Mere Mists
Reading: II Peter 2
My Verse: "These are springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest, for whom is reserved forever the gloom of darkness" (2:17).
Peter is speaking here of the false teachers. Lord God, You have much teaching on false teaching. You know us so well. You know how prone we are to choose the counterfeit. We choose that which does not require us to give ourselves totally to You. We want to choose that which does not require us to admit our sin and our deep need of You. We tend to choose only that which will make us feel a bit better about ourselves but allow us to live as we choose. But this way is only "springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest."
"Springs without water" signify no true nourishment, nothing to sustain one's soul. So many religions when traced back to their origin are based on one man's ideas. I just heard of one such that is based on the writings of one Emmanual Swedenborg, a scientist turned philosopher. He did not believe salvation comes from faith alone. He believed that works had to be a part of the equation. A church grew up out of this teaching. The church is old and mystical, sounds quite lovely and noble. Yet according to You Lord God. according to Your word - the one and only thing that saves is belief in, faith in Your finished work, Your sacrifice on the cross. We can do nothing to add to that. "not of works lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9).
Both James and Paul teach that good works should come out of one's salvation. Becoming one with You should so transform us that we exhibit good works in our lives. But works do not save, cannot save. Our works are a pitiful thing compared to what You, Lord God did for us.
No matter how lovely or noble a religion is - if it strays from Your Word, then it is a false teaching. It is a "mere mist driven along before a tempest." There is no real substance to it. We must ever be careful of becoming too enamored with any one person or idea. We must never let a person or idea replace You and Your Word - for there only is Truth.
"For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it (to do so - it never came by human impulse), but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
The "gloom of darkness" awaits all those who choose to follow false teachings.
Thank You, Lord God, Jehovah God, for Your Word. We are able to search for ourselves the fathomless riches within. You and Your Word are not mere mists that only confuse. The more one searches the scriptures the more clear things become, the more understanding one reaches. You and Your Word bring clarity and security.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: II Peter 2
My Verse: "These are springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest, for whom is reserved forever the gloom of darkness" (2:17).
Peter is speaking here of the false teachers. Lord God, You have much teaching on false teaching. You know us so well. You know how prone we are to choose the counterfeit. We choose that which does not require us to give ourselves totally to You. We want to choose that which does not require us to admit our sin and our deep need of You. We tend to choose only that which will make us feel a bit better about ourselves but allow us to live as we choose. But this way is only "springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest."
"Springs without water" signify no true nourishment, nothing to sustain one's soul. So many religions when traced back to their origin are based on one man's ideas. I just heard of one such that is based on the writings of one Emmanual Swedenborg, a scientist turned philosopher. He did not believe salvation comes from faith alone. He believed that works had to be a part of the equation. A church grew up out of this teaching. The church is old and mystical, sounds quite lovely and noble. Yet according to You Lord God. according to Your word - the one and only thing that saves is belief in, faith in Your finished work, Your sacrifice on the cross. We can do nothing to add to that. "not of works lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9).
Both James and Paul teach that good works should come out of one's salvation. Becoming one with You should so transform us that we exhibit good works in our lives. But works do not save, cannot save. Our works are a pitiful thing compared to what You, Lord God did for us.
No matter how lovely or noble a religion is - if it strays from Your Word, then it is a false teaching. It is a "mere mist driven along before a tempest." There is no real substance to it. We must ever be careful of becoming too enamored with any one person or idea. We must never let a person or idea replace You and Your Word - for there only is Truth.
"For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it (to do so - it never came by human impulse), but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
The "gloom of darkness" awaits all those who choose to follow false teachings.
Thank You, Lord God, Jehovah God, for Your Word. We are able to search for ourselves the fathomless riches within. You and Your Word are not mere mists that only confuse. The more one searches the scriptures the more clear things become, the more understanding one reaches. You and Your Word bring clarity and security.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
No comments:
Post a Comment