THE FOES WE MUST FACE

In 2 Timothy 3:1-9,  the Apostle Paul warns that hard times are coming. I believe that for us they are right around the corner. I pray I am wrong, but I am persuaded that I am right. 

We face a foe that is mostly overt and one that is more covert. One foe we face is the more obvious: the hostility of the world. Watch the news on TV.  Go out into public. What Paul describes in verses 1-5, might as well be America in the 21st century. 

Rather than loving people and using money, we will love money and use people as lovers of self and lovers of money. Arrogance will be apparent as we are boastful, proud, demeaning—which marks the attitude of our elite that seek to dominate us today. There is disrespect of authority, beginning in the home, “disobedient to parents,” and such defiance at home breeds disregard of heaven, “ungrateful, unholy...”—rejecting our earthly fathers, translating into rejection of the Eternal Father. There follows despising His rule and throwing off moral restraint (v.3-5). Religion will be present, but an empty shell—mere ritual with deadening effect. 

This leads from the hostility of the world, which is overt to that which is covert—the subtlety of the wayward—and that will be our topic for tomorrow, God willing.

STAGES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH

  

I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 
I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.  (1 John 2:12-14)

Spiritual birth and growth are the themes of 1 John 2:3-17.  John speaks of little children, young men, and fathers. 

This speaks about OUR DUTY (v.3-11).  Those who have left the kingdom of darkness for the kingdom of light now have a duty to perform.  This demonstrates where our true allegiance lies.  In Hebrew expression, to “know” someone was more than just to know facts about them—it was to know them on the most intimate level, as when “Adam knew his wife.”  This means that salvation is to enter spiritual union with Christ—to have His very life in us and our life to be in Him (v.3-6).  It is about a love relationship with God (v.7-11).  If we hate, we are still in the darkness of sin.  The Devil is a murderer and we are his children if we harbor malice in our hearts. Love is the practice of those who walk in the light.

This is also a word about OUR DEVELOPMENT (v.12-14).  We have all heard, “Where there is life, there is hope.”  Another way we could say it is, “Where there is life, there is growth.”  That is the normal experience of things.  As a result of our physical birth we have life and we begin to grow.  But a child of God has a second, spiritual birth into the family of God and that should produce growth.  John addresses stages of spiritual development.  The only way into the family of God is through a new birth—our past is forgiven and our future is secured.  Spiritual growth won’t be easy, however.  There is the battle for it.  The Devil will see to that!  It requires effort; it will be a struggle.  Yet, we can be committed and conquer.  God permits the resistance to develop faith muscle.  Little children know God as father, but the mature know Him as the Eternal God who does not change.    Fathers are capable of reproduction—so disciples reproduce after our kind.

Finally, there is a word about OUR DEVOTION (v.15-17).  Our devotion to God is to be absolute.  It is to be exclusive.  John warns about this world system—the philosophies, passions, and pursuits of those living in rebellion against God (v.15). 

There are three tools of Satan (v.16):
1.  Pleasure “lust of the flesh” that perverts God-given drives.  This is hedonism.
2.  Possessions “lust of the eyes” where we covet what we see.  This is materialism.
3.  Pride “pride of life” which was the first sin in the universe (Satan) and on earth (Adam) where they sought to supplant God.  This is egotism.

The pleasure in sin is only for a season, but he that does the will of God abides forever (v.17)!  When you put this world behind you—you’ll see a better world to come.

THE HATRED OF THE WORLD

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.  (John 7:1)

It is a short distance from the penthouse to the doghouse.  You can go from hero to zero in a heartbeat.  Popularity is a fleeting thing because people are fickle creatures.  Jesus had fed 5,000.  The throngs that pressed upon Him wanted to make Him their king!  That was in chapter six.  In the next chapter, the masses are missing.  The acclaim has changed to anger.  In about six months’ time, His life is in danger.

What happened?  Jesus identified the problem in John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”  The sinful world hated Him for exposing their evil.  They hated Jesus for the same reason an obese person hates a mirror.  The life of Jesus was a light that shone into the darkness revealing their wicked hearts and habits.  The lessons of Jesus confronted them with God’s Holy standard and their need of repentance.  Even those considered models of morality in those days—the Pharisees—were not spared His searching gaze and scathing indictment.  They were what we all are apart from grace—criminals in violation of God’s law and deserving condemnation.

The reaction of the religious leaders was not humble confession, but to form a hateful conspiracy.  They look at Jesus with a critical eye; they listen to Him with a condemning spirit—trying to entrap Him with His words.  They whisper and plot behind His back.  “And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.”  (7:12a) 

Although the world’s hate focused on Jesus at the time—His followers would eventually suffer for His sake.  When they could no longer reach Him with their venom, they would sink their fangs into His followers. 

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  (John 15:20)

The church that is faithful to Christ will be attacked.  The Christian who holds to the truth will be assailed.  If we denounce sin as Jesus did and dare to speak the “intolerant” words that only Christ can save a man or woman, then it is not popularity but persecution we will know.

Let us stand and speak truth nonetheless.  Our Savior stands with us, even if all men forsake us.  The cross precedes the crown and suffering paves the way to glory.  Far better to have the Father’s embrace even if it means the world’s exclusion.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

 

“For My people have committed two evils:

  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,

  And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” 

  (Jeremiah 2:13)

There have been times during the course of my ministry that I have ministered to those with severe illness.  Sometimes a pattern develops that leads to their death.  One thing goes wrong—and there is a treatment for it—then another problem arises that also could be treated, except that the medication works against the first condition.  It is double trouble—and before long I am meeting with the patient’s family to plan a funeral. 

Jeremiah was seeing this double trouble afflict the kingdom of Judah.  If something didn’t happen quickly, the nation would die.  Nations are birthed, they decline, and they die.  Here is the solemn warning,

“Has a nation changed its gods,

  Which are not gods?

  But My people have changed their Glory

  For what does not profit.”  (Jer.2:11)

We have recently celebrated another birthday for America, but we look at the worsening condition of the nation and wonder how many more will we have?  God does not change, and if we abandon the Living God for idols we will soon discover that God has abandoned us.  Yet, this is what we are doing.  It is a frightening prospect.

“Be astonished, O heavens, at this,

  And be horribly afraid;

  Be very desolate,” says the LORD.  (Jer.2:12)

Here is the double trouble: we forsake the Lord and His precepts and follow the world and its philosophies.

“For My people have committed two evils:

  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,

And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.”    (Jer.2:13)

Physically, we cannot survive without water.  Spiritually, God is the fountain of living water—and to forsake Him is to commit suicide—whether it be the self-inflicted death of an individual, a family, a church, or a nation.  God’s precepts in His Word lead us to Him, and we can drink deeply of the life sustaining and soul satisfying truth.  Yet, how many of us leave our Bibles closed, and even in churches encounter little solid Bible teaching?  Still we thirst, and rather than return to the source of life, we may seek to dig our own wells.  Science, education, government, self-help gurus, cults, false religions, and the rest offer solutions.  It is all empty promises—just dry holes.

For such double trouble, there is a “double cure,” to “save from wrath and make me pure.” (Augustus Toplady, “Rock of Ages”)  There is water flowing from that Rock!  The Rock is Jesus (1 Cor.10:4).  We must reject the broken cisterns, repenting of the folly of trying to solve our own problems with the world’s vain philosophies—for that only leads to death—and return to the flowing fountain of life.  That is our only hope!

TESTED AND TRIUMPHANT

 

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. ... Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.  (Luke 4:1-2a, 13)

 

You can love the Lord or you can love the world—not both.  Jesus said you cannot serve two masters—you will choose one.  John tells us that these loves are in conflict—one negates the other.  “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15).  

 

What do we mean by the world? 

 

Obviously not the planet—this is my Father’s world.  He created it and pronounced it, “Good.”  Although I am not to worship the creation, the creation declares the glory of the Creator.  I am to be a good steward of that which God has fashioned. 

 

Neither is the world John writes of speaking of the people, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son...” and I must love people.  If I love God then I love those who are made in His image. 

 

“The world” I am not to love is a principle of evil, a spiritual power that permeates man in rebellion against God with the passions, philosophies, practices, pursuits and pleasures that mark it.  John described it in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”  We might define this unholy trinity as hedonism, “the lust of the flesh” or the love of pleasure; materialism, “the lust of the eyes” or the love of possessions; egotism, “the pride of life” or the love of position:  sensuality, stuff and status that sinners seek.

 

These, Christ steadfastly resisted.  Jesus was tested at every point, and was triumphant.  He came and showed us how man was to live.  He did not face these temptations as God or they would have been no test at all—nor helpful to we creatures of flesh and blood who are not ominpotent.  Rather, as a true man, Jesus fought and won the same way that we can.  This is the way to victory.  Let us study His manner carefully and by God’s Spirit apply it consistently, and we too can though tested can be triumphant.