2 Peter 2:20 “For if after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse
with them than the beginning.”
The greatest knowledge of God we have is our fear of Him.
God is righteous in every possible way, but He is also judgmental in
everything. God is great with love, before we loved Him, He loved us, and it is
because of His love that we love Him. However, let us not mis-understand words
like love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, let us always remember the word fear.
God listed fear as one of the downfalls
of mankind, “There is no fear of God
before their eyes.” Romans 3:18 When people have no fear in their
hearts then they will not mind the rule of law. God went on to say, “Submitting yourselves one to another in
the fear of God.” Ephesians 5:21 It is our fear of God that causes
us to be good Christians. Now let us look at our knowledge, our knowledge is
given by the Holy Spirit and we should use much care with that knowledge. It is
by our knowledge of God, His word, and fear that keeps us in God’s word. It is
by God’s grace that we “have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ”. But with this grace of knowledge comes responsibility, and that responsibility
is on our part to keep Gods Holy Word in our life as a guide. Jesus knowing
this great challenge in the Christians life prayed for us about this, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth.” John 17:17 Making one holy or pure in this life is only accomplished
by the power and work of God. Only in the washing of the blood of Jesus can a
soul ever be cleansed and made pure. But keeping ourselves pure is a work on
our part, we must walk in the Holy Spirit. “This
I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:16 It is true that God will keep us, and we cannot fall from
the salvation that He has given to us thru His Glorious Son, but we must walk
in the word to keep holy. God told us to “…
keep thyself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22 This is the challenge of every
believer, to learn the word, walk in the Spirit, and to keep ourselves pure in
this life. Folks, it is only through our fear of god that we can continue to do
this. I fear that the words “chastisement, and chastening” are not used enough
in this age. But there is something else that will keep the Christian pure in
life, that is respect and honor. We owe God our respect and honor for the grace
and mercy He has shown to us in saving our unworthy souls. After God has brought
us up out of the sewage pit of this most evil world, why would we even want to
return. Why would we not want to walk in the word of God every moment of our
life, why would we not want to show God our gratitude for what He has given un
in Jesus Christ.
However, not all that claim Christianity are Christians. If
you are a Christian and a true Christian, then you must know your responsibility
to God and Jesus who saved you. If you cannot do this then here is a thought,
maybe you are not saved. Maybe this is why you cannot follow Jesus and God’s
Word in this life. “But it is happened
unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit
again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter
2:22 It is sad that so many that call themselves Christians are
nothing more than lost, religious, and hell bound. The lost sinner will always
return to the pit of the sewage and when they do it will be worse than if they
had not known the truth, “latter end is
worse with them than the beginning.” Professing to know Jesus Christ and
not actually knowing Him is going to be painful, devastating, their end will be
worse. Folks, salvation is not a game, it is real, and it is only thru Jesus
Christ, if you are saved any other way then you are lost and a “fake Christian”,
your end is only going to be worse. Read these words very carefully, “And the Father himself, which hath sent me,
hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen
his shape…And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him
ye believe not…Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal
life: and they are they which testify of me…And ye will not come to me, that ye
might have life.” John 5:37 - 40
