Salvation from an Untoward Generation
In this essay we continue a study of timely deliverance (salvation) as
we look at the exhortation in Acts 2:40, “And with many other words did
he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward
generation.” It is only those who have been called of God that can save
themselves from this “untoward generation.” According to Rom. 3:17 the
unregenerate (those not born again) know not the way of peace. Likewise
in Eph. 2:2, 3 we are told that before we are born again, we “walked
according to the course of this world” and “had our conversation in
times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our
flesh and mind.” It is only after the miracle of the new birth that we
can “save ourselves from this untoward generation.”
The Greek word for untoward is “skolios” meaning crooked or curved in
contrast to that which is straight. John describes for us this
“untoward generation” in the admonition of I John 2:15, 16, “Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” James says in James
4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of
the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of
the world is the enemy of God.” Thus, we conclude that the course of
this world is to satiate self with the fleshly lusts. That is to live a
lifestyle seeking to satisfy the fleshly desires.
There are two ways that are set forth for us that we can choose to
travel in this life. There is the broad way that most people travel and
there is the narrow way of discipleship that a few travel. Matt. 7:13,
14 describes these ways for us thusly: “Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate and
narrow is the way, which leadeth to life, and few there be which find
it.” For a child of God to travel the road of life living a lifestyle
to satisfy the fleshly lust is to travel the road that leads to
destruction. Destruction can come in many forms a few of which are:
1. Broken marriages, broken relationships, broken fellowship, and
broken promises.
2. A lifetime of despair, despondency, and depression.
3. A lifetime of dependency brought on by addiction to drugs and
alcohol and other addictive substances and practices.
4. Loneliness.
5. Bondage to the false ideas and false teachings of false prophets.
6. Lives, ours and others, destroyed by lustful action.
7. Wasted opportunities to worship and serve God with the talents God
has given us.
8. Guilt‑ridden lives often coupled with mental illness.
Those who travel the broad way of destruction usually do so because of
the promises of fleshly gratification (lust of flesh, lust of eyes,
pride of life) only to find out later in life how “empty” those promises
really were.
The other way set forth for us to travel is the “narrow” way of
discipleship or “way of peace also known as the “highway of holiness.”
We are admonished in Rom. 12:1, 2, “I beseech you therefore brethren, by
the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.” The travelers along the “highway of holiness” find that
they experience a life of inner peace, rest, comfort, fellowship with
God, true spiritual joy, friendship with God and God’s obedient people,
help in time of trouble, growth in the knowledge of God’s word, strength
during the time of adversity, consolation in time of loss, etc. Thus
this way leads unto the deep, full spiritual life in God’s kingdom.
We save ourselves by initially and continually committing ourselves to
the worship and service of God in his kingdom church and to being
disciples of Jesus Christ by studying his word and by being doers of his
word and by mortifying the deeds of the flesh through purging out the
old fleshly ways and replacing them with the way of holiness and
godliness.
Thus, we should all strive to enter in at the strait gate and walk the
narrow way which leads to this rich spiritual kingdom life.
In our next essay we will consider how we are saved with many timely,
providential deliverance.