Sealed or Seared?

v.1:

If God’s church is to be the “pillar and ground” of the truth, it stands to reason that false teachers should be rejected.

In chapter 1, Paul had already noted that there were false teachers in the church. Now he he is giving a stronger warning.

The Spirit expressly says…

According to God, in “latter times” some will depart from the faith.

Departing from the faith is a key characteristic in identifying the latter days.

With departure from faith being the proof, we know that the latter days had already begun in the first century.

Those days stretch from the first coming of Christ, until His return. They continue in full force today, and no one knows for how much longer.

However, the apostasy will climax shortly before Christ’s return, so it’s no wonder that it continues to get worse.

The Scripture has repeatedly warned us about the danger of this falling away, and we should definitely take it seriously.

In a single sentence, he says quite a lot about those who would perpetrate this falling away.

They listen to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons:

They have embraced lies taught under the influence of Satan.

A full list of such false teachings and practices within the church would most definitely implicate many.

Only a few examples are mentioned here, but rest assured that there are countless other compromises of God’s word within the modern church.

v.2:

They are hypocritical liars:

Liars are hypocrites, and hypocrites are liars.

Everything about these false teachers is rooted in lies.

That is because they are following the doctrines of demons.

These demons are satan’s henchmen. Since their boss is a liar, they are liars, and those that follow them are liars.

False teachers are liars who follow the father of lies.

John 8:44

John 8:44 NKJV

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

They have a seared conscience:

When you sear a piece of meat, high heat chars the outside very quickly, so as to seal in the juices. This may be great for a steak, but not so good for you.

These false teachers have a seared conscience.

They have been filled with lies and had their consciences seared.

They have sealed those lies inside of themselves so that they are completely unfeeling about their wrongdoing, and are deaf to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit.

This is just the opposite of what the Spirit does for believers.

The false teachers are unfeeling.

Ephesians 4:19

Ephesians 4:19 NKJV

who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

While these false teachers have been sealed to satan, the Holy Spirit seals believers to the Lord.

Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:13–14 NKJV

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

v.3:

They forbid marriage and the eating of certain foods:

The real deception here is in making human works a prerequisite for salvation.

These were legalistic charges meant to deceive people into thinking that they have to earn their salvation.

This sounds reasonable to most people, because we all know that:

Nothing is free.

You can’t get something for nothing.

Anything worth having comes at a cost.

Many cults and pseudo-Christian groups have fallen into these traps.

But again, this is the opposite of what the Bible teaches when it comes to salvation.

Salvation is not based on our works, but on the work of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:16

Galatians 2:16 NKJV

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.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

1 Peter 3:18

1 Peter 3:18 NKJV

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

He (Christ) brings us to God, He died for us, He took our place.

Jesus did the work that we are unable to do, we must never forget this.

When looking at the issues addressed in this passage, we also need to remember that both the institution of marriage and the provision of foods were specifically created by God for man’s enjoyment and blessing.

Both marriage and food were created by God for our enjoyment and blessing.

Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 NKJV

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Genesis 2:24

Genesis 2:24 NKJV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

vv.4-5:

All of God’s creation is “very good” if used properly.

Genesis 1:31

Genesis 1:31 NKJV

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The Word of God does not condemn food; it commends it. If you can return thanks for the food, that sanctifies it for your body. “If it be received with thanksgiving”—there are some foods I cannot be thankful for. There are certain foods that would really put me down physically if I ate them, and I cannot be thankful for them. Also, I am told that there is a place in San Antonio, Texas, that cans rattlesnake meat! It is a delicacy, they say. Well, if you served me rattlesnake meat for dinner and asked me to return thanks for it, I’m not sure that I could. But if you can receive it with thanksgiving, my friend, then go ahead and eat it, whatever it might be—it’s perfectly all right.11 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy/Titus/Philemon) (electronic ed., Vol. 50, pp. 62–63). Thomas Nelson.

The main point of this passage is that we should guard against the heresy of false teachers.

We should guard against imposing on ourselves and our fellow Christians a false sense of righteousness.

These practices may make us feel “holier than thou” but in reality they deny the truth of God and His creation.

instead, we should be among those “which believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3) of God’s loving provisions of His creation.

Satan always tries to turn things around. He is a counterfeit and a liar, and he wants you to believe the lies.

Satan wants you to believe that you have to earn your salvation, and to think that evil is good.

Isaiah 5:20

Isaiah 5:20 NKJV

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

3 John 11

3 John 11 NKJV

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.

Psalm 34:14

Psalm 34:14 NKJV

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Those who are seared will draw you into the fire with them, but Jesus Christ will seal and preserve you.

Jude 1

Jude 1 NKJV

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

Salvation is as simple as placing your faith in Christ.

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Sealed or seared, which will it be?