Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Words of Wisdom #28

Jude was addressing his fellow believers with a very urgent matter: The doctrine of grace was being perverted into the allowance of immorality in their midst. Yesterday we saw three examples from the Old Testament of how those who had done so before had received harsh punishment, and therefore so would these. He continues:
 8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 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.
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage
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Jude says "It's not just their gross immorality. It is their blatant irreverence toward God and their blasting His people and His godly leaders like Cain did against God and Korah did against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 16."  They treated everyone like they had the right to do wrong and no one was allowed to confront them, while they could make false accusations, finding fault against anyone they wanted. Jude says: "They don't belong with you.  It is not yours to judge; step back and let God take care of that. But don't let them give the world the impression they are part of my God's people; step back away from them, lest they infect your thinking, your way of speaking, or your lifestyle."

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