In our last lesson called: “Sanctified By The Spirit And Truth” we had a look at the fact that even God’s chosen people throughout time have always had issues with walking in obedience and attaining the level of actual righteousness that God requires and demands in His Word. This lesson explores some of the reasons for the necessity for the believer in God through Jesus Christ, God’s risen and Only-begotten Son to be “Being Sanctified Against The Enemies Of God”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 13:1 – 5 (KJV)
Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 2Peter 3:1 – 13 (KJV)
2Pe 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2Pe 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) There are three categories which comprise the “enemies of God” (which therefore, are also the enemies of the saved”); which are: 1) the world, 2) the flesh, 3) and the devil; which have been constantly working against the program of God for His people from the Garden of Eden, up until this very second, that are the byproduct of the evil seed of the devil, which was sown into the world through deception of Eve, which affected the willful decision of Adam to sin against God, causing all people to be born in sin, with a sinful nature, which militates against God and His authority.
2) In the likeness of the devil, (The father of false prophets / lies {John 8:44}) there have always been false prophets, who perpetrate lies, and anti-God “philosophies” which militate against God’s Word and therefore, God’s LOVE, in exchange for temporal gratification in time, which shall be destroyed in eternity, as Moses warned the Children Of Israel sternly against the false prophets of his day.
3) The Apostle Peter warns and sternly reminds us that it might seem that God is moving slowly in dealing with the existence and realities of sin, which is against Him, especially since He has provided Jesus Christ, His Only-begotten Son, Who suffered according to the Law and the Prophets (Holy Scripture) a painful, hideous death on the cross, to satisfy God for all who believe in Him and acknowledge that He is risen from the dead, with the promise that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
