Refusing, or Enduring Sound Doctrine?

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:1-4

At times we hear naysayers claim that those who preach the truth in the fear of God are “negative.” In other words, they don’t want to “endure sound doctrine” which is exactly how people “depart from the faith” and “fall away.” (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4) Some never return to Christ and will forever be alienated from Him who is Salvation (2 Peter 2:20-21).

The Real Negative

What’s “negative” is sin which brings eternal “death” which means eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). Sin brings eternal damnation and only the truth can rescue perishing souls from sin and everlasting fire (John 8:31-32, 36). Those who may seem harsh and “negative” may just be the most important people in your life! They may be that blessing that God send to speak His Word into your life and warn you – in order to save you from the lake of fire. Now, is that negative or positive?

The unchanging God told His servant Isaiah to expose the sins of His people so that they could repent and be cleansed of them.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isaiah 58:1

Was Isaiah the prophet “negative” or was he obedient and a blessing? The answer is obvious to the righteous remnant.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO REJECT THE ONLY SAVIOR AND HIS “SOUND DOCTRINE” INSTEAD OF ENDURING IT UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, IN ETERNAL HELL, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO “LOVE” THE SMILING WOLVES IN WHOM YOU TRUSTED? HOW “BLESSED” WILL YOU BE THEN? HOW WONDERFUL WILL YOU THINK THOSE EVIL MEN ARE THEN? HOW GLAD WILL YOU BE THAT REJECTED JESUS CHRIST FOR THESE DECEIVING DEVILS?

In fact, it’s only the false leaders who tell people “smooth things” instead of the truth and refuse to preach on sin to help God’s people get delivered so that they are abiding in Him and ready to meet the LORD.

“Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” Lamentations 2:14

It’s the backslidden, apostate people who cry out for “smooth things” instead of seeking the whole and hard truth of God’s truth.

“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law (Word) of the LORD: ¹⁰Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” Isaiah 30:9-10

But what’s “the end thereof” hold? What future have truth-rejecting souls to look forward to? To the rebellious people among God’s people, Jeremiah wrote:

“The prophets (false leaders) prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jeremiah 5:31

What shall we answer the Judge of our eternal soul when we stand before Him? What shall we answer Him after we have chosen to shun and deny His truth spoken by His “negative” messengers? What shall we say to Him after we have refused to “endure sound doctrine” but rather did our own thing and justified it by migrating to false leaders who told us things that tickled our ears or coddled us in our sins and refused to even include the words “sin” or “repent” in their vocabulary?

Shall we hear “Enter thou in to the joy of the LORD” or “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire”? (Matthew 25:40-46)

You see, people get intoxicated and become “lukewarm” when they begin listening to one of the “many false prophets” today (Matt. 7:15; 24: 11, 24; Rev. 3:15-16). They begin to wax cold in heart as they are allured or seduced by evil spirits to adopt and embrace soul-seducing doctrines that put them “at ease in Zion,” not realizing it’s for their eternal soul.

There are innumerable false prophets operating today who have become multi-millionaires by capitolzing on the unrepentant hearts of the many who vainly think they are saved but live after the flesh instead of dying to self and letting Jesus reign. It’s “after their own lusts” that they have “heaped” up to themselves these beguiling false teachers and been turned over to lies and fables (2 Timothy 4:2-4). The wolves simply tell people what they wish to hear, tickling their ears to eternal destruction and thereby have made merchandise of these truth-rejecting masses (2 Peter 2:1-3). Be sure that their end is eternal “damnation.” (2 Peter 2:3) These deceivers have done this by peddling their lies in their books which sell millions due to the “many” who are on broad road to eternal hell (Matthew 7:13-14). Christ told us that only a “few” would enter into eternal glory.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  ¹⁵Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15

Here in this passage above, Jesus connects there “broad … way” through which “many” will enter into hell and the warning to “Beware of false prophets,” that is, the “false prophets” who are the “ravening wolves” who do not preach the “narrow … way”which “leadeth unto life.”

A Deceived Generations Path to Hell

These are nothing but false prophets, wolves who are telling people exactly what their unrepentant hearts want to hear. Totally counterfeit. This is exactly what Paul prophesied (2 Timothy 4:1-4). When they do dare mention “sin” and “repentance” it’s not in the biblical context. They feign to preach “repentance” but it’s only to get “blessed” and not being taught in the context of how Scripture defines true repentance nor for the right reason. In Bible terms, repentance is not a shallow “I’m sorry” to get us to the “blessings” the false prophets entice us with. But this stuff sells well for this unrepentant, self-serving generation. They just want the “blessing.” They want to crown but reject Christ and the cross. They have no deep sorrow for their sin but rather a shallow, “I’m sorry-please just bless me” mentality. They are not willing to suffer the death of self and “endure” such “sound doctrine” by obeying it (Romans 6; 2 Timothy 4:2-4).

“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Proverbs 30:12

Why do some say that those who preach the truth in the fear of God are “negative”? Why and how does someone come to the place of saying the truth is “negative”? It’s when we ourselves have back slidden in our hearts (Proverbs 14:14) that we begin to wax cold and see true Gospel preaching and declaration as being “negative.” But it’s eternity in hell that is negative and so the hard truths must be told just like the prophets and apostles and our LORD spoke. There is nothing in the earth more positive than the truth. It’s the only ark of safety to save our eternal souls from the ferocious ocean of fire our LORD so often warned us to escape. Jesus called this generation “An eviland adulterous generation.” (Matthew 12:39) We ourselves are ever in jeopardy to fall prey to the lusts of the flesh and be spoiled and “fall away.” Our LORD told us exactly how this happens:

“And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” Mark 4:18-19

1. Cares of this world
2. Deceitfulness of riches
3. Lusts of other things

Prayer of Repentance: Heavenly Father, I have not held You first place in my life. I have had myself as another and a false god before You. Right now, if never before, I turn my heart and life back to You. I announce my sins before You and ask You to forgive and wash me clean by the blood of Jesus from these transgressions. Unite my heart to fear Thy holy name. Please fill me with Your Holy Ghost and take over my life. Open doors and hearts for me to testify to others the work you are doing in my heart and life and that blessed work You wish to do in the lives of all who will come to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

An Angry Man In Hell

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