WHEN AN APOSTLE IS CONCERNED Paul said Jesus would not come until "there come a falling away first" (2 Thess 2:3). He spoke of a time, future to his own time, when "some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils" (1 Tim 4:1). It would be a time when "they will not endure sound doctrine," but would "gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (NIV). Indeed, Paul said, "they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables" (2 Tim 4:3-4). Elsewhere he declared that such people would not become altogether irreligious, but would maintain a shell of religiosity, while having an unchanged character or nature. They are described as having "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim 3:5). Their corruption would be so deep, and their defection so extensive, that believers are admonished, "from such turn away"(2 Tim 3:1-5). -- Tomorrow:
"Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)
WHAT HAS CAUSED A FALLING AWAY?
For some time, insightful men have known this falling away has, indeed, taken place. In fact, we are experiencing its universal sway in the world. It is our hope that it is in its last stages. This departure has allowed universal division within the body of Christ, a staggering diversity of wayward teaching, immorality, the introduction of the wisdom of men, and an unquenchable love and quest for the things of this world. It is like Corinth on an exaggerated scale. What has caused this to happen?
This is the result of Jesus Christ, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, being upstaged. He is no longer the focus of attention in the nominal church. Whereas the kingdom standard is to "win Christ" and "be found in Him not having a righteousness" of our own (Phil 3:8-9), other things have now moved into the forefront. There are religious careers, the making of successful religious institutions, worldly recognition, the satisfaction of carnal masses, and security in this world. Even though Jesus stated that a man's family, as well as his own personal life, must not be allowed to come before Him (Luke 14:26), yet such pursuits are now considered noble and advantageous within the church. Churches no longer require what Jesus did – that if a person does not forsake "all that he hath," he "cannot" be Christ's disciple (Luke 14:33).
Christ is no longer the theme of preaching, but is merely an adjunct to the church's agenda. For the most part, professing Christians are fundamentally ignorant of Christ, His nature, His accomplishments, His purpose, His present activity, and His soon return. This is the day of "another Jesus" (2 Cor 11:4) – when a savior is being preached that does not fit into the Scriptural representation of the Son of God.
It is this departure from the centrality of Christ that has caused the condition of the modern church. Its failure to embrace the real Christ has made it vulnerable to the devil. The world has thus been more appealing to it, and the Word of God is not seen as essential to the maintenance of spiritual life. Too much room has been made for the devil, and too little for Jesus! All of this has occurred in spite of the frequent and focused exhortations of the Spirit.
1. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (1 Tim 6:12).
2. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col 3:1-2).
3. " . . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:1-2).
4. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor 7:1).
5. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Pet 5:8-9).
WHY ARE THESE THINGS NOT BEING SAID?
These are representative of a host of similar exhortations that are both fervent and frequent. How is it that so many professing Christians are unaware of their imperative nature? It is because they are not being shouted from the housetops! And why is this so? It is because exhortations like this do not have a place in the agenda of the modern church. What it is doing does not require words like this, and that is the reason why they are not being frequently declared! There can be no other reason for the suppression of the clarion call to separation, godliness, and a heavenly mindset! There is no epistle where such admonitions are not found. There is no Gospel record of Jesus' words and deeds that do not contain them. The book of Acts is replete with them. Even the book of the Revelation cries out for the churches to hear what the Spirit is saying. Only a stubborn and twisted will can ignore these things. Only an insensitive and hard heart can be diverted to lesser things.
See, this is why Paul was so fervent in his quest to correct the Corinthians. He is not simply trying to get them to act better. If they continued in this bent toward unrighteousness, they would be excluded from the kingdom of God, for "the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10). What they had done was unrighteous – there is no other way to identify divisions, carnality, immorality, disruption, not discerning the Lord's body, and denying the resurrection of the dead – all of which were present in their assembly! What else can such things be called? They are beyond all controversy, "unrighteous!" And, if salvation does not, in fact, deliver us from such things, precisely how can it possibly be termed "salvation?"
WHAT PAUL IS DOING
Paul is seeking to rescue the Corinthians from the sin that has ensnared them. They had been diverted to the broad road that leads to destruction, and he is calling them back to the highway – "the way of holiness – that God Almighty had raised up for men (Isa 35:8). Like David protected his sheep, Paul is fighting for their souls, and doing battle for their salvation.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, raise up faithful ministers who will deliver both Your promises and Your warnings to the church.