Falling From Grace II

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 2:18-21

I. Fall from Grace by Leaving Christ for False Teaching

A. False doctrine has been present since Satan told Eve “you will not surely die.”

B. Our society considers it bad manners or arrogance to teach that one way is right and another is wrong.

C. Christians must stand for the truth against those who claim to follow God but do not follow His doctrine.

D. Galatians 1:6-9 – There are false gospels The New Testament repeatedly warns Christians of false teachers

II. 2 Peter 2:18-19 – Characteristics of False Teachers

A. The context: Throughout time, false teachers have rejected God’s authority and corrupted His message, destroying others in the process.

B. False teachers use great words that are meaningless

C. False teachers appeal to fleshly lusts and lack of moral restraint to lure those who have cleansed themselves from unrighteousness

D. False teachers are enslaved to sin, yet they promise liberty

E. Some wayward teachers do not restrict what God has limited.

F. Some who do not respect God’s limits on women in the worship, the pattern for worship, or God’s plan of salvation teach a relationship in Jesus that does not require one to obey His law. They teach the superiority of the law of love yet seem to forget that God’s law is based on love and to love God is to keep His commandments; 1 John 5:3.

G. Some cannot accept that many religious people are wrong

H. Matthew 7:21-23 – Some religious people will be condemned Philippians 2:12 – Work out salvation with fear and trembling1 Peter 4:17-18 – The righteous will scarcely be saved2 Corinthians 11:14-15 – Deceptive “angels of light” We do not doubt that brethren have sometimes minimized grace, overemphasized obedience to certain commands rather than the transformation of one’s life, and emphasized elements of worship at the expense of spiritual worship, but this does not justify throwing out God’s law to embrace some nebulous touchy-feely Christianity. It is never right to emphasize Jesus’ law at the expense of spirit or stress spirit to the exclusion of God’s law.

I. Appear godly

J. Acts 20:29-30 – Paul warned of elders teaching false things As quoted before, Satan’s angels can appear to be holy.

III. 2 Peter 2:20-22 – Result of False Teaching

A. Those purchased by Christ who heed the false teachers will be in a worse condition than if they had never obeyed the truth at all.

B. Peter wrote of the saved—they escaped the pollutions of the world

C. Some do not apply this to Christians but to those who could have obeyed but did not. This view is wrong for those who heeded the false teachers:

D. Escaped licentiousness and the pollutions of the world t hrough Jesus

E. Had been washed and made holy

F. The dog expectorated the disgusting filth within. The pig was washed and made clean.

G. If these cleansed souls return to the world, they will again be covered with the filth of the world.

H. The dog consumes that which was vile and unpleasant. The clean pig returns to the mud.

I. If a child of God cannot be lost, it will never be better for one to have not known the way of righteousness.

J. The one who hears but does not obey and the one who will not even hear have no advantage over one another—each is equally lost. However, a saved (cleansed) person who rejects the pure message of righteousness for a corrupted gospel will be in a worse condition—for he returned to the filth of the world and after being saved, was lost.

IV. Truth reveals error

A. Password game: using the red film would reveal the hidden answer

B. Hold to the truth

C. 2 Peter 3:16-18 – We must hold to the truth lest we be led away by error

D. Beware of the untaught and unstable Grow in knowledge in order to prevent your destruction

E. 2 Timothy 4:1-5

F. The doctrine is not always palatable but it is always good. Truth reveals fables for what they are.

G. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

H. Many will be willingly deceived because they do not love the truth. Satan lures those who reject the truth with false signs; therefore, God gives them up (as in Romans 1) to accept the error. God did not make the person sin; the sinner chose error over truth. If we have a love for the truth and abhor unrighteousness, we can see through the façade.2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 – Hold fast to the world of God.

I. Titus 1:9-16 - Sound doctrine will expose and oppose false teaching

J. Some reject God’s authority and their lives are unholy Some deceive for personal gain while others talk about useless things

V. Conclusion: This is one of the greatest dangers facing the Christian. Know the truth and be free from error.