I am reading in the book of Jude. And it is talking about ungodly men among us who have turned the grace of God into a license for immorality, and who deny Jesus Christ as Lord. For they teach that God does not require that we die to sin and that we obey His commands in life practice if we are to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. For they are those who shepherd only themselves, who follow after their own lusts, whose mouths spew arrogance, and who flatter others for their own advantage.
Jude 1:17-23 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
“17But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ 18when they said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.’ 19These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. 20But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. 22And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; 23save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.”
The Scoffers
So, who are these men? Who are these scoffers? What influence did they have over the people? It appears that they were ungodly teachers among them, possibly serving in positions of pastor/teachers. But they were teaching lies to the people, turning God’s grace into a free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God without conscience and without concern that God will judge them, just as so many pastors of “churches” are doing today, who themselves are walking in deliberate sin.
So many men today who call themselves “pastors” and “ministers of the gospel” are those who are teaching lies to the people. So many of them are teaching a false gospel of grace which does not require that we deny self, die to sin, and obey God in practice. Some of them are even teaching that once we believe in Jesus/God that God can no longer see our sin, which is just not biblical at all. And they are telling those who are caught in sin to just “claim who you are in Christ if you begin to feel guilty about your sin.”
Our Gatherings
Many Pastors are being trained to dilute the gospel message to make it less offensive to the people of the world and to make it more appealing to human flesh. For they want to do what will draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings. But the purpose of our gatherings is for the body of Christ to minister God’s love and grace and His biblical instructions to us, His church, to one another, so that we might all grow in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord and so we will not fall captive to deliberate sin.
For our gatherings are not to be places of business being marketed to the world, both of which God forbids. And collectively, as the body of Christ, we are not to be uniting ourselves with the ungodly and with the immoral in unholy unions, which God also forbids. But we are to gather together for mutual encouragement and edification in order that we might all walk in fellowship with our Lord in walks of obedience to His commands, in holy living, for the praise, honor, and glory of God, and for our spiritual growth.
[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]
Be Discerning
So we are to be discerning people who are students of the Scriptures who know what the Scriptures teach about sin and disobedience to God, and about what the gatherings of the church (the body of Christ) should be like, and what God requires of us who profess the name of Jesus in the way of thought, word, and deed. And we should be knowledgeable of what the Scriptures teach about false teachers and preachers so that we are testing them and their teachings and practices against the Word of God.
Share the Gospel
And we should be sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world and with the worldly church. And we should be calling them to repentance (death to sin) and to walks of obedience to God and to His commands. And we should be warning them of the biblical consequences of deliberate and habitual sin against God. For the Scriptures teach if we continue in sinful practices, and not in obedience to our Lord, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Those Who Cause Divisions
An Original Work / October 9, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
The Ransom
An Original Work / September 8, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Jesus paid the ransom so we’d be forgiven;
Purified from our sin so we’d be set free.
Crucified on a tree; took on Him our sin.
Buried our sin with Him; rose in victory.
Jesus calls us to Him; asks that we flee from sin;
Obey His commandments; live eternally.
God our Father loves us, which is why He gave us
His Son to die for us on a cruel tree.
God created us to walk in fellowship
With Him daily trusting in His righteousness.
He has a plan for us to abide in His grace;
Be transformed in our hearts; live for Him always.
Won’t you trust in Jesus? Be your Lord and Master?
He wants to forgive you, give you victory
Over sin and yourself, Jesus set you free.
Daily walking with Him, live victoriously.
Invite Him in your heart. He’ll give you a new start.
Your old life behind you, a new creature be.
