Tag: 2 Peter 1

Our Gathering Together Unto Him

On By TimIn 2 Thessalonians 02, Day of the Lord, Last Days, RaptureLeave a comment

Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and concerning our gathering together unto Him, we ask you not to let your mind be quickly shaken or be troubled, neither in spirit nor by word, nor by letter coming as though from us, as if the day of Christ is already here.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–2

This may be a familiar text to every Christian, but there are many who misunderstand it and then misuse it. Paying attention, Paul is writing to dispel a nasty rumor from a forged letter. A letter that obviously appeared to be from Paul and his friends. The contents of which obviously trouble the Thessalonians. What is it that could be so troubling?

Well, from the context and Paul’s reference to the Day of Christ (or the Day of the Lord,) it had already come. The gathering together would be what would happen after the rapture, when the dead in Christ are made alive and caught up together with the saints to be with Jesus. In other words, these saints were tricked into thinking they had missed out altogether.

So how does Paul put away their trouble?

Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that Day will not come unless a falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself as God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4

He uses a watershed event as a witness to the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is not the day of the rapture. The rapture precedes that day, as the morning star precedes the dawn of any day. Yet, that day Paul is writing of would include the unveiling of the desolator, the man of sin who reveals himself as if he is God. Paul had already taught them about the Day of the Lord and the timeline of events. This is attested to in his first epistle.

Concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you. For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–3

The Day of the Lord is not a happy time. It is prophesied by Joel, and will be terrifying.

Blow the ram’s horn in Zion,
sound the alarm on My holy mountain!
All the inhabitants of the earth will tremble,
because the day of the Lord has come,
because it is near—
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness.
Like blackness spreading over the mountain,
a great and mighty army comes,
such as was never before,
and will never be again,
even through the years of all generations.

Joel 2:1–2

The text clearly describes a period of time like no other. For anyone to say this has already happened is completely wrong. History is replete with dark events, not this. To ascribe this to something historic is to believe something worse than that event cannot happen. Even as we witness devolution to chaos and inhumanity. In fact, I would say that this unprecedented black day needs to be the culminating event of evil perpetrated on creation, the last day. A day in which the Lord comes to rescue His.

So it becomes clear that Paul would use the watershed event in that Day as the marker of that Day.

Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? Now you know what restrains him that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already working. Only He who is now restraining him will do so until He is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and destroy with the brightness of His presence, even him, whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all deception of unrighteousness among those who perish, because they did not receive the love for the truth that they might be saved. Therefore God will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie: that they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:5–12

Along with the watershed event would be the mass delusion of people. The fact that the Thessalonians are troubled reveals that there is no spirit of delusion at work. And certainly the man of sin has not yet been revealed.

It follows then as Paul writes, that the Day of the Lord has not yet come.

Some will try to dissuade people from the truth, claiming that Paul is using this observation as a litmus test of there being no rapture. Because the man of sin has to be revealed before anything like that can happen. But that simply is not true. The Thessalonians did not miss the rapture, and the proof is as Paul says: the Day of the Lord had not yet come.

Think about that. If Paul had used what they thought they had missed, it would not have alleviated any trouble. No, he had to use the very watershed event of that dark day as proof. That day has not yet come; therefore, the dawning of that day had not yet come either.

Here is the testimony of Jesus of Himself.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Revelation 22:16

He says he is the Bright and Morning Star. The way it has been translated puts the conjunction and between the two adjectives. In effect, Jesus says He is the Bright Star, meaning He outshines all of the others. The heavenly beings, angels, are called stars. Jesus is the Brightest of them all.

He also calls Himself the Morning Star. The idea behind this title would immediately be known. It may not be so much for us. But the morning star announced the dawn of the day. This title Jesus applies to Himself is no mistake. What day do you think the Morning Star announces?

The only logical conclusion is the Day of the Lord. The Morning Star appears in the heavens to announce the dawn of the day. That sounds familiar. Who gets the Morning Star?

“To him who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
He ‘shall rule them with a rod of iron;
like the vessels of a potter they shall be broken in pieces’—
even as I myself have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 2:26–29

The overcomer does. These are church-age saints who will rule the world with Him—Jesus. The saints of the church get that Morning Star as a precursor to the Day of the Lord. It is the Morning Star that comes before the light of the Day. He appears in heaven. Just as Jesus does at the rapture and calls home His body.

For we have not followed cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to Him from the majestic glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we ourselves heard this voice, which came from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
And we have a more reliable word of prophecy, which you would do well to follow, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

2 Peter 1:16–19

The prophecies that are for that day. Which means these will happen before. As the word until conveys continuance to that point. It is before that day, the Day of the Lord.

But before it happens, the prophecies we have are more reliable. So if this day is going to happen, saints are not appointed for it. It necessitates an escape before it.

Surely the day is coming, burning like an oven; all the proud, yes, all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming will burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. You will go out and grow up like calves from the stall. 3 And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I do this, says the Lord of Hosts.

Malachi 4:1–3

Are you looking for Jesus, or someone else?

The Morning Star and the Sun of Righteousness

On By TimIn 2 Samuel 23, Day of the Lord1 Comment

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: He who rules over man justly, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning with no clouds, gleaming after the rain like grass from the land.

2 Samuel 23:3–4

This is a description of the ideal King. Moving on, let us focus on the simile that this King is like the light of the morning. The reference to the Person here also brings to mind a specific day. It foreshadows Jesus in the Millennial Kingdom as He rules the Earth from Jerusalem. This day is known as the Day of the Lord. Most focus on specific judgments, but there is far more to be understood. Just like any day, the elements establish a pattern. The Scriptures assume a similar pattern for the Day of the Lord.

Dusk to Dark Night

Consider that in Israel, a day begins at dusk, keep that in mind. Seizing the simile that the Coming King is like the sun, when He left Earth to go to heaven would seem an appropriate allusion to dusk and night. Peter helps to demonstrate that this would be one of those harbingers that announce the arrival of the last days.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all you who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days it shall be,’ says God, ‘that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes. And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Acts 2:14–21

Peter cites Joel 2: 28-32. The greater context of Joel introduces us to a time called the day. It is the Day of Jehovah.

Alas, for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and like devastation from the Almighty it comes.

Joel 1:15

The Israelis present understood the Scriptures. They understood what Peter was saying clearly. Devastation was upon the nation. The last days were here, specifically announcing the Last Day.

We know the nation of Israel ceased to be around 70 AD when the temple was destroyed and Jerusalem besieged by Rome. It was not until the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 AD that resulted in a genocidal assault on Jewish populations around Jerusalem. Emperor Hadrian eventually erased the name Judaea from the map and replaced it with Syria Palaestina. Israel was gone, just as Joel foretold.

Given what is written in Joel, it is clear the Day of the Lord had already begun. Keeping consistent with the pattern of the day, dusk turns to darkness of night. Malachi also educes the same idea. The day coming will bring devastation. Yet it would not leave believers without hope.

Surely the day is coming, burning like an oven; all the proud, yes, all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming will burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. You will go out and grow up like calves from the stall. And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I do this, says the Lord of Hosts.

Malachi 4:1–3

Malachi tells us that the day is coming when all the unbelievers will be vanquished. The One saying this is the Lord of Hosts. The Lord of Hosts is Jesus and it specifically calls to the mind His return as He leads the armies of heaven.

The Son Rises

For believers on Earth, His coming will be like the rising sun. I think the reference is very important. The sunrise is reckoned here as the second coming of Jesus. There’s more to this…

Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them has He set a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; it rejoices as a strong man to run a race. Its going forth is from one end of the heavens, and its circuit extends to the other end, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:4–6

The sunrise is likened to the coming of the Bridegroom. This is but another reference that points to the second coming of Jesus.

“May all Your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love Him rise like the sun when it rises in full strength.”

Judges 5:31a

Again, the time when all God’s enemies perish is at the time the sun rises in full strength. It is at the second coming of Jesus as King. There is more to this correlation.

Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord binds up the breach of His people and heals the wound from His blow.

Isaiah 30:26

So what to make of this?

Considering the reference to the day, there are many parts of it. There’s the sunset. There’s the dark of night. There’s the dawn. There’s the sunrise. There’s the bright sun of the day.

We have focused on the sunrise. There is a difference between dawn and sunrise. Dawn announces the sunrise. This is important to understand as the Scriptures use these terms. Clearly, sunrise and the Second Coming of Jesus are correlated.

Why is this important?

Morning Star

Well, Peter helps us to understand.

And we have a more reliable word of prophecy, which you would do well to follow, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

2 Peter 1:19

The dawning of the day happens before the sunrise. The Morning Star arises in the dawn to announce the coming sunrise.

When Peter writes of the dawn of day, that is a reference to that Day, the Day of the Jehovah. We know that sunset brings dusk turning to darkness. Dawning announces the sunrise of the day. The event Peter is alluding to will announce the sunrise of the Day.

Likewise, scholars believe the reference to the Morning Star as pointing to the second coming of Jesus. We know that the sunrise is the Second Coming of Jesus. But the Morning Star is given in the dawn to church-age believers.

I Give the Morning Star

Moving forward to Revelation, and specifically to Jesus’ epistle to the church of Thyatira. He rebukes the church with some strong words.

“But I have a few things against you: You permit that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, but she did not repent. Look! I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

Revelation 2:20–22

Along with the rebuke, there is a specific promise given to those who do not change, they will be cast with the seductress into great tribulation. It is a precise phrase that many think points to the seven years known as Jacob’s Trouble.

Yet Jesus promises something to those who still believe…

And I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 2:28

A bit later, John reveals to us exactly Who Jesus says this Morning Star is.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Revelation 22:16

The Scriptures reference the Second Coming of Jesus as the sunrise (of the Day of the Lord.) For the unbelievers, it will be devastating. But for those living, they will rejoice and enter His kingdom. The previous citation above from Judges 5 also seems to hint at the resurrection at the end of the age. This is when the Israeli saints are given their inheritance. (To understand resurrection, see this post: The Surprising Way That Resurrection Proves Futurism and the Rapture Before the Hour of Testing)

The Morning Star comes in the dawn. It announces the coming sunrise. It is the harbinger of the sunrise of the day, that Day.

Escaping the Corruption of the World

On By TimIn 2 Peter 01, Eternal Security, Salvation1 Comment

There exists a vast difference in between the ones who escape the corruption of the world and partake of the divine nature and those who escape the defilements of the world for a season.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

2 Peter 1:2

In the introduction, Peter is established the tone. That tone is to Peter is encourage other believers to hold fast. Not that they might lose out on eternal life at some future time, but to ensure their own maturity in the faith. To grow to maturity ought to be the goal of every Christian.

At the beginning of this epistle, Peter establishes a premise. Sometimes that premise is blurred by the particular translation of the Bible used which may lead to some insecurities. Because of this, I prefer a literal word-for-word translation. This helps me to grasp the nuances in word meanings being translated. It also helps to have tools available to try and understand the subtleties in the original language that do not translate clearly. Taking the extra time for a bit of a deeper dive helps to ensure right division of the Bible.

With that said, let’s dive in!

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence, by which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these things you might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:3–4

At the outset, Peter is saying that Christians have everything they need no to live godly lives. These come by the promises of God. Promises that you have no part in save to receive them. He keeps them, even in light of what you do… Because it’s His word. His word is not made void by the freedom He has bestowed on us.

Because we have these promises, we escape the corruption of the world and become partakers of the divine nature. That statement is loaded with lots of stuff to unpack. Note the phrasing, escape the corruption. The corruption is in the world through lust. Think of the word lust as desire and intense craving.

Focus on the word corruption. It is the Greek word phthoras which does mean corruption and can also mean destruction. The destruction is ultimately death. That is the end result of sin. But the Christian escapes this.

For this reason make every effort to add virtue to your faith; and to your virtue, knowledge; and to your knowledge, self-control; and to your self-control, patient endurance; and to your patient endurance, godliness; and to your godliness, brotherly kindness; and to your brotherly kindness, love.

2 Peter 1:5–7

Peter then provides a prescription for the saved person who has eternal life. Keep in mind that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. The outline is indeed doable by every Christian.

It is self-explanatory in nature. Faith is required to get eternal life and forgiveness is sins, it is also necessary to live a Christian life. It’s not faith alone. We add virtue onto our faith.

Virtue is excellence of character… Blamelessness. Add knowledge to virtue and then self-control. Self-control is different than virtue and comes after. Patience, godliness, kindness then follow, and finally love.

Most of us get it backwards. We think we love first. Peter is telling us that we cannot truly love without all of those things that come orderly before.

For if these things reside in you and abound, they ensure that you will neither be useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:8

The discussions that sometimes revolve around 2 Peter tend toward who is really saved. The reality is Peter is encouraging us to be useful and fruitful. This is not unlike much of the Bible, which itself teaches us how to be useful to God. Yes, first we need to be saved. Being useful and fruitful comes with maturity.

Virtue Revisited

I need to say more about virtue. It is a word that conveys an idea of blamelessness. Paul helps us to understand this idea of blamelessness and from whence it comes. He calls it a gift.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if through the trespass of one man many died, then how much more has the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. The gift is not like the result that came through the one who sinned. For the judgment from one sin led to condemnation, but the free gift, which came after many trespasses, leads to justification. For if by one man’s trespass death reigned through him, then how much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:15–17

Righteousness is the quality of being in accordance with God’s requirements. It’s to be blameless in the law. Paul says this gift comes freely by Jesus to any who want it. Recall what Peter said, He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We don’t add to it, not maintain it. We simply cannot!

It is this gift of righteousness that leads to justification of life. Meaning you and I as Christians can stand blameless in the presence of God. It’s like me saying “Just as if I’d never sinned!”

Strong’s Dictionary gives us some additional insight to this word virtue (Greek aretē.) It means excellence of character, whether that excellence is intrinsic or attributed. As Paul showed, righteousness is attributed to us by God as a gift.

There is another sense conveyed by virtue… It is the idea of valor. Valor is the strength of mind needed to resist fear and brave danger. Think about that. God has given you that strength of mind.

Adding Virtue to Faith is Then Easy

If you are a Christian… You are saved. You have eternal life. Nothing can move you from that position. Fear can trick you but you don’t have to succumb to it. We resist that fear.

When the enemy comes and tells you you’re not doing enough and therefore not valuable to God, know it’s a lie. It’s designed to make you afraid. Resist it the fear, and the enemy has to flee.

God sent His Son Jesus for us. You and I have value and worth far greater than you can imagine.

The journey from faith to virtue is easy. God gives it to us. It means those that have eternal life by faith cannot be removed from it. If there’s a struggle on whether you can lose the gift of eternal life and your salvation, it stops here. And the text is going to show us that clearly.

Blind and Shortsighted in Forgetfulness

But the one who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted because he has forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 Peter 1:9

When we forget who we are, and more to the point… Whose we are… It can lead to shortsightedness. Remember, you and I are already cleansed from former sins. Yes that is true. Yet it goes beyond former sins. Remember Peter saying that we might become partakers of the divine nature?

Paul says we already are.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins. He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed authorities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:13–15

We are already resurrected with Him. There is no way that can happen unless we are already partaking of the divine nature. Not only that, we are forgiven all sins. These are not just the former sins, but all of them!

Whatever claim the enemy had on us is gone. That’s the freedom of the Christian life. That’s the virtue that we courageously stand in now. We are immovable. We cannot sin enough to lose out on anything God has already given to us. Why would any of us really want to do that?

Now knowledge is added to the virtue. So what now?

Add the rest, self-control, patience, godliness, kindness, and love.

Calling and Election

Therefore, brothers, diligently make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided for you.

2 Peter 1:10–11

We make our calling and election sure. That is not about salvation. It’s about being useful, useful to God. He has given to every one of us unique gifts to be of service to Him. It is our responsibility to know what these things are and how to employ them for His glory. That is making sure your calling is to a particular place of service. Your election is to be useful to God… Not just saved.

Championing Us

Therefore I will not be negligent to always remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I live in this body, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that soon I will take off this body, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me. And I will also be diligent to make sure that after my death you will always remember these things.

2 Peter 1:12–15

We all need encouragement. It ought be a strong part of our lives to encourage and admonish others in the same love that Peter does. We do that by reminding ourselves and others of all of these things.

Warnings

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their judgment, made long ago, does not linger, and their destruction does not slumber.

2 Peter 2:1–3

This discussion takes a darker turn away from encouragement. Peter is instructing as he exposes false teachers and those led astray by them. These deny the Lord that bought them. Does that mean they have lost salvation?

No. As we have already witnessed in Colossians, sin has been nailed to the cross and taken out of the way freeing humanity from the grips of the enemy. The Lord bought the lot of Adam’s race, every single human that has, had, or will have life. To deny that is to never ever come to salvation and receive the gifts of eternal life and righteousness. I admit, it’s a simple conclusion, but it’s right there. It is the truth. That’s why the writer of Hebrews put it this way:

Therefore we should be more attentive to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken by angels was true, and every sin and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation, which was first declared by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?

Hebrews 2:1–3

Considering the immeasurable generosity is such a gesture, how do people ignore it as if nothing really happened?

It would be the height of arrogance and indifference. It’s easy to understand why people go to perdition. And Peter does not have kind things to say about these types of people and the ideas they share with others.

For when they speak arrogant words of vanity, they entice by the lusts of the flesh and by depravity those who barely escaped from those who live in error.

2 Peter 2:18

Remember, the first phrase… Escape the corruption (phthoras.) Peter uses the same idea of escape again. This time it is to describe those who barely escape from those who live in error. I think he is speaking of Christians. These false teachers entice believers with religion. Religion is the idea that people can make themselves presentable to God by abstaining from sin.

Promised Freedom

Although they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by that which a man is overcome, to this he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then turn back from the holy commandment that was delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog returns to his own vomit,” and “the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mud.”

2 Peter 2:19–22

Freedom is contrasted with the enslavement to corruption. Instead of teaching reliance on the promises of God, the false teacher offers a semblance of freedom that is really slavery.

These teachers have themselves not yet escaped corruption (phthoras) but are still slaves to it. Remember what Paul said:

Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves to obey, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Romans 6:16

Stepping out to sin is presenting yourself as a slave to it. Sin leads to death… The (phthoras) destruction.

Back to the text in 2 Peter, these false teachers seem to escape the defilements of the world. Defilements in the Greek is the word miasmata. It’s different than phthoras, and is only used this once in the entire New Testament. The single usage connotes it has some significance.

Miasmata means shameful deeds, or what we would call sins. In other words, it seems these are escaping sins. But it only seems for a bit as they return to the carnality of the world.

When a person hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented they receive the knowledge of Him as Savior. What they do with that is of paramount importance as Peter hints at.

Let’s consider an example. It’s like when people come to church. They might enjoy the time of worship and even get something from the message given. They may even enjoy the fellowship and kindness that abounded. Then they leave and not applying what they heard. They are not changed. Yet, for a short period of time in church… They escaped the defilements of the world in the shelter of the Spirit present in the body of Christ. They did not repent, were not saved, and they did not receive eternal life. These go back to their carnality.

The part of having not known the way of righteousness the becomes condemnation. Each time the Gospel is ignored it hardens the heart. At each iteration it will become easier to not respond. That is why the latter state is worse not hearing.

Escape the Corruption

Christians escape the corruption and become partakers of the divine nature. It is escaping destruction. And such can never become corrupted again. Therefore losing eternal life and salvation are not possible.

Those that escape the defilements can sometimes be described with a term I like, “churchians.” These are folks who go to church and try to live a good life by not sinning, somehow thinking those things give them credibility. Some even shame others for not living like they do. Self-help and motivational therapy is not Christianity. Doing good deeds is not what makes a Christian. Neither is keeping the law or obeying commands. Don’t fall prey to the quaint religious language.

A Christian is one who believes in the One Whom God sent… Jesus. It’s His name we bear. It’s I solely in Him Who we trust. We know He lived, died for our sins, and spent three days in the grave. That was not the end… For He rose again as Victor over death.

Believing that is what makes one a Christian. Jesus keeps those who are His. Those things don’t come by following a set of rules.

Making Faith my Own

On By TimIn 2 Peter 01, Encouragement2 Comments

Begging for a bit of indulgence to deviate slightly in order to demonstrate a life lesson.

I met a young woman named Dinah this weekend. She was with an older friend and coworker named Byron. I had the opportunity to hear both of their testimonies before they were baptized.

Dinah spoke of a sort of coming of age in her own walk with Jesus. She had grown up in a Christian home with Christian parents. She went to church. She prayed. She read her Bible. She had even been baptized before.

But when she went to college, she realized something was missing. She was not going to church. She was not with her parents. Her faith was not her own, but it was her parents. She had gone to church, prayed and was even baptized because that was what was expected of her to do.

She endeavored to make her faith her own.

As questions were posed to her, the answers seemed to be good but there was a subtle vagueness to them. She never had a testimony of responding to an invitation, nor really saying a sinner’s prayer. She did have a testimony of asking God to be real to her and work in her.

When the attention turned to her friend Byron, things become crystal clear. By looks alone, this man seemed to be old enough to be Dinah’s father. He was a coworker.

Byron, knowing Dinah was a Christian asked her to pray for him as he was going through a dramatic and emotional upheaval of his life. She said I can pray for you and sensed he need more than prayer. She told him she would pray for him but said it would be better for him to come to come sit next to her in church.

Byron soon became a Christian. He knows the day he was saved, and two months later was standing in front us ready to be baptized.

As I was listening to all of this, I could not help but to think of Peter’s second epistle. In that writing Peter speaks of distinct groups of people by seemingly similar phrases. The first group are those saved, the ones who escape the corruption of the world and partake of the divine nature. Dinah’s testimony comes in Peter’s words.

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence, by which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these things you might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:3–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These are real Christians. They can be babes in the faith or seasoned saints. Nevertheless, these live as a partakers of the divine nature. The divine nature is permanent, and such speaks to the permanence of salvation as a part of the divine nature.

Look at how Peter’s further encouragement to these saints helps us to see the shining Light of Dinah’s testimony.

For this reason make every effort to add virtue to your faith; and to your virtue, knowledge; and to your knowledge, self-control; and to your self-control, patient endurance; and to your patient endurance, godliness; and to your godliness, brotherly kindness; and to your brotherly kindness, love. For if these things reside in you and abound, they ensure that you will neither be useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the one who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted because he has forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 Peter 1:5–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Dinah did know all of the Christianeze. Yet she also knew something was missing. She also knew she had sinned and fallen short of the perfection God demands. She went to Jesus as He is the only way to escape the certainty of that corruption that comes from those defilements.

In her own youth, it seems she forgot to make her faith her own. She didn’t add virtue to her faith. She didn’t add knowledge to that virtue. There is a chain of things we must add to our faith, which brings us to godliness, brotherly kindness, and love for others.

Dinah had the protection of family and church. It was when she left she realized she missed the fellowship of the Spirit of God, though she never voiced it that way. The reality was clear.

It’s easy to relish in that when we go to church and have a Christian family. The presence of the Holy Spirit is always there. When we become separate from others who have the indwelling Spirit that comes by that faith… If we’ve not matured we sense the emptiness. Sometimes that emptiness comes from not really being a saint. I trust that isn’t the case with anyone reading this, but if it is… It’s quickly rectified by asking Jesus to save you right now. That’s the best way to start.

This neglect of our faith leads to a bit of shortsightedness. It will eventually place the memories of salvation into the far recesses of the mind, only to be forgotten.

Nevertheless, Dinah worked out her own faith. She cried out to Jesus to be real to her. Instead of being useless and unfruitful to God, she had the opportunity to ensure another man was led to Jesus. She was the willing tool God used to bring a radical change in Byron’s life.

Byron’s presence and testimony proved that Dinah was indeed saved and useful to God. She is bearing fruit in her walk with Jesus.

It was an awesome thing to see both of them baptized that morning. There is such a satisfying sweetness in the juxtaposition of a young lady leading an older man to Jesus.

There is that second group of folks Peter also describes.

Although they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by that which a man is overcome, to this he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then turn back from the holy commandment that was delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog returns to his own vomit,” and “the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mud.”

2 Peter 2:19–22 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Here Peter is talking specifically about the false teacher. He doesn’t have kind words. What is clear from Peter’s writing is that these false teachers have some knowledge of Jesus and the way of righteousness. But they reject it. They turn their back on the Holy command, you must be born again.

These are ones that have a familiarity with the Holy Spirit because they may have grown up in a Christian home or they have even attended church for some time. They’ve read their Bible, sang worship songs and may have even been baptized. In that sense, they escape the defilements… The sins and decadence of the world for a season. They enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit not inside of them, but around them. When they leave those environs these become entangled again in the mess they left. The end is worse for them.

It’s not that they are doomed, but much more unlikely to come to their senses and be born again.

As I am reading this portion of text this morning and thinking of yesterday, I rejoice in Dinah’s repentance. Yes, there was real evidence, not so much as on a certain day she said a certain prayer or responded to a preacher’s pleading. She reached out to God for herself by herself because she knew something was missing and He is the only remedy. He answered her!

For those of you reading this far, if you are a Christian and have neglected your faith, start feeding it. Pray to God, ask for help, and read your Bible. That’s adding virtue. Continued reading and prayer adds knowledge. These things make your faith stronger and a continued exercise of that faith muscle makes a mature believer. One unmovable in faith who truly loves and serves others.

But what if you read this and have gone to church or had Christian parents, but cannot seem to escape the siren call of the decadence of the world that entangles you?

I have one answer. Come to your senses. Stop indulging your flesh, and hang out in that community where the Holy Spirit works. Repent… That means change your mind. Acknowledge that Jesus is right. Believe He is God, that He died to atone for all sins, the sins of the whole world. And confess that aloud to Him.

You can renounce your old way of life. You can take back control of your own life. You can ask Jesus to save you. You can escape the corruption of th world and that comes by lust. But you need Jesus inside of you first. That’s the hint command, you must be born again.

If there is one thing that I am sure of, Jesus can change your life.

If you’re not sure about anything here, and need help… You can send a message via the contact section. Find a Christian friend to listen.

Note: The testimonies are accurate though the names have been changed.

Escape the Corruption of the World… For Good.

On By TimIn Colossians 02Leave a comment

Therefore, if you died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you subject yourself to legalistic rules? “Do not touch! Do not taste! Do not handle!” These all are to perish with use and are aligned with the commandments and doctrines of men. These things have indeed a show of wisdom in self-imposed worship and humility and neglecting of the body, but are worthless against the indulgence of the flesh.

Colossians 2:20–23 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I love the way Paul writes. He is saying, if you’re saved why do you worry about rules as if breaking them nullifies your salvation?

Of course, we should live blamelessly. There is real wisdom in that. But doing that, or not, doesn’t mean one loses eternal life. Living by legalistic tiles is often just a shallow veneer… A show for others.

Living the right way is going to be no help to anyone in the fight against the indulgence of the flesh.

What’s that?

Living right isn’t going to help fight the cravings of the flesh. If you have battled addiction of any kind, you know exactly what that is. Whatever the flesh craves, for some it’s a substance that may alter moods or help to cope and perform tasks. For others, it could be food. Then another might actually abstain from food or even purge. It could also be chasing that fleeting gratification from looking at graphic images.

The flesh will crave what it craves. But just living right isn’t going to help stave off the desire to indulge the flesh.

Peter words this from another perspective…

Although they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by that which a man is overcome, to this he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then turn back from the holy commandment that was delivered to them.

2 Peter 2:19–21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

As Peter continues, he is talking about false teachers. These are people that peddle legalistic rules of abstinence from indulging the flesh. Inside they are really slaves of the corruption. (Remember that word corruption.)

These kinds of teachers escape the defilements of the world… For a time. That is, they do not touch, taste, or handle bad things. They may even go to church for a time. In all of that, they only escape the indulgences temporarily.

Eventually, because they have no real salvation… They return to corruption that enslaves them. Usually, the fall is deeper. In some cases, the consequences could be devastating physically, mentally, and spiritually. Dying in that kind of mess without Jesus means an eternity of torment.

And these have no excuse because they heard the truth. What a sad situation.

That word corruption… Peter used it earlier in this epistle.

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence, by which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these things you might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:3–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Basically, Peter is extolling the goodness of God to people who are saved. People that have His Spirit living in them. That Spirit is the earnest money or down payment given by God. It is by that Spirit we believers partake now of the divine nature.

It is that partaking of the divine nature that allows us to escape the corruption in this world that comes through giving in to decadent indulgence. The phrase escape the corruption means we won’t die and spend an eternity in perdition.

Modifying behavior only goes so far. Without God, it’s just modifying behavior. But with God and the indwelling Holy Spirit, there is real hope to look toward. There is a God that can be our focus instead of indulging in decadence.

Our minds will be drawn away from the demands of the flesh. And it is the continual practice of flexing this muscle that helps it to grow strong. We let atrophy the muscle that works to indulge the flesh. We can lock minds with the divine nature of the Spirit in us to master the flesh.

In doing so, the rules are irrelevant.

It is the most difficult thing to fight addiction. Believing and trusting Jesus is the first step to partaking in the divine nature. It is that precise move that is made that brings the Holy Spirit (that divine nature) inside of us.

Don’t just temporarily escape the pollution of the world. Get saved and escape the corruption… For good.