The Lord sort of called my attention
more than anything in the scripture there in Luke
23 to how that Herod was excited about seeing the
Lord Jesus because he wanted to see him do one of the miracles
that he had heard about. He wanted to see a magic show
is what he wanted. And it says that he questioned
him with many words and the Lord answered him, not a word. You think about how intimidating
that would be. I don't know whether the Lord just
stared him in the eye or what he did, but he didn't say a word
to that man. That's the Lord's prerogative.
That's not the Jesus that's preached. in most so-called churches. He's
not trying to win everybody. He don't need you, you need him.
May God give us grace to feel that need and that the Lord would
speak to us. What grace, what a privilege,
what an honor. Well, in 2 Timothy 3, verse 12,
let's just kind of start, I guess, a verse at a time here. You know that Paul is teaching
Timothy here about the last days and how the evil men, seducers,
deceivers, will wax worse and worse. But he said, you know my doctrine,
you know what I've taught, you know my manner of life, you know
my purpose. And hold fast to that gospel
you've heard. But here in verse 12, yea, and
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
That's why, you know, Paul is warning Timothy here, don't be
ashamed of me, his prisoner, and don't be dissuaded by the
afflictions that abide those who tell the truth, everybody
that lives godly in Christ Jesus. And we saw what living godly
means. The Lord, he just said the very
previous words there in verse 11, end of verse 11, but out
of them all, the Lord delivered me. And we saw that word delivered
means to draw to oneself. In all of these afflictions,
the Lord kept me by his side. He lifted me up. He restored
me. He protected me. He saved me. That's what it is to live godly.
It's to live right there. But everybody that's in Christ,
and you notice, he tells us the definition of living godly. all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer, shall suffer
trials and tribulations and persecutions. And this is always the way it's
been. He's not making a prophetic statement only that that's something
that's gonna happen in the future. It's always been that way since
Cain and Abel. Cain slew Abel for the simple
reason that God accepted Abel and his sacrifice. Because of
Christ crucified, In Abel's faith, it was by faith in Christ that
Abel offered the more excellent sacrifice, and Cain hated him
for it. Cain's problem was with God,
but he hated God's servant. All that shall live godly in
Christ Jesus. Since Joseph was sent to prison
because of the deceit of Pharaoh's wife. since Jeremiah, the weeping
prophet. Most of the apostles were martyred.
John was banished to Patmos for the sake of the gospel. The apostle
Paul who wrote this text was in the business of persecuting
the people of God himself before he met the Lord on the road to
Damascus. He knew what he was talking about,
didn't he? We don't suffer now the way the believers have in
ages past, and I'm thankful for that. In this country anyway,
it's more subtle. And that can always change, but
what's true now always has been and always will be true is that
sinners hate the Lord Jesus Christ. They hate him by nature, they
hate him deeply. They hate him enough to do whatever
they can about it, that they can get away with it. They hate
all who are associated with him. Even those who use his name in
vain are hated by this world. You might be as lost as they
are, but if you bear the name of God's son, even in ignorance,
this world will hate you. Isn't that right? Verse 13, them waxing worse and worse,
evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and
being deceived. What we call them getting worse
and worse is what they call success. More and more widespread, more
and bigger and bigger crowds, more money, religion. It's just another business, but
it's a very deceitful and corrupt business And their their business is to
deceive that's what it says deceiving and being deceived And so as that increases all
the deception of themselves and that which they teach Those that
they teach As that increases, we call it worse and worse, and
they call it success. And again, the connotation of
the whole context here is Paul saying, I'm in prison while the
deceiving business has never been better. They think they've
put me out of business. and their business is doing real
well, but don't you be swayed by that. You see it all in the
language here, in the context. Don't you be swayed. Don't be
discouraged by the stigma of that. Don't be ashamed of me. Chapter one, verse 15. Even though
all they in Asia be turned away from me, a lot of people are
ashamed of me. A lot of people consider me a
failure because the Lord put me in prison. But he kept saying over and over,
remember, hold fast to the doctrine which you've learned. Remember
what I've taught you. Before we leave, let's see, verse 14,
continue in what God has taught you. That's what I just said.
That's the next verse, but before we leave verse 13, notice who
Paul is calling evil men here. It's not drug dealers, it's not
child traffickers. Of course, they are sickeningly
evil, but there's no one more evil than someone who would deceive
a sinner concerning God and the scriptures and the things of
God. The evil men that we're warned
about here don't wear satanic tattoos, they wear crosses. The
evil men that we're warned about here don't look crazy like Charles
Manson. They look benign and harmless
like Pope, I don't even wanna, I almost
have to, I'll call him Pope Beelzebub. That's what he is at the Vatican. Now deceiving and being deceived,
this is exactly what our Lord said. In Matthew 15, 11, 14,
when he said, they'd be blind leaders of the blind. Deceivers
and being deceived. They're blind themselves and
they're trying to lead people. Anybody that wants to be led
and submits themselves to be led by a blind person, they are
themselves blind or they wouldn't do that. And he said, if the
blind lead the blind, they're both goners. They're both goners. And here's what he said to us
about that. Leave them alone. Leave them alone. Don't look
at, don't look over here. Our business is before us. We're not in the business of
pushing blind people in the ditch. They'll fall on their own. The
Lord will deal with them. We're in the business of preaching
Christ and setting forth his glory in the saving of sinners. And that's what we're to stick
to. How can a man speak for God who does not know God? That's
what verse 13 is saying here. The popular preachers of our
lifetime, the reason that they were and are popular is that
they did not and do not know God. That's why. They preached
and they preach a God who needs something from you. And that's what sinners want
to hear. They preach a God who saves sinners because of something
that sinner does and not by what Christ did on Calvary. It's not
complicated. But the difference is night and
day. The difference is life and death. You deceive sinners into thinking
that they're God, that they decide everything, it's all up to them,
and they will love you and support you. You deceive sinners into
thinking that God doesn't choose you, but you choose him and they
will love you. The problem is that the Lord
Jesus said to his followers, you haven't chosen me, I chose
you. You deceive sinners into thinking
that the whole matter of salvation hinges upon their will and they
will love you and throw money at you. The problem is God said
it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that striveth, but
of God that showeth mercy. It's not complicated. It's not
confusing. The difference is very simple
and very apparent. Why is it important? Why do we
emphasize the truth of God's sovereign grace? That salvation
is of the Lord. Why do we emphasize that? Three
reasons. Because the Bible does. All through. All through. This doctrine is
not taught in a corner. Ephesians 2, 8, 9. By grace are you saved through
faith. And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
worlds, lest any man should boast. This is the deception that faith
is of you. God's done a lot. He's done all
he can do, but now it's in your hands. Deception. All of Ephesians one, Romans
eight and nine, all through the scripture, read the Bible and
then tell me that God has left the salvation of those for whom
he died up to the sinner. The second reason we emphasize
this is because of who gets all the glory. Not of works lest
any man should boast. Man's favorite thing to do is
boast. What was Adam doing in the garden?
Well, this whole thing ain't gonna be up to God. God's not
gonna tell me what to do. I'll decide. I'll determine good
and evil. Pride. And last but not least, if you
come to God with your decision, he'll throw you in hell. That's
why we emphasize it. You come to God making decisions,
exercising your will, deciding to be, I have decided to follow
Jesus, he'll put you in hell. And so we emphasize that because
we care whether you go to hell or not. It matters to the preacher, to
a witness for Christ, a true witness of the Lord Jesus, If
you come to God on what religion calls the Roman road, you're
a goner. You might say, but Chris, all that is a scripture. Yeah,
but it's scripture misused. It's scripture used deceptively
to make a sinner think he's doing something to be saved. A sinner can't do anything to
be saved. Christ is the road. Christ is the way, the door,
the gate. No man cometh under the father,
but by him. You don't come to him by answering
questions right. Your decisions, your will, your
promises to God are as black as your heart is. The Lord God
will decide your case. If he will, he'll make you whole.
And it's his promises that are yea and amen. And where are they
yea and amen? Second Corinthians 119. The promises
of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Now he says, continue in these
things. Continue. The things you were
taught and by God's grace, you learned them. You learned them. Remember that it is given unto
you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. It is given unto
you. You learned them, but it was given unto you Matthew 13,
11, but to multitudes, it is not given. He said to them, it
is not given. Remember that, know that. You
see the last part there, verse 14? Has been assured of, you've
learned these things, you're assured of them, knowing of whom
thou hast learned them. Knowing that you didn't learn
them because you were smart. knowing that you don't know them
because you are distinguished from others in some way, that
you set yourself apart by heeding the words of the Lord. You know
them not because you're wise, or you know them because God
is gracious. Remember that, knowing of whom you've learned them. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. The natural man. That's why we
say, by nature, a lot. It's important that we understand
what we mean by that. Paul said, by nature, we're the
children of wrath, even as others, but God. But God made a difference. By nature means the way we're
born into this world. The natural man, sinful man,
the flesh, as we were born, that which is born of the flesh is
flesh, natural. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. With men it's impossible. Remember
that, Paul said. Remember that you learned this
from God. It is given unto you to know.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
For two reasons, they're foolishness to him, and that's not gonna
change. The gospel is ridiculous to the natural man, all of them. Neither can he know them. He
doesn't have the ability to learn them, because they are spiritually
deserved. 1 Corinthians 2.14, but Paul tells
Timothy here, you've known them since you were a child. Boy, that's the grace of God,
isn't it? Look at verse 15, and that from a child, thou hast
known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. What rich,
rich words. Now, if knowledge of the scriptures
puffs you up, and Paul said to the church at
Corinth, knowledge without love puffs you up, it'll puff you
up, it'll make you proud. I know more than you, but love
is what builds up. If knowledge of the scripture
puffs you up, there's no salvation. And this is talking about salvation.
Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation, that there's
a way that they do that, not by making you smarter. Very important
that we understand that. If knowledge of the scriptures
gives you a proud, I know more than you attitude, there's no
salvation. Notice in the text that it is
when knowing the scriptures results by God's grace in faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's salvation. Knowledge of
the scriptures that make you smarter. You're just a dumb person
that knows God by his grace. And I am too, an idiot that knows
God because God revealed himself to us. And he specifically reveals
himself to idiots. Wisdom unto salvation. comes
when God, through the preaching of the gospel, the scriptures,
gives you faith in his son. That's key now. A lot of people
don't buy that. A lot of people don't buy that. Compare verse 15 of our text
with a verse that I often quote in John chapter 20. Look at our
text now, verse 15. Let's read it again, that from
a child, Now Timothy, you've known since you were a little
boy, you've known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ. You remember
what John 20 verses 30 and 31 say? Many other things Jesus
did, which are not written in this book. But these are written
that you might believe. that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God, and that believing, you might have life through his name.
Faith in Christ Jesus. The scriptures are able, the
gospel is able to make you wise into salvation. Not because you
got smarter, not just because you learned some things you didn't
know before, but because God gave you faith in his son. And
to know him is to know all things, 1 Corinthians 2. We know everything,
Paul said. Isn't that amazing? If you know
Christ, what else is there? We have the mind of Christ. It
doesn't make us smarter. It's because God is gracious
and he's revealed himself to us. Salvation. Listen to me carefully
now. This is our text. Salvation,
a sinner is not saved just by learning doctrine. Wisdom unto salvation is through
faith in God's Son. It's knowing Him. To know Him
is life eternal. This wisdom spoken of here in
our text is not simply you knowing more than you did before. This wisdom here is believing
on the Lord Jesus Christ. This wisdom is gained by God
giving you a heart of faith to believe on his son, it requires
a new nature. Let me repeat what I quoted a
minute ago in 1 Corinthians 2.14. This wisdom that knows God, that
knows Christ, is spiritual discernment. By nature, you can't know the
things of God because they are spiritually discerned. But by spiritual discernment,
by being born, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. No
spiritual discernment, no spiritual ability. But that which is born
of the spirit now is spirit. And all of a sudden now that
God has birthed you from above, given you a new heart, a new
nature, you have spiritual discernment. What's the point of spiritual
discernment? Oh, I know all this doctrine and I'm smarter than
everybody else. I've got to correct everybody and argue with as many
people. Oh, it just means you know Christ.
through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. That verse in our text
is so key, so rich, so clear. Spiritual discernment. You aren't
born with that. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God because they're foolishness to
him and because they're spiritually discerned. We don't have that,
we're not born with that. God gives you that. All of 1 Corinthians chapter
two is about this, the whole chapter. We have by God's grace
and by his saving power the mind of Christ. Spiritual life, spiritual
discernment, Christ in us. I live, yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me. We know Him and knowing Him,
we know all things worth knowing. That's wisdom unto salvation. They're able to make you wise
unto salvation. Knowing Him is wisdom that saves. You might just say Christ is
all. You might just say that. Wise unto salvation through faith,
which is in Christ Jesus. Not wisdom through a doctorate's
degree. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing
wrong with going to college. I've been to Bible college to
learn what not to believe. Not wisdom through having a high
IQ. The God-given wisdom that simply believes that Christ is
salvation, that Christ is my righteousness, that Christ is
my sin offering. He is my offering to God for
my sin. May God make us wise unto salvation,
cause us to know the Holy Scriptures, And the result of that, the result
of knowing the scriptures from a child or not till you're 80
years old, but when you know them, it causes you to believe
on Christ by the grace and power of God. That's salvation. What
a beautiful text of scripture. May God give us faith in his
son. Let's pray.