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IDENTIFYING THE WAYS OF
APOSTATE MEN AND WOMEN.
It is important to realize that the
final apostasy has arrived and that the composite "man of lawlessness"
is revealed. This is for the reason stated respecting the presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him; that the "day of Jehovah"
could not come until the apostasy came first and the "man of lawlessness
gets revealed". (2 Thess 2:1-3).
THE
BASIS OF APOSTASY.
"For it would have
been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than
after knowing it accurately to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to
them." (2 Peter 2:21). Apostates are those who after coming to know the path of
righteousness accurately, turn away from the sacred commandments delivered to
them.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE APOSTATES WHO TURN AWAY
FROM THE "SACRED COMMANDMENTS". (2 Peter 2:21 NEB).
The "sacred
commandments" are the Spirit Law of God issued through The Christ and
his apostles. (3:2 NEB).
For those now under the new covenant by The Christ, the Law of commandments
consisting in decrees and its punishments are abolished. They served as a
countermeasure against sin and a tutor leading to Christ.
(Eph 2:15) (Gal 3:24,25). Characteristics by which one may identify apostates who have turned away from
the sacred commandments of God are here described:
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(1) |
Daring, self-willed, they speak
abusively of holy ones. (2 Peter 2:10). |
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(2) |
They utter "swelling expressions of no profit". (2:18). |
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(3) |
"While
they are promising them freedom".
They themselves
are slaves of corruption and enslave others with apostasy. (2:19). |
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(4) |
They
"get involved again" with the "defilements of the world". (2:20).
Never at rest from sin, they abandon the
straight path and so are lost. (2:14,15 NEB). |
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(5) |
They
"abandon the sacred commandments delivered to them". (2:21
NEB).
The indulge with unrestrained delight in
their deceptive teachings. (2:13). |
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(6) |
"They
have eyes full of adultery and unable to desist from sin". (2:14).
They entice unsteady souls to remarry while their former spouses are
still alive,
thereby committing adultery.
(See Page
25/1/89). |
The characteristics listed in
numbers (1) to (6)
are common to all apostates who turn away from the sacred commandments.
The "Little Scroll"
of Revelation 10:1-11 is particularly bitter for apostates as it reveals
many details of their work as part of the scripturally described "man of
lawlessness" of 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Revealing of this spirit
lawlessness began in 1975.
20/5/95.
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