Israel
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This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Periodically the reality of these particular matters appear emphasized. It is not that they ever fade in import, noteworthiness, or truth; and like any worthy cautions should not be forgotten. We are those made able to bear instruction, to be carriers disciplined by the words entrusted by the Spirit. It is not that we "do" anything about them, or are even (especially in this case) expected to turn the course of things spoken as coming in being, but that the being aware of them is enough to work in us what God would have by such awareness. To not be lulled, but awake.
How such instruction works in each of us as believers is for our good to be found in God's glory. And if we have been persuaded as those in the world but not of it, we hear these words not with fear but with the conviction that He who knows the end from the beginning has not left us as orphans to be shocked by our estate. God's choosing of our time of appearing in the world is of no less care then our elder brother's. We are given all necessary to navigate in and by Christ...even in straits of such tumult to avoid shipwreck.
Casually we might be inclined to think nothing mentioned has ever not been. And dismiss their note as "nothing new, so what?" Men have always loved themselves in excess of God, been given to excesses of incontinence, betrayed one another, been given to proud and boastful blaspheming. Then, to that man claiming such perception as to say "this is not worthy of the reminder" or untimely in mention, he will be showing by his walk of faith the prior fullness of their (Paul's words) in his understanding.
There is a meshing with those words spoken "If they do this when the tree is green, what will be done in the dry?" How much more full blown are certain things than once were so, that a faithful Guide would say "See, I tell you these things before they happen, so that when they do, you shall not be offended".
Written in a time when Rome held its boot firm across the throat of all and any opposition, from a time when the Lord Himself would be handed over to unbelievers for their disposal by betrayal, when brothers met their deaths in cruelest fashion (not lost on Paul). it could appear that no time or times could be the more perilous. Yet the Spirit testifies otherwise. Times of such peril that if it were possible (thanks be to God! for "if") even the elect would be deceived.
If there is an arming for such times, (by heeding such caution) that soldiers not find themselves asleep and shocked awake to discover they have lain themselves down in the midst of an enemy's encampment lulled by the strange music of these times, might it be found in words given through brother Peter? That one who showed himself once ready with a sword but learned the better definition and wielding:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The power in He who is the Word of God is toward us at all times in the same faith by which He demonstrated His faithful navigation of His time.
We are made able to believe we too, are chosen for a time such as this according to the same power which
is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the work of His great might that is worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule and all authority and power and dominion and above
So that God's testimony of Christ's coming into the earth is not lost on us
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Periodically the reality of these particular matters appear emphasized. It is not that they ever fade in import, noteworthiness, or truth; and like any worthy cautions should not be forgotten. We are those made able to bear instruction, to be carriers disciplined by the words entrusted by the Spirit. It is not that we "do" anything about them, or are even (especially in this case) expected to turn the course of things spoken as coming in being, but that the being aware of them is enough to work in us what God would have by such awareness. To not be lulled, but awake.
How such instruction works in each of us as believers is for our good to be found in God's glory. And if we have been persuaded as those in the world but not of it, we hear these words not with fear but with the conviction that He who knows the end from the beginning has not left us as orphans to be shocked by our estate. God's choosing of our time of appearing in the world is of no less care then our elder brother's. We are given all necessary to navigate in and by Christ...even in straits of such tumult to avoid shipwreck.
Casually we might be inclined to think nothing mentioned has ever not been. And dismiss their note as "nothing new, so what?" Men have always loved themselves in excess of God, been given to excesses of incontinence, betrayed one another, been given to proud and boastful blaspheming. Then, to that man claiming such perception as to say "this is not worthy of the reminder" or untimely in mention, he will be showing by his walk of faith the prior fullness of their (Paul's words) in his understanding.
There is a meshing with those words spoken "If they do this when the tree is green, what will be done in the dry?" How much more full blown are certain things than once were so, that a faithful Guide would say "See, I tell you these things before they happen, so that when they do, you shall not be offended".
Written in a time when Rome held its boot firm across the throat of all and any opposition, from a time when the Lord Himself would be handed over to unbelievers for their disposal by betrayal, when brothers met their deaths in cruelest fashion (not lost on Paul). it could appear that no time or times could be the more perilous. Yet the Spirit testifies otherwise. Times of such peril that if it were possible (thanks be to God! for "if") even the elect would be deceived.
If there is an arming for such times, (by heeding such caution) that soldiers not find themselves asleep and shocked awake to discover they have lain themselves down in the midst of an enemy's encampment lulled by the strange music of these times, might it be found in words given through brother Peter? That one who showed himself once ready with a sword but learned the better definition and wielding:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The power in He who is the Word of God is toward us at all times in the same faith by which He demonstrated His faithful navigation of His time.
We are made able to believe we too, are chosen for a time such as this according to the same power which
is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the work of His great might that is worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule and all authority and power and dominion and above
So that God's testimony of Christ's coming into the earth is not lost on us
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
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