A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
JUDE 1:20-25
LESSON #6
GUIDELINES TO AVOID APOSTASY
MEMORY VERSE: 2PETER 3:2
WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR STUDY OF 1,2,3 JOHN AND JUDE: FOUR LITTLE BOOKS WITH APOWERFUL MESSAGE.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT LOVE AND TRUTH ARE BASIC, ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THECHRISTIANS LIFE. THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC IS TRUTH.
BECAUSE TRUTH IS SO IMPORTANT WE TOOK 2 SIDE TRIPS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND AND MAINTAINTRUTH IN YOUR LIFE.
1. WE STUDIED THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE.
2. WE STUDIED THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTS.
NOW WE HAVE ONE LAST THING TO COVER REGARDING TRUTH.
READ JUDE 1:20-23
IN THE LAST DAYS IN WHICH WE ARE NOW LIVING, APOSTASY (FALLING AWAY FROM THE TRUEFAITH) WILL BECOME MORE COMMON. HOWEVER, WE DONT HAVE TO STUMBLE. WE DONT HAVETO FALL. STUMBLING IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD FALLING. INSTEAD, WE CAN BE STRONG!
1. IT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN TRUTH. HOPEFULLY OUR STUDY INTHESE LITTLE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS WILL HELP YOU TO BE STRONG.
2. IT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN TRUTH
IN YOUR LIFE. HERE IS WHERE JUDE GIVES US HELP.
THE LIST OF SEVEN THINGS THAT JUDE TELLS THE CHRISTIAN TO DO TO
AVOID APOSTASY:
1. “BUILDING UP YOURSELVES ON YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH” (20)
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HOW DO YOU BUILD YOURSELF UP?
READING AND STUDYING THE WORD WHICH IS THE TRUTH OF GOD. HOWEVER, TO MAINTAIN THEBALANCE OF TRUTH WE MUST STUDY ALL 66 BOOKS IN THE BIBLE. REMEMBER THAT THE WORD GIVES US”LIGHT”.
READ 2TIM 2:15 AND 2TIM 3:16 AND 2PET 1:19-20
TO LEAVE OUT ANY OF THE 66 BOOKS IS TO BUILD AN INCOMPLETE HOUSE: ONE WITHOUT A DOOR,OR WINDOWS OR A ROOF.
WHAT IS “THE MOST HOLY FAITH”?
IT IS THE APOSTLES DOCTRINE.
A. WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE DOCTRINE THE APOSTLES TAUGHT IN THE FOUR GOSPELS
B. WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE APOSTOLIC CREED
ESTABLISHED HUNDREDS OF YEARS LATER.
IT IS “MOST HOLY” BECAUSE IT COMES FROM GOD AND IT REVEALS GOD TO US.
2. “PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST” (SPIRIT) (20)
“PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT” IS AN UNUSUAL PHRASE USED ONLY ONE OTHER TIME INSCRIPTURE…IN EPH 6:18. IN EPHESIANS THE PHRASE IS USED WITH THE SPIRITUAL WEAPONS FORSPIRITUAL WARFARE.
PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT INVOLVES 2 ASPECTS:
1. PRAYING IN TONGUES (ROM 8:26}
2. PRAYING WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO KNOWS PERFECTLY THE WILL OF GOD.
OFTEN WHEN WE PRAY WE ARE TELLING GOD WHAT WE WANT…WHAT OUR WILL IS. THAT IS PRAYINGACCORDING TO THE SOUL OR FLESH NATURE. INSTEAD WE SHOULD BE LISTENING TO WHAT GODSWILL IS IN HIS WORD AND PRAY ACCORDING TO THAT. THAT IS PRAYING ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.
PRAYER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKING IN THE BELIEVER, THROUGH CHRIST, TO GOD, THE FATHER.
REMEMBER IT IS THIS KIND OF PRAYER THAT GIVES US POWER.
3. “KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LOVE OF GOD” (21) (JOHN 15:9)
REMEMBER THAT WE LEARNED IN 1JOHN HOW IMPORTANT LOVE IS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
A. LOVE BETWEEN MAN AND GOD.
WE ARE TO LET GOD LOVE US AND BLESS US BY REMAINING OBEDIENT TO HIM. REMEMBER THATOBEDIENCE IS HOW WE SHOW HIM WE LOVE HIM.
B. LOVE BETWEEN BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
WE ARE TO LOVE OTHERS AND LET THEM LOVE US. YOU CAN ONLY DO THIS BY BEING INVOLVED IN ALOCAL CHURCH.
4. “LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST UNTO ETERNAL LIFE.” (21)
WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES EXPECTING AND WAITING FOR THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.
IT IS BY MERCY THAT JESUS WILL TAKE US TO HEAVEN IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS WHO BELIEVE IN A “PARTIAL” RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.IN OTHER WORDS, THEY BELIEVE THAT ONLY THOSE BELIEVERS WHO ARE “SUPER” SAINTSWILL GO UP IN THE RAPTURE.
THIS VERSE TELLS US THAT WE DO NOT GET TO HEAVEN BY BEING PERFECT (SELF-RIGHTEOUSWORKS) BUT BY GODS INFINITE MERCY.
5. “OF SOME HAVE COMPASSION, MAKING A DIFFERENCE” (22)
THE IDEA HERE IS THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE HONEST DOUBTS AND MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT CHRISTAND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
JUDE TELLS US TO HAVE COMPASSION, PATIENCE, AND UNDERSTANDING FOR THEM.
WITH SO MANY CULTS OUT IN THE WORLD, ALL OF WHICH SAY THEY ARE RIGHT, WE MUST SHOWPATIENCE WITH LOVE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SINCERELY SEEKING TRUTH.
THIS REFERS TO UNSTABLE BELIEVERS WHO ARE IN DANGER OF FALLING AWAY, AND IT REFERS TONON-BELIEVERS WHO ARE SEEKING TRUTH BUT FINDING IT HARD TO LEAVE THE CULTS.
6. “OTHERS SAVE WITH FEAR, PULLING THEM OUT OF THE FIRE” (23)
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHOM WE WOULD CONSIDER “HOPELESS” TO WIN FOR CHRIST. THEYARE SO FAR FROM BEING SAVED, THAT WE TEND TO GIVE UP ON THEM. THEY ARE PEOPLE ALREADYCAUGHT IN THE CULTS.
JUDE TELLS US NOT TO GIVE UP ON THEM. KEEP TELLING THEM ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS LOVE.
7. “HATING EVEN THE GARMENT SPOTTED BY THE FLESH.” (23)
WE SHOULD LEARN TO HATE AND TURN AWAY FROM ANYTHING IN THIS LIFE THAT SPOILS OURTESTIMONY FOR JESUS CHRIST.
WITH THIS LIST OF 7 THINGS, JUDE TELLS US WHAT TO DO TO KEEP FROM FALLING INTOAPOSTASY, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE LIST BRIEFLY CONTAINS THE TOTAL CHRISTIAN LIFE.
1. STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD
2. PRAYER
3. SHOWING LOVE FOR GOD AND OTHERS IN THE CHURCH.
4. LIVE WHILE LOOKING FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
5. WITNESSING TO THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING TRUTH.
6. WITNESSING TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT SEEKING TRUTH.
7. LIVING A PURE LIFE.
READ JUDE 1:24-25 THE BENEDICTION
IT IS JESUS CHRIST WHO, BY HIS MERCY, WILL BRING US INTO ETERNAL LIFE AND ENABLE US TOSTAND BEFORE GOD, THE FATHER, UNASHAMED.
THEREFORE, IN THESE DAYS OF APOSTASY, WE SHOULD PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM BEFORE ANUNBELIEVING WORLD, BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS:
HE IS ALL WISDOM.
HE IS SAVIOR.
HE IS ALL GLORY.
HE IS ALL MAJESTY.
HE IS ALL POWER AND AUTHORITY.
HE IS ALL THESE THINGS FOR ALL OF ETERNITY! AMEN.
THE END
GOD BLESS YOU!
