A beautiful church with a cross on the steeple welcomed the mourners of a father who had died much too young. The woman dressed in the robes of her denomination took her pastoral role seriously, trying to comfort her flock. She declared that all are God’s children, and He welcomes them back to heaven upon their death. A country song played that depicted a man who spent his life in the bars, drinking by night and hungover by day, entering the pearly gates at his last breath. Surely, many in the service that day felt comforted by the pastor’s message as they pictured the man in heaven, not because he had placed his faith in Jesus alone, but because God is much too loving to allow anyone to be separated from Him for eternity. Though that pastor had picked some Scripture to read from God’s Word, and though the cross on the church declared that she believed in Jesus, her message denied the whole reason Jesus had come to suffer for the sins of mankind. Those who continued under her teaching were being comforted straight into eternal separation from God to a place reserved for Satan and his angels.
False teaching by those who claim to speak for God is not new to our current times. In 2 Peter 2, Peter reminds the reader of Noah and Lot. If you recall, Noah and his family were the only people in the world who believed God’s message that His judgment was coming to flood the earth. (Find Noah’s story in Genesis 6). Right up until the day the rain began to fall, people were living life to the fullest. For 120 years, Noah had preached that God’s judgment was coming. He pleaded for everyone to enter the ark with his family. Many religious leaders mocked his message and comforted their people. In the end, judgment did fall, and everyone but Noah’s family drowned.
Lot’s story is the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah. Peter declares that Lot was righteous, though his story from Genesis 19 reveals that even his sons-in-law dismissed his warning that judgment would come. Because of Lot’s praying uncle, Abraham, he and his wife, along with their two unmarried daughters, were pulled to safety by angels just before the fire fell and destroyed the cities that had dismissed God’s warnings. They just kept living as they wished all the way to their doom. Again, God’s judgment did come, and everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah perished.
Today, counterfeit Christianity is still preaching its comforting message. We are all okay. God allows everyone to come into his heaven. Or they are preaching that every church member, everyone who gets baptized, everyone who takes communion, or confesses their sins to the priest, gets to go to heaven. Except none of those things are in the Bible. Here is the message that Jesus preached:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:3,14-21.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23
Also, for those who are resting in their good works to get into heaven, Revelation 20:11-15 says that God will judge the works of those who do not place their faith in Jesus. It will not end well.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There is no better time to get into the Word and know what it says. Deception is Satan’s expertise. He knows the Word of God and has been twisting it to serve his purposes since he tempted Eve in the garden. Those who are misled by his lies will regret it for eternity. Don’t be one who dismisses God’s Word so you can be comforted by Satan’s lies. Know the Word and obey its message while there is still time.
Below, you will find 2 Peter 2’s study for this week. Have a blessed weekend!
His Song in the Night 