247 - THE GREAT APOSTASY
May 27, 1962
Henry F. Kulp
I Timothy 4: 1 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;
Remember, Paul is writing to a young minister and telling him the things that make a good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he says that the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. The Bible has never prophesied that the world would grow better. The Bible has never prophesied that the church would have an easy time as it went alone. The Bible always prophesied that as the age proceeds things would become more difficult—sin would become more entrenched in the church, and in the world, and that the preaching of the word would become more difficult.
1/ You will notice that in verse 1 it says, the Spirit speaketh expressly. This is something that needs to be emphasized. The Spirit speaketh expressly. In all reverence, let me say this. The Holy Spirit does not speak just for the sake of speaking as people often do, and we are all guilty of this. We talk just to hear ourselves talk, but not so with the Holy Spirit. The matter that the Holy Spirit taking up here is a very special point, and he wants us to pay special attention to it. We should recognize everything He says, but this is something we should pay close attention to.
2/ Let us look at II Timothy 3: 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
And, here, Paul says, this also know at the last days, perilous times shall come. That word, perilous, we have told you means no way out—it means all hemmed in. But I want to show you this same word translated still another way in the Word of God.
Matthew 8: 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Here that same word is translated fierce. And it has the case of the man in the tombs who was so wild that no man could tame him. They bound him but he broke the bounds. It says no man could tame him—he was exceeding fierce. That’s the word that is used here—so in the latter days, it means there will be a condition that cannot be met, that cannot be corrected, that cannot be overcome. It will be a condition that is too much for the world to rectify. The idea of building a new world out of this wreck is all together out of the question.Things have gone absolutely too far. Oh, things have been tried but what has been the result? They have fallen apart—they have come to an absolute end.
3/ Just as man could not tame the wild man in the tombs, just so men will not be able to bring order out of this chaotic condition.
But now as we look at this portion in I Timothy 4: 1 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; This is to take place in the professing church.
4/ It is interesting as we look at the word, depart. It means to stand off from, or fall away. Our word apostatize is the English spelling of a form of the Greek word. So folks ask me, is there going to be an apostasy. Does the Bible tell us there is going to be an apostasy in the last time? It most certainly does—for right here it is. For in the latter times, some shall apostatize from the faith.
5/ Then there is a definite article before the word, faith, and it does not mean the act of faith—but rather, the faith—the body of doctrine which forms a basis of that which we as Christians believe.
6/ Now what causes all this? It is giving heed toto seducing spirits or doctrines and teaching of demons. It means that folks will pay attention to demons—hey will be influenced by demons and never forget that demons teach. They do not teach evil things, but good works.
7/ II Corinthians 11: 13 - 15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Here it tells us that the demons are deacons, or ministers or errand boys for the devil, and they proclaim righteousness that is human righteousness, by human works, and folks give heed to that. Let us ask you a question—isn’t that happening in the church today? The church that is called by the name of Jesus Christ? What is happening to it? Rather than preaching the grace of God, it is preaching human works. Human activity to get righteousness.
8/ This should not shock us—it upsets some people and distresses them and they say why should this happen in the church, how can this be? All you have to do is go through the Old Testament and you will find the nation Israel that was chosen of God, was beset by apostasy, right from the very beginning. The true worshippers quite frequently found themselves separated from the main body of their people. Take while Moses was on the mount receiving the tables of the law. The people demanded that Aaron make them a god. Aaron, remember, was the very first high priest, and he led the people in making the Golden calf. When Moses returned from the presence of God to find the people swept away in idolatry—that is apostasy here—and immoral play. I wonder if you remember what the Lord said? He said He would not go in the midst of the people into the Promised Land. Following this declaration, we find Moses taking the tabernacle and pitching without the camp, afar off from the camp.
Exodus 33: 7 And it came to pass, that everyone who sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation which was without the camp.
Now, they were significant words—which was without the camp. So, Moses, the founding father of the Hebrew nation, had to carry the tabernacle afar off from the camp, and the true worshippers had to leave the camp and follow God. This is very significant act, and apostasy had set in right in the very beginning. Men had given heed to seducing spirits. So I am not appalled when I see apostasy that has come into the professing church. The church that once proclaimed the truth—the church which has now turned aside to Liberalism, to modernism and to all the other isms that are in the world. I am not to be amazed.I am not to question why—it has ever been like this among the people that God has called forth to bear His name.
9/ Joshua and Caleb were the lone survivors of an apostasy that sent a generation of Israelites to their grave in the wilderness. Apostasy set in at that time, they departed from God’s way. They turned aside from God’s way.
10/ Then you remember how the 10 tribes followed Jeroboam in idolatry. Only two tribes remained loyal, and true to the worship of the temple—that, of course, was Judah. Finally in Isaiah’s day they were carried away in apostasy and he cried out in Isaiah 1: 9 Except the Lord of Hosts have left unto us a very small remnant we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
This is pathetic. Only a very small remnant have been touched by the apostasy of the hour. We should not be startled or upset by the apostasy we see about us, the departing from the faith—people still calling themselves Christians—they still say they are followers of Jesus Christ, but they don’t talk about the basic doctrines nor do they believe in the basic doctrines of the Word of God.
11/ Actually, how does all this come about? It comes about because there are demons who teach, there are demons who seduce, but how do they work? The second verse says speaking lies and hypocrisy. That means through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies. These indwell men, and these men speak lies as motivated, as they are directed by demons. Remember, all this comes from those who are the church. You say, how can that be? Very easy—Acts 20: 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Remember when Paul was talking to the elders of the church at Ephesus, that wonderful church, he warned them that they were overseers of the flock to feed the church of God, for he says, after my departing shall grievous wolves enter among you, not sparing the flock and speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them—from among you would come this apostasy. Men will arise from among you who claim to believe these things and then they will start speaking lies and hypocrisy, drawing disciples after them, and possibly will turn the whole assembly, or the whole group after them.
12/ It might be well at this point if we tell you the difference between two words, apostasy and heresy. The two words are quite different in meaning, though they are often confused. Apostasy describes someone or someones who have embraced some creed or doctrine, and have later turned from it—a total departure from one faith, or religion. Now heresy is a belief held along with accepted doctrine. Let us give you some example of apostas
1) The angels in Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. What does it say? They kept not their first estate and they withdrew from it.
2) Satan in John 8: 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. He abode not in the truth—he was in the truth. He was God’s anointed cherub, but he turned his back upon it, he departed from it.
3) That which is the nation Israel when they departed from the truth. And now in our day those who rise up in the church and turn their back on the truth which they claim they believe and then depart to other doctrines……Do not be dismayed…It just means we are one day closer to the Rapture of the Church.
AMEN
Ref: 05/27/1962 / 247 - THE GREAT APOSTASY / 05/18/2021
No comments:
Post a Comment