Verse 14, 1 Corinthians chapter
10. Wherefore, my dearly beloved,
flee from idolatry. I want to preach to you tonight
upon this subject, the fugitive. The fugitive. Now the word flee
in our text is where we get the English word fugitive from. In some respects a fugitive is
a very good word to describe what a believer is. A believer
is a fugitive. Now the dictionary defines a
fugitive as one who flees. One who flees from danger. One
who flees from pursuit, one who flees from duty, one who takes
shelter with another power to escape punishment. Can you see why a believer is
a fugitive? One who flees. Now, you flee from what you are
afraid of. You know that if you would enter
a toe-to-toe fight, you'd lose. That's why you flee. You run scared. When I was growing
up, I got in several fights. I got whipped in several fights. One a few, too. Probably lost
more than I won, but the point I'm making is, every time I fought,
I thought I was going to win. I thought I at least, quote,
had a chance to. But if I knew somebody would
whip me and I knew there was nothing I could do to protect
myself, I wouldn't get in a fight with them. I'd flee. I'd do what I could to avoid
that. You flee from that which you
believe that if you're around it, it'll hurt you and it will
negatively affect you. Therefore, you run from it. You fear that you're too weak
to stand before it. You play the coward. You run. You flee. You flee from that which you're
afraid of to a place of safety. And what I thought about was
the manslayer. You know the story of the manslayer
who perhaps accidentally killed somebody in the Old Testament. And the next of kin, if that
person was killed, had the right to kill them. You know, it's
still that way in Mexico. Brother Gruber told me that if
you're in Mexico, if you accidentally run over somebody and kill them
or even hurt them, don't stop. Don't stop. Keep going because
they'll string you up. Doesn't matter whether it was
your fault or not your fault. That's what happens. The nearest
of kin, the relative, has a right to kill you. That's the justice
of those things. Well, this is what this is talking
about. This manslayer, let's say he killed somebody accidentally,
and that person's kinfolks had the right to kill him and put
him to death. But God, in his mercy, provided
six cities of refuge. You can read about it in Numbers,
chapter 35. And if the manslayer could get into one of those cities
of refuge before the one who was going to be the avenger of
blood got to him, he was safe in those cities of refuge. Now,
if you had the manslayer coming after you, would you just be
strolling into that city of refuge, taking your time? No. You'd be
running as hard as you can to get into the safety of the city
of refuge. This is how people flee to Christ.
I flee to thee to hide me, deliver me from my enemies, O Lord. I'm
fleeing to thee." Do you see where fugitive in some respects
is a good description of the believer? Now, what I would like for us
to do is take a look at what the Bible says we are to actually
flee from. We flee because we don't have
the strength to Do combat with these things. We know that we
can't stand toe to toe with it. We know they'll bring us down.
Therefore, we flee. The first thing is mentioned
in our text, verse 14, Wherefore, my dearly beloved. Flee. Run from idolatry. Run from it, don't think that
you have the strength to stand up before it. Run from it. False
images, yes, like crosses, pictures, things of that nature, all religious
relics, visible aids to worship. Even more than that, all false
ideas about God, that which is not according to the scripture.
Do not imagine that you have the spiritual strength to not
be affected by this idolatry. Don't think it for a second.
You can't stand before it. It'll bring you down. You can't
play with it. The only thing to do is to flee from it, to
run from it. Stare at it like you would be
an infectious disease, knowing that you have in you that which
will be attracted to it. And you really believe that.
And you're afraid of yourself. You're paranoid about yourself.
You're afraid you'll receive it. So flee from it. Run from it. If you expose yourself to it,
it will bring you down. So run from it. Turn to Matthew
chapter 3. I brought a message recently
on idolatry, so I'm not going to spend much time on that. Matthew
chapter 3. Verse 7. This is John the Baptist
speaking, and he says, When he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation
of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come."
Now, that phrase is found several times in the scriptures, the
wrath to come. And notice the certainty of this,
the wrath that is most assurably to come. God is holy, and there is such a as the wrath
of God, it's his righteous indignation against sinners, those who commit
sin. Now, you've heard that saying,
God loves the sinner, but he hates the sin. Is that in the
Bible? No. Does God cast sins into hell,
or does he cast people into hell? Now, I tell you what, I personally
am afraid. I've been afraid of the wrath
of God all my life, and I'm afraid of it right now. I don't want
to know anything about the wrath of God toward me. And he says
to flee from the wrath to come. Turn with me to Psalm chapter
5. Psalm chapter 5, beginning in
verse 4. For thou art not a God that hath
pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. The
foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers
of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that
speak leasing and lying. The Lord will abhor the bloody
and the deceitful man." Now, when I talk about the wrath of
God, there isn't anything that I would
least rather talk about than the wrath of God. There isn't
anything that I would least rather talk about than the fact that
there's a place called hell that God sends people to. But does
the Bible teach there is something called the wrath of God and there
is a place called hell? Sure it does. And it has to do
with God's righteousness. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness. That's why there's a hell, because
God's righteous. He hates sin. Look at Psalm 11.
He hates those who commit sin. Look in verse 4. The Lord is
in His holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven,
his eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men, the
Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked, and him that loveth
violence, his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall reign
snares, fire, and brimstone, and horrible tempest. This shall
be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth
righteousness, his countenance doth behold The upright. Now, obviously, there is such
a thing as the wrath of God. And there is a wrath that is
to come. And there is a place called hell. A place that I don't know how
to describe it, nor does anybody else. But it's a place of unimaginable
pain and suffering that God is going to bring down upon everybody
outside of Christ. And you know who warned about
hell more than anybody else? The Lord Jesus himself. Do you know
that in all the writings of the Apostle Paul, how many times
does he mention the word hell? Do you remember it? In reality,
not once. He talked about condemnation
and destruction and so on, but he thought that the name was
so... You know, I hear people say, I'm going through hell.
I hate it when people say that. No, you're not. No, you're not. We don't know anything about
this. There is a place called hell that God is going to send
men and women to. And when I hear that, you know
what I want to do? I want to flee from the wrath to come. I don't want to have anything
to do with that. Now, we don't come to Christ
simply to avoid God's wrath, but that certainly is a reason
we come to Him. We come to Him to flee from the
wrath to come. I want to be hidden from that.
I don't want to deal with that. I do not want to go to hell. Anything I can to get, I can
do, I want to flee from it. Well, how do you go about fleeing
from the wrath to come? Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 18. That by two immutable things
in which it was impossible to God for lie to lie, we might
have a strong consolation who have fled. There's the word.
We fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that set before
us. Now, once again, this is an allusion
to the cities of refuge. We have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon that hope that set before us. Six cities. You can read about this in Numbers
chapter 35. Six different cities that were appointed as cities
of refuge. And I'm sure when people were
trying to get into those cities, they were running into them.
They wanted to find the safety and security that they could
find if they were in those cities. If you were in a city of refuge,
you'd think your blood couldn't touch you. You were safe. But
you know something that's very interesting about these cities
of refuge? It's pointed out that you were
safe as long as the high priest was alive. What happened when
the high priest died? I can imagine how uneasy that
person felt when the high priest died. I would feel uneasy too. I don't know what I'd do about
that. Did they have to go to a different city where there
was another high priest? I don't know. But here's something about
our city of refuge, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a high
priest who never dies. Hebrews 7.25 says, Wherefore,
he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by
him, seeing he ever liveth. to make intercession for them.
Now what a high priest we have. We fled for refuge to lay hold
of that hope that set before us. Now what is that hope that
set before us? There's a whole lot of things I can say about
that hope that set before us, but here's a part of that hope,
and this is what's on my mind right now at any rate. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
Now that's a bit That's a big part of this hope. I don't want
to have anything to do with the wrath of God. I don't want to
be judged for my sins. I don't want God to give me what
I got coming. I don't want God to give me what I deserve in
and of myself. I want to be one of these people flying for refuge
to lay hold of that hope, that hope of no condemnation, that
hope of complete acceptance, that hope that all my sin is
put away, that hope that I stand before God justified without
guilt. That's the hope I want to lay
hold of. Strong consolation to those who
fled for refuge and laid hold of the hope set before them.
Let's go on reading verse 19. Which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which in and of itself was within
the veil, whether the forerunner is for us, it or even Jesus,
made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now,
this hope is described as an anchor. I like this description
of anchor. Now, an anchor that you can see
is not going to do you much good, is it? If it's in the boat with
you, you're still floating around all over the place, you don't
have any stability, it's hard telling where you can go. An
anchor that you can see is useless. An anchor that you can't see,
it's been thrown overboard. It goes into the water and you
can't see it, but it's hooked in and you're secure. You're
safe. You know, faith is not something
you can see. It's something you believe. Do you believe that
Jesus Christ is enough to make you accept it before God? And
I don't mean bare-bones men. Understand me. I almost hesitate
to ask it that way, like thinking he's enough. He's more than enough.
He's everything. He's everything. And I can't
see this anchor. This anchor is within the veil.
It's in the very holy of holies. This anchor is in the very presence
of God. But what a strong consolation
I have. If Christ Jesus is in the presence
of God for me, did you notice how he said, wherefore the forerunner
is entered in for us? For us? For me? For you, for
every believer. I like thinking mostly before
us. I like to think about me. Him coming in for me. He's for
me, entered in. Yeah, I'm glad he's there for
you too. But he's entered there for us. This great high priest
after the order of Melchizedek. That's another sermon in itself.
But this is how I run and flee for refuge to lay hold upon the
hope that's set before me. Looking at Christ, the anchor
of my soul. Look at Hebrews 9, while you're
in Hebrews. Christ, our forerunner, has gone into the Holy of Holies
for us. Look in Hebrews 9, verse 11.
But Christ, being come in high priesthood, good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of calves
and goats, but by His own blood. He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Now, this
is sure and steadfast, and we flee from the wrath to come by
entering into the city of refuge, which is neither more nor less
than simply trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ. We just read when Brother Parker
was reading that passage of scripture, I know whom I have believed.
And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've
committed to him against that day. That's what it is to flee
from the wrath to come and to flee toward that refuge. Now
turn with me to 2 Peter chapter 1. This was a blessing to me. I
hope I can say this the way I want to say it. Beginning in verse 3, 2 Peter
chapter 1, according as His divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge
of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are
given unto us Exceeding and great precious promises that by these
exceeding great and precious promises, you might be partakers. Of the divine nature. Having escaped, that's the word,
that's the word fleeing, fleeing for refuge, running, scared,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust. Now, escaping the corruption
that's in the world through lust, through wicked desire. Do you lust after that which
you know God forbids? You have desires for that which
you know God forbids. I know you do. You're just like
I am. You have an evil nature. a sinful nature. It's the nature
you were born with. You were born into this world
a sinner with a sinful nature. And because of that sinful nature
that you have, you have unclean desires. You have sinful desires. I could talk all night about
all the various different things we lust after. And there's something
that you have right now that has a great appeal to this. A
great appeal. And somebody that doesn't face
this is just not being honest. Yeah, you do. You have this in
you. It's because of an evil nature. And we have a lust for
these, the corruption that's in the world and so on. So I'm so weak. How in the world
am I going to flee from that when part of my nature desires
this? My sinful nature actually has a desire for this. The corruption
that's in the world. I wish it wasn't that way, but
that's the way it is. So how in the world am I going
to be delivered from the corruption that's in the world through lust
when I have this sinful, wicked, evil nature? And I've got it.
I'm more sure of that than I've ever been. You know, I've been
a believer for a pretty long time now. I don't know how long,
but I know this. I feel in my own experience,
I feel more sinful than I've ever felt. I feel more sinful
than I did when I first came to know the Lord. I feel more
of my weakness, more of my liability to the corruption that's in the
world through lust. How am I going to stand before
this when I've got this sinful, wicked nature? We are given this
promise, being partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that's in the world through lust. Do you know
if you're a believer, you have a divine nature. It's what's
given to you in the new birth. A holy nature. Being born of
God, being begotten of God, you have a holy nature. Now I realize
it's hard to see that holy nature. As a matter of fact, it's impossible.
It's impossible to look within yourself and say, well, that
part's holy, that part's holy, that part's not. No, that doesn't
happen at all. You always see your sinful nature, but you have
a holy nature. The reason you believe on Christ is because
you have a new nature, a holy nature. You have a nature that
does not sin. A nature that has no desire for
the corruption that's in the world through lust. You have
a nature that desires nothing but holiness. Nothing but likeness
to the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me tell you something,
that nature is stronger than your own nature. Greater is He
that's in you than He that's in the world. He's greater. And
so we're given, this is the earnest of the Spirit. This is the seal
of the Spirit. I love that passage of Scripture
where that good thing that's in thee, that passage of 2 Timothy
chapter 1, that good thing that's in thee or that holy thing that's
in thee, keep out by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us. We are partakers of the divine
nature and because of the divine nature, I'm going to continue
all the way to the end. I'm not going to be defeated
and destroyed by the corruptions that are in the world through
lust. And this is the promise of God.
This is that exceeding great and precious promise. You know,
I fear falling away. I fear, quote, falling into sin,
whatever you want. I fear all those things. I'm
scared. I'm scared of myself. But you
know what else? I have complete confidence that He that's in
me, this new nature, this partaker of the divine nature, is going
to cause me to persevere all the way to the end. I'm not going
to quit. Because I have this divine nature,
this new nature. It's a nature that loves Jesus
Christ. That's an encouragement. What
a precious promise. Turn to 1 Timothy 6. Verse 11, But thou, O man of God, flee
these things. What is he talking about? Look up in verse 3. 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. Now,
what he's talking about now is false doctrine. False doctrine. Now, some people are proud. I've got the smarts to see it
and stay away from it and so on. And I can see it and perceive
it and I can be around it and it's not going to affect me.
No. Flee false doctrine. as you would a contagious disease
that will kill you. Flee false doctrine. Don't have some brazen attitude
toward it. Flee. Your false doctrine is evil.
It's not just an intellectual problem. It's a great sin against
God. He says flee from it. If any
man teach otherwise and can sit not to wholesome words, even
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that doctrine which is according
to godliness, he's proud. that person who promotes that
false doctrine. How much does he know? Nothing.
Here's what it leads to, but doting about questions and strifes
of words, where cometh envy and strife and railings and evil
surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute
of the truth. Supposing the gain is godliness
from such Withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment. Is grave gain. For we brought
nothing into this world, and it's certain we can carry nothing
out. I need to be reminded of that all the time, don't you?
What did you bring into this world? Not a thing. What are you going to carry out?
Not a thing. How important is any of this
stuff? Not very important, is it? He said, we brought nothing
into this world and we're not going to carry anything out.
And having food and rain, let us be there with content. Now, I realize that that certainly
can apply to food and clothing. What else do you need? Seriously,
what do you have with us? You got food, you got something
to eat, you got something to wear. What else do you need? Really nothing.
And we can be content with that, can't we? I love what John Bundy
said when he was eating a meal with a little old blind lady,
and she was serving bread and water, she couldn't even see
him, and here she was in this condition, and she said, Christ
in all of this. Christ in all of this. Bread
a lot more. What more could you want? Having
food and rain, let us be there with contentment. More than anything
else, I have no doubt that that means Christ my clothing. Christ,
my covering before God. Christ, my robe of righteousness. Christ as my food. With Christ
as my food and my clothing, I am content. You're looking at a
contented, satisfied man. I really am. So is every other
believer. You're content. You're satisfied
to be saved by Christ, aren't you? You really are. Having food
and raiment. Let us be there with content.
Go on reading. Verse 9. But they that will be
rich. That's their desire. That's their
agenda. They will be rich. What do they do? And this can
be looked at materially and spiritually. That person who wants something
over and above simply being found in Christ. And it also means
that person who is covetous, covetous, always coveting. I
want this. I want this. I want this. It's
such a poison to our soul. They that will be rich. What
happens to them? They fall into temptation and
a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown
them in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the
root of all evil. That's a powerful statement,
isn't it? Which while some have coveted
after, they've erred from the faith, and they've pierced themselves
through with many sorrows." Now, there's those that will be rich.
That's their desire. I want to be rich. I want to
have more of this world's goods. I want to have more of the praise
of this world, the prestige of this world, the power of this
world. It's not just talking about money.
It can be talking about power. They that will be rich, look
what happens to them. You want a believer's will to be? This
is what I want. This is what I desire. I desire
simply to be found in Christ. I don't desire anything else.
I really don't. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him, not having my own righteousness. I don't have
anything to do with that, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faithfulness of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by Second Timothy 2. Flee false doctrine. Flee covetousness
of any kind, is what he's saying. Now look what he says in Second
Timothy, chapter 2, verse 22. He says, flee also, he's speaking
to Timothy. He says, flee also youthful lusts. Now, what do you think of when
you think of youthful lusts? I know what you think of. You
think of sins of debauchery and so on that the young are more
given to. Well, I guess that's not right.
The old are given to it, too, you know. But that's what we
think of when we think of youthful lusts. That is going to be covered
in the next point. That's really not what Paul is
talking about. While that is something to flee,
this is what Paul is talking about. Every commentator I read on this
passage of scripture was in agreement with this. He's talking about
youthful ambitions. He's talking about what a young
creature will be. Young creatures are hot headed. young creatures are ambitious.
Just the ambition of youth. I like what Charles Spurgeon
said, God have mercy on the church that has a 24-year-old pastor
outside. There's no need for so much truth
to that. But what I was thinking about
when I was thinking about flea also, these youthful lusts, that's
an attitude It's a wrong attitude of intolerance. Now, I am to
be intolerant for that which is contrary to the gospel, but
I'm also to have a very tolerant, kind, gracious attitude. I was,
I called my sister this afternoon to ask her about how the service
went and asked her where Brother Mahan preached in Wheelersburg,
Kentucky. And she made this statement,
and this is what I love. I love seeing the age of grace,
what it does for him. She says, he's just so gracious.
Just so gracious, just so kind, just so merciful. And that's
the opposite of youth, really. Youth is, you know, we want to
take no prisoners and lock them all out and all that kind of
stuff. Flee youthful ambitions and youthful lusts and be a gracious,
lowly person. You know what? Make it your ambition
to be meek. Now, there's an ambition. You
know, the Lord Jesus was meek. And that, to me, that's one of
the most amazing things about His character. He's God! He has
all power, and yet He's meek and lowly. That's the teaching
of grace, isn't it? Flee youthful lusts, youthful
ambitions, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace within
the call of the Lord out of a pure heart. You know, when Paul was
talking about the qualification for the ministry, he's talking
to Timothy as a preacher. But what did he say? Not a novice. Not a novice. Lest being lifted
up with pride, he fall into the condemnation and snare of the
devil. Flee also youthful lusts. May God give us grace to do that.
1 Corinthians chapter 6. And these things were fleeing.
Remember, we flee because we feel like if we get in a hand-to-hand
combat with these things, we'll lose. That's why we flee. We
feel like we can't stand before them. That's why we flee. Verse
18. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 18. Flee,
run from fornication. Sexual sin. Run from it. Run
from it. You know, it's not without reason
that the first thing that's pointed out after the fall was that our
first parents knew that they were naked. There's a reason
behind that. Now, they were naked before,
but it wasn't an issue with them. It just wasn't an issue. They
didn't have fallen sinful natures and it was not an issue. But
as soon as they fell, what does the scripture point out? Their
eyes were open and they knew that they were naked. And then they tried to provide
their own coverings after that. Now, all sexual sin is the product
of fallen human nature. And we all have an appetite for
this. And he says, flee from it. It
brings such destruction and misery. Do not mistake lust for love. Flee from fornication. And of
course, he's also talking about spiritual adultery. Spiritual
adultery. Now, what is adultery? Adultery is finding that intimate
relationship outside of the marriage covenant. That's physical adultery. Any activity outside of the marriage
covenant. Spiritual adultery is finding
any rest, any comfort, any assurance outside of the covenant of grace.
outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen to the words of Paul.
He said in Galatians chapter 6 verse 14, God forbid that I
should glory. Now remember who Paul is. He's
the chief apostle. He wrote 13 books of the Bible.
I suppose there's never been a man greater than the apostle
Paul. He's the one who was brought up into the third heavens. And
he heard all the lawful things which are not lawful for a man
that uttered. He said, I mean, the things that
were too wonderful to, I can't even put it into words. You think
the experience this man had. I mean, what experience he had
in the things of the Lord, in the things of grace. And what
does he say? This is Paul. This is not, this
is Paul the Apostle. He says, God forbid, that I should
glory, that I should have confidence in, that I should rest in, that
I should trust, that I should find assurance in anything save
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified
unto me and I unto the world. Spiritual adultery is finding
confidence in and resting in anything other than Christ alone. Now, flee fornication. Flee physical fornication. Flee
from it. There's a part of your nature
that finds an attraction to that, but run from it. It brings destruction
and misery. Flee from it and flee from spiritual
fornication. Now, we're to live this life
as fugitives as long as we have these sinful natures. As long
as I'm here, I'm going to be a fugitive. I'm going to have
to have a reason to flee or run from things. And I'm going to
be saying, I flee to thee to hide me, deliver me from my enemies,
deliver me from those that are too strong for me. I can't handle
them. So I'm always going to be fleeing. But one of these
days, fleeing is over. One of these
days, I'm going to put down this body. It's going to be the best
day of my life. The last day of my life is going
to be the best day. Because I know what takes place. I put down
this sinful human nature. And I'm in the very presence
of Jesus Christ. And I have no reason to flee
anything. Psalm 1715, David says, But as
for me, I'll behold thy face in righteousness, I'll be satisfied
when I awake in thy likeness. I'd like to sing as a closing
hymn, Jesus lover of my soul. But let me let me give you the
story behind this. Charles Wesley wrote this hymn. And he was up. Up in some high
part of a building in England, and he said he watched a hawk
chasing a little bird. And that hawk kept gaining on
him. It was going all over the place. And that hawk kept gaining
on him. And all of a sudden, that little bird just darted
into his bosom. And he said, I protected that
little bird. You dart into the bosom of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and you'll find complete protection. He never turns anybody out. Let's pray together.