They Will Lead Many Astray
Matthew 24:3-8 ESV
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Personally, I have not yet heard anyone claim that he is the
Christ, but I have heard many people claim that they are Christians, or that
they are following Christ with their lives, and yet they are leading others
astray with their false teaching and with their diluted gospel message.
Many people are equating the keeping of the Old Covenant
with obedience to our Lord under the New Covenant, and thus they are teaching
that we don’t have to obey our Lord’s commands under the New Covenant. They
call that works-based salvation. And that gives them liberty to continue in sin.
But Jesus’ sacrificial death on that cross did not deliver
us from having to obey our Lord and his gospel. It liberated us from our
slavery to sin so that we would now be slaves of God and of his righteousness.
For Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his
righteousness.
Obedience to our Lord was not eradicated under the New
Covenant. It is upheld! All throughout the New Testament under the New Covenant
we are taught the importance of walks of obedience to our Lord Jesus, in
submission to him as Lord, and in surrender of our lives to him.
For, when we trust Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior,
we die with him to sin, and we live to him and to his righteousness in the
power of God’s Spirit living within us. We now walk (in conduct) according to
the Spirit, and we no longer walk (in practice) according to our flesh.
But many people are being led astray by master manipulators
who twist the truth of Scripture to their advantage to make it say what tickles
itching ears. And they are leading the masses to believe that faith in Jesus
Christ does not require repentance, obedience, or submission to Christ as Lord.
And so, we have many people professing faith in Jesus Christ
on the promise that heaven is guaranteed them when they die, and yet they are
still living their lives to the flesh, to do what they want to do, convincing themselves
that they don’t have to surrender their lives to Christ.
But if they continue on that course, and they don’t repent
of their sins, and they don’t obey the Lord, then heaven is not guaranteed
them. They will die in their sins. They will not inherit eternal life with God.
And it is because they refused to obey the Lord and his commandments under the
New Covenant.
You Will Be Hated
Matthew 24:9-14 ESV
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
If you are following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his
commands, under the New Covenant, and you are dying with him to sin, and you
are living to him and to his righteousness, and he is truly Lord (master) of
your life, and you are going with him wherever he leads, you will be hated,
even by others who also profess faith in Jesus Christ.
In America, for now, we who are following Jesus Christ with
our lives are not facing the severity of persecution as Christians are in other
nations. We aren’t literally being put to death for our faith in Jesus Christ.
But there is a far worse fate that is being meted out on those professing faith
in Christ.
The liars and deceivers and false teachers are meting out a
far worse death than the death of our physical bodies. They are leading
professers of faith in Jesus Christ to their deaths for eternity because they
are convincing them that they don’t have to forsake their sins or follow Jesus
in obedience.
They are literally killing them with their false words and
with their false gospel message and with their false promises. For they are
telling them that they can believe in Jesus, have their sins forgiven, have
heaven guaranteed them when they die, but that they don’t have to obey the
Lord.
And people are flocking to this false gospel in large
numbers, and this false gospel is spreading far and wide, and it is in the
forefront, and it is largely being accepted by most who profess faith in
Christ, at least here in America. The narrow road has been turned into a broad
road which leads to death.
So, lawlessness is increasing because they are being taught
that they don’t have to obey the Lord or any of his commandments. So, they are
being liberated to continue in habitual, deliberate, and premeditated sin
against the Lord, while they claim that is freedom and it is from God’s grace.
But those of us who are still following our Lord, and who
have not compromised our faith or forsaken the truth of the gospel are being
fought against, and we are being rejected and falsely accused and ostracized
for our stand on the truth and for our walks of obedience to our Lord.
But if we endure in our faith, strong and steadfast, to the
very end, we will be saved from our sins and we will have eternal life with
God. And the true gospel is going out throughout the world, and it is going out
through writing and posting on the internet, as well as through other means.
The Abomination of Desolation
Matthew 24:15 ESV
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand).”
An abomination is something that is an outrage, a disgrace,
something God abhors, that is revolting to him. And desolation is misery,
despair, sadness, and devastation (destruction, damage). And the “holy place”
is God’s temple, and we are his temple if we believe in him.
And what is happening in much of today’s church, and to the
gospel, and to the lives of many of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ is
an abomination, and it does cause much destruction and damage to human lives. And
it is this cheap grace gospel which is taking its stand in the gatherings of
the church, the body of Christ, and it is killing people.
So, please understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ
demands death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness. It demands
walks of obedience to our Lord and submission to Christ as owner-master of our
lives. For, if we walk according to our flesh, we will not inherit eternal
life, but we will die.
Songs
in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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