Many Will Turn Away from the Faith

   Jesus says,

   Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Matt. 24:9-11)

   Jesus says people will “turn away” from the faith and will betray and hate each other. Although “turn away” is very similar to the word “apostasy” that Paul used to describe people in the end times, “turn away” is from a different Greek word, skandalizō.

   We can get a good idea of what the end-times skandalizō will look like if we see an example from the Bible.
   In Matthew 26:31, Jesus told his disciples,

   “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”

   In this verse skandalizō is translated “fall away.” We all know Peter “fell away” just a few hours later. When Jesus’ words came to pass, what did it look like when Peter “fell away”?

   Peter caved under social pressure, pressure that today we might call political correctness:

From Matthew 26:69-74
   Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
   But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
   He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
   Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

From Mark 14:66-71
   While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
   But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
   When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it.
   After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

From Luke 22:55-60
   And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
   But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
   A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
   “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
   About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
   Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

   Peter caved under the social pressure. If we want to avoid caving under social pressure/political correctness when a big test comes, we should be praying now for that strength, resolving now to stand firm, and practicing now standing up to social pressure in the small things.

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