Saturday – February 3, 2024, Sh’vat 24, 5784
Greetings precious saints of God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel and welcome back to this enlightening and thought-provoking study of the Book of Jude. Please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you so much for sharing. You are a blessing to this Ministry and Donna and me as well. A blessing to us to see that these teaching are valued enough to share.
This Bible book speaks to faith and disbelief, even the controversial topic of backsliding (going from unsaved to saved then by choice back to unsaved). Unfortunately, this idea of changing kingdoms is intertwined often with the idea of predestination. At this juncture it might be useful to define the term or title backslider for it may mean very different things to various people. My use of the term “backsliding” above is referring to a person who was saved and is now not saved having renounced Jesus and their salvation. Other may think of a backslider as someone who remains saved continuing to declare Jesus as their Savior, but is well off the abundant path with Christ. Obviously, He is not Lord. What about you and me? An example of this might be someone who goes back to smoking, attending Church irregularly, and have significantly reduced their giving (tithes and freewill). Now, having said all of this, let me be clear that none of us know the heart of other people, and none of us are qualified to declare the consequences of anyone’s actions.
When one has faith in something or someone they trust, rely upon and have an assurance of the thing or person. On the other hand, disbelief has to do with doubt, distrust, skepticism, and suspicion. Faith is the indispensable factor in pleasing God. Unbelief or disbelief is an anathema (abhorrence, abomination, loathing, curse) to God. He (God) doesn’t like it anymore when people don’t believe Him, then you and I like it when people don’t believe us.
Now, let’s turn to our primary Bible text continuing to read out loud, yes, out loud, you know why.
Jude 1:3-5 (KJV)
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Today let’s pick up with the final phrase of verse four. Let’s look at this verse in the Message Bible.
Jude 1:4 (MSG)
4 What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.
Are these the goats, and the tares that Scripture warns us of? Today we have some preaching what some including me would call greasy grace. In a sentence they might say, “sin was taken care of at Calvary so no worry”. Well, yes and no. These are those who have the appearance of holiness but are not. These lead others into unrightessness (not righteous, wicked), unholiness. These are those with another gospel, another Jesus.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NIV)
3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
What about you and me, are we pursuing and clinging to the Truth? Or have we been slowly led into deceptions that leave us and our Church powerless?
Lord willing, I will pick up right here next week. Remember God is good and He is never the author of stealing, killing, or destroying in our lives.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. (Bold added)
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Bold added)
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
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