Paul gave Timothy (and the rest of us believers) a ‘heads up' in his second letter when he wrote: “Know this, that in the last days perilous time will come.” (2 Tim. 3:1)

He goes on to list how people will be acting and carrying on as they manifest so much carnal and fleshly ‘fruit’ in their lives, summing it up by saying how they will be ‘lovers of pleasure rather than, or more than God’ (2-4). What is easy to miss here is he is not talking about the ‘lost sinners in the world’ out there who are ‘heathens’, as we often refer to them as.

He’s talking about ‘church folks’ who walk about with an outward ‘form of godliness’. (5). You know...like ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ where they ‘honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from him’. Why do you think Jesus made such a deal about producing the right kind of ‘fruit’? (Matt. 7:15-20; Gal. 5:19-21) But look at vs 7 as he offers up this nugget of insight how these people will “always be learning but never coming to ...the knowledge of the truth” Would you please underline that in your Bible?!

What ‘truth’ do you suppose he is talking about here that we are to ‘have ‘knowledge of’? [Could you at least pause here a moment to ponder that question and see if you are able to jot down what you think the answer to that question might be?]

Could it be the same ‘truth’ he speaks of in his first letter to Timothy when he reveals God’s ultimate desire is for “ALL men to be saved and to come to the ...knowledge of the truth”? (2:4). There it is again!

Do you think this could be the same ‘truth’ that Jesus was referring to that He suggested would bring genuine freedom to those who came to ‘know it’ in John 8:32-36? The ‘meat’ of knowing this truth is ‘sandwiched’ in-between vs. 32 and 36. It’s right there in vs. 34 and 35 where Jesus tells us ‘most assuredly’...”WHOEVER...commits sin is a slave of sin.” (now write down 1 John 3:8 next to that before you go look it up and underline it in your Bible, then come right back here as I will wait for you)

Let’s keep reading...”And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.” (35) Do you see how Jesus clearly distinguishes the difference between a ‘slave’ and a ‘son’? One who continues to ‘sin’ is not a ‘son’. Now go take a look at 1 John 3:9-10, and you might want to underline that as well. And IF...a child of God does sin, which usually is when they are ‘carnal babes’ like that group in 1 Cor. 3, God is going to deal with it and deal with it quickly; and it won’t be pleasant, but painful. Why so? Because God disciplines those whom He loves and if we are without that discipline, then we are ‘illegitimate’ children, according to Hebrews 12:5-11. And what assurance do we have in 1 John 2:1? Please make note how it reads ‘IF’...we sin, and not ‘when’ as so many people see that. Now go mark 1 John 1:9 for added comfort. But please also note in verse 7 there how 'cleansing' comes only 'IF...we walk in the light as He is in the light'. 

Now this is where it gets interesting regarding having received this ‘knowledge of the truth’- Go take a look at Hebrews 10:26-31 and pay close attention to vs. 26. Read it now.

Did you catch that?

And yet, for some odd reason, so many professing believers will get offended and angry if you try and suggest we can truly go and ‘sin no more’. Trust me on this one. It is not something we hear taught much of anywhere today in our churches; which might explain what Paul is referring to there in 2 Thess. 2:9-12. “God will send a strong delusion” to those who are ‘perishing’ because they did not have a love for ‘truth’. Probably the same folks Jesus said would not ‘come to the light’ because they ‘loved the darkness more’. (John 3:19-21)

Before you finish up for today and move on....why not go read through this one more time.