Snatch Them Out of the Fire

Jude 1:17-23 ESV

“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”

Prior to this, Jude had just finished his discourse on the ungodly who have crept into the gatherings of the church unnoticed who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality, denying our Lord Jesus Christ. But it isn’t that the people themselves were unnoticed, but it was not noticed that they were wolves in sheep’s clothing, in reality. For they were false shepherds of the people but the people did not recognize them as such, and so they believed their lies. And so many people were taken in by them and were led astray to follow a false gospel of grace which is of the flesh of man and not of God.

And so it is today here in America in seemingly the majority of what is called “church” here. For so many have gone the way of the world, and they are following after these false shepherds and their false gospel who and which pervert the grace of God into a license for immorality. For they do not teach dying with Christ to sin daily and living to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord and in walks of holiness and godly living, free from the control of sin. But so many of them are teaching that a mere profession of faith is enough to secure them heaven for when they die.

So, we are being reminded here of this, and of the predictions of the New Testament apostles who warned us that in these last days before the return of Christ that there will be many scoffers who are following their own ungodly passions. But many of these scoffers now serve in positions of pastors and elders in many gatherings of the church, or of what is falsely being called “church.” And many people professing faith in Jesus Christ are following them blindly, for they can be very charming and persuasive.

So, this is a reminder to us of what the NT apostles warned us against so that we are not blindsighted by this and so we will be discerning people who test the spirits to see if they are of God. For far too many people calling themselves Christians are being led astray by these charlatans who are following after their own ungodly passions. And they are being led by these worldly people to be worldly people themselves, and to be devoid of the Spirit. For Christianity has now become so worldly, and the church has been turned into a marketplace to be marketed to the world.

So, we are to guard our hearts and minds against being deceived by these ungodly people who are perverting the grace of God into a free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin. But we, as God’s people, are to be building ourselves up in our most holy faith. And we do this via daily surrender of our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, daily putting on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us, and daily following our Lord in obedience to his New Covenant commands.

And so, praying in the Holy Spirit, we keep ourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

And then we are to be the people of God who are doing what the Scriptures teach us we ought to do in proclaiming the excellencies of our Lord who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light, and who are spreading the good news of the truth of the gospel (the whole counsel of God). And we are to be the people of God who are encouraging and exhorting and instructing and provoking one another to walks of holiness and righteousness and away from walks of sin and disobedience to our Lord.

And we are to have mercy on those who doubt, but we are not to placate sin. For we are to save others by snatching them out of the fire and by bringing them into the light and to the truth of the gospel so that they can receive forgiveness of sins and have changed lives and now follow the Lord in obedience in holy living. And when we show mercy, it is to be with the fear of God so that we do not give others the impression that their sins don’t matter to God, for they do. And we are to be those who hate sin and who hate what sin does to human lives, and who rescue people from their slavery to sin and who show them the way of holiness and righteousness.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Seek the Lord  

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him. 

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you, 

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/379408296