Sunday, September 22,
2013
Luke 18:8
In Luke 18 we find Jesus teaching a parable on prayer.
He was emphasizing the importance of persistence in our prayers.
The parable is about a widow who calls to an unjust judge to
avenge her. Even though he
was unjust, because of her persistence he listened to her case and
avenged her. The point
Jesus was making is that if an unjust judge will react to persistence,
what about God who IS just.
And that leads us to a question Jesus asks that we want to
discuss, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?”
It is actually an interesting question.
There are some who believe that as long as there are good
prospects on the earth and the truth is being upheld, that He will delay
His coming. I do not believe
that to be true. Though His
delay is a manifestation of His longsuffering (2 Pet. 3:9), I am
convinced there will be some who believe when He returns.
However, based on our current trend and my limited observations,
that number DOES seem to be dwindling.
Immorality is on the increase, tolerance by so-called
“Christianity” is also increasing (pick your story – the current Pope
and his tolerance of homosexuality, religions of convenience, etc.,),
even brethren are seeking compromise over truth and softening their
condemnation of immorality, etc.
Exactly what the state of the world will be when He returns,
only God knows. BUT whether
or not there will be faith depends on how we respond to the gospel.
a.
Justified people?
i.
Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore,
having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also
we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.”
Galatians 2:16 says, “knowing that
a man is not justified by the
works of the law but by faith in
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might
be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by
the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
ii.
Justification δικαιόω (dikaiou),
means the pronouncing of someone as acquitted or righteous.
It is to have a verdict rendered in one’s favor.
One thing that I am frequently reminded of when I observe the
verdicts at legal trials is that one is pronounced either “guilty” or
“not guilty.” Our justice
system is imperfect and quite often the guilty are pronounced “not
guilty” because of lack of enough evidence, failures in due process, or
the evidence suggests he is innocent.
BUT I want us to note that “not guilty” does NOT always mean that
one is innocent. It simply
means he is not convicted.
iii.
Consider that in light
of our plight before God. We
are ALL guilty and fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23).
We are worthy of punishment (Rom. 6:23).
BUT, Jesus came to this earth, and God ACCEPTED His sacrifice to
declare us “not guilty.”
Romans 3:24 says, “being
justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
That is WHY our salvation is primarily by the grace of God (Eph. 2:4-8).
iv.
BUT that pronouncement
is based upon our response to His grace.
Sometimes, all that we do is described in the term “faith.”
(Eph. 2:8) It
is an all-inclusive term, much like Paul telling the jailer in Acts
16:31 to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
That was an introductory saying which required teaching as to
what is required in believing.
This is the “faith” Paul spoke of in Romans 5:1 & Gal. 2:16 that
justifies us.
b.
Purified hearts?
i.
Acts 15:9 “and
made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”
In this text, Peter is
explaining the conversion of Cornelius (the purification involved
baptism – Acts 10:47-48).
For the purpose of this lesson, we simply note, that faith is necessary
to purify our hearts.
ii.
In discussing the pure
heart throughout this year, we have noted that purity of heart, at least
where sin is concerned, begins with God.
Through the blood of Jesus in the act of baptism our sins are
“washed away” (Rev. 1:5, Acts. 22:16, Rom. 6:3-4).
iii.
1 Pet. 1:22 says, “Since
you have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through
the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently
with a pure heart,”
iv.
If we don’t have an
obedient faith, we will not seek purity of heart through His blood AND
we will not strive to keep our hearts pure.
c.
Those who are seeking to please God?
i.
Heb. 11:6, “But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.”
ii.
What prompts us to
please God is our faith in who He is and our love for Him.
WE find that we demonstrate that love by obeying His commandments
(Jn. 14:15 [said of and by Jesus], 1 John 5:2-3).
iii.
1 Thess. 4:1,
“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you
should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought
to walk and to please God;”
d.
Anyone overcoming the
world?
i.
1 John 5:4, “For
whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory
that has overcome the world— our
faith.”
ii.
We are continually
reminded that this world is Satan’s domain (1 John 5:19).
But God is greater than he who is in the world – 1 John 4:4.
As time progresses it seems that evil is growing worse and worse,
(2 Tim. 3:12-13)
iii.
But we must not let the
world and its ways overcome us.
Instead, we not live as if “not of the world.”
Rom. 12:1-2 says, “I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
iv.
And we cannot give up on
this. We must “be faithful
until death” (Rev. 2:10).
We must realize that we will not reap in due season if we lose heart
(i.e. give up) (Gal. 6:9)
e.
Respect for God’s word
i.
Jude 3, “Beloved,
while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common
salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to
contend earnestly for the faith
which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
ii.
We continually warn
about how God’s word is being manipulated in the world we live in.
It is being corrupted in every conceivable way – adding to it,
taking away from it, changing it, reinterpreting it, discrediting it,
etc. More and more are
outright rejecting the Bible as the word of God.
Some are turning to other sources (i.e. the Qur’an, the Bhagavad
Gita, the humanist manifest, origin of the species, etc.)
Even among so-called brethren there is manipulation of the text,
almost always in favor of man’s will over God’s.
These warnings will continue because there is always a tendency for
some to doubt the validity of the Bible if they listen to the educated
of the world. Also, in
this age of ecumenicalism (agreeing to disagree, all-inclusive
religion), even brethren are questioning whether they are being
unreasonable in questioning error.
The problem is that with every year that passes there is more and
more error, and it is getting closer and closer to us.
Churches that used to stand firm for truth are abandoning the
strictness of God word for a more tolerant and accepting message.
iii.
Friends, it only takes a
little leaven to influence the whole body – whether it be morality or
false doctrine. 1 Cor. 5:6
iv.
Paul warned the Ephesian
elders of wolves entering FROM THEIR MIDST (Acts 20:28-31).
Paul warned Timothy the time would come when some would not endure sound
doctrine! (2 Tim. 4:2-4)
v.
2 John 9-11 – we cannot
afford to tolerate error! If
one transgresses (goes ahead of) he is to be rejected.
That word is the same word Jesus used in Matt. 15:3 when He said,
“Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your
tradition?”
vi.
WE must defend “sound
doctrine” and resist anything contrary to it. (1 Tim. 1:10)
f.
Hope of heaven
i.
Titus 1:2, “Paul,
a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the
faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords
with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie,
promised before time began,”
ii.
So often, in warning
against such things, we might think there is no hope.
That is not true.
iii.
We speak such things
BECAUSE we have hope.
iv.
We have hope of eternal
life. We have hope because
we know that God knows what we are enduring and what we have “committed
to Him until that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).
v.
2 Thess. 1:3-7 speaks of
the troubles we face and how in the end we who are troubled will receive
rest.
vi.
Colossians 1:21–23, “And
you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to
present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are
not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was
preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a
minister.”
vii.
When He returns will He
find us watching for Him in hope?
a.
It is my hope that in
the above passages we can see the importance of our faith.
It needs to be there.
While faith may be weakening as time goes on in this generation, what we
need to be concerned about is what you (and I) can control – and that
means YOUR (and my) faith!
b.
It is because of the
things we have just discussed that I am convinced there will be faith
when He returns. It is
because of this that we must always be ready.
If it is possible that there is faith, He could come at ANY time!
c.
BUT, there is another
consideration that I want to conclude with.
HOW MUCH faith will be on the earth?
d.
It is up to us –
It is up to you and me. IF
there is to be faith it will be:
i.
Because we are
justified, have pure hearts, are striving to please God, to overcome the
world, respect His word and are living in hope.
ii.
Because we are striving
to maintain our distinctiveness – don’t EVER be ashamed of the gospel
(Rom. 1:16) and the Lord (Matt. 10:32-33, Mark 8:38).
Don’t sell your identity with God for “a mess of pottage.”
iii.
Because we are striving
to maintain our doctrinal purity.
iv.
Because we are
maintaining our devotion to Him.
Jesus asked a question of general consideration to His
disciples. We need to make
personal application to this question.
Will there be faith when the Lord returns?
Probably, but that is up to God.
Let us always ask, “When the Lord returns, will He find faith in
ME?” I can do something
about that! Think about it.