A Call to Persevere
“But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit”
(Jude 1:17-20).
The Apostles Jude and Peter had a heart for the church to stay in good relationship with the Lord. They did not want them to be led astray by the enemy and those who had allowed him to deceive them. Instead, they reminded the church of what the other apostles had forewarned concerning the mindset of the ungodly. Jude warned that during the last days, people would scoff at the things of God in pursuit of what was unholy. This is taking place worldwide in the church today. Many self-professed Christians mock God’s watchmen as they give the messages He has given to the church. They accuse the watchmen of fear-mongering, judging, and being too religious when the Lord has told everyone in His Word what is expected of a holy and righteous people. The Apostle Paul had this to say: “ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Unfortunately, these prophetic warnings are unfolding in real time.
Many within the five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists) are less concerned with pleasing God and more interested in appeasing the government and congregants. They fail to preach the truth and teach sound doctrine for fear of reduced offerings, reprisal, unpopularity, and being ridiculed and slandered by others. They are more concerned about who will not invite them to the Who’s Who Club over their invitation to the Banquet of the Lamb. They have become entrapped with the delights of this earth than the rewards Jesus promised to bestow on His faithful in Heaven. They find it easier to preach motivational sermons than to deter lost souls from sin. In addition, their fear of losing their 501c3 tax-free status has caused many to bow to the golden image of the government with promises to reward its subjects if only they would keep and remain quiet. Thus, many leaders have become cowards with collars. Accordingly, the Apostle Peter wrote: “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:16).
One should be careful not to allow motivational and emotionally moving messages to cause them to think God is using these apostate leaders other than to show the true nature of their clever deceptive tactics. Many pastors operate under gifts once bestowed upon them because God’s gifts are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), only to lose the anointing that once came with them. At the same time, sadly, most of their congregants cannot discern the difference. One can still preach and teach without the anointing, but there is no Holy Spirit power regardless of pitch, articulation, enunciation, and seemingly powerful declarations. Jesus rebuked the church in Sardis for having the appearance of being alive, while they were spiritually dead, as many of these leaders. The Bible says: “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God” (Revelation 3:1-2). A person can appear alive but be the walking dead. Many leaders and others within the body of Christ are in this current state and will be lost unless they turn entirely back to Christ and live for Him boldly and uncompromised.
English Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon is credited with this quote: “He who is afraid to speak the truth has need to be ashamed of himself.”[1] Moreover, Jesus also had this to say about those who would deny Him: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). Failure to preach, teach, and speak the unadulterated Word of God ultimately denies Jesus, who is the Word. We see the world marching boldly in their gay pride parades, on the Supreme Court House steps, at Superbowl half-times, children’s schools and libraries, at Oscar and Emmy shows, and declaring their abominable beliefs on various video and social media outlets, while most Christian leaders and congregants will not even whisper the truth. Therefore, shame on those who would allow the world’s darkness to overshadow the Light we should have and share.
Once again, Jude warned about those who would scoff at the things and people of God due to their ungodly desires. Sadly, many within the church have succumbed to the world's pressures and have joined in its hatred toward God while singing hymns like Rock of Ages or taking communion, thus living hypocritically in defiance of the One they claim to worship. For example, the world mocks the original institution of marriage between one man and one woman, but some within the body of Christ also choose to ignore God’s clear stance on this issue as well. They allow homosexuality, transgenderism, the sexual exploitation of children, and other ungodly abominable offenses to infiltrate the church. This is not to say that we should not minister to the world and those who want deliverance; on the contrary. Nevertheless, the body of Christ must preach against such unholy acts that have crept into many churches. We must never condone sin but teach against it in love. The Bible says: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
The Apostles Jude and Peter warned that the acts of the ungodly would divide the church, if possible, because they would follow their ungodly instincts as animals instead of the Spirit. This occurs in many churches due to those who wish to bring heretical teachings into its center. Many church organizations, such as the Methodists, Lutherans, and others, have debated their stance on LGBTQ relations with the church, causing whole church congregations to part ways because some choose to stay biblical, while others seek to entertain the world. Yet, those who stand firm for God will be honored by Him. Peter had this to say to the religious leaders who forbade him to speak about Jesus: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). One would think that such issues would not be matters for debate because the Word is clear. However, many people ignore God’s Word when it goes against their own desires or what’s popular. Therefore, they will be judged accordingly.
[1] Charles Spurgeon, The Complete Works of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume 32: Sermons 1877-1937 (Morrisville: Delmarva Publications, 2015).
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