Choose to Obey
Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-2Devotional Series: Conflict with the Whore
Teaching: Conflict With The Whore pt. 3 (SUN_AM 2021-02-07) by Pastor Star R Scott
The evil that is manifesting itself in our midst right now is going to continue to increase. I’ve been spending many, many hours looking at the church of Ephesus and the other pastoral epistles. They have a lot to say about the last days. The church of Ephesus is admired for great knowledge and its willingness to fight to the last breath to defend sound doctrine. And yet the more I’ve looked at this church, it was one of the filthiest, most carnal churches, rivaling, if not surpassing, Corinth. It was kind of a shock to me to see these things, and yet they were so obvious in the Scriptures. But to see these things beginning to reveal themselves, as you look in light of this last day, this spirit of the age, and compare it with what the Scripture reveals the true church to be. In Revelation, we know Jesus reproved those who said they were apostles and were not, and they were so good at their works. We know that the rebuke that came against them was that they had lost their first love. He commanded them to repent and to return to their first work. Well, in doing our whole duty (love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves), we’re keeping all the law and the prophets.
In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, the Scripture says, “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; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” We see right here that Paul is addressing one of the aspects of Gnosticism of that day. You’ll see that they’re forbidding to marry, forbidding to eat meats, etc. It was an ascetic form of Gnosticism. There were two different branches of Gnosticism: one was very ascetic and the other was very lascivious. They both are bondage, neither of faith, and neither please God. In the last days this spirit is going to do everything possible to lead us away from sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine has nothing to do with knowledge; it has to do with obedience. You don’t know anything of the Word of God if you’re not doing it. You’re self‑deceived. Isn’t that what the Scripture tells us? If you’re a hearer of the Word and not a doer, there’s nowhere else to look. Can’t blame it on the devil. Can’t blame it on your spouse. Can’t blame it on your boss. What does the Scripture say? If you’re a hearer of the Word and not a doer, you have deceived yourself. And there is no greater deception than self‑imposed deception. If you choose to disobey; He will turn you over to strong delusion because you love not the truth. You start by saying, “This isn’t a big thing to disobey,” and it ends up in your death. This is what this whole last day war with the spirit of antichrist is about. What credibility do you give to the Word of God in your life? Is God’s Word truth? If it is, do it. Amen? Because Jesus says if you’re one of those that hears the Word and by your disobedience you choose not to do it, or influence others not to do it, you are least in the kingdom of God. It’s better for you that a millstone be tied about your neck than to offend others and teach others, through your choice, not to obey. But the wise man is the one who hears the sayings of God and does them. He has built his house upon a rock, and all of these storms of false prophets, false doctrines, lasciviousness, lust, the enticement of this world, will come, and you will not even be shaken, praise God! Is that Bible? Amen!
In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, the Scripture says, “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; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” We see right here that Paul is addressing one of the aspects of Gnosticism of that day. You’ll see that they’re forbidding to marry, forbidding to eat meats, etc. It was an ascetic form of Gnosticism. There were two different branches of Gnosticism: one was very ascetic and the other was very lascivious. They both are bondage, neither of faith, and neither please God. In the last days this spirit is going to do everything possible to lead us away from sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine has nothing to do with knowledge; it has to do with obedience. You don’t know anything of the Word of God if you’re not doing it. You’re self‑deceived. Isn’t that what the Scripture tells us? If you’re a hearer of the Word and not a doer, there’s nowhere else to look. Can’t blame it on the devil. Can’t blame it on your spouse. Can’t blame it on your boss. What does the Scripture say? If you’re a hearer of the Word and not a doer, you have deceived yourself. And there is no greater deception than self‑imposed deception. If you choose to disobey; He will turn you over to strong delusion because you love not the truth. You start by saying, “This isn’t a big thing to disobey,” and it ends up in your death. This is what this whole last day war with the spirit of antichrist is about. What credibility do you give to the Word of God in your life? Is God’s Word truth? If it is, do it. Amen? Because Jesus says if you’re one of those that hears the Word and by your disobedience you choose not to do it, or influence others not to do it, you are least in the kingdom of God. It’s better for you that a millstone be tied about your neck than to offend others and teach others, through your choice, not to obey. But the wise man is the one who hears the sayings of God and does them. He has built his house upon a rock, and all of these storms of false prophets, false doctrines, lasciviousness, lust, the enticement of this world, will come, and you will not even be shaken, praise God! Is that Bible? Amen!