When the fiery darks come that ignite our desire or feelings we passively yield
1 Tim 4:1
4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; KJV
2 Peter 2:6-8
6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. NLT
16b which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
Twist: to distort so that a false meaning results
Destruction: Refers to the state after death wherein exclusion from salvation is a realized fact, wherein man, instead of becoming what he might have been, is lost and ruined.
There are people that are in here that know the truth and have slowly allowed the culture to seduce them, walking away from what they should be and if they do not turn from their error, their life will end in loss and ruin!
God is being patient, but judgment will come!
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV
When dealing with the people during the time of Moses, God gave them 120 years to hear the truth, but they did not take it seriously!
Matt 24:36-44
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. NKJV
What is God’s Solution?
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. NKJV
Grow: to give increase, cause to grow, enlarge
- For someone or something to grow it must be acted upon by an outside power or have the element of life within him or it.
What is living in us and will act upon us?
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. NKJV
Grace: the divine influence upon the heart
Knowledge: mental excellence, to understand, wisdom
Next Week:
2 Peter 3:1-7
3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. NKJV