Austin Bible Church
Subjectivity Causes Perilous Times
Subjectivity means to be self-centered, unsure, full of thoughts of failure, overly introspective, guilt ridden, not lucid, unclear thinking, and thus volition is not operating properly. 2 Tim. 3:1-4.
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” (2 Timothy 3:1-4, NASB)
Subjectivity causes scar tissue to form in the soul. The characteristics of subjectivity produce human viewpoint thinking. These characteristics are designed for maximum misery. Eph. 4:17-19.
“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:17-19, NASB)
Religion Causes Perilous Times
Religion has a system that produces only human good. 2 Tim. 3:5.
“holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” (2 Timothy 3:5, NASB)
Religion has a false gospel. 2 Cor. 11:3-4.
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, NASB)
Religion has false ministers. 2 Cor. 11:13-15.
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NASB)
Religion has forms of false doctrine. 1 Tim. 4:1.
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB)
Religion has a false communion table. 1 Cor. 10:20-21.
“No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:20-21, NASB)
Religion has a system of righteousness and pseudo-spirituality. Gal. 3:2-3.
“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3, NASB)
Religion has a system of action with all emphasis on hypocrisy. Religion has a form of power. Matt. 23; 2 Thess. 2:8-10.
“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, NASB)
Religion has a god or gods. 2 Thess. 2:3-4.
“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NASB)
Religion and apostacy deny the power of God's Word. They deny the power of God in the ministry of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Believers are to keep on separating from or avoiding these people for their own benefit. Heb. 4:12; Eph. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:5.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NASB)
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18, NASB)
“holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” (2 Timothy 3:5, NASB)
The Activity of Religion
Religion victimizes believers by putting scar tissue on the soul or getting believers involved who are negative to Bible doctrine. Activity is the measure of success under such conditions. 2 Tim. 3:6.
“For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,” (2 Timothy 3:6, NASB)
“For among them are those” is referring to religious salesmen. “Who enter into” is the present active participle of ἐνδύω (enduō) and means to disguise yourself in clothes, to infiltrate under false colors. “Households” refers to the places the churches met. For the first 300 years of the Church Age, the churches met in open fields, by rivers, in houses, or in the catacombs. Philemon 1:2; Rom. 16:5; Acts 5:42; 1 Cor. 16:19.
“and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:” (Philemon 1:2, NASB)
“also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.” (Romans 16:5, NASB)
“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:42, NASB)
“The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.” (1 Corinthians 16:19, NASB)
In 2 Timothy 3:6, this was infiltration of a local church. “And captivate weak women” is an idiom that does not refer to prostitutes and brothels. Weak women here are not weak women. “Weak women” is γυναικάριον (gunaikarion) and is a term for cowardice. The word and its Latin equivalent is a neuter noun. It applies to male and female. A cowardly soldier was called a “weak woman” and is a reference to any believer with scar tissue on the soul or a believer who is ignorant of doctrine.
How does a believer become a weak woman? By having consistent negative volition toward Bible doctrine plus failure to confess their known sins to God the Father and regain the filling of the Holy Spirit. They are not grace oriented and are full of scar tissue. Therefore, they are suckers to be captured by religion.
A corrected translation of 2 Timothy 3:6 is; “Out of these are they which infiltrate the houses (local churches) and deceive (take captive) weak women (believers--male or female--minus Bible doctrine, minus therefore application, full of scar tissue.)”
In 2 Timothy 3:6, “weighed down” is the perfect passive participle, neuter accusative plural of σωρεύω (sōreuō) which agrees with the neuter plural of “weak women.” When one neglects doctrine over a long period of time, you receive a build-up. This build-up is a heap or a pile of sins. The carnal believer gets buried under their own pile of sins. This is like a barnyard that is so full of manure, there is no room for the cattle. Not unusual on some farms.
“With sins” refers to the pileup of sins and errors from false doctrine. “Led on by various impulses” refers to the many kinds of lusts and lust patterns of the old sin nature such as power lust, wander lust, approbation lust, and sexual lust. At any rate, this is a great attack on the function of the grace apparatus for perception, the transmission of Truth to an assembly of believers.
There are other reasons why believers who listen to Bible doctrine being taught get no benefit from it such as; the Bible doctrine may not have been communicated clearly, the hearers did not have a frame of reference for it, the hearer may be minus some of the categories of Bible doctrine, scar tissue may hinder, or they were not concentrating or paying attention. 2 Tim. 3:7.
“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7, NASB)
Thus, the believer here never gets with it. Believers are commanded to assemble themselves together and to listen to Bible teaching. These are believers who assemble, but don’t get it. They come for other reasons than to learn Bible doctrine. Heb. 10:25.
“not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25, NASB)
On the positive side, confession of known sins to God the Father using 1 John 1:9 guarantees the filling of the Holy Spirit and is required to learn the Bible doctrine being taught via the grace apparatus for perception. The spiritual gift of pastor-teacher provides the proper communication of doctrine from one who studies and teaches through the filling of the Holy Spirit.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NASB)
On the negative side are; checking out the girls in the congregation, the man who thinks his wristwatch has stopped, the person who is obviously vibrating due to emotional reaction to what is being taught, those passing notes to others, whispering, getting your mint unwrapped, etc.
You can hear instruction, but not buy it. Why? You are out of the grace of God. True learning of Bible doctrine is based on grace. They never learn any epignosis Bible doctrine that is the only means to renew their thinking. If you are legalistic or lascivious, you will resent confession of sins by grace, or the entire doctrine of grace.
The Cure for Perilous Times
The cure for perilous times is always communicators of Bible doctrine. In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, “the things you have learned” refers to Bible doctrine being communicated in the local church. Through the filling of the Holy Spirit and the grace apparatus for perception, Bible doctrine is heard, understood and then believed by the positive believer. This results in the accumulation of epignosis Bible doctrine in the right lobe of the soul and the construction of the edification complex of the soul. This causes the renewing of your thinking to be more and more that of divine viewpoint. Blessings from God overflow to the nation of such maturing believers. Rom. 12:2; Titus 3:5.
“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17, NASB)
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, NASB)
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5, NASB)
The Illustration of Job
Job passed the robbery test, the arson test, and the transportation test. Job 1:15-17.
“and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."” (Job 1:15-17, NASB)
Job then passed the death of his children test in Job 1:18-19.
“While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you."” (Job 1:18-19, NASB)
He then passed the health test and the wife test. Job 2:7-9.
“Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"” (Job 2:7-9, NASB)
Job failed the friend test in Job 2:11-13 and Job 3:1.
“Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.” (Job 2:11-13, NASB)
“Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.” (Job 3:1, NASB)
Job then lost his mental health in Job 3. He became disoriented to the plan of God and became bitter and full of self-pity. Job 3:1-12.
“"Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, 'A boy is conceived.'” (Job 3:3, NASB)
“"Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?” (Job 3:11, NASB)
Job desired oblivion in his deep, black mood. He was under great oppressions and wanted to die. Job 3:13-19.
“"Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light.” (Job 3:16, NASB)
Job was filled with frustration and began to criticize Bible doctrine. Job 3:20.
“"Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul,” (Job 3:20, NASB)
He was miserable because he couldn’t get what he wanted. He had mental attitude sins including bitterness and criticizing the character of God. Job 3:21-23.
“Who long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures, Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave? "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?” (Job 3:21-23, NASB)
This led to his neurosis and an upset nervous system. He was tied in knots and afraid. Job was in trouble up to his eyeballs. Job 3:24-26.
“"For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour out like water. "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. "I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes."” (Job 3:24-26, NASB)
Job then recovered from his deeply negative mental attitude sins. Job wanted help. You must desire to be helped before you can be helped. You cannot help people who do not want to be helped. Job 4:1-2.
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, "If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But who can refrain from speaking?” (Job 4:1-2, NASB)
People must have Truth in order to have their problem solved. You have to get epignosis Bible doctrine into your soul. Past spiritual victories do not guarantee future victories or even present successes. Job 4:3-4.
“"Behold you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands. "Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.” (Job 4:3-4, NASB)
Overt testing in the spiritual life is not severe when you remain in fellowship. However, mental attitude sins can tear up the believer fast. Mental attitude sins cause self-righteousness, self-pity, and disorientation. No believer can afford to have mental attitude sins, ever! Job 4:5; Job 12.
“"But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed.” (Job 4:5, NASB)
Job needed more information from God's Word on undeserved suffering, disaster, divine discipline, the Angelic Conflict, destructive qualities of mental attitude sins, and on the essence of God. God will administer divine discipline when you remain in carnality in your mental attitude sins. These can include hating someone else, bitterness toward someone else, jealousy of someone else, and antagonism toward someone else.
This type mental attitude can destroy you. You can only hurt yourself by carrying around sinful mental attitudes. In seeking to destroy someone else, you suddenly realize that you have instead destroyed yourself. You are now the one under severe divine discipline.
Job confessed his known sins biblically, but before that, Elihu the hero of Job came along. Job 40:4-5; Job 42:3; Job 42:6; Job 32-37.
“"Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. "Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more."” (Job 40:4-5, NASB)
“'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."” (Job 42:3, NASB)
“Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes."” (Job 42:6, NASB)
God sent a believer, Elihu to come straighten out the mess. He was a young man, but spiritually mature. He had manners and biblical answers. He had respect and he knew his place. Job 32:4-6.
“Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned. So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said, "I am young in years and you are old; Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think.” (Job 32:4-6, NASB)
Elihu told Job and his three friends that if they would have learned Bible doctrine daily and applied it daily, they wouldn’t be in such a mess and would have nearly completed edification complexes in their souls. They should have been spiritually mature by then, but they were not. Job 32:7.
“"I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom.” (Job 32:7, NASB)
God actually breathes His spiritual breath into the one believing. In Job 32:8, “breath” is נשׁמה (neshâmâh) which is the first breath of a believer, the inhale of fact of the Gospel and the exhale of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. This is God’s method of giving a believer understanding.
“"But it is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.” (Job 32:8, NASB)