Am amazed in the truth, that one day we appear on the right path and some two days later, we ask this: "now which side am I on?" In seeing a news program early this morning, was made aware that churches in Portland, Oregon are ordering Trump to take hands off Venezuela. Now the country was not attacked: only the cartels were affected by this. Again what side are we on and do we really expect to see heaven when passing from this earth? The only war is the one of the cartels creating product to kill another! What about all those lives lost to drug use? Are people touched in their hearts when they hear another teen has lost their life due to "bad drugs." Heard a journalist rant on about why the officials did not take all of Maduro's men. In response it was Rubio who spoke they came in hot over the area known where Maduro resided as a military base in Venezuela. No life was lost and they took into custody two who were breaking the laws to make money. They can be known as the Cartel!
So what about Holiness today? Is it just a by-ward? Must be for many think they are holy and use curse words to express themselves. Holiness is thought of less often than most curse words used today!
The Characteristics of Apostasy and Apostates: Jude was the half-brother of Jesus and a leader
in the early church. In his New Testament letter,
1.
he outlines how to recognize apostasy and
strongly urges those in the body of Christ to contend earnestly for the faith
(vs. 3).
2.
The
Greek word translated “contend earnestly” is a compound verb from which we get
the word “agonize.” It is in the present infinitive form, which means that the
struggle will be continuous.
3.
In other words, Jude is telling us that there will be a constant fight against false
teaching and that Christians should take it so seriously that we “agonize” over
the fight in which we are engaged. Moreover, Jude makes it clear that every
Christian is called to this fight, not just church leaders, so it is critical
that all believers sharpen their discernment skills so that they can recognize
and prevent apostasy in their midst
After urging his readers to
contend earnestly for the faith, Jude highlights the reason: ( He gives a firm account) “For certain
persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for
this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into
licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (vs. 4). In
this one verse, Jude provides Christians with three traits of apostasy and
apostate teachers.
First, Jude says that apostasy can be subtle.
Jude uses the word “crept” (found in no other book of the Bible) to describe
the apostate’s entry into the church. In extra-biblical Greek, the term
describes the cunning craftiness of a lawyer who, through clever argumentation,
infiltrates the minds of courtroom officials and corrupts their thinking. The
word literally means “slip in sideways; come in stealthily; sneak in; hard to
detect.” In other words, Jude says it is rare that apostasy begins in an overt
and easily detectable manner. Instead, it looks a lot like Arius’ preaching in
which, in a nonchalant manner, only a single letter differentiates his doctrine
from the real teaching of the Christian faith.
We have seen evil turn for good and good has turned toward the evil. Describing this aspect of apostasy and its
underlying danger, A. W. Tozer wrote, "So skilled is error at imitating
truth, that the two are constantly being mistaken for each another. It takes a
sharp eye these days to know which brother is Cain and which is Abel." The
apostle Paul also speaks to the outwardly pleasing behavior of apostates and
their teaching when he says, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan
disguises himself as an angel of light” ( 2 Corinthians 11:13-14). In other words, do not look for apostates to
appear bad on the outside or speak dramatic words of heresy at the outset of
their teaching. Rather than denying truth outright, apostates will twist it to
fit their own agenda, but as pastor R. C. Lensky has noted, “The worst forms of
wickedness consist in perversions of the truth.”
Second, Jude describes the apostates as
“ungodly” and as those who use God’s grace as a license to commit unrighteous
acts. Jude describes 18 total unflattering traits of apostates. They are listed in verse 4 as ungodly, morally perverted and denying the Lord Jesus Christ. They are listed in verse 8 as one who defiles the flesh, the rebellious and people who revile angels and who are ignorant about God. in verse 10 they proclaim false visions and are self-destructive. They are listed as grumbles, fault finders, self-satisfying, and people who use arrogant words and false flattery in verse 16. They apostates are mockers of God in verse 18. They who cause divisions and are worldly minded in verse 19 including devoid of the Spirit of God ( that is, they are not saved).
Third, Jude says apostates “deny our only Master
and Lord, Jesus Christ.” How do apostates do this? Paul tells us in his letter
to Titus, "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled
and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are
defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being
detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed" (Titus 1:15-16), emphasis added).
It is through their unrighteous behavior, the apostates show their true selves. Unlike an apostate, a true believer is someone who has been delivered from sin to righteousness in Christ.
3. With Paul, they ask the apostates who promote
licentious behavior, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that
grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in
it?” ( Romans 6:1-2)
But the apostates’ false teaching also shows
their true nature. Peter says, “But false prophets also arose among the people,
just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly
introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves” ( 2 Peter 2:1). Another aspect of true believers is that they have been
delivered out of spiritual darkness into light ( Ephesians 5:8) and therefore will not deny core truths of Scripture like
Arius did with the divinity of Jesus.
Ultimately, the sign of an
apostate is that he eventually falls away and departs from the truth of God’s
Word and His righteousness. The apostle John signifies this is a mark of a
false believer: “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if
they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so
that it would be shown that they all are not of us” ( 1 John 2:19).
Most certainly ideas Have
Consequences: That God takes apostasy and false teaching
seriously is evidenced by the fact that every New Testament book except
Philemon contains warnings about false teaching. Why is this?
1. Simply because ideas have consequences.
2. Right
thinking and its fruit produces goodness, whereas wrong thinking and its
accompanying action results in undesired penalties. As an example, the
Cambodian killing fields in the 1970s were the product of the nihilistic
worldview of Jean Paul Sartre and his teaching. The Khmer Rouge’s leader Pol
Pot lived out Sartre’s philosophy toward the people in a clear and frightening
way, which was articulated in this manner: “To keep you is no benefit. To
destroy you is no loss.”
3. It should be remembered that Satan did not come
to the first couple in the Garden with an external armament or supernatural
weapon; instead, he came to them with an idea. And it was that idea that
condemned them and the rest of humankind, with the only remedy being the
sacrificial death of God’s Son.
The great tragedy is, whether knowingly or unknowingly, the apostate teacher dooms his unsuspecting followers. One of the most frightening verses in all of Scripture comes from the lips of Jesus. Speaking to His disciples about the religious leaders of His day, He said, “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14), emphasis added). This verse is alarming because Jesus affirms that it is not only the false teachers that go to destruction, but their disciples also follow them. Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard put it this way: “For it has never yet been known to fail that one fool, when he goes astray, takes several others with him.”
Jim Jones in Jonestown, Guyana lead 900 people (men, women and children) to die in a mass (murder-suicide ) on November 18, 1978. He promoted socialist ideals and initially attracted a diverse following. His leadership was both increasingly authoritarian and abusive.
Some might relate to this: but was in A.D. 325, the Council of Nicea convened primarily to take up the issue of Arius and his teaching. Much to Arius’s dismay, the end result was his excommunication and a statement in the Nicene Creed that affirmed Christ’s divinity: “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
I remember being present in many a Episcopalian service where we gave the Nicene Creed. In history, Arius may have died centuries ago, but his spiritual children are still with us to this day in the form of cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who deny Christ’s true essence and person. Sadly, until Christ returns and every last spiritual enemy has been removed, tares such as these will be present among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30)
In truth we are told by Scripture apostasy will only get worse as Christ’s return approaches. “At that time [the
latter days] many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one
another” (Matthew 24:10) We find that Paul echoes Jesus in his
inspired writings as well. The apostle told the Thessalonians that a great
falling away would precede Christ’s second coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and that the end times
would be characterized by tribulation and hollow religious charlatans: “But
realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be
. . . holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power;
avoid such men as these” (2 Timothy 3:1-2,5).
It is critical, now more than ever, that every
believer pray for discernment, combat apostasy, and contend earnestly for the
faith that has once and for all been delivered to the saints.
Worshiping in truth is
knowing and following God's way of life. Worshiping in spirit can mean two
basic things: 1) through and by means of the Spirit of God, and also 2) with
sincerity, enthusiasm and zeal. Jesus intends us to understand His words in
John 4 in the same respect. Those who worship God must do it in truth through
His Spirit with sincerity and zeal. They follow a way of life and practice a
religion that pleases God. And their lives reflect the great transforming power
of God.
Know today, that the world is set on taking your stuff. They want "free stuff" and ready to swindle you at every turn. They want their agenda to come to fruition. They want their religion to rule over you and remove your head from your person. To them, they are justified and class your stuff as classified waste. But we are justified in God. WE know the Lord as Savior and truth with bright light. We know our prayers touch the heart of God. Normal no longer exists. But God is our high tower. "He is our refuge and strength in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1)
Let's enter into His gates with thanksgiving and much praise. We are not classified waste. We come to give honor to Him Who deserves much praise and worship. We are to know His heart, with our feet set on the battlefield, our voice is our weapon against the enemy. That voice carries His heart around this world.With fervent fire we give place to godliness for His power is seen and never avoided!
Teaching at: Voice of Prayer
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