From Grace to Grace Bible Studies

By: Kermit Hall

Lesson L

Not For Sale

It is said every man has a price, if the price is right. We may laugh and say this is not true, and that we would never sale out. Peter felt the same before Jesus was arrested. Soon after, Peter denied Christ. I don’t think Peter realized until the rooster crowed that he had been bought by fear and confusion.

There was a man in the bible called Balaam who had a cash register for a heart, and dollar signs for eyeballs. He was a prophet of God that was obsessed with money. Peter said this about Balaam, 2 Peter 2:1-3But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Peter tells us the early church was having problems with false prophets that denied the Lord. How did they deny the Lord? By denying Christ's ability to remit sins through his name, they were denying the New Testament. 2 Peter 2:15-16 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

Here, the bible tells us of a prophet that turned mad. He was in the right way so it is obvious that Peter was talking about prophets in the church that turned mad. Balaam was sought out by the enemy and was hired to curse God’s called and chosen people. He was one of those saints who backslided and spoke evil of the pastor, elders and the congregation calling them hypocrites, in order to justify his lack of love toward the Lord. Some people start out okay, but go mad for the wages of unrighteousness, like Balaam. Balaam’s wages for unrighteousness was money But money isn’t the only reason good saints go bad; some sell out because of prides, some sell out because of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and others sell out because of vanity, slander, lust of the flesh and eyes.

Balaam was so mad with greed that God sent a dumb animal to rebuke him. The animal spoke to him and forbade his madness. The dumb animal could represent a pastor in any given church trying to warn people like Balaam. After all, the pastor some times feels like a dumb animal; he speaks and knows in the spirit that he is speaking the truth, but it is as though some will not listen. The pastor may not enjoy telling it like it is because not all people want to hear this. But, if he doesn’t speak out against people's madness, how will they escape their future damnation?

Balaam Sold Out and His Name Became an Icon Among Losers.

Jude 1:10-15 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Balaam, Cain and Core have been in hell for thousands of years waiting for the white throne judgment. That is a very long time! Why? They were men with a promise that went mad over the desires of the flesh.These are indeed losers; the reason I say losers is because they had the opportunity to make the right choice but they chose not too.

Rev 2:14-15 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. God is talking to the church and if these don’t repent he will destroy them with his sword.

From this we know God hates those who preach that a person can continue in sin after repenting and receiving remission of sins through his name. Nicolaitans were people that believed you could still be saved and continue to be involved in sex outside of marriage. Think of the many denominations in Christianity that teach the principles of the Nicolaitans. Their philosophy is: No matter what you do in sin, grace is sufficient to cover your sins, and a person can be saved and still be a. Could this be the reason 50% of marriages in denominational churches end in divorce?

Will people repent and continue to be mad? God forbid they should remain mad after they repent. Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Will people choose the wages of unrighteousness over the wages of living right? Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s impossible to make a 180-degree turn and continue in the direction you were going before you made the turn.

The Old Saying that Every Man has His Price doesn’t Apply to All People. Yes! I got good news for the church. There isn’t enough money in the world to buy some people and there certainly wasn’t enough to buy Naboth. I King 21:1-3 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

Naboth owned a vineyard which he inherited from his father. The evil king Ahab wanted to buy this man's inheritance. But Naboth denied the prince of the power of the air the opportunity, so Jezebel (Ahab’s wife) framed Naboth by finding two false witnesses that told the people Naboth had spoken evil against God and the king. Naboth was stoned to death because of the false testimonies; but isn’t it wonderful that death has no sting! Naboth has been in paradise with Abraham for 3,000 years. Ahab got the vineyard by the wages of , but he has been in hell while Naboth has been rejoicing in bliss.

I King 21:19-20 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. Ahab has been in hell for almost 3,000 years now because he sold himself out to evil works.

We are here today enjoying the blessings of the gospel because men like Naboth refused to sell out for the wages of unrighteousness. The Apostles said in Acts 5:29-32, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

James refused to sell out and he was beheaded. Peter refused to sell out and he was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded, Stephen was stoned, and Isaiah was sawed in half. These men and many others that loved the Lord refused to go mad; they saw how valuable eternity is and kept their love with God going. In the days of trials and tests they kept their sanity and are now beyond the hardships of life living in paradise. 2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Questions:

Questions 1-3 are found in 2 Pet 2:1-3

  1. Yes or No: Will there be false prophets and false teachers?
  2. Yes or No: Will they deny the Lord that bought them?
  3. And many shall ______their ______ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil ______of. And through ______shall they with feigned words make ______of you: whose judgment now of a long time ______not, and their damnation slumbereth _ _ _ .

Questions 4-6 are found in2 Pet 2:15-16

  1. Which have ______the right way, and are gone ______, following the way of ______the son of Bosor,
  1. who loved the _ _ _ _ _ of unrighteousness; But was ______for his iniquity:
  1. the _ _ _ _ ass speaking with man's voice forbad the ______of the prophet.

Questions 7-12 are found in Jude 1:10-15

  1. Yes or No: Balaam’s name became an icon among Winners.
  1. But these speak _ _ _ _ of those things which they _ _ _ _ not: but what they know ______, as brute beasts, in those things they ______themselves.
  1. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of _ _ _ _ , and ran greedily after the _ _ _ _ _ of Balaam for reward, and ______in the gainsaying of Core.
  1. These are _ _ _ _ _ in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without _ _ _ _ :
  1. clouds they are without _ _ _ _ _ , carried about of _ _ _ _ _ ; trees whose fruit ______, without fruit, _ _ _ _ _ dead, plucked up by the _ _ _ _ _ ;
  1. Raging _ _ _ _ _ of the sea, foaming out their own _ _ _ _ _ ; wandering _ _ _ _ _ , to whom is ______the ______of darkness for ever.
  1. Rev 2:14-15 But I have a few things ______thee, because thou hast there them that hold the ______of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit ______. So hast thou also them that hold the ______of the Nicolaitans, which thing I _ _ _ _ . Repent; or else I will come unto thee ______, and will fight ______them with the sword of my _ _ _ _ _ .
  1. Yes or No: The doctrine of the NicolaItans people were saved though they continued to be involved in sex outside of a marriage relationship.
  1. Yes or No: Christ Doctrine makes it possible to make a 180 degree turn and continue in the direction you were going before you made the turn.
  1. Yes or No: Could Naboth be bought?
  1. Yes or No: God gives us a sound mind.
  1. Did God give the Holy Ghost to those that obeyed __ or disobeyed __Him?