IN THE QUEST FOR PEACE IN AN ALREADY GOD REJECTED WORLD [2PT.3;1-18]
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UNRAVELING THE APOSTATES IN OUR MIDST(PT.2) [JUDE/2PT]
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By His Grace and Mercy, I told us that on our return, we shall be unraveling the characteristics of apostates in our midst. If we are God conscious enough,it will deliver us from their trap.
PLEASE, ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND MY STANCE, I AM NOT BETTER THAN ANYONE.YOU MIGHT BE BETTER THAN ME, FOR ALL I KNOW,AND SO,WE ARE TALKING TO OURSELVES. WE ARE ALL DEPENDANTS ON GOD'S GRACE
Now,there are quite a number of subtly and oftentimes really dangerous characteristics of end-time apostates in Jude and Second Peter. We don't need to go far to look for their parallels in our churches today. And indeed,very sadly enough,those we ought to be looking up to for guidance, are actually the ones promoting it....our church leaders. In fact, they are so common I don’t even need to find examples to prove my point. The reader, no doubt, will know of many of them without introduction.
Okay,here we go;
👉 UNSAVED.
The most profound characteristic is that these apostates are not even born again. Jude says they deny “the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). I think what I find difficult to believe is that they crept in unawares;
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. (Jud 1: 4).
If they crept in unawares,how long will it take a Holy Spirit controlled church to fish them out from their various departments.
Peter says they are “false” prophets (1), reserved for the day of judgment (9), will “perish in their own corruption” (12), and for whom “the mist of darkness is reserved forever” (17).
A hypocrite in the Bible (contrary to popular belief) is usually a lost person. He is not a true believer living poorly but is a poor unbeliever pretending to live truly, and can’t.
Let's again at how Jude and Peter put it.
Jude says they “crept in unawares” (4) and feast among the believers “without fear” of reprisal (12). Peter says they are “among the people” (1) and “feast with you” (13). Imagine! Like Judas, they have given some testimony of salvation and received baptism. Paul told the Galatians they were “false brethren unawares brought in” (Gal. 2:4). All of these descriptions come from words that mean to come in stealthily, falsely. But my disposition remains static...
AND THAT IS, WHERE WERE THE SHEPHERDS? NO WONDER GOD IS SO WROTH WITH US,THE SHEPHERDS, FOR,WE NOT ONLY GAVE THEM ROOM,WE WERE TAUGHT OF THEM TO TAKE GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS LIGHTLY...YES, THAT'S HOW THE DEVIL CAN GO TO DESTABILIZE GOD'S WORK,...but he will always lose,and that's the good thing. But never underestimate the fury of his impending doom. He will do anything to take man down with him. WE SHALL NOT GO DOWN WITH HIM, AMEN!
For example,we don’t have an “easy believeism” problem today. WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, IS A “NO BELIEVEISM PROBLEM!
We may have made our mistakes in the past by promoting too many quick salvation decisions but even that was better than requiring no specific decision or experience. Today a person is received in the church with a personal angel-sighting story! And they feast among us without fear of conviction.
👉 UNGODLY
Jude uses the word “ungodly” six times in this short one-chapter book, four of those times in verse 15. In verse four he simply says of these men that they are “ungodly men.” Peter compares them to the ungodly in Noah’s day and those in Sodom and Gomorrah (5-6). “Ungodly” means not to venerate, to reverence, to worship, to stand in awe, which means that such people do these things well and yet appear “pious.” I don't want to theologize, otherwise it means they do not do them at all,but yet appear godly... and that's the serpentine spirit at work . Let's hear from Paul;
13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2Co 11: 13-15)
Now ask yourself (myself) the question , is it possible to have people in our churches who do not truly worship God; who do not stand in awe of Him; and who do not show reverence to Him? The answer is a big yes.
Jude says that the apostles “told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts” (18). Jude’s readers evidently knew these kinds of apostates were there and had done nothing about it. Maybe like the Corinthians (and many today), they boasted in their broad-mindedness ;
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (1Co 5: 6)
👉 DISRESPECTFUL
“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities” (Jude 8). Peter adds that they are “presumptuous” and “self-willed” (1. Disrespect has fallen into disrepair today. In those days, however, it was a matter of utmost importance. A man could not hold church office if his children were disrespectful or disobedient (Tit. 1:6). Both Jude and Peter use Michael the archangel as the example of showing respect to authorities, even to Satan, the former Lucifer himself! (Jude 9, 2 Pet. 2:11).
But, says Peter, these disrespectful church members are acting like brute beasts (12) who have no conscience of right and wrong and are destroyed without a second thought. These apostates will truly act like “animals” even in the churches. WE ALL ARE LIARS IF WE SAY WE ARE NOT SEEING THESE CHARACTERISTICS IN OUR CHURCHES. ESPECIALLY CHURCHES WITH ALIGNMENTS!
👉 LUSTFUL
In both chapters under consideration, more space is given to this vice than any others. Believers who have the Restrainer living within them struggle enough with this sin, but unbelievers who have only the common graces of the world to restrain them, will fall to this sin overtly. These hypocritical apostates turn “the grace of our God into lasciviousness” (Jude 4), “defile the flesh” (8), “walk after their own ungodly lusts” (18), and are “sensual” (19). Peter says they have “pernicious ways” (2), have “eyes full of adultery” (14), and “allure through the lusts of the flesh” (18). And all of this within the local church! Peter’s statement about adultery may be translated “having eyes for an adulteress” or someone who is always looking for his next victim.
Our churches have to take extra precautions because of liabilities as it is. But I wonder if the performance mentality coupled with self-centered immodesty doesn’t also feed this sin of lust. Most modesty(as in moderate dressing) is seen as old-fashioned prudishness and even in-house directives for modest dress on the church platform is seen as some kind of legalism.
Then we wonder why so many of our own Christian kids have fewer moral standards than the world’s kids. This apostate characteristic will grow worse and worse as the age draws to a close. There will be more “lovers of pleasures” than “lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4).
👉 MAKE MERCHANDISE
I think this is one of the most dangerous areas where the devil has both pastors and members trapped and chained. Stealing in the church and transacting unholy business in the Name of God.
Apostates are in it for what they can get out of it. Jude says they have “men’s persons in admiration because of advantage” (16). This literally means they “admire faces for advantage.” Peter says, “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (3). The words “shall make merchandise” They made God’s house into an emporium, a house of business, or a market place. Christ Jesus used this same word when He aggressively drove such moneychangers from the temple because they had made God’s house of prayer into a house of “merchandise” (Jn. 2:16). Paul told Timothy that some perverse men think that “gain is godliness” (1 Tim. 6:5) or, literally, “that godliness is a means of gain.”
WHY HAS TITHING BECOME SUCH A HUGE ISSUE IN BOTH RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR CIRCLES... PERSONAL VOWS MADE TO GOD,ETC,? IT'S BECAUSE APOSTASY HAS TAKEN OVER THE CHURCH WHERE PASTORS SELECT SCRIPTURE THAT SUITS THEIR PURPOSE OF REAPING THE FLOCK, INSTEAD OF ASSISTING THEM IN THEIR SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AND GROWTH.
A member of one the leading pentecostal churches in Nigeria has been attacking me since morning, just because her overseer whom I know and loved so much for over twenty years has seemingly become another person because of success. Is the success not from what he got from the flock?
But how much has he sown back into the lives of the less privileged in the church?
I will have to stop here tonight, because each time this matter come out,I am accused of envy and jealousy. It will yet be okay if what they got from using God's Name,they have a compassionate heart like Christ Jesus and seek out the needy among them to offer them succour.
🙏🙇!
