The Promise Of Liberty-4 Series

The PROMISE Of LIBERTY-IV—2Peter 2:17-22

Attention:

Henry Ford in his autobiography, ‘My Life & Work,’ made a statement in 1909 about Ford’s Model ‘T’—“Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, so long as it is black.”

There are many purveyors of false ‘truth’ who are infecting & effecting our great country & thereby her government(including misperceptions of the Church). Because we are not a ‘Christian nation’ per se, but are rather a ‘Christian influenced’ nation,

The politicos promise happiness, prosperity, peace, freedom, wellness, care, etc. within a background of the church...BUT is their’s True(real/actual) Liberty/Freedom?

We must ask ourselves a question in all seriousness...

Is Liberty/Freedom you are promised a reality for you?

Peter revealed that a false liberty had been presented to the Church.

The true Church yields to true liberty.

But panderers of false Liberty/Freedom can mislead the Church.

Why must the Church yield to God’s liberty?

We will examine 9 distinctions/functions/invitations/stipulations of true Liberty...God’s liberty.

We have found previously that...

True Liberty...God’s Liberty stipulates/assumes...

1. A QUENCHED THIRST(:17a)“wells without water”

2. ETERNAL LIGHT(:17b)“blackness of darkness forever”

3. HUMILITY(:18a)“great swelling words”

4. FULLNESS(:18b)“emptiness”

5—True liberty stipulates...

OTHER-WORLDLY ENTICEMENT(:18c)

Explanation:(:18c)“allure”/Tempt

:18—“For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.”

People desperately want something to believe in. These recognizing their emptiness, rightly find it’s satisfaction thru attachment to a church body. But yet, at the same time, these ‘seekers of fulfillment’ may potentially not attach themselves to Christ Himself!

“Allure/Entice/Seduce/Appealing”—deleazw—Verb—1) To bait, catch by a bait; 2) metaph.--To beguile by blandishments, allure, entice, deceive. Strong—To entrap, i.e. figuratively--Delude. Used 3X.

From the base of dolov from an obsolete primary verb, dellw(probably meant to decoy); A trick(bait), i.e. figuratively--Wile.

Argumentation:

Mat. 18:2-11—“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, & said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted & become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, & he were drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off & cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out & cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.”

**Gal. 4:3-11—“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, & if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak & beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days & months & seasons & years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.”

3Jn. 1:9-11—“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, & forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”