The Apostle Paul warned that, "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to them-selves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (II Tim. 4:3,4).
A fable is a myth, a story that is not true.The day has come when many adults, who should know better and who believe contrary to all reason and scripture, are turned aside to the religious fables of our day. These fables have been repeated so many times that many now receive them as truth without question or without searching the holy scriptures. Let me give you a few.
The first commonly accepted religious fable of our day is that "God loves everybody in the world."
A brief but honest look at the Bible will prove this a fable.
God declares more than once "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." He further says, "God is angry with the wicked everyday."
God does not hate sin and love the sinner because the two are one and the same.
Among the list in Proverbs 6 of the things that God hates is "He that soweth discord among brethren."
The idea that God loves everybody is without biblical grounds and makes the love of God nothing more than a powerless, sentimental passion.
Does God love the multitude that He destroyed in the waters of the flood? Or those He rained fire and brimstone on in Sodom and Gomorrah? Does He love those who He has damned to eternal punishment in hell who shall forever endure His wrath?
Strange and cruel would such a love be!Yet there is a multitude of people out of Adam's fallen race, from every kindred, tribe, nation and tongue, that He has loved with an everlasting love. Those whom He chose in Christ before the world began, redeemed in Christ at the cross of Calvary and whom He brings to faith in Christ according to His own will and purpose of grace. He loves every sinner in Christ but not those who refuse to believe. He never has loved them and He never will.
Another generally accepted fable is that "Christ died for everybody in the world."
The Bible does not say this. Not even in John 3:16 where His giving of His Son is for "whosoever believeth."
Christ said, "I lay down my life for the sheep."Paul agrees with "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it."
To say that Christ died for those who perish in hell is to say that He died in vain and to think such is utter blasphemy.
No, Christ gave Himself a "ransom for many" and they are those who believe on Him. He did not die for those who refuse to believe and perish in hell forever.
Finally, a third great religious fable is that "God is trying to save everybody." This cannot be.
First of all, God never "tries" to do anything!
If God were trying to save everybody, everybody would be saved. If God tries to do something and fails, He ceases to be God.
Our God does not try to save, He saves! He saves all He purposed to save. He saves all whom Christ bought by His blood at Calvary. He saves all who come to Him by faith in Christ because He gives faith as a gift.
His Son must be named "Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." (Matt.1:21).
Such fables as are common in our day do not glorify God. They reduce God's love to a weak and even cruel sentiment, Christ's death to a failure and God's power to pitiful inability.
Men are not saved believing fables but by faith in the true and living God as He reveals Himself in Christ, the Sovereign Lord and Successful Savior!
God loves, Christ died and God saves those who trust in Christ alone for all their salvation.