Losing the hope of the believer

The Word of Truth Ministries

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"...We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure."
[1 John 3:2-3]

Many Christians/Saints Have Lost Hope of Believers
-A 5, 300 word sermon-
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I have been teaching English in the colleges of this nation for 30-years, and I have been consulting and helping individuals set up businesses for about as long. There is a similarity I have seen between the two--the student and the businessperson.

Many students in writing essays have started with a clearly delineated thesis, the concept for which the essay is written, but as they progress in writing their essays, they somehow lose focus of their thesis and begin to write about matters that are not directly related to their thesis. Likewise, I have seen businesspeople who start off with a clearly stated business plan and goal, but as they conduct their businesses over the years, many tend to lose focus of their original plan and goal and veer off in other directions.

This pattern is a natural phenomenon that has a spiritual application. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote that the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made (visible)....[Rom. 1:20] Hence, the visible things can reflect and teach us something about the invisible things, since there is an overall pattern God has used.

The pattern of the student and the businessperson above functions as an allegory of the saints and how many start out on focus but over a period of time they lose their focus and veer off in other directions, away from God. Indeed, as veering is a major problem college composition students have in writing essays, veering away from the things of God is a major problem that God's people must constantly guard themselves against. And God has given us the necessary safeguards to protect ourselves against veering back into the world from God. Paul writes in 1 Cor.11:28 and 11 Cor. 13:5, to examine ourselves to see if we are still in the word/faith.

I. Examine Yourselves by God's Word
We examine ourselves not by ourselves, and certainly not among ourselves. The Scripture says that a person who does that type of examination is not wise.[2 Cor. 10:12]

Several years ago, I decreed by God that I would not have auto accidents--and God has honored my decree. But a sister heard my testimony and she wanted to decree such a decree also. She testified that she decreed that she would not have any accidents, but she had two cars hit her at the same time. Upon examining her decree, instead of decreeing by God, she decreed that she would not have any accidents like brother Frank decreed. That certainly is not by God. She compared herself to a person and not by God's word.

In the Book of Acts, Chapter 8, we see Simon the Sorcerer attempted to imitate the apostles as he saw the Apostles laying hands on people and the Holy Ghost being given to them; he too wanted that power God had given to His men. But he was chided by Peter because his heart was not pure. Likewise, in Acts 19, certain vagabond Jews saw the power of God given to Paul, and took upon themselves to call over demon-possessed individuals the name of Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." When their third-handed faith was called, they were driven naked from the house where they were attempting to cast out demons. In both of these cases, the faith attempted rested in man and not God.

Instead of testing, examining, or comparing ourselves by other men, we must compare ourselves by the Word of God. [1 Cor. 2:19] That is the standard that God demands. Today, however, we have saints comparing and examining themselves by flawed men and women--pastors and other church leaders. But whether a person is flawed or not, our standard should never be man but always God. And if we honestly examine ourselves by God's word, and keep him always in our way, we would not veer from his word. [Rom. 14:4]

II. Some Causes for veering from God
The Scriptures record that Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her husband Joseph and family had gone up to the temple for the Feast of the Passover; upon their return trip home, Jesus was somehow misplaced, as he lingered in the temple at Jerusalem. This family went a day's journey supposing Jesus was with them. But he wasn't. Certainly God has allowed this passage to illuminate the fact that many start on a journey thinking Jesus is with them when he is not. But as Mary and Joseph, after one day of travel without Jesus, examined themselves for him, and when seeing that he was not with them, sought him, many Christians have gone many years without him and never examined themselves to see if he is still there in their lives, their behavior, their thoughts.

Inadvertent acts that take us from God:
Some, on the other hand, know he is not with them, but they never seek to find him and restore him back unto themselves. Mary and Joseph had gone away from the 12-year old Jesus, and they sought to find him. [Lk. 2: 41-48] They went back to Jerusalem and found him there. All those who would examine themselves by the Word, can see if Christ is still with them; if he is not, the process then is to go back to find him. He is still in Jerusalem; it is you who left Jesus there. It is you who must go back and find him.

Notice that Mary and Joseph were intent on going home and inadvertently left Jesus. Leaving Jesus is not always a willful act. It can be quite inadvertent and just careless; nevertheless, Jesus is left still, and without him you do not have God. [John 14: 6-12] This is why it is so important for us to continuously examine ourselves by God's word.

Cunning Craftiness can take us away:
Sometimes we veer from God's word through the cunning craftiness of Satan and his wiles. Paul said that he was not ignorant of Satan's devices. [2 Cor. 2:11] His statement indicates that Satan has devices and tricks he throws in the way of the believer to ensnare him from following the way of God. It is up to each of us to know the word of God sufficiently to discern Satan's devices. No one can rely on his/her minister to ensure his path is Godly. You, and only you, are responsible for knowing the truth of God and obeying the truth today because many anti-christs and deceivers are already in the world, John said. [1 John 2:18-20] To rely on a minister could be a deadly affair. Ministers, pastors, bishops must be examined by and held to the Word of God. As a faithful steward of your own salvation, which Christ has purchased with His blood, you cannot and should not rely on any of these ministers to ensure your salvation, especially today with the almost wholesale veering from the Word that is seen among so many pastors, bishops and ministers, as they travel down the road to perdition, in search of wealth and worldly possessions, and know not they have forsaken their own mercy for worldly vanities. [Jonah 2:8]

Writing to the Ephesians Church, Paul writes that the saints should not be children--unskillful in the Word of Righteousness [Heb.5: 12-14]--who are tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and the cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive. [Eph. 4: 14]

Many saints stay children too long and allow Satan, through unrighteous and wicked men and through direct influence, to cause them to veer off the path of this high and holy way of holiness onto the lowly way of the world and its vain glory. They never get an understanding of God's word; so they are driven by winds of false doctrines that men, inspired and influenced by Satan, conjure up out of their imaginations and wrap those doctrines with a thin veneer of God's word to make them digestible. Jesus said that his disciples will know the truth and that truth will make them free, not bound to sin, the flesh or the Devil. [John 8:32] Instead of this freedom they are made to have by God, many prefer the bondage they are set free with by Satan and men. This is the cunning craftiness of Satan Paul warned us about.

Men Love Darkness rather than light
There are those who veer from God's word because they have not stayed in this way of holiness long enough to acquire a taste for the things of God and their flesh and the world pull ever on them to return to the wallow and the vomit of their past. [2 Pet. 2:22].

Many look back on yesteryear and see its pleasures and none of its pain. Some years ago, I was pastor of a small church, and a young lady whom we were trying to guide out of a sinful condition in which she was being physically abused by a man who was not her husband., and as I counseled her, I asked if she was being physically abused. She affirmed that she was. I suggested that she needed to get out of that sinful and abusive state, but as she looked back on it, she exclaimed, "There is something about him I like!" And that is the condition of many who return to darkness: They overlook the horrors of yesteryear when they were in sin; Satan glamorizes and glorifies that sinful condition in their eyes so only the pleasure of sin for that wicked season can be seen. [Heb. 11:25]

Jesus said men love darkness (sin) more than light because their deeds are evil, and those evil deeds seem to have a greater pleasure because they are evil and not approved of God. Notice how Solomon put it: Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten is secret is pleasant. [John 3:19; Prov. 9:17] Normally, water is water; vital to our life, but universal and common--not sweet. And bread, like water, is just bread; vital to our well-being, but not pleasant beyond normal. But when it is unapproved of God, Satan adds a sweetener and an extraordinary pleasant taste to it.

This heightened pleasure is especially true for those who have not acquired the taste for the things of God, or for those who have feigned salvation and maintained their old appetites for worldly things, or for those who have re-acquired worldly tastes and appetites anew. To them they walk away from Jesus, leaving him, metaphorically in Jerusalem, because they love darkness rather than light.

Paul wrote to Timothy, saying that Demas forsook him because Demas loved the world and went back to it. [2 Tim. 4:10] This was the state of backsliding then. But a new situation, prophesized by Paul, is occurring today. Demas had been a minister with Paul but ceased, as far as can be gleaned from this scripture, walking with the saints, having a love of that present world. Once he ceased living the life of Christ, he went back into the world, from where he had come.

It is worth noting that not all will be saved; some will come into the church, having found the way, but won't walk in it, and go back into the world. [Jer. 6:16] Jesus said strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leads unto life and few there are that find it, but wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go upon it. [Mat. 7:14] Many leave Jesus because they have too strong a taste for this present world.

Wicked Leadership
Paul was leaving the Church in Ephesus that he had established, but as he was leaving he prophesized one of the most important prophesies in New Testament writing. But this prophecy has been obscured by Satan and overlooked by many, yet it is extremely relevant about the day we live in and about the question Jesus asked: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in the earth?" [Lk. 18:8]

In Acts 20, Paul called the elders of the church and declared that he had preached all the council of God and held nothing back from them that was profitable. In Acts 20: 29, he says, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." This prediction/prophecy has been relevant for other times, but it is, as God's Word usually is, relevant for today, these end times, as well.

Notice the movement of this scripture: Paul spoke of two types of wolves that will be in the church; both of them will be leaders in the church. One group will be leaders who come from the outside--"Wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Only leaders pose such danger and can cause such damage. These are men who are not saved and have never been saved, but they come boldly unto God's people without much disguise of sheep clothing.

The second type of wolves are those who shall arise from the midst of the congregation--"Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking...." These are the most dangerous because they were once-saved ministers who are no longer saved, but have not, as Demas did, gone out of the church although they love this present world and the things of this world, as Demas did. They are most dangerous because they stay in the church and in their positions of leadership, even though they have gone away from God's word. They are backslidden ministers and pastors and bishops who lead God's people in their state of sin.

I recalled preaching on radio some time back and a minister told my father: "Your son is really brilliant and a good preacher, but he needs to lay off the preachers." But if sin is in the pulpit, why preach against sin to the pews? God's man cries out against sin where it is. And it is in the pulpit in mass today. Bishops, pastors, and ministers have gone headlong after the things of this world, and they are staying in the church rather than being as honorable as Demas and going back into the world. The reason for this is that their ability to secure their worldly possessions is found in the people of God.

God only knows how many once-saved, but now wicked bishops, pastors, ministers have made merchandise out of God's people to finance expensive cars and homes, while the poor people of God have remained poor. I have seen such ungodly travesty and even con-men in God's house masquerading as men of God but are really men of money, and that is all. Surely, the judge of all the earth will judge these wolves who are sparing not God's people.

The other danger they pose is that they preach another gospel that is not the gospel of Christ, as they secure the finances from the people--and that is why they remain there. They know that people will do almost anything in the name of God, other than live holy, and they prey upon the ignorant and weak to get them to give until they have no more to give.

Tithing is their main tool because tithing takes no faith, just a calculator. However, the just shall live by faith, not a calculator. Since these men of money are not men of God, they are also without faith and without God. Hence, they preach tithing, a doctrine never intended for the New Testament Church, but they preach it with all the fire and vigor that Malachi brings to bear on Israel--placing New Testament saints in hell if they do not pay tithes. But in fact, these unlearned souls are delivering the saints out of God's will, as they force them to pay tithing to them; they are taking the people of God from Gace and placing them under the Law. Paul says, you have fallen from Grace. Any minister who reads the Word of God carefully can see and will know that the doctrine of tithes is an Old Testament doctrine that was never intended for God's Church. [See our lengthy discussion on Tithes; it addresses all the familiar "Tithes was before the law" arguments.]

Do they feed God people? How can they? They are not of God and cannot get a word from God, so they read sermons from a book they did not write. They feed a type of fast food to God's people. This is why Paul warned the saints to be aware of dogs. [Phil. 3:2] Many of these men grow up in the midst of the saints as little foxes, [Song o Solomon 2: 15] and the people tolerate them, all the while seeing they are foxes, but being small, they pay no attention to how they are destroying the vine--here a little and there a little until there is no vine. And in many saints' eyes, they are almost harmless because they are one of them. But a fox and a wolf are canine, they are both dogs, and we are too beware of dogs; they pose a grave danger to our eternal salvation.

God's word focuses on this problem of wicked leaders at great length because of its serious danger to the eternal salvation of his people. Isaiah the Prophet wrote that the leaders have caused the people of God to err from God's word; both the leaders and the people whom they have caused to err will be destroyed. [Isa. 3:11-15; 9:14-18]

Jesus seeing this same problem said the same thing when he said, If the blind lead the blind, they both fall into a ditch. Both are destroyed. One cannot claim he/she did not know as a defense, especially after hearing the voice of God as you read this word from God. [Mat. 15:14] Satan's watchmen, as these once-saved ministers have become, whether they know it or not, are blind, Isaiah said; they are all ignorant, they are dumb dogs, and they cannot bark, although they are making sounds; they cannot bark. They are sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber because they are greedy dogs that can never get enough. These false, once-saved ministers are leaders, but they cannot understand God's Word or God's way. They are busily looking for and to the things of this world. [Isa. 56: 10-12] These rugged leaders are rough and ready to sheer the sheep so that they may be able to horde, feed, sleep and know not God!

So they lead God's people to hell. Seeing this strange thing that is happening by turncoat ministers who will not leave the church and go on back to the world, the prophet said, "...A horrible thing is committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end of it all?" [Jer. 5:30-31] This is the horrors of this group of wolves arising from the people. Notice this scripture reads, "The people love to have it so." These wolves have given and acculturated God's people to a taste for worldly things, like themselves.

As a vile pimp turns a young girl into a street whore, these wicked leaders have turned many of God's people into whores as well, to feed their greed and thirst for this world's goods. Many weaken children of God only wanted to live the life of Christ in the beauty of holiness and be able to have the face of God shine upon them daily as they stood in the righteousness of Christ. Instead, many have been inticed from God back into sin, from whence they came. Will not God, the judge of all the earth, not deal with these killers of truth and God's people more harshly than a Demas, who had the decency to go back into the world he loved, instead of lingering in sin and maintaining positions of authority and influence in God's house that he was unworthy of holding among God's people?

The little foxes have destroyed the vine and turned God's people back into the world, yet they stay as hypocrites and leeches in the church. Notice that the Apostle Paul said that the man of sin would come and sit in the temple of God showing himself that he is God--this speaks to the full manifestation of Satan, but Paul said the mystery of iniquity already works. In short, there were already those mini man of sin operating then. What God did was to give us a preliminary view of the man of sin. [2 Thes. 2:2-12] Even John said that this man of sin, which he called the Antichrist, will come, he said, but that there are already many antichrists and false prophets in the world.
[1 John 4: 1-3]

The behavior of many of the once-saved ministers, bishops, and pastors who are now totally unsaved, but still in the church, arrayed in all their sinful behavior and fully planted in the world, is causing the weaken saints to acculturate to a sinful life and ethos, while believing they are still saved. But instead of being saved, if they would examined themselves, they would see that instead of being saved, they have been sent a strong delusion from God that they might be damned, as they lead God's people astray. [2Thes. 2:11-12]

III. A Saint's Way of Determining where He is
There are many ways saints have lost the way of Christ as they travel along this high way of holiness. I have just addressed only a few, but anyone reading this message needs to do a Word of God examination of himself--this is especially true for pastors and bishops; I have seen widespread deception and backslidden behavior on the part of many pastors and bishops.

A great deception that seems to hover over many ministers, pastors, and bishops is this: once they have attained to their positions, (usually a promotion my self or another person; sometimes from God) they think they have learned all they need to know or can learn. But a teacher of God's people is not qualified to be a teacher or a preacher if he is not a good and continuous student. If that one cannot learn from all, he should never attempt to teach any; for he is a fool. If was Dr. Samuel Johnson who stopped writing and told his audience that he had told them all he knew, and that he had to go back and acquire more.

Dear Christian/saint, your state in God needs to be certified and be made assured, lest you preach to others and be a castaway yourself. [1Cor. 9:27] And the state of the leader you are following in a church needs to be examined by the word, lest you both fall into a ditch. [Mat. 15:14]

The Hope of the Believer
There is a way to do this. John spoke of the hope of each believer, when he wrote, We know that when he [Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. The hope of the believer is that Christ will return and take us back with him. But this hope is almost a joke to many of the world and many who have lost faith, as they have walked away/gone away from God's Word and as the return of Christ has not been hotly upon us.

Peter writes that many have said, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. This was the mockery then, and it has become almost a fairy tale now. But Peter said that these men are willingly ignorant, but God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness. But the day of the Lord will come. [2 Pet 3: 3-10]

Jesus told all believers that he was going to prepare a place for us, and he would come back for us to take us to where he is. We need not be troubled by the duration of our wait; God is not slack concerning his promises! This is our hope as believers. With this hope we purify ourselves as Christ is pure, and we will occupy unto he returns for us. [John 14: 1-3; 1 John 3:2-3]

In Revelation 21, He gave us a glimpse of that place He is preparing. John saw this city, Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. This City had the glory of God and her light was like a stone most precious, even jasper, clear as crystal. John goes on to describe that City, and he said that he saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. This City had no need for sun or moon, for the glory of God did light it and the Lamb is the lamp of it. And all nations of those who are saved shall walk in the light of this City.

Many have looked blindly on this scripture and not seen the saints, but have somehow imagined they see two and three persons in a godhead--the Trinity. But that is blind reasoning. Oh, but how glorious this message is; how beautiful is the gift of God to the saints of God who have not lost their hope, as depicted here. Come with me and allow God to pull back the blindness from your eyes and show you what he is saying in this scripture.

Notice the scripture reads, "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. This City had no need for sun or moon, for the glory of God did light it and the Lamb is the lamp of it." If you imagined that the Lamb is Jesus, you are mistaken. Jesus is God that is the light of it; the Lamb who is the lamp of it is actually the saints of the living God--the church, the married bride of Christ who has taken on His identity and name.

Look at Daniel 7; there Daniel records a dream he had from God: And there was given him dominion and glory and kingdom that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom which shall not be destroyed. Because Daniel did not understand what he saw, he asked an angel, and that angel answered Daniel, not a new experience for Daniel, and made him understand the dream.

As you read to the 27th verse, you see that Daniel was told that these kingdoms and nations were given to the people of the saints of the Most High God, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kingdoms shall serve him. Observe how the people of God are referred to as him and not them. This is not new; God has referred to Israel as a single person many times in scripture: "...As it was to Israel when he came up out of the land of Egypt." [Isa. 11:16] "When Israel was a child, I called my son out of Egypt." etc. He referred to the whole nation of people as a child, as His son and as he a number of times in Scriptures. Daniel sees the Church that is married to Christ when it has taken on the identity of Christ in its glorified form, the Son of Man.

The Ancient of Days in this picture is the Most High God, and the Son of Man is the people of God. Which people of God? In scriptures there are references to two Elects of God--one elect of God is the Jews, and the other is the Church of God. This people of God referred to in this book is the Church now married to Christ. This is what John saw in Revelation 21, but more. John saw the exact role and how we will ever be with the Lord. The Lord will be the light, and we shall be the lamp in which that light is housed. The tabernacle of God is then with men--the Church that is married to him.

This is just a portion of what John saw. It may be difficult to understand because human beings can only imagine what they have experienced in some way. Human beings can imagine and perceive a gold mountain, not because they have seen a gold mountain, but because they have seen gold and have seen a mountain. Hence, they can combine experiences to perceive, but without having experienced something, they cannot combine for a greater imagination. This is one of the reasons God used items human beings knew to convey the things of the kingdom that are new and out of this world.

Paul said eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men what God has in store for those who do not lose the hope of his calling. [1 Cor 2:9] Those who are examining and reexamining themselves to see if they are in the faith are also purifying themselves for His return. And one day the Lord shall come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall be raised first, and we who are alive and remain, shall be changed: our corrupt bodies will be changed to a new and glorious body that will die no more. And we will be with the Lord. [There is much more to this, but I have to end this discussion. I will write about this more in the coming months.]

Those with the Hope
Those who have the hope of the believer and have not walked away from the word for the world can be seen and discerned. These are they who are purifying themselves. Those who are aware that they are citizens of a far country whose builder and maker is God. They know that they have rules and responsibilities that are a part of their citizenship.

You can tell these people because they are the ones more concerned with walking with God than wrestling the money away from God's people. These ministers preach and teach the undiluted Word of God and not pastor and bishop love, which is man love. They do not preach such foolishness as do not allowing someone to be better to your pastor than you; they do not gain their wealth off the backs of God's poor; a blessing for them is not an expensive car; their affections are on things above and not on this earth; and they value the Word of God more than their necessary food.

In conclusion, each one of us must examine ourselves to see if we still have the hope of the believer or if we have veered away from God's Word. If we do have that hope, we are doing all that God tells us to do: we will be going on to perfection. [Heb. 6:1-3] We will be purifying yourself even as He is pure. [1 John 3:2-3] []

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