“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” (Jude 1:3,4,10,19 NIV)
We spend so much time trying to encourage one another to stay strong and to stay focused on what Jesus and Paul say, that we tend to forget what Jude said in defense of Godliness. In fact, we must remember there are more writers in The Bible than those who wrote the history, the psalms, the wisdom, and the instructions for church doctrines. They are all good, but we must also remember that when God speaks--He speaks to more than one person–saying the same thing, in a different way (in the mouths of two or three witnesses shall every Word be confirmed), and Jude is often overlooked, except by some–who repeat the last two verses as a benediction–signalling the end of a service.
Jude reminds the Believers of what has come before with immorality and ungodliness as he points out–in his time–history was repeating itself. And here we are–in 2015–watching history repeat itself, again. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeating it” (Santayana). Jude summarizes the events from Sodom and Gomorrah to his present time, in warning them to know the enemy’s influence.
Have we learned nothing from reviewing past events? Or are we so immune to learning history that we deliberately establish our fate–a fate of gloom and doom for the masses?
There are those who scoff at Believers’ convictions about eternity and the lake of fire. That is their right to do so, but it doesn’t change what God has already determined. People–in their logical minds–can attempt to change anything they want to change, but it is only those things that God has established and ordained from the beginning that will matter in the end. As Jude said, those whose only appeal is to their own logic are not guided by Holy Spirit and therefore whatever they think, matters not.
But we who Believe and know that Holy Spirit will never guide us into changing what God has said or encouraging us to promote ungodliness, should act on what we know is Truth and not get caught up in the trends of this world. We have the mind of Christ and it’s time the world knew that. We who know Truth should never be conformed to the dictates of the flesh which guide ungodliness.
We are told that “judgment will begin at the household of faith” for the Believers. If the Believers will not be able to stand before God and be judged–according to righteous judgment–what hope then can unbelievers have?
The time is far spent–it’s much later than we think. Whenever Jesus returns–we are closer to that return than ever before, and it’s time for Believers to stand on God’s Word, no matter what the enemy does to influence people to live in opposition to God. For the Word has said that rebellion is as witchcraft–they who rebel against God have been unduly influenced under an evil spell–and it is up to us who believe to counter the attack–with all godliness–living according to God’s Word and sharing the purpose of salvation to all who will believe, allowing Holy Spirit to guide our every word and deed.
maryhallrayford 