Jude 1:3 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 you should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.
Jude was the brother of James and the half-brother of Jesus. His Book in the Bible is short. It is a single Chapter consisting of twenty-five verses. However, within these few lines, Jude imparts a powerful message that ties the past to the present and the future.
It seems that Jude wanted to write about the Good News of the Gospel, but the Holy Spirit inspired him to write about the threat of false teachers and apostates that he refers to as “filthy dreamers.” Considering the world situation today, the Book of Jude is extremely pertinent.
In the Fourth Verse, Jude writes, For there are certain men who have 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.
Lasciviousness is a big word for lewdness and means indecent or obscene sexual behavior. Jude said these people are turning the Grace of our God into lasciviousness. In other words, they are using the Church as a cover-up for their immoral behavior.
Please keep in mind that Jude wrote this in the year 66 AD. There have always been such people, and we see this happening in the Church today as child abusers and sexually immoral people infiltrate the church. Anyone who does not believe the Bible to be relevant to the world today is foolish. The Word of God is “Living” and powerful. For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
We become highly offended when we hear of an incident of this nature happening in a fellowship of believers, but the Bible tells us to be on guard and ever watchful for such people. The enemy's sole mission is to destroy the Kingdom of God, which is the Church. His demonic spirits of sexual immorality can cause a believer to stumble and be led into such evil behavior.
This is why it is so very important to guard the gates to our souls. What are we allowing our eyes to see and our ears to hear? What are we allowing to go on in our homes? Who and what are we allowing to influence our children? These demons are extremely powerful and can infiltrate an entire body of believers very quickly.
Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Yes, he does, but Jesus gave His Life on the Cross for all sin and He told us in Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Let us be discerning of the spirits ministering in our midst and keep our faith planted firmly in the Cross of Christ, where we find the power to be overcomers and faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has the Power to……..turn the tide
On guard, Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
