What Do You Believe?

Scriptural Text:

The passage stands as a strong warning to all unbelievers. It reveals just who the followers of the antichrist will be.

1. They are the perishing (v.10). , , , , ,

Note: he will use all kinds and forms of deceit to secure the loyalty of people:

⇒  He will lead people away from the truth.

⇒  He will mistreat people by lying to them.

⇒  He will lead people to believe false ideas and untruths.

⇒  He will exalt man, government, and science.

⇒  He will cheat people out of the inheritance they could receive.

⇒  He will misguide people and keep them from knowing peace, true inner peace, true assurance, security, love, joy, and confidence—all the qualities that build the very best of lives.

(NKJV) 3I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

3I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

(NKJV) 12For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law

12For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law

(NKJV) 18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

(NKJV) 12But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

12But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

(NKJV) 19Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

19Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

(NKJV) 6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

2.  They are the persons who do not believe the truth (v.10). , , , Hebrews 3:12

means to welcome. Note what it is that they do not welcome: the truth, the love of the truth. By truth is meant the truth of the gospel. They do not welcome the love of the gospel; they do not love the gospel. They reject the love of God. God has provided... •  the way for them to be saved.

•  the way for them to be saved.

•  the way for them to escape death.

•  the way for them to live eternally.

•  the way for them to live victoriously over the trials and sufferings of this life.

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" ().

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" ().

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" ().

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" ().

3. They are the deceived (v.11). , , , , , Jeremiah 17:9

A person is not deceived...

•  apart from his own will.

•  against his will.

A person is deceived only because he chooses to disbelieve God and His Word. What Scripture teaches is that God has set certain laws in the universe...

•  laws both within man and within nature.

•  laws which go into motion and take effect when man acts.

If a person does something, certain things will happen. If a person does something else, then something else will happen. Scripture teaches that unbelief is governed by these laws.

For example...

•  there is the law of sowing and reaping. If a person sows unbelief and deception, he shall reap unbelief and deception.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" ().

•  there is the law of measure. If a person measures unbelief and deception, unbelief and deception shall be measured back to him.

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" ().

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again" ()

"But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" ().

"Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" ().

"But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ" (, cp. ).

"Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" ().

"But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes" ().

"And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity" ().

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" ().

4.  They are the damned (v.12). , Romans 1:26-32

Those who take pleasure in unrighteousness. The word "damned" (krithōsin PWS: 872) means judged, condemned, punished. There are two reasons why the followers of the antichrist will be judged.

those who take pleasure in unrighteousness. The word "damned" (krithōsin PWS: 872) means judged, condemned, punished. There are two reasons why the followers of the antichrist will be judged.

1.  They will not believe the truth of the gospel, the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.  They will have pleasure in unrighteousness. They will be people who live unrighteous lives and take pleasure in their unrighteousness. They will be people who love their sins.

a.  They will lust with their eyes and love to feed their imaginations with what they look at.

⇒  They will be people who look and lust after those who dress to expose their bodies and attract attention.

⇒  They will be people who look and lust after enticing food.

⇒  They will be people who look and lust after the possessions of the world.

b.  They will lust with their flesh and love to feed their flesh with what they lust after.

⇒  They will be people who lust and feed their flesh with all forms of immorality.

⇒  They will be people who lust and feed their flesh with all kinds of food.

⇒  They will be people who lust and feed their flesh with all kinds of possessions, indulging every desire and knowing little about sacrifice in order to meet the needs of the lost in the world.

c.  They will seek the pride of life, seek position, recognition, honor, power, fame, and wealth. They will focus more and more upon self and the power of man and science to give them the utopia of happiness and success.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" ().

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (, cp. ).