SPIRITUAL ESCAPEES

Part 2

Jack Davis

“Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” Luke 21:34-36.

In the preceding verses 25-32, we read of Jesus describing many of the “things that shall come to pass,” shortly before He will be seen “coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” His people are warned, “look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh, take heed, watch and pray,” in preparation for their escape. We well remember that the redemption of the believers of this Church Age precedes Israel’s national redemption.

Therefore we sense the grave danger of God’s precious people becoming overcharged and overwhelmed by over indulgence. There are so many  snares, and cares that would cause us to be caught unawares. We can become so caught up in “things” that would keep us from being caught up at that first trumpet sound. Paul urges us to watch and be sober so that day not overtake us as a thief in the night, for some shall not escape. I Thess. 5:6,3.

TAKE HEED

We Each do well to “take heed” unto ourselves, our lives in the light of God’s everlasting all seeing WORD.

“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” I Cor. 11:31-32. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” Hebrews 12:5-6.

Correction from our loving heavenly Father, is provided for our complete escape. This is often the way some of the snares are broken. He helps us turn loose. He helps escape capture even to carnal captivity, corruption, and condemnation. Some saints are seen in Revelation coming out of great tribulation, and others are spoken of as being kept out - Rev. 3:10 and 7:14.

WORTHY TO ESCAPE

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” - Heb. 2:1-3.

Also Heb. 12:25-29, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven…Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us (hold fast) have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  For our God is a consuming fire.”

Who will be worthy then to escape and stand before Him. In whose worthiness alone do we stand? Have you been made accepted in the beloved? What is the measure of our escape? I appreciate the way it is expressed in II Peter 1.

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge…For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” – Vs. 2-11.

Peter here indicated for us a duel benefit, “escape corruption” and an “abundant entrance,” what a wonderful out of and into. By heeding these exceeding great and precious promises, and laying hold of them by faith we become more and more completely partakers of the divine nature, growing in grace and knowledge of Him. He increases, being formed in us, and we grow up into Him in all things. Therefore He has made it possible that we escape all the influence of the world’s corruption, defilement and decay, not conforming to this world but being transformed.