We did not follow
There has been a great deal of effort put forth over the centuries to
discredit the scriptures. Today the attacks on scripture are greater than
ever. The atheistic world is seeking to eliminate God from every aspect of
our lives. They have fought adamantly to remove God from our schools
through the removal of prayer and Bible reading. They are seeking now to
remove God from the Pledge of Allegiance and from the country’s founding
motto, “In God We Trust.” Our nation’s own president has said that this
country is no longer a Christian nation. We are moving closer and closer to
the brink and abyss that is called secularism. There, God’s word finds
ardent critics. Critics that seek to find discrepancies, immorality, and
falsehoods in God’s word. Unfortunately for them, they have failed, and
now turn their attention to Jesus Himself. They claim he never existed. Of
course, with a quick study of history, we can find several references to
Christ by credible historians.
Even though their efforts have been futile in discrediting anything, their
efforts have not been in vain. Today, our nation is further from the founding
principles of Christianity than ever. People hate God and His word. They
hold it in contempt. They believe that the apostles are liars who sought to
gain religious and political power in their day by proclaiming a false
Messiah who rose from the dead. Some of you may believe that as well.
Peter would have you understand otherwise. Notice what he writes.
2 Peter 1:16-21, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we
made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father
honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory:
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And we heard this
voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy
mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well
to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of
Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the
will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit.”
They did not and we do not follow cunningly devised fables. They were
eyewitnesses of His majesty. They were eyewitnesses to the confirmation
from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. The prophecy and teaching
that they received was not from a private interpretation of man, but was
given to them by the Holy Spirit. We can no longer live our lives in doubt
and fear. We must embrace the inevitable truth. Jesus Christ lived. The
apostles spoke as they were led by the Holy Spirit and were eyewitnesses,
not fabricators. However, there are false teachers that spring up and lead
weak minded people away from the truth.
2 Peter 2:1-3, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even
as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on
themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways,
because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness
they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment
has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
Do not be led astray by swindlers of the truth, but be steadfast in your spirit
and know that we are not living a lie nor following cunningly devised fables.
We are living the truth, and that truth is found only in Christ (John 14:6)