God’s Protection and Judgment
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
BUT chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.
Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; (2Peter 2:9-12)
THE WORLD IS MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD THE SEVEN YEARS of Great Tribulation, otherwise known as the time of Jacob’s Trouble, the 70th Week of Daniel, and described in some detail in the Book of Revelation. The reason there is going to be seven years of unparalleled judgement upon the whole world is that the whole world is moving toward unparalleled wickedness that can only be dealt with by great destruction and death from the hand of the Lord.
EXAMPLES OF THIS DRASTIC JUDGMENT BY GOD UPON EVIL is the fate of the angels who followed Satan in rebellion and eternal doom; the wicked people of Noah’s day who were destroyed in the world-wide flood; and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that God burned with fire.
PETER TELLS OF THE GREAT WARFARE THAT IS INENSIFYING between God and Satan. It is being played out between those who are loyal to God and those who are loyal to Satan. On the side of Satan are the false teachers who are characterized by arrogance and sexual lust. On God’s side are the people who strive to obey and serve God.
In the Old Testament, there was a constant plague of false prophets. In the New Testament there is a constant plague of false teachers. In both cases, the false people do their damage by infiltrating into the congregations of the righteous and carrying out a mission of corruption of truth and weakening of loyalty to God.
The Apostle Paul joins in to concur with Peter: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2Corinthians 11:13-15)
IN TODAY'S TEXT, GOD IS DOING TWO THINGS: 1)He is demonstrating that He knows how to deliver the godly out of hard trials (or, temptations) and 2)He knows how to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment, to be punished. But, notice the next words in the text: “but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.
YESTERDAY, I MADE THE POINT THAT ALL SINNERS ARE NOT EQUAL and that all sins are not equal. All cities have sin in them, but God does not destroy them all as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. Many people are slow to obey God but He does not turn all of those people into a pillar of salt as He did with Lot’s wife.
ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR MANY CENTURIES, the sin of “sodomy” gets its name from God’s judgment upon the city of Sodom. It was in this city that the men of the city, young and old, gathered around the house of Lot to rape the angels that were spending the night with Lot.
IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE FIND THE WORD: “chiefly.” It means: “most of all.” It’s not honest to try to get rid of this word: “chiefly.” Of all the people who are being reserved for the day of judgment, the people who “walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government” are classed as: “chiefly – most of all.” That’s what God’s Word says. I didn’t write the book. I’m just pointing to what God says about it.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE “walking after the flesh in the lust uncleanness” despise being told they shouldn’t be doing it. They despise government. God said not to do it, but they want to do it and not be told they shouldn’t be doing it. That makes them fall under the class of people that God calls: “chiefly.” These sins are going to cost you more than some other sins. Do you see any other way to look at the word: “chiefly?” I’m not going to get in trouble with God by smoothing it over when He clearly says: “chiefly.” If you are involved with this sin, it is going to cost you.
PETER POINTS OUT THAT THE MIGHTY ANGELS DON'T BRING ACCUSATION against these sinners. But these sinners are like brute beasts who run their mouths in talking about things they know nothing about. That is, they talk against the people who oppose them, talk against God who restrains them. They will continue until they perish in their own corruption, their own filth.
IN CONTRAST TO THEIR UNCLEANNESS, God says: Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4) (The Bible makes no room for the marriage of two men or the marriage of two women.) In all cases of marriage in the Bible, the Bible assumes that marriage is between men and women.
THERE IS A WAY OUT: REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND GET RIGHT WITH GOD. The old hymn says it well: “1) I must needs go home by the way of the cross, there’s no other way but this; I shall ne’er get sight of the Gates of Light, If the way of the cross I miss. 2) I must needs go on in the blood-sprinkled way, The path that the Savior trod, If I ever climb to the heights sublime, Where the soul is at home with God. 3) Then I bid fare-well to the way of the world, To walk in it nevermore; For my Lord says “Come,” and I seek my home, Where He waits at the open door. CHORUS: The way of the cross leads home, The way of the cross leads home; It is sweet to know as I onward go, The way of the cross leads home. (Jessie Brown Pounds/Charles H. Gabriel) Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MAY 31, 2018 – THURSDAY
A.M. 2Chronicles 1-3 P.M. John 12:1-19
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Memory Verse:
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (2Peter 2:21) (Write verses on scraps of paper and put in your pocket like President Abraham Lincoln did.)
Song for Today:
The Way of the Cross Leads Home (3:51) – (Men’s Trio – Calvary Baptist Church – King, NC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze6aQVZierk
You may need to turn off the song when finished to avoid something else you do not want to hear.
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