07/29/2018
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There is a danger that has come into the sheepfold; apostates have
come in and they probably have always been here. However, with the
prevalence of social media, their influence has spread and it is more
important than ever before to recognize the marks of an apostate, a
person who at one time knew and maybe even taught the truths of the
Bible but walked away or a person who consistently teaches false
doctrines to the Church. Jude, the Lord’s youngest human brother, points
out several signs of an apostate and I want to draw your attention to
them.
The Word of God warns that people will turn away from the God of their salvation in latter times seeking out ministers who will tickle their ears on Sunday to make them feel good about their sins. These people are the Apostate "Church", the members of any denomination that willfully turn their backs on the TRUTH of Scripture opting for meaningless sermons that appeal to their flesh and not their spirit. More often than not these Apostate {Pseudo-Christians} will have a whole team of ministers they listen too that teach the same things that are contrary to the Word of God because they want more followers. Those Apostate ministers will stand before God and have to account for every lost soul they deceived by NOT preaching the hardcore TRUTH of God's Word.
"I solemnly
charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge
the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even
when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity
seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient,
whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or
behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting
to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will
accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to
satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]." 2 Timothy 4:1-4
Book of Jude (AMP),
Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, [writes this letter],To
those who are the called (God’s chosen ones, the elect), dearly loved
by God the Father, and kept [secure and set apart] for Jesus Christ: May
mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you [filling your heart with
the spiritual well-being and serenity experienced by those who walk
closely with God]. Beloved,
while I was making every effort to write you about our common
salvation, I was compelled to write to you [urgently] appealing that you fight strenuously for [the defense of] the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith that is the sum of Christian belief that was given verbally to believers]. For
certain people have crept in unnoticed [just as if they were sneaking
in by a side door]. They are ungodly persons whose condemnation was
predicted long ago, for they distort the grace of our God into decadence
and immoral freedom [viewing it as an opportunity to do whatever they want], and deny and disown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1-4
As you can see Jude gets right to the point of showing us the characteristics of the Apostates…
1.) Apostates are ungodly (v. 4)
When the New Testament writers say that a person is ungodly, it does
not simply mean that the person does not know God, it also means that he
does not have a character that is consistent with the revealed Person
and Nature of God {ungodly = unholy, godless, irreligious, impious, blasphemous, sacrilegious, profane}.
2.) They are morally perverted (v. 4)
Promiscuity is translated as “license to commit
immorality.” Promiscuity goes by many different names which give a clearer picture of exactly what the word means {licentiousness, wantonness, immorality; informalsleeping around, sluttishness, whorishness; datedlooseness}.
Among other things, these apostates teach that there is no
need to struggle to overcome sin. The Greek word rendered as contend, or
contend earnestly is agonizomai from which we derive
the word agonize. Because our sinful nature will not easily be
transformed into Christlikeness, it can seem agonizing, at times to give
up that sin in order to be more like Christ.
Many, many apostates teach instead that God will give you all the
things you want: health, wealth, possessions, influence, etc and all you
have to do is “sow the best offering that you can” without any call to
true repentance or humility. Examples of such teachers include but are
not limited to Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Jesse
Duplantis, Rod Parsley, Joyce Meyer, TD Jakes, Mark Chironna, Paula White, Al Sharpton, Creflo Dollar, Rick Warren, Joseph Prince, Pat Robertson, Benny Hinn and scads
of others. One has even gone so far as to say that anyone who tells you
to deny yourself is from Satan. These ignore the command of Jesus to
deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).
In truth, you do not even have to teach grace as a license to sin
however you please to turn grace into license, all you have to do is
refuse to teach the truth of God’s grace, that it saves you from sin and
its power not simply that it saves you from hell. And just in case you
were going to object and say that such things are not perverted, the
definition of perverse is something that is contrary to the generally
accepted standard or practice. Since the Bible is our standard, anything
contradicting the Bible or anything taught in the pulpit that does not
match Scripture is, by definition, perverted.
3.) Apostates Deny Christ (v. 4)
Ultimately, this leads to a denial of Christ; the Jesus taught and
embraced by the apostates simply is not the Jesus of the Bible.
Apostates: Past and Present
Now I want to remind you, although you are fully informed once for all, that the
Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently
destroyed those who did not believe [who refused to trust and obey and
rely on Him]. And
angels who did not keep their own designated place of power, but
abandoned their proper dwelling place, [these] He has kept in eternal
chains under [the thick gloom of utter] darkness for the judgment of the
great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in gross immoral freedom and
unnatural vice and sensual perversity. They are exhibited [in plain
sight] as an example in undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire.Nevertheless
in the same way, these dreamers [who are dreaming that God will not
punish them] also defile the body, and reject [legitimate] authority,
and revile and mock angelic majesties. Jude 5-8
4.) They defile the flesh (v.6-8)
As we are seeing today, apostates defile the flesh in ungodly and
unbiblical ways. Some of these sins include: drunkenness, gluttony (I have never heard one sermon on gluttony in my 50 years),
fornication, domestic violence (yes the Bible actually addresses this
topic which I have never in my life heard addressed in the pulpit).
Defiling the flesh refers primarily to sexual sin (1 Corinthians 6:18)
which is a sin against one’s own body, but this is not exclusive.
Remember that Jude’s oldest half-brother, the Lord Jesus Himself, even
went so far as to equate contemplating the sin with the actual sin
itself (Matthew 5:27-28).
When is the last time you heard a sermon about sexual lust (lust of the
flesh), greed (lust of the eyes), or counteracting the boastful pride
of life by being poor in spirit?
5.) Apostates are Rebellious (v. 8)
By not teaching what the Bible actually says, these apostates live in
and encourage rebellion in others. A pastor once said that 1% out of
submission is equal to being 100% in rebellion against God. To deny a
doctrine, the reality of hell for example (Rob Bell) and to teach that
denial to others is absolute rebellion against God. To refuse to yield
to the Authority of Scripture is to refuse to yield to the Author. They
go hand in hand; authority entails submission.
6.) Apostates Revile holy angels (v. 8)
This is a mark against Pentecostals if I ever saw one. Growing up
Pentecostal, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen pastors “bind” Satan or command him to do this or that; both of which are patently
absurd. If Michael, the highest angel (archangel means chief angel)
dares not to speak against the devil, what in the world possesses a
“Christian” to do so? There is no biblical justification to think you
can command an angel to do anything. Even fallen angels serve at the
pleasure of God Almighty and Him alone. They advance His agenda and they
fulfill His sovereign decrees and so, not matter how much your favorite
teacher might tell you otherwise, you cannot command them to do
anything and it is ridiculous to think the opposite.
7.) Essentially, Apostates are ignorant (v. 8)
The behavior we have discussed so far demonstrates and absolute
willful ignorance of both the Things of God and of His Person. To know
Him as He is demands that one is to submit to Him. Look to Revelation chapter one and see the reaction of John when he saw just a picture of
the Resurrected Christ and you will see what kind of response a true
knowledge of God the Son results in.
Yet Michael the
archangel, when he was disputing with the Devil in a debate about Moses’
body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said,
“The Lord rebuke you!” But these people blaspheme
anything they don’t understand. What they know by instinct like
unreasoning animals—they destroy themselves with these things. (vs. 9-10)
8.) Apostates are continually having vain ideas (vs. 8-10)
Continuing with the idea of ignorance, apostates have vain/foolish
ideas. Word of Faith teachers, for example, tell you that you can name
and claim your promise from Scripture and activate a response from God
based on your faith. This is hubris {excessive pride or self-confidence} and is no different than the idea of
“binding Satan.” I have heard them justify this nonsense by saying all
the promises of God are yea and amen. That is only half the truth and is
therefore not the truth. All of God’s promises are yea
and amen but only in so far as to the person(s) they apply to. I will
bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you is a very true
promise but it only applies to the Nation of Israel for that is whom God
made the promise to.
It is utter vanity and foolishness to presume anything upon Him Who
sits upon the Throne. Do not allow yourself to mistake God’s patience
for tolerance. Every person living will have their appointed time before
the Throne; the Righteous will see the Bema (the Judgment Seat for
rewards) and the wicked and apostates will see the Great White Throne as
Heaven’s court dispenses eternal justice.
9.) Apostasy leads to self-destruction (v. 10)
What is the natural end result of apostasy? Self-destruction. God
does not have to directly do anything to these, all He has to do is say
to them, “thy will be done” and step aside. How many ministries have
been damaged and even destroyed by ministers who thought they could get
away with this or that? I would list names but that is impractical.
I can say from personal experience, getting your own way can be
deadly, to your soul as well as your body. After all, there is a way
which seemeth right unto a man and the end thereof is destruction. (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25)
Woe to them! For
they have traveled in the way of Cain, have abandoned themselves to the
error of Balaam for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
The Apostates’ Doom
These are the
ones who are like dangerous reefs at your love feasts. They feast
with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless
clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice
dead, pulled out by the roots; wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever! And Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them: Look! The Lord comes with thousands of His holy ones to
execute judgment on all and to convict them of all their ungodly
acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things
ungodly sinners have said against Him. These people
are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires; their
mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.(vs. 11-16)
Apostates are…
10.) Grumblers (v. 16)
11.) Fault finders (v. 16)
12.) Self-seeking (v. 16)
13.) Arrogant speakers (v. 16)
14.) Flatterers (v. 16)
All of these together are person centric and
reflect the oldest sin in the Bible, PRIDE. Pride is that sin which
caused Lucifer to lose his place in heaven and it will do the same to you. Pride looks at another, finds his/her deficiency and then exalts
self because you don’t have that particular deficiency. It causes one to
puff up and think of oneself more than he/she really is. Pride, the
oldest known sin, is the truest and surest mark of the apostate. No
matter what other signs you see, the Christian that demonstrates pride
is on treacherous ground and in real danger of going where one does not
want to be, APOSTASY.
But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They used to say to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers, following after their own ungodly passions.” (vs. 17-18)
15.) In a sense, apostates are mockers (v. 18)
2 Peter 3:4,
They will say where is the promise of His coming. I would add to that,
they will say things like no serious Christian believes in Hell or they will dismiss the
creation account as a myth/a metaphor.
Every single apostate has some passage or doctrine that
he does not like and by dismissing it, they make a mockery of God…for
now.
These are the ones who
are [agitators] causing divisions—worldly-minded [secular, unspiritual,
carnal, merely sensual—unsaved], devoid of the Spirit. (v. 19)
16.) Cause division (v. 19)
17.) Worldly-minded (v. 19)
18.) Without the Spirit (v. 19)
Apostates cause division in the church because they are worldly
minded and they are worldly minded because they do not have the Holy
Spirit and they do not have the Holy Spirit because they are worldly
minded.
It’s a vicious cycle once you walk away from the truth of Scripture and only the Holy Spirit can bring you back.
Exhortation and Benediction
But you, beloved,
build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith
[continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in
the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling or falling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joy and unspeakable delight, to
the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory,
majesty, dominion, and power, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (vs. 20-25)
You may be reading this and realizing that you have seen some of
these signs in your own life. That is both good and bad news. It is bad
in that a propensity toward apostasy may exist but it is good in that
the Holy Spirit is doing His work of convicting sin. What should you do
if you see signs of apostasy in your life or if you are following a
False Teacher? Repent right away. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you,
agree with Him immediately and confess that sin. He will restore you to
communion with Him and you can continue to grow in grace.
Until next time, ahava v’shalom (love and peace),
Rainbow Pastor David
[Guest Post by Matt Sherro of Exploring the Truth]
