The Actions of Apostates

The Actions of Apostates (Jude 8-13)

Jude wrote this letter to urgently warn believers about the serious threat of false teachers and their destructive influence within the churches, and to urgently challenge all true followers of Christ without reservation to rise up and “contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”.

Jude 8, “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

We have many means of identifying others. We have social security numbers, drivers license, picture ID's, birth certificates, fingerprints, passwords, etc. Jude tells us that it is not so easy to identify apostates. He tells us, “There are certain men crept in unawares” which reminds us that they secretly come in unnoticed. Apostates are not easy to spot, they are not easy to recognize, and they are not easy to pick out. Apostates are not Christians. They are the great pretenders. Imposters infiltrate churches and damage the flock of God. Today, there are many talented impersonators. People impersonate actors, presidents, singers, and mark it down, apostates will impersonate Christians. Apostates must be acknowledged and their doctrine must be avoided. Christians are exhorted to fight because Christians have been entrusted with the faith. Jude declared the defiance, declaration, and the denunciation of apostates. Apostates reject authority, reveal their ignorance, and they receive God's judgment. I want to inform the church of the characteristics of apostates so that the church can withstand apostates and reject apostates. We should be knowledgeable to recognize apostasy. Contend against those who defy the faith and defile the church. These verses gives us some ways we can identify apostates. Jude points out some characteristics of apostates.

Apostates are void of spiritual wisdom, insight, discernment, and understanding. You cannot talk any sense into an apostate. They will not hear the truth and they will not heed the truth. When they reject the truth, all that's left for them is a lie. When they reject heaven, all that's left is hell. When they reject Jesus, all that's left is judgment!

False teachers follow the way of rebellion and rejection of authority. They rebel against and reject the authority of God and of the ministers God has appointed and placed in His church. And most of all they rebel and reject the supreme authority of Christ, the Lord Himself. They reject His deity, that He has purchased the church through His sacrificial death. They rebel against the very authority of God Himself. They choose to go their own way and do their own thing. They use the church and believers for their own ends.

Many churches are filled with legalists and Pharisees. Their doctrine is not based on Biblical truth, but rather the traditions and dictates of man. These are hard to reason with. This is why it is so important to base our service to the Lord upon the precepts of His Word. Many today embrace a works or water based salvation because of this deviation from God's truth. They are opposed to truth and the Lord and they will not even listen to reason. They are so consumed in their way that they refuse to even consider truth. We cannot compromise our stand for the sake of harmony with those who refuse truth. I encourage you to serve the Lord according to His Word.

The heart of the matter is the human heart. People like to clothe this unbelief in “respectable” worldly philosophy, but the truth is they do not want God’s truth and have no intention of submitting to it. We must earnestly pray for the lost as we truly do not wrestle against flesh and blood. We must keep our guard up against liberal, ungodly doctrines that deny the Son of God, disgrace the Word of God, defile the grace of God, and destroy people's faith in God.

“We can prove our faith by our committal to it, and in no other way. Any belief that does not command the one who holds it is not a real belief; it is a pseudo-belief only. And it might shock some of us profoundly if we were brought suddenly face to face with our beliefs and forced to test them in the fires of practical living.” A.W. Tozer

Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank You for Your pure Word. Give me strength and courage to never compromise Your truth. My desire is to preach and teach to honor You and please You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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