Apostasy (Study No. 4)
(Matthew 24:13) “But he who has endured to the end will be saved”
In this last study we will be looking at two more texts related to apostasy found in Paul’s second letter to Timothy and in the Lord Jesus’ discourse related to the end times in Matthew chapter 24,
(2 Timothy 3: 13) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (Matthew 24:11-13) “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of most will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
Let’s briefly look at these…
(2 Timothy 3: 13) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
The context of this verse is the last days. Notice specifically the word “Impostors” that can also be translated as “enchanters, a snake charmer, a juggler, or an enchanter” because incantations used to be uttered in a kind of howl. This sort of thing was seen in the laughing revival where ‘Christians’ out of control were writhing around and sliding down in their seats, laughing hysterically uncontrollably, while others were crawling across the carpet on all fours making animal like noises and the leaders were also part and parcel of this ‘zoo!’ You can see the videos! We need to keep in mind that not all supernatural manifestations are from God.
As we have seen from the Word of God Satan can, up to a point, produce all kinds of counterfeit miracles signs and wonders by occult power and make them look genuine as the magicians of Egypt were able to counterfeit up to a point, not by God’s power, but by occult power. Usually these miraculous signs and wonders performed by those claiming to have the power to heal at their fingertips, claim to have the power to make them work but in reality they don’t!
Especially we see this in the hyper faith prosperity circles and the internet television money preachers where those ‘working’ the miracles or ‘working the crowd’ get people whipped up into some emotional or even euphoric state of mind that can easily manipulate their thinking and then get their money and then when ‘the show’ is over leave town! Multitudes of ‘healings’ are never documented medically. The fact that these men and women plaguing the wider Body of Messiah have the ability to mesmerise others as a snake charmer mesmerises a snake and gets it swaying to the music beggars’ belief!
There are three forms of spiritual power that operate through people. The first is the power of the Holy Spirit which will produce genuine miracles, signs and wonders accompanying the preaching of the Word of God and not be substitutes for it. Then you have the second form which is the power of the occult which can produce the counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. Then you have the third form which is the latent power of the soul which Watchman Nee wrote a book about.
This latent power of the soul resides in the human soul and can be released in such a way as to move people emotionally and to get them to say and to do, and to think, and to feel, what they are being groomed to do. For example, when you go to a secular movie or to a secular theatrical stage show you can be swayed emotionally by the rhetoric, by the words and actions of the stars in the movie, or on the stage, and by the singers and the musicians, yet this has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit or with a demonic spirit inmost cases, but everything to do with this latent power of the soul being the mind, the emotions and the will being released. The fact that it is latent means it resides dormant in the soul but can be activated by outward stimuli. In many churches today this power is being released in church meetings, but has nothing to do with the Spirit of God or even with demonic spirits.
This is why we desperately need the spiritual gift of the discernment of spirits within the wider Body of Messiah, When we are sitting in the assembly meeting we need to ask the question “Is one speaking and acting or even singing by the Spirit of God, or by a demonic spirit, or by this latent power of the soul, which is a very powerful spiritual force that does affect others emotionally and intellectually.
When God created Adam He also infused into Adam’s soul this power but it was not affected by sin. Adam had an awesome supernatural intellect and we see this when the LORD gave him responsibility to name all of the animals. This power of Adam’s soul life was cantered in God. Adam also had a human spirit where the Spirit of God was fused with Adam’s human spirit. Adam was one in spirit with the LORD. He had God’s power and his soul power working in perfect unison with God’s power and his intellect plugged into the very intellect of the Triune God. God had also given Adam a free will and Adam’s will was in perfect alignment with God’s will, having been created as a man in the image and likeness of God his creator.
Now when Adam fell into sin by the action of his will the Spirit of God removed himself from the inner spirit of Adam leaving his spirit dead spiritually in lawbreaking and sins “because just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Adam still had his soul with its latent power, but instead of being focused on the LORD and centred on Him and his will, Adam’s soul became centred on himself. It was still a very powerful spiritual force within his soul but had now been spiritually defiled and centred in Adam and subject to his will which was no longer in alignment with God’s will. Even though God had mercy on Adam and Eve and clothed their nakedness with the skin of an animal, a type of the provision of the cross for the salvation of Adam’s race, down through history many persuasive secular politicians, orators, actors, movie stars, preachers, motivational speakers and ‘movers and shakers’ in the business world have been using this power whether they realise it or not, to persuade people and to influence them intellectually, emotionally and to hijack their wills to get them to do what they wanted them to do.
This latent power of the soul is running rampant in most churches today if the truth be known. Many modern sermons today are in reality motivational, feel-good, have things good in this world, must not offend types of talks laced here and there will Bible verses, usually out of context, but used to bolster what these preachers are propagating on their congregations. There is nothing wrong with modern Christian music provided the lyrics are Biblically sound, however, music is a very powerful emotional and mental aphrodisiac that can move the emotions and motivate the actions, and it is hard to discern what is from the Spirit of God or possibly from demonic power, or from this latent power of the soul.
Before he fell into rebellion and sin against God, Satan who was originally named Lucifer, was in charge of worship in Eden and had the power of music as a part of his created being. In the KJV and the NKJV in the text we read what God said about Lucifer before he fell and became Satan. “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created” (Ezekiel 28:13). Timbrels and pipes were musical instruments.
When you look at the mesmerising power of music today in night clubs, in discotechs and in those ‘Christian’ events where the music is very loud, the lyrics repetitious, and the congregation swaying to and fro in some sort of euphoric state of mind, we need to discern who is really in control? Remember, that Satan can appear as an angel of light and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Music is a very powerful aphrodisiac for the soul life and can evoke emotional and even physical responses from those captivated by the rhythm and the beat, or by those on stage singing and mimicking the way rock stars do it. Under the power of the Holy Spirit music can be very powerful and persuasive and we saw this time and time again in the Billy Graham crusades where during the choir singing “Just as I am” thousands would respond to the gospel message Billy had preached. In the great revivals under John Wesley and William Booth music played a key role in seeing hundreds come to repentance and to saving faith in the Messiah our Lord Jesus! The lyrics were sound Biblically and genuinely edifying spiritually.
In an ever increasing measure today most mega-church meetings are imbued with this latent power of the soul. This is why our feelings and emotions are no spiritual barometer for our spiritual condition. We can be in a crisis but still know the peace of God that transcends all human understanding that will garrison our mind and hearts through Messiah Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
When we are engaged in public meeting to edify each other as the Body of Messiah corporately our emotions must always be subject to the control of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7) (1 Corinthians 14:32-33, 40). We must always be aware of this latent power of the soul within us and ask God to help us to work by the power of His Spirit, and trust Him in faith to do just that and no more. Excessive emotional meetings in many cases have nothing to do with the power of the Spirit but everything to do with this latent power of the soul being released. These imposters or enchanters who are wicked men or woman going from worse to worse are those who are…
“deceiving and being deceived” This describes “to cause to stray, to lead astray, to lead aside from the right way, to go astray, to wander, to roam about and metaphorically, to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive, to be led into error, to be led aside from the path of virtue, to go astray, to sin, to sever or fall away from the truth and also used of heretics who, lead others into error and sin.” These “enchanters” not only deceive others but are themselves also deceived, in other words, they believe in their own publicity. Both Peter and Jude write at length about these greedy shepherds who feed only themselves and their carnal appetites for sensuality and power, twice dead, uprooted spiritually, greedy for money, an accursed breed for which the blackest darkness has been reserved forever. A full description of these men and women who were once saved but have apostatised beyond recovery can be found in Second Peter Chapter 2 and in Jude Chapter 1:3-16. Now let’s turn to Matthew Chapter 24 which applies to three time frames. It applies to the first century, to Church history and telescopes to the last days of this present age. The specific focus of course we are looking at is the false prophets that will abound in these last of the last days and also to spiritual deception.
(Matthew 24:11-13) “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of most will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
Many false prophets have appeared in both the Old and the New Testament times but in the last days they will multiply and be an infestation within outwardly religious Christendom and especially within the wider Body of Messiah. The apostle Peter writes; “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:1-3).
False prophets and teachers do not tell outright lies but lay truth and error side by side and that by stealth, hence this is the meaning of the phrase “who will secretly introduce destructive heresies. “ These heresies are spiritually destructive. It can be likened to having a regular diet of beautiful tasting healthy gourmet sandwiches filled with all kinds of nutritious ingredients, but the sandwich is also laced with a small amount of arsenic, a very slow acting poison that cannot be tasted but accumulates over a period of time bringing about death. This is why false prophets in the Old Testament were put to death. Today we do not put false prophets to death but the sin is no less serious as it was back then. Peter and Jude clearly tell us their end and it is not at all pleasant but destined for the darkest blackness and torment for ever prepared by God for them (2 Peter 2:17) (Jude 1:13). This abounding lawlessness will be a conspicuous mark in the last of the last days which are now upon us, and the Lord Jesus is telling us that it will not only be in the world in the unsaved but infiltrate the wider Body of Messiah.
The phrase “Lawlessness that will abound” describes “a condition that is without law, that is ignorance of it because of violating it, contempt for it and a violation of law, being iniquity, wickedness, rebellion to be increased and to multiply” and because of this…
“…the love (agape) of many” or the word is actually “most, a large percentage, many, much, large.” This abounding wickedness will be so prevalent within the world and within wider Christendom that the love of God and for God and for their fellow brothers and sisters that was shed abroad in the hearts of most Christians by the Holy Spirit will grow cold.
“…to grow cold” describes “to breathe, to blow, to cool by blowing, to be made or to grow cool or cold, metaphorically used of a waning love.” This of course does not happen overnight but is a progressive process that starts with a compromise with sin and entertaining false ear scratching teaching, and indulging ones fleshly fallen appetites and desires and for the things of this world and all it has to offer. Over time, when exposed to ‘the cooling breath of Satan’ regularly, it permeates through the soul and affects the spirit if that person is in a spiritual backslidden state. Satan will blow on that love of God at the centre of the affections with every influence and in every way he can to cool the ardour for God and for His Word, and for His will and purposes, and for the extension of His kingdom in this world. Endurance is required on our part. And so we read…
“But he who endures to the end will be saved.” The word “endures” should be translated “has endured” which describes “to remain under, to tarry behind, to remain i.e. to abide, not recede or flee, to persevere under misfortunes and trials, to hold fast to one’s faith in Messiah, to endure, bear bravely and calmly ill treatments.” The question may be asked how does one endure to the end? The answer is by enduring, persevering and by remaining under pressure. As Rabbi the apostle Paul writes; “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:12-14). The apostle James also writes; “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).
God knows how much we can take. Consider Job and if anyone experienced suffering he did. God permitted Satan to afflict Job but strictly told Satan that he was not to kill Job. At the end of his long ‘night’ of agony, and enduring the faith prosperity sermons of his closest and well-meaning friends, and even the criticism of his wife, Job had the inner revelation that this was all part of God’s plan which God did not will, but permitted and so Job’s confession was “When He (the LORD) is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him. Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside” (Job 23:9-11).
Not only this but in this affliction, when humanly speaking it looked like everything had gone against Job including his health, he saw his advocate, his umpire in heaven, his mediator, his High Priest interceding for him at God’s right hand, one who has an eternal priesthood. Job saw into eternity where the past, the present and the future do not exist. Job declared; “Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high” (Job 16:19). Job saw into heaven in the unseen eternal spiritual realm and declared; “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25-26). He saw the Messiah in His pre-incarnate form before He became a flesh and blood man.
Whether Job recovered or not physically he had an eternal hope in the resurrection stamped on his spirit by the Spirit of God. Job endured to the end and we read what God did for his faithful servant who refused to sin by blaming God for his situation (Job 1:22). After Job had prayed for his friends the LORD made Job prosperous in every way in the end and gave him twice as much as he had before. He was consoled by his relatives and his friends and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring and the LORD blessed the latter part of his life more than at first. God gave him another family and great honour among men and he lived for 140 years after his afflictions, trials, and his test of endurance all permitted by the LORD (Job 42:10-17). Job knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God could do all things and that no purpose of His could ever be thwarted (Job 42:1). So we read what the Lord Jesus said that “He who has endured to the end shall be saved”
The word “Saved” describes “to save, to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction one (from injury or peril) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health.to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue, to save in the technical biblical sense, to deliver one from the penalties of the Messianic judgment, to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance.”
Epilogue:
In this life we will have to endure many trials, temptations, afflictions and tests that God permits and we may not have outward rewards as Job had, but we know that ultimately we will be raptured and resurrected when the Messiah our Lord Jesus returns to plant His feet once again on the Mount of Olives and, in that day our joy will be unspeakable and full to the brim with the glory and power of God unrestrained!
And because we have a High Priest with a permanent eternal priesthood sitting at the right hand of God continuously interceding for us, we know that He saves to the uttermost all those who come to Him by faith. As we read in the book of Hebrews; “But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:24-26).
If we really want to stay saved and endure to the end, even though we struggle and experience heaviness of spirit through manifold temptations, there is no way we will ever be lost! As it has been said “there is no crown with the cross” In this life we will have many times of affliction mixed with the peace and joy of the LORD deep on the inside of us, and what we will experience will require endurance and perseverance which will accomplish in the end spiritual maturity, confidence in the LORD and in His faithfulness to His promises, lacking nothing we need in this life either in the spiritual or temporal realm.
We are not alone, for if we have repented of our sins and by faith received the Messiah our Lord Jesus as our saviour and Lord, availed ourselves of His redeeming, atoning and cleansing blood, and totally embraced Him as our hope for eternity, then nothing on earth, in the heavens above, or under the earth in Sheol, or anything at all will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in the Messiah our Lord Jesus, because He ever lives to intercede for us at the Father’s right hand (Romans 8:28-39). As He has promised; “I will never, no never, leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:7b). As the psalmist writes; “For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will not abandon His heritage” (Psalm 94:14).
Be encouraged dear brothers and sisters in Messiah that He who has begun a good work in us by His grace will maintain it throughout our life and bring it to completion on that day when the Messiah our Lord Jesus comes back (Philippians 1:6). As long as our great High Priest intercedes for us we will be eternally secure in Him as we walk by faith and not by sight, and upheld by the power of His Word, by the power of His Spirit and by the power of His blood by which we have been redeemed and received forgiveness of all our sins and will protect us from the wrath of God at the end of this present age (Ephesians 1:7) (Romans 5:9).
I have often said that “I would rather fall into the hands of a sovereign God than into the free will of man!” After all it is written; “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). I am so glad that this is true! The final Apostasy or falling away is coming very soon which will also result in the revealing of the man of sin whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
As we close these studies may we constantly remind ourselves of what the Messiah our Lord Jesus said; “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 7:27-29). Amen!
