Thesis: To impress upon the hearer how our unchanging God feels towards those that change and ignore His rules, and how His people should be able to easily discern the Truth, believe and obey. But rather, many follow blindly their religious leaders into judgment, believing lies so that they cannot be saved.
Text: Jeremiah 8:4-12
Jer 8:4 "You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?
Jer 8:5 Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return.
Jer 8:6 I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents (repents) of his evil, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging (rushing) headlong into battle.
Jer 8:7 Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules (mishpat) of the LORD.
Jer 8:8 "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law (torah) of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
Jer 8:9 The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?
Jer 8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
Jer 8:11 They have healed the wound of my people (s)lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.
Jer 8:12 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the LORD.
Introduction,
In this passage of Scripture the prophet Jeremiah is in the midst of his third discourse of the sermon which he preached at Jerusalem in about 626 BC, it took place roughly some 20 years before God brought judgment against them through the instrumentality of the nation of Babylon.
The Northern kingdom had already been in Assyrian captivity for about 100 years, and is referred to often by God’s prophets in order that perhaps Judah could see, learn, believe and obey from the mistakes that their brethren to the north had made.
Yet in the sight of all this, they were still in a state of “backsliding” away from the true God, and going more towards ones of “their” own liking, ones more suited to “their” lifestyles.
The same is true today, the Judgment is looming on the horizon (Acts 17:31), and will be, until this earth is no more (2 Pet 3:10; Mt 24:35), the people have been warned over and over again, yet they still insist on “backsliding” away from the one Truth. Judgment is not a favorite topic with most, and is denied as truth by many, but it must be preached over and over and over again.
For when That Day comes, many will have wished that just one more such sermon could have been heard by them, perhaps it would have been the one that brought them to that glorious light, the truth of the Gospel.
But there are some, few as they may be, that look forward to That Day, for with the Judgment there is not only punishment, but also reward, The Lord Himself said (Mt 25:46; John 5:28-29) . . .
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
To those that have endure, that strive, that are diligent in that one Faith, to bring it forth, to live it, and to love it, with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength, that have cast their former lives away, and live unto God, those that are continually looking for that Blessed Hope (Tit 2:13), these look forward to That Day of days, my hope is that this describes you.
Therefore in this lesson we will look at and learn from . . .
1) The departures of men (v 4-7).
2) The delusions of men (v 8-9).
3) The demise of such men (v 10-12).
I. THE DEPARTURES OF MEN (Jer 8:4-7)
A. (v 4)
Jer 8:4 "You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?
This is a picture of a person, who falls down, does he stay down? No, of course not, he gets back up. And of one that is lost, does he just keep going blindly onward, knowing full well he is lost? No again, this person would turn around and backtrack to the nearest familiar area and attempt to regroup.
1. We can compare this to the erring Christian, one who slips into sin, does he just toss up his hands, and say “well there is going to be a lot of company in the lake of fire, I might as well continue down this road, seeing that I am more comfortable with crowds.”
a. Or does his conscience, formed by the word of the living God, that sword of the Spirit, convict him of the error of his ways, prompt him to change these ways, and to beg the LORD for forgiveness from the bottom of his heart (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9), the latter of course.
B. (v 5)
Jer 8:5 Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return.
Seeing that common sense would dictate one to return to the good way, why then do they not? They are described as backsliding, continually.
1. Instead they commit idolatry which entices various lusts, and that which they follow of God, is not according to the truth of the LORD, these they “hold fast” to deceit, and they “refuse” to return to the Shepherd of their souls, He Who has power over the heavens and earth, one’s body and soul.
a. Many today are bound up in the idolatry of covetousness (Col 3:5), they spend much of their lives attempting to gain riches, possessions, which will not follow them after this life (Mt 6:19-20), and spend as much of their time as possible looking forward to and partaking of leisure.
b. And attempt to squeeze in perhaps an hour or two of will worship to a God they don’t even know, this is an example of the dog getting the crumbs, the LORD is no dog!
2. And there are those that hold fast to false beliefs concerning God, and His will, they attempt to justify their actions by their feelings, or by their complicated theologies, or by the doctrines of men, which are for the most part directly opposed to what God plainly says in His word, Paul speaks of these and states we are to be wary of them (Col 2:8)
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
3. This word “backsliding” occurs 9 times in the book of Jeremiah (ASV), and it is always used in a negative sense, God expects His people to move “forward”, to “progress” in their lives unto godlikeness, this is referred to as the “renewal” in the NT, and is a metamorphosis that takes place through the study and application of Holy Spirit delivered living word of the living God (Eph 4:22-24; Tit 3:5) . . .
Eph 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires (lusts),
Eph 4:23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Tit 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by (through) the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
C. (v 6)
Jer 8:6 I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents (repents) of his evil, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging (rushing) headlong into battle.
God was listening for their cry of heart-felt repentance, but there was none, instead they were as war horses madly rushing into a battle.
1. God is still listening today, God knows all, hears all, and sees all, “all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to give an account.” (Heb 4:13)
a. He is looking for those outside of Christ, to enter by way of faith prompted gospel obedience, and for His erring children, to come back into the safety of His loving arms through repentance and prayer for forgiveness.
2. But many are rushing down the road to ruin, driving full speed ahead into a brick wall, that eternal wall of separation between them and God, which must be pulled down in this life, or it will never come down, which is affirmed by Abraham in Hades (Luke 16:26), he said . . .
Luk 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm (gulf) has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'
3. The question I ask “is crossing over an option AFTER the cross?” Through the grace and truth that embodies Jesus (Jn 1:17)? For this statement made by Abraham was prior to the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. We know that one group was given that option, those that lived prior to the flood (1 Pet 3:18-4:6), and it may be for only that group, or groups that never had opportunity to hear, believe and obey the Gospel, that isn’t the case for most of us today, for it is written after the cross (Heb 9:26) . . .
Heb 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
a. And Rev 20:11-15 . . .
Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done (their works).
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done (their works).
Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
b. We need our names written in the Lambs book of life (Rev 21:27), we attain this by the grace of God through faith in Christ, Jesus Himself says (Jn 5:24) . . .
Joh 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
c. Yet does God want us to have faith alone? Faith without works, the obedience of faith (Rom 1:5; 16:26) is dead (Ja 2:14-26). God wants His people to practice righteousness, which is the outward proof that we are His, and no longer the devil’s (1 Jn 3:4-11), by this we can know that we have eternal life (1 Jn 5:13).
D. (v 7)
Jer 8:7 Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules (mishpat; ordinance, RV; NASB; judgment, KJV; NKJV) of the LORD.
God has given the birds of the heavens the ability to know when to migrate, and they do so, year after year after year after year (at least prior to the pole shift), but His people, who were given the oracles of God (Rom 3:2), His word, which are His commandments (1 John 2:3-5), did not know His ordinances, His rules, when His judgments were upon them.
1. Remember we are speaking of Judah here, the Southern kingdom, they had the written Law, the temple, the sacrifices, the Levitical priesthood, this was not the false system set up by Jeroboam in the north, but it might as well have been, for the end results were the same.
2. The same is true in modern times, the Bible is the best selling book of all time, and I would dare to say that there was a time in this country when the Bible was almost in every household in America, (even though for the most part, it was little read).
3. Yet today, this country is changing, God has been thrown out of the schools, out of the government, and He is not allowed in many households today, Satan is winning this battle hands down, while “these” individuals believe “they” are exercising “their” rights, while families are growing up without God, and without hope being in and of the world (Rom 10:13-14).
Rom 10:13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
4. The plain and simple truth is this, without the word of God, whether it be heard or read, one cannot be saved, it instills faith in us (Rom 10:17), and keeps us from blindly following “the departures of men.”
a. We need to be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) when we are given so called doctrines from men, they checked up on the preaching of Paul, we must check up on what we hear today, if they are in line with the Bible, we follow them, who follows Paul, who follows Christ (1 Cor 11:1), if they are not in harmony with the scriptures then we must reject those as blind leaders of the blind (Mt 15:13-14), this is the manner that we will keep ourselves from becoming a tare (Mt 13:24-30), for Jesus said . . .
Mat 15:13 . . . Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.
Mat 15:14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
5. Remember the seed of the kingdom is the word of God (Luke 8:11), if they don’t teach and practice the pure and simple doctrine of Christ (2 Cor 11:3; which can only be found in the NT) we need to “let them alone” also, in order that we don’t fall into that proverbial pit with them, which in reality is the lake of fire (Rev 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8) .
6. And if we consider the rendering of the KJV or the NKJV where it states “my people know not the “judgment” of the LORD” (which could be correct), we could also easily apply this to backslidden Christians in our nation today.
a. There has been catastrophe after catastrophe today, yet many who claim Christ act like these things are no more than mere tragic occurrences, and not purposed by God to get people’s attention, to awake them spiritually, to bring them back to the LORD, from accepting the sins of society, and even many times teaching them as approved of God, which is a terrible, growing trend.
b. We need to understand, God is over all (Eph 4:6), and big trouble is on the doorstep of this nation, for the murdering of 60 million babies, and murdering 4,000 more with each passing day, the LORD will not let this continue, HE will stop this holocaust.
c. And that’s not to mention the sodomy, the lesbianism, the child molestations and other sexual perversions that abound, God judged for these things in former days, He will also judge for these things today, as confirmed by the letter of Jude (1:14-15) . . .
. .
Jud 1:14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,
Jud 1:15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
d. People need to wake up, and see, and turn from their wicked ways, before it is too late.
II. THE DELUSIONS OF MEN (Jer 8:8-9)
A. (v 8)
Jer 8:8 "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law (torah) of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
They claimed wisdom, and that should have been true, they had the word of God, and the history of it, they know what the truth was from the beginning of their covenant, but the scribes, those who studied and expounded the Law, twisted it, falsely interpreted it, and taught the people the same.
1. God expects human beings to reason, this is one of the ways in which man is created in the image of God (Isa 1:18).
Isa 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
a. God states in Rom 1:20 that creation has enough evidence in itself, that those who are not prompted by His designs therein to seek Him out, and be saved, will have no legitimate excuse before Him at the Judgment (Rom 1:20).
Rom 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
b. Thus He expects us to seek Him and His will for us, which can be found in His word; the Bible, specifically the NT. And He expects us to be diligent and meek, submissive, in our approach towards it (2 Tim 2:15; Ja 1:21).
2Ti 2:15 Do your best (give diligence) to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Jas 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
2. God's word is not a twisted maze of wise sayings, it has context, purpose, and plan; it should be read as any other book, yet obeyed as the commands of He Who has control over all the universe, over us in this life, and in also in the next, for (Heb 10:31) . . .
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (When you have not righteousness of God through Jesus; 2 Cor 5:21)
B. (v 9)
Jer 8:9 The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?
By their false interpretations of God’s Law, which is His word (verses 8-9 use these two terms synonymously as does 1 John 2:3-5), they in fact, have rejected the word of God, and they should have been ashamed, God’s word for the most part is plain, simple and straightforward, these men weren’t wise, they were blinded, by their own desires, their lusts, and this would cost them and the nation the judgment of God.
1. The same is true today, God has providently provided His word throughout this earth, He through that word, has commanded Christians across the globe to make disciples (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15-16) and some do hear, believe, obey, and are being saved.
a. But many sit in their circumstance, in their comfort, trusting in false teachers, commentaries, and twisted bible versions in the face of straightforward commands.
b. Take baptism for instance, baptism is not sprinkling (“hran-tis-mos”5 times NT), it is not pouring (“ek-kheh-o”31 times NT), the bible uses these words and shows them as we know them, baptism is simply a “transliteration” of the Greek word “baptizo”, it is not a “translation” of the word. It is defined by Thayer as “immersion, to plunge, to dip.” This is a naval term, and it was used in the 1st century of ships that sank in the sea, naval officers commanded their troops to “baptizo” the enemies’ ships. Sprinkle them? Pour them? Or sink them? You be the judge.
c. When the KJV of the bible was translated in 1611, the 48 translators, for fear of their lives, would not translate the word “baptizo” “immersion,” because they were sprinkling and calling it baptism at that time, and they were under the threat of king James of England to translate an accurate version of the scriptures or die, thus they “transliterated” the word, they merely brought the Greek word over and placed it in an English text, and this error is still propagated by most (but not all) bible versions today.
(Living Oracles New Testament 1835) . . .
Mat 28:19 go, convert all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;
Mar 16:16 He who shall believe, and be immersed, shall be saved; but he who shall not believe, shall be condemned.
Act 2:38 And Peter said to them, Reform, and be each of you immersed in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2. And also, the bible teaches that baptism is to be a “believers” immersion (Mk 16:16).
Mar 16:16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved . . . And it was practiced as such in NT times
a. But about 200 years after Christ, a Christian named Tertullian first formulated the false doctrine of inherited sin, which was supposedly passed on from Adam, yet physical death is the only thing passed on concerning sin because man was separated from the tree of life (Gen 3),
b. Sin did enter into the world in the Garden, (in other words, no one sinned before this), and sin indeed brings about spiritual death, but spiritual death was passed to all men not because of Adam, but because of themselves (Rom 5:12; Ezek 18:20; Ex 32:33; Rom 14:12)
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Eze 18:20 The soul that sins, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Exo 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Rom 14:12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.
c. Shortly after Tertullian, a man named Cyprian enlarged upon his doctrine in that babies were in need of remission of sins, thus he was the first to approve infant baptism, but he did not urge it (that was in the 3rd century).
d. It wasn’t until the 5th century that infant baptism became a general practice under Augustine, and also during this time frame baptism was still immersion, sprinkling was practiced only on an emergency basis, brought about mostly through deathbed conversions, but gradually over time men accepted it as the norm.
e. But God's plan is straight forward and simple, as Greene’s Literal Translation states (Mk 16:16; LITV).
Mar 16:16 The one believing and being baptized will be saved . . . (LITV)
f. There is no record any where in the bible of any other than “believers” submitting themselves to baptism, being buried with Him in baptism, raising up out of that watery grave, determined to walk in newness of life. Infants cant walk, talk, believe, or know the terribleness of sin, in fact they have no sin, baptism only washes away one’s previous sins, not future sins (2 Pet 1:9), thus it would be of no account to them even if they could believe.
3. But men, as seen in the case of baptism, have rejected God's word, and the same can be seen with any number of false doctrines being propagated today, the acceptation of multiple marriages, marital relations outside of marriage, sodomy, lesbianism, baby murdering, money loving, and so forth.
a. There is but one Truth, this thinking that there is such thing as my interpretation, or your interpretation, this is nothing more than one of many of “the delusions of men,” there is just God’s rules, God’s Law, the Law of Christ, that perfect Law of Liberty for imperfect mankind, and all who lived under it, will stand before it, and be judged by it, on That Day.
4. Therefore if one asserts that the crime of Sodom was not the act of Sodomy itself, but rather the fact that it wasn’t consensual, that is a lie, a delusion of men, who have twisted God’s word to their own and others’destruction.
5. And when someone asserts that abortion is a woman’s right to do with her own body as she pleases and attempts to study away the truth of another’s life being within her at conception, stating that if the baby doesn’t take a breath it isn’t a living being, this is a lie, through which Satan has murdered millions of innocent children, bringing about the judgments of God upon this and other nations.
a. This is nothing more than that which we have been warned of over and over again in God’s word concerning the traditions of men (Mt 15:9; Col 2:8), men who believe they have the authority to change God’s word, this is actually the fulfillment of that which is described in 2 Thess 2:3-4 concerning those who set themselves as God, yet are they nothing more than men, grievous wolves in sheep’s clothing (Mt 7:15-23)
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the (falling away) rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of (perdition) destruction,
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
b. Therefore don’t be fooled by them, for it is God Who justifies (Rom 8:33b), not man, and God’s Way is clearly set forth in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, not in a creed, nor a catechism, nor a prayer book, but in the New Testament of your Bible; read it, believe it, love it, and obey it with all your heart (Rom 6:17-18), and you will be made free (John 8:32).
III. THE DEMISE OF MEN (Jer 8:10-12)
A. (v 10)
Jer 8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for (unjust) gain (given to covetousness); from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
Because they have twisted God's words, which are His laws, His rules, to propagate their own desires, judgment was coming from God through the instrumentality of Babylon, atrocities would come upon them, and it would be at the hands of God.
1. People that believe that God is only a God of love and kindness (1 John 4:16), those that deny eternal punishment because of sin and ignorance, should take a closer look at the OT Scriptures, which were written for our learning (Rom 15:4), Paul affirmed this view of God as truth in (Rom 11:22) . . .
Rom 11:22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided (if) you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
a. Consider also the words of our Lord (Who is God; Mt 1:23; John 1:1; Heb 1:8) towards those that would not submit to His rule (Lk 19:27) . . .
Luk 19:27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter (slay) them before me.'"
b. We need to remember also that God does not change (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8; Ja 1:17).
Mal 3:6 "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
c. There have been individuals throughout the ages that considered the God of the OT to be mean and without mercy, and the God of the NT to be kind and gentle and overflowing with “only” forgiveness (these must have rejected the Luke, Romans and like passages); yet these assertions are without evidence, God is always patient and loving, not willing that any should perish, in the OT . . . (Ezek 18:23),
Eze 18:23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
c. And in the NT (2 Pet 3:9).
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
d. But That Day will come as a thief in the night, it is an appointment that none will miss, let us be prepared as the wise virgins, which God has made possible through the gospel, for it is His power to save (Rom 1:16).
2. These men (in v 10) were “greedy for unjust gain” (ESV) or “given to “covetousness,” (ASV) which is defined as idolatry in Col 3:5 and Eph 5:5, and is a terrible problem in the western world today . . .
Col 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Col 3:6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
Eph 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
a. The Lord Himself said (Mt 19:23) . . .
Mat 19:23 . . . Truly I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (NASB).
b. Why? Because the rich tend to trust in riches instead of God, they recognize “not” the purpose of riches, that one might glorify God through them, by using them to do good to all, especially those of the household of the faith (Gal 6:10), by using them to care for the needy of our families (1 Tim 5:8), and by being able to care for one’s self (2 Thess 3:10), all unto the glory of our God (1 Cor 10:31) . . .
1Co 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
c. While this is stated about the poor man (Lk 6:20; Ja 2:5) . . .
Luk 6:20 . . . "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Jas 2:5 . . . has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
d. Why? Because the poor have to learn to depend on the providence of God day by day, they are forced by their situation to live by faith, thus when these are presented with the gospel, it seems like second nature to them, they serve God thankfully and fervently, I think it is for the eternal good of all and any, that the lot of a poor man be ours, Christ said . . .
Luk 12:15 . . ."Take care (heed), and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (But rather of one’s relationship with God)
e. And the Hebrew writer states (Heb 13:5) . . .
Heb 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
3. These men (in v 10) have dealt falsely, they have twisted God’s Truth, they probably lied in other areas of their lives also, likely without repentance, thereby obtaining “the liars lot” in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8), we need to be very careful with our words, our very souls depend on it, for the Lord said (Mt 12:36-37) . . .
Mat 12:36 . . . on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
Mat 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
B. (v 11)
Jer 8:11 They have healed the wound (hurt) of my people (s)lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.
They have falsely prophesied that peace was to come, thus the people were content, yet they lied, and when the blind lead the blind, both will pay the price (Mt 15:14), their destruction was all but set in stone.
1. We see it all abound us today, there are many faiths, yet the bible says there is but one (Eph 4:5)
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
a. You have heard it said that a person can worship God in many ways, the bible says but one (John 4:24)
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
b. You have heard it said that there is many plans of salvation, sprinkling, asking Jesus into one’s heart, the bible reveals but one (Mk 16:16a)
Mar 16:16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved;
c. You have heard it said that there are many mediators unto God, Mary, patron saints, a man ordained priestly system, the bible says there is but one (1 Tim 2:5)
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
d. You have heard it said that there are many ways to God, the bible insists on One (John 14:6)
Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2. The only peace that really counts is that between man and God (Mt 5:9), this is only accomplished through the gospel of Jesus Christ, this is not a subjective system, it is God Who justifies, (Rom 8:33), His Way, the Way, that one Way.
a. We need to understand that the gospel is not a system that is changing over time (2 John 9),
2Jn 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead (progresses) and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
b. Conforming to the sins of the world (Rom 12:2) . . .
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
c. The gospel is the one and only power of God to salvation (Rom 1:16), it was fully revealed in the 1st century (Jude 3),
Jud 1:3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
d. And everything since then has been, and is a lie, and could cost us our souls, that is why it is written that anyone that teaches another gospel than that which was originally revealed is accursed of God (Gal 1:6-9).
Gal 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
Gal 1:7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
e. Thank God for our New Testaments to assure us what is, and what is not approved of Him.
C. (v 12)
Jer 8:12 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them (in the time of their visitation), they shall be overthrown (cast down), says the LORD.
Were these individuals ashamed? Are those today standing in their shoes today ashamed? Or are they content, preaching peace, peace, acting as shepherds of the sheep, when they are as grievous wolves, hirelings, sparing not the flock teaching them that the sins of the world are OK?
1. It should be plain to see, a person with bible in hand ought to be able to use their God given reason (Isa 1:18), and be able to avoid that which is rightfully theirs (Rom 3:23; 6:23a).
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;
2. But many times it may cost you your comfortable religion, your friends, your family, your standing among the community, the Lord said (Mt 10:34-36). . .
Mat 10:34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Mat 10:36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.
a. Is it better to suffer the reproach of Christ and live, or sin and deceit for a season which leads to eternal demise? God has put it in the hands of each and every individual, they are accountable, God has seen to it that none have an excuse.
b. So what’s your excuse, have you thought of what you will tell Christ on That Day? “Lord I thought it didn’t mean that! These men study and I thought they were teaching the truth. These men claimed to be present day apostles, so I believed them.”
3. Let us listen to an example in the Bible . . . turn to Mt 7:21-23 . . .
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of (who practice) lawlessness.'.
4. Does it sound like He believed them? Neither will He believe us, for He knows the hearts of all (John 2:25), and wishes that all would be saved, even His most fervent enemies (Mt 23:37).
Mat 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
5. All they had to do is come, on His terms, but they would not! And many won’t today, not much has changed, therefore let us align our beliefs and actions with the New Covenant of Christ today, while it is still called today, for today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).
Conclusion;
In this lesson we will looked at . . .
1) The departures of men (v 4-7), they fell away from God’s truth, it would seem natural that they would come back, but they refused. There is but one faith today (Eph 4:5), yet most do not walk in the Way.
2) The delusions of men (v 8-9), those that were to teach and lead the people, twisted God’s Laws, they said, “it don’t mean that” thus they in fact rejected the plain straightforward truth of God’s Law, and gave “their interpretation,” was that OK with God? Was one interpretation as good as another? No!
3) The demise of such men (v 10-12), and they paid for it, as will all that attempt to add to, or take away from God's word (Deut 4:2; Pro 30:6; Rev 22:18-19), they went into Babylonian captivity, I would conclude that many if not all of these so called leaders were killed in their sinful state and are eternally lost without God and without hope.
4) Those today that attempt to propagate “their interpretation”; bringing forth another gospel, will suffer anathema (Gal 1:6-9), and those that follow them without a change, will end up in the pit of outer darkness.
5) The good news of Christ is this, the earth is still here, God’s longsuffering is manifesting His goodness in each and every day, the gospel is alive and well, and now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2), if you are an erring Christian, “REPENT!” and subject yourselves to the gospel today (Rom 10:3, 16)
6) If not, obey the gospel of Christ from the heart (Rom 6:17), wherein one is to . . .
Hear the Word of God (Acts 2:37; Rom 10:17) this how the Father plants the word, the seed of the kingdom (Lk 8:11), within the good ground, that good, honest and open heart.
One is to . . .
Believe that Jesus died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, and that we have a living hope of following Him (1 Cor 15:1-4; 23; 1 Pet 1:3-4), belief (faith) is the crossover point (Jn 5:24) wherein one enters into the process of “being saved” (Lk 13:23; Acts 2:46; 1 Cor 1:18; 15:2; 2 Cor 2:15)
Joh 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
And one is not to stop there, but rather continue in the process of “being saved” (Lk 13:23; Acts 2:46; 1 Cor 1:18; 15:2; 2 Cor 2:15) . . .
One is to . . .
Repent of sins, (Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3, 5), Repentance is a change of mind that results in a changed life, a life
that is likened unto Christ’s, Whom we follow (Jn 14:6; 1 Cor 11:1)
One is to . . .
Confess Jesus as the Christ to others (Acts 8:37; Rom 10:9), if you are ashamed of Christ and His words, He will be ashamed of you on That Day (Luke 9:26), this is how God propagates His kingdom (Mt 28:19-20).
One is to . . .
Be baptized (immersed) into Christ (Gal 3:27) into the death of Christ (Rom 6:3) where His precious blood was shed (John 19:34) unto (for) the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), it is the point where one is to be dead to the practice of sin and alive unto God (Rom 6:1-11).
And finally one is to . . .
Live a holy life (1 Pet 1:15), and “knowing” what being “holy” is, “separated” “set-apart” “from” the ways of the world and “to” the Way of God (2 Cor 6:14-7:1), being renewed day by day, walking not as the world walks, but as God directs, in every aspect of one’s life.
Putting off that old man, and putting on the new, being constantly in a state of spiritual growth,
Engraving, implanting God’s word and will deeper and deeper into our hearts with each passing day.
As the good ground, determined to follow God’s instructions, that difficult Way (Mt 7:14), whatever the cost may be (Rev 2:10), it is worth all that and more (Rom 8:18).