False Assertions About Sin. Part 7.

(False Assertions Addressed By John)

Having dealt with three false assertions about sin, John went ahead to address other related false assertions like:

"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

Those who profess to know the Lord and yet play down on the need for obedience/keeping his commandments, are liars and do not have the truth in them.

Paul the apostle in his letter to Titus puts it this way: "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." Titus 1:16.

Some wrongly assert/teach that Paul preached salvation by grace through faith and said nothing about good works.

Paul taught that salvation is the gift of God and not of works, yet he maintained the truth that at new birth, we are created in Christ unto good works, which God preordained that we should walk in. 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10.

In the third chapter of his epistle to Titus, he clearly states that we are not saved by works of righteousness which we have done, but by God's mercy and grace shed abundantly on us in Christ; he however, maintains that those who have come to believe in Christ, should be careful to maintain good works. See Titus 3:4-8.

Also, in the second chapter of his epistle to Titus, Paul maintained that the grace of God which brings salvation teaches us to deny ungodly works, and that Christ died to redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Titus 2:11-14.

In dispensing these divine truths/verities, he charged Titus, his Son after the common faith, saying: "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee" Titus 2:15.

Paul thus taught salvation without works, but a new life experience not void of good works. The proof that the new life has truly invaded and pervaded the soul, is thus seen in it's fruits of good works ie. which Paul in Galatians 5:22 and Ephesians 5:9 calls 'the fruit of the Spirit' which is manifest(seen)in all goodness, and righteousness and truth. Hebrews 12:11 calls it the peaceable fruit of righteousness, and in Romans 6:22, it is called fruit unto holiness, whose end is eternal life. 

In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote thus:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings" 1 Timothy 6:3-4.

Mark the phrases: "wholesome words"; "words of our Lord Jesus Christ"; "the doctrine which is according to godliness". In Titus 1:1, Paul calls it the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godliness.

"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness" Titus 1:1

The faith of God's elect spoken of in Titus 1:1 must be that which goes with the acknowledgment of the truth which is after godliness. 

Today, many who profess the faith of Christ, do not acknowledge the truth(doctrine) which is after/according to godliness. 

The true apostle upholds the faith of God's elect which is the faith of Christ(faith in Christ) and the acknowledgment of the truth after godliness.
False apostles and teachers can uphold the faith but refuse to acknowledge the truth which is after godliness. 

Note: Earlier in verse 2 of 1 Timothy 6, Paul said: "these things teach and exhort" just like he charged Titus in Titus 2:15; then he went ahead to say in verse 3: "If any man teach otherwise..."

The things Paul instructs Timothy to teach, are things he had earlier written on, from the beginning of the epistle in chapter 1.

Right from the beginning of Paul's epistle to Timothy his great concern had been the issue of doctrine(teaching); emphasising the need to guard against the invasion of false doctrine/teaching.

1 Timothy 1:3 "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine."

At the heart/center of the things Paul wrote to Timothy, which he also charged him to teach and exhort in 1 Timothy 6:2, is the mystery of godliness which centers on the person of Christ(the doctrine of Christ/the doctrine which is after godliness).

If you look/study carefully, you would notice that soon as he touched on the mystery of godliness in 1 Timothy 3:16, he went ahead to touch the mystery of iniquity in the next chapter(4:1); the spirit of the antichrist/man of lawlessness working in the midst of the church.  The HolySpirit thus speaking expressly, reveals through Paul's epistle, how it is those who give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines/teachings inspired by devils, that will be swept away by the mystery of iniquity; thus the departure/apostasy from the faith.
Paul thus admonishes Timothy in the last verse of that chapter(4), to take heed unto himself, and unto the doctrine; to continue in the doctine(of course the doctrine of Christ/the doctrine after godliness): for in doing this he will both save himself, and them that hear him(1 Timothy 4:16).

When people hear doctrines(teachings) of devils, they often think it's a teaching far estranged and alien to the christian faith; a teaching that can be easily detected as satanic. They fail to see how it is on the ground of seduction that the doctrines/teachings of devils will be propagated.

Seducing spirits inspiring beautiful and nice thoughts/words and notions, perfectly woven together and wrapped in sweet sounding rhymes and captivating fables(stories); only to till and prepare the hearts of the unsuspecting and undiscerning, to receive and embrace the doctrine of devils. 

The book of James exposes the character of these devils in dealing with the issues of faith and doctrine. 

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:19-20.

The devils believe that there is one God, and even tremble. At the level of mere profession of faith, they cannot be detected; they have a perfect cover/form of godliness in those they work with. The form of godliness goes with the outward profession of faith.

To maintain their cover up, the devils in collaboration with false teachers, deny/set aside the works of faith(obedience to God's commandments) knowing that they can be easily detected by their fruits, they deny the need for good works/fruits of righteousness in being finally accepted to God.
They profess faith and indeed they believe that there is one God and they tremble, but their works are in opposition to God. 

The second step they take which is another dimension of their deception, is to emphasise the commandments of men: touch not, taste not, handle not; "forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats..." 1 Timothy 4:3.

They take away the need for obedience to God's commandments, in order to teach/establish the commandments of men. 

In the first dimension of their deception, they are most subtle and covert; offering to professing christians, that which looks like freedom in grace; a faith and belief in the only true God, which even causes them to tremble at the reality of who God is, yet denies the works of faith and fruits of righteousness which God demands to have in the sons he finally receives to himself.

Those caught up in the doctrine of devils, thus don't come preaching another faith or something alien to the faith we know, they rather come even touching the depths of truths concerning the faith, that could make us scream and tremble at the reality of who God is; but then they go ahead to deny or play down on the need for the works of faith. They so touch the depths of faith, that could make anyone conclude that no matter what we do, we will never fall away.
The devils teaching through them, denies the mystery of iniquity working in the midst unto apostasy; this denial is of course to give christians a false hope and assurance of infallibility, and make them at rest/at peace with hurtful lusts which can drown them in perdition. The denial is to the end that the mystery of iniquity will have it's full sway as every caution/restraint to it is jettisoned from the ship of faith, so saints can comfortably sink/drown in sin and perdition while shouting "halleuyah" in the presence of Jesus.

A Peter who knew what it was like to be found sinking even in the presence of Jesus, admonishes thus: "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." 2 Peter 3:17.

 These things command and teach.(1 Timothy 4:11)

But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 1 Timothy 5:11-12.

*Remember! These things are at the center/core of the things Paul instructed Timothy to teach and exhort, telling him that if any man teach otherwise, and consent not to these wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings.

At the heart/center of John's epistles lies also, the mystery of godliness(doctrine of Christ) & the attack of the antichrist spirit(mystery of iniquity) against it. 

1 John 2:18-26; 4:1-3.

A man who assumes to be a teacher, and does not know or denies this undeniable conflict which will sway away from the faith of Christ, those who fail to take heed to themselves and to the true doctrine, is empty and bereft/destitute of the truth.

Let No Man Deceive You With Vain Words.