How Do They Arrive at Such a Belief?

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” 1 Timothy 4:1

—–WHEN it comes to certain Bible subjects, there are differing opinions, and why? Is God confused? No (1 Corinthians 14:33). Why do some insist upon holding to a doctrine that they did not get from Scripture but were taught it by mere men?

Beware of those who violate, who speak contradictory to other parts of God’s Word in order to sell you on their “revelation.” Known truth, biblically stated truth must never be contradicted. The LORD is not confused and so we conclude that anyone upholding what they believe to be truth that contradicts known biblical truth, is confused at best. Beware of what the Holy Spirit calls “private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)

There is a biblically stated reason that people are deceived. Those who do not love God’s truth will be turned over to “strong delusion” and believe lies (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

—- SOMEHOW people vainly think that because someone is deceived that that excuses them. Some speak and act as if God is going to somehow excuse those that are deceived because they just don’t know any better. Nonsense! Just because someone is well meaning does not excuse them from not learning, believing, and walking in the truth which is God’s Word (John 17:17).

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12

As we just read in the above verse, it is possible to be misled by a “way which seemeth right.” Many today are very sincere about their beliefs and simultaneously sincerely dead wrong.

We all have a Bible, God’s Word, and so if we are ignorant, we are willingly ignorant and under divine judgment, especially those who lead or should I say mislead – “deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:7) Saints, we MUST pore prayerfully over 2 Thessalonians 2. In verse 3 we learn of the great falling away and in verses 9-12 we learn of how the LORD takes it personally when someone doesn’t love His truth and so God Himself sends that person “strong delusion.” “They are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

Some have deliberately allowed what mere men have taught them to trump God’s Word. I cannot count how many deluded calvinists and eternal securists I have literally opened the Bible and shown God’s Word to who have openly rejected it. Why? –Because they love tradition and the lascivious doctrines of ease that mere sinful men (wolves) have taught them (Jude 3-4).

Why do people draw the wrong conclusion? It’s not because they don’t have access to God’s Word but rather due to loving their lives in this fleeting, sinful world and therefore loving self and pleasure more than God. So, they migrate to those who tell them what THEY want to hear instead of going to God’s raw Word for themselves and being taught by the Holy Spirit through the written Word.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering 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 (stories told by story tellers).” 2 Timothy 4:2-4

So why are many deceived in this late hour?  – They do not love the LORD and therefore cannot “endure sound doctrine” and therefore “they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

So, they don’t want to receive the truth because they have “pleasure in unrighteousness.” (v12) In other words they love the lies and liars of lasciviousness and are “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:4)

Like the Pharisees of Christ’s day, some are bound to following their tradition and the doctrine of men and devils instead of God’s Word.

“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Mark 7:6-9.

Like these Pharisees Jesus lambasted, many today openly reject what God has told us in His Word for their own tradition (something mere man has taught them). Did you catch that? Reread the above passage from Mark 7. This is extremely key.

Instead of doing deep, daily and personal study of God’s Word for themselves on that topic, they use Scripture out of context to “prove” that something THEY WANT to be true is true. You see, many who are not truly submitted to the LORD and don’t want to be, hide behind the diabolical heresy of “once saved always saved” which is never taught in Scripture. THEY WANT this to be true and want no part of personal responsibility to the LORD and so come unglued when someone preaches the truth about this heresy they think they are hiding behind. Judgment Day is coming.

These are not interested in what God says because their life is all about themselves, not Jesus (2 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:16).

The true disciple of Jesus is a student of Jesus and will believe nothing that he doesn’t personally find for Himself, with his own eyes in God’s Word. He says with Christ’s apostle Paul “Let God be true and EVERY man a liar.”(Romans 3:4)

No mere man should be taken at his word. We are to take God at His Word and to count His Word at the final authority for all things. The saints at Berea are a good example of this because they put to the test what the apostle Paul taught. They took God at His Word, as their final authority, and therefore tested even Christ’s apostle against that holy standard.

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ” Acts 17:11

The mythical conclusion drawn by those who allow tradition to trump truth is rooted in self worship and a denial of Christ as LORD. Damnation awaits. The belief of “eternal security” is arrived at by those who want this to be true…even though they did not find it in God’s Word. No person who studies God’s Word alone, led of the Spirit, will ever come to the conclusion of an unconditional eternal security.

The profile of many who believe this so-called “eternal security” myth is that they simply don’t want to go to hell. Yet, they want no part of Jesus outside of church attendance and thinking they are using Him to get them out of the eternal prison of fire. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

The LORD requires repentance, initial and ongoing faith, and abiding or remaining (John 15). This relationship He’s ordained, always brings forth good fruit (John 17:3). Those who reject a relationship with Jesus Christ, reject Him and forfeit His saving grace.

—- MANY deceived souls today place the words of mere sinful men on the same level or higher than Holy Scripture. It’s not just the Mormons who do so – Calvinists do the same thing. Many of those who are called “reformers” were Calvinists which makes them false teachers and the exact “ungodly men” we are warned about in Jude (Jude 3-4). Thank You Jesus for Your Word!

The true “honest” Bible believer does not buy the doctrines of the reformers because they blatantly violate God’s Word (Luke 8:15). The true follower of Christ follows Christ and wastes no time on what sinful men have taught other than to expose it when needed (Romans 16:17-18). The disciple of Jesus sees those diabolical lies for what they are as we are warned about (Jude 3-4). Beloved, let’s get our view of God straight from Him – and that’s why He gave us His written Word (Psalms 119; John 20:31, etc.).

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