An Understanding of Apostasy
Book of 1 John
Chapter 2 verses 15-29
In last week's
lesson we learned about Spiritual growth and in this week’s lesson
we will learn why we need that growth.
Whenever the Holy
Spirit takes the time to warn us about certain things, then we need
to pay attention to what He says.
Reading the
Scriptures every day is a wonderful thing and we all should do so,
but sometimes we need to put our nose to the grindstone and really
study to see what the Lord is saying!
This is one of those
places!
When we think about
"apostasy" in the church, we are talking about those who
are forsaking the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings.
The Apostle Paul
says there will be a "falling away" from Christ!
2Th 2:3 Let no man
deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
In the Book to
Timothy, Paul says "departing from the faith".
1Ti 4:1 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;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and
know the truth.
Again in the Book to
Timothy Paul writes they will not "endure sound doctrine".
2Ti 4:3 For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.
These are all
Scriptures dealing with "Apostasy" and there are many more.
How does the Apostle
John teach us about these things? He says:
*****1Jn 2:15 Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
We cannot experience
true victory in Jesus, until we have victory over this world of evil!
This is a world
dominated by Satan and we must have victory over Satan and Jesus
provides that victory!
Our faith is based
upon the invisible things of God's world, which He offers to us.
If we turn around
and seek happiness in this world which will one day end, we are
forsaking the truth of God!
This world may seem
to be a good world, but it is an evil world!
We live in a world
where our worthiness is determined by the amount of possessions we
own!
Does this mean we
cannot appreciate the wonders of God's creation? Absolutely not!
God has provided all
the things necessary for us to live a comfortable life and have joy
in our lives.
The truth is, the
heavens and this earth are just temporary things that are aging and
passing away.
We live in a
corruptible world, as those with powers use these same elements of
the earth to indulge in corruption and sinfulness.
We must not become
attached to the things of this world which will be destroyed!
There are no perfect
governments on this earth.
There are no perfect
societies upon this earth.
Even the church has
forgotten to strive for perfection!
We may be loyal to
some good things upon this earth, but we must stand against all the
bad things of this earth!
Col 3:1 If ye then
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory.
We may live in this
world, but we are not to be friends of this world!
Jas 4:4 Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the
world is the enemy of God.
What is the real
truth of this world we live in?
*****1Jn 2:16 For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world.
We can sit upon a
mountain top and view the wonders of God's creation and just say how
beautiful is God's creation, but when we get back home, we see
something for different.
When we look out
upon the societies, we see everyone lusting after the things of the
flesh.
We see people giving
in to the desires of the flesh.
We live in a sack of
flesh that will indulge in any sinful behavior if and when it is
given that opportunity!
In most cases it
begins with the things we see!
The danger of these
things is that we desire things that go against the truth of God.
We desire and go
after these things to possess that are forbidden by the Word of God.
We may look upon
another man's wife with desire and this is the sin of adultery even
if it goes no further than that desire!
Mat 6:22 The light
of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole
body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if
thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that
darkness!
It may sound
unrealistic, but we must make a vow with our eyes!
Job_31:1 I made a
covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
What was the
downfall of the great King Solomon?
Ecc 2:10 And
whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my
heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this
was my portion of all my labour.
Ecc 2:11 Then I
looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour
that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation
of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
There is no profit
from the things of this world!
Then there is the
pride of life.
The pride we have
that is centered upon ourselves, goes against the Word of God!
When we believe that
we are so special that God will just bend over backwards to
accommodate our own desires.
When we believe we
can do all things without God we will be sadly mistaken.
There is no future
without God!
Mat 12:50 For
whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same
is my brother, and sister, and mother.
When we fall into
these traps, they become so deep they are hard to climb back out of
them.
In fact we will not
be able to on our own, we will just pass away with the rest of the
world!
*****1Jn 2:17 And
the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth for ever.
There is only one
thing that we need to do every day. We need to do the will of God!
We must understand
that there is nothing outside the scope of God's sovereign rule!
Our own salvation
falls under this rule of God!
2Ti 1:9 Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now
made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel:
God does as He
pleases and, it pleased God to provide us a means of eternal
salvation!
God does not and
will not ever adjust His plan to accommodate our will! We must obey
His will for us!
But there is the
permissive will of God, where God will allow certain things that fall
in place with His eternal plan.
The truth is the
Lord Jesus Christ died according to the preconceived plan of God for
our salvation.
This does not mean
that wicked men were not responsible for His death!
God knew there was
no other way that we could be brought back in fellowship with Him!
We should stand in
awe of our Great God who could conceive such a plan of salvation!
We can entrust our
eternal days to our Almighty God!
We should rejoice in
our salvation!
We can rest in peace
as we observe all the things in this evil world we live in!
God holds people
responsible for their sins, at the same time He has a plan of
redemption!
Col 1:9 For this
cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for
you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his
will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
God proves that He
is in total control of this world, but He allows us to make our own
choices!
God lets us know
that He loves us! It grieves God when we make the wrong choices!
God's will, will
abide forever!
Joh 10:27 My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my
Father are one.
We must also realize
that we are in the last of the last days!
*****1Jn 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby
we know that it is the last time.
There may not be
more people who disagree with the doctrine of Jesus Christ, though I
believe there are many more.
What we can be sure
of in these last days is, that those who do reject Jesus speak with
louder voices drowning out the Church because the Church has become
so passive!
All the sinful
movements move through our nation and others with much fanfare but if
something good tries to do the same things then they are forbidden or
drowned out because the Church refuses to take a stand and many even
endorse this evil!
These loudly
proclaim that God could never be a human and so the Scriptures are so
full of errors that to believe we can know the actual Word of God
makes us a people who border on insanity.
These antichrists
broadcast their message freely, on every level!
There are also more
antichrists in the church than ever before, and they too loudly
proclaim a false doctrine driven by the world giving in to
immorality.
John says we are
approaching the midnight hour when darkness will assume to rule our
world.
The Antichrist could
step onto the stage of this world at any moment. He may already be
there but hiding in the shadows!
This Antichrist is
not the spirit of antichrist that is in our world now, but this will
be an actual person.
This Antichrist will
rise to be on the stage as a world leader and the world will listen
to him because he will speak with the voice of Satan who has
transfigured into a spirit of light.
2Co_11:14 And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
There are so many
today denying the truth of God and the truth of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we can be certain that the Second Coming of the Lord is very
soon!
What is the truth?
2Th_2:3 Let no man
deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition;
We are in that day
of the great falling away!
*****1Jn 2:19 They
went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of
us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out,
that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Where do antichrist
come from? They walk right out of the doors of the church proclaiming
they have been misled.
Teachers who
proclaim some new doctrine.
Preachers who have
mixed the doctrine of evolution with the truth of creation.
Preachers who have
allowed the government to dictate the doctrine of the Church.
Churches that have
opened the church doors to the world denying the true Christ who is
the foundation of the Church!
1Ti 4:1 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;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and
know the truth.
How can we know
them?
*****1Jn 2:20 But
ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
1Jn 2:21 I have not
written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know
it, and that no lie is of the truth.
That word unction
means as believers we have the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The Holy
Spirit lives within each of us to guide us and to protect us from
false things.
A non-believer or an
antichrist cannot have the anointing to the Holy Spirit so they
cannot know the truth of doctrines of the Bible!
Joh 14:15 If ye
love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I
will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him
not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will
not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a
little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because
I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that
day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 He that
hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him.
The Holy Spirit
knows all things about Jesus Christ that we need to know so He will
lead us away from the antichrist!
*****1Jn 2:22 Who
is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that
acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
We are God the
Father's "little children" and we need to be warned!
Those who deny that
Jesus is the Messiah are liars!
Those who deny that
Jesus is a Person in the Personage of God, God the Father, God the
Son, God the Holy Spirit are all liars!
Those who deny that
Jesus was 100% man and 100% God at the same time are all liars!
Those who deny the
truth of the Word of God are all liars!
Those who deny that
Jesus is God have chosen to believe the Anti-god!
Mat 10:33 But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my
Father which is in heaven.
Those who stand
against God the Father and His Son are doomed to damnation!
Mat 10:34 Think not
that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but
a sword.
There are really no
true Atheists in this world, but the world is full of people who
claim some god and the only God is the Lord Jesus Christ!
Mat 10:37 He that
loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that
loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he
that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of
me.
I think the Holy
Spirit answers every question that can be ask about our Savior right
here in this passage!
Those who are sure
we have a Creator had better know that God the Father sent forth His
Son as this Creator and to reject any part of these things is to deny
Him!
*****1Jn 2:24 Let
that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning.
If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you,
ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1Jn 2:25 And this
is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
What we have heard
from the Apostles is the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the "Gospel"
that has all the answers of life and life eternal!
If we do not know
God, how can we ever say we are pleasing to Him.
"And let's just
get one thing very straight right now, God is MALE and not female"!
How can there be a
"Bride of Christ" if there is not the Groom, God the Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ?
It is the "Gospel"
that must continue in us all our days once He has come into our
hearts!
God has given us 66
books all bound up in one and any study of these books will lead you
to the Lord Jesus Christ the answer to life, the answer to salvation,
the answer to eternal life!
What words best
describe the "Gospel"?
1Co 15:1 Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which
also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that
he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that
he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After
that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the
greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After
that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last
of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Gal 1:6 I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7 Which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than
that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto
you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:10 For do I
now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet
pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Gal 1:11 But I
certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is
not after man.
Gal 1:12 For I
neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
Joh 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.
There is only one
"Gospel"!
It is by the
"Gospel" that comes eternal life in fellowship with the
Almighty God!
As long as we are
upon this earth there will be those deny the "Gospel"!
*****1Jn 2:26 These
things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
1Jn 2:27 But the
anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of
all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught
you, ye shall abide in him.
John has already
taught us that these who would "seduce"(entice, deceive,
lead astray) would come from inside the Church.
1Jn 2:19 They went
out from us, but they were not of us;
Those, some inside
the church, will teach that there is some other way to restore
fellowship with God and this simply is not true.
No one is good
enough.
No one is righteous
enough.
No one is rich
enough.
We must always be on
guard against false teaching because there is just too much at stake.
We will never regain
fellowship with our Creator if we try some other way than the
"Gospel"!
If God the Father,
sent God the Son to die for us then, how could we ever believe that
there was some other way?
God sent His Son to
save mankind, if there had been some other way then there would be no
need for the "Gospel"!
God then sent God
the Holy Spirit to protect His investment!
Without the
anointing of the Holy Spirit to seal our redemption we would still be
lost!
Tit 3:4 But after
that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit_3:5 Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
Rom 8:16 The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God:
Rom 8:17 And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if
so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together.
We cannot deny the
Triune God and still say we understand the "Gospel" of
Jesus Christ!
We are doomed to
failure if we do not abide in our Savior!
*****1Jn 2:28 And
now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we
may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
1Jn 2:29 If ye know
that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness
is born of him.
What is the greatest
test of being a Christian? Do we rest in the truth of the "Gospel"?
Do we dwell with
Jesus?
Are we ashamed of
Jesus Christ?
Have we made our
home with the Lord?
I can openly confess
that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!
I fully believe that
God has shown His love for me by Jesus Christ!
I can confess that I
love God because He first loved me!
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever
shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and
he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we
have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is
our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of
judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
I will have boldness
in the Day of Judgment because "I know my name is written down
in the Lamb's Book of Life"!
I know the truth of
God and this truth has made me free from the penalties of sin!
Joh_8:32 And ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh_8:36 If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
I will never be
ashamed of my Savior!!!!!
I am at peace with
God because He called me to meet His Son!
I have been "Born
Again" into the family of God!
Have You?
Amen
Let's Pray!
