The Enduring Word – Warnings to Heed!
There are
many things in this life that we have created to assist us; yet, if used
incorrectly can put one in a dangerous or life threatening situation. This
has caused the rise of warning labels!
·
Caution!
·
Beware!
Even warning
labels on things you would think are common sense, such as hot coffee.
God’s word
has always enjoined two distinct choices in life for every man to consider:
·
Obey me and be blessed (Deuteronomy
28:1-14 – for example)!
·
Disobey me and be cursed (Deuteronomy
28:15-68 – for example)!
To the first choice, God has added incentive in the form of promises to receive!
To the second choice; He added warnings of danger.
All this was
so that the choice was willfully made in spite of the necessary instruction.
It is the
mindset of God (by His own word), He wants that all men heed the warnings
and are recipients of His blessings (John
3:16,
Mark
16:15-16;
2
Peter 3:9).
However,
even to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, there
are ‘MANY’ warnings concerning
the possible loss of something so very valuable, that special attention
should be given to the instruction.
The Apostle
Peter’s letters have been the focus of these studies thus far; we will again
turn to Peter’s writings to Christians for our text. Before we do, let us
look at Peter’s own experience with warnings and what causes us to ignore
them!
Matthew 10:32-33
““Therefore whoever confesses Me
before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
33
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who
is in heaven.””
See:
Luke
22:31-34;
60-62
In Peter’s
specific case, it was pure arrogance that caused him to ignore the words of
the Lord. As we now look into the instruction of Peter, now as an Apostle of
Christ, we will look at the specific concerns for ignorance of the warnings
of God!
1 Peter 1:13-21
–
Lack of
appreciation – inability to feel the certain judgment of all men!!!
1 Peter 5:5-11
–
Pride as Peter was very familiar with, and one of the most dangerous
character flaws known to Christians; apathy!!! The problem of repetitive
obedience is that in many cases we begin to feel indifferent to the threat,
and dangers that truly exist! This is the consistent instruction concerning
the work of watchmen!!!
The
instruction of the New Testament illustrates this work in these terms:
“Take
Heed”
–
1
Corinthians 10:12 – Just as
the children of Israel thought they stood, but in fact they fell;
Galatians 5:15 – if we fail
to love each other, we will surely devour each other;
Hebrews 3:12 – unbelief
becomes the cause of our own fall, as Israel in the wilderness;
1
Timothy 4:16 – to take heed
to the soundness of doctrine we teach; etc…
“Beware”
–
Acts
13:40 – Jews in Antioch of
Pisidia fall victim to the prophecies of condemnation by disbelief;
Colossians 2:8 – not to be
taken captive by deceit, traditions, or the world in philosophy; etc…
“Guard”
–
Philippians 4:7 – prayer, and
trust in God guard your hearts;
2
Thessalonians 3:3 – the Lord will guard, and direct us by the
keeping of His commands;
1
Timothy 6:20 – guard what was
committed to your trust, avoiding the profane, vane, and false ; etc…
2 Peter 3:14-18 – Being untaught and unstable (without stability) are led away by the error of the wicked!
Summary –
1.
The willful
choice to avoid the warnings of God can easily come to him who is
narrow-minded to the certain judgments of God!
2.
Unappreciative
3.
Prideful
4.
Apathetic
5.
Untaught
and Unstable
These need
to take heed to these final warnings of God:
Hebrews 4:1
“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest,
let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.”
Hebrews
10:26-31
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27
but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which
will devour the adversaries.
28
Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of
two or three witnesses.
29
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who
has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by
which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30
For we know Him who said,
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”
says the Lord. And again,
“The Lord
will judge His people.”
31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”