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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 31 October 2023:
Hosea 5:4 – Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the Lord.
Those saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ have been freed from the bondage of sin in their lives; not that they don’t sin on occasion, but they are not trapped in their sin, and they are increasingly developing Christlike character, having not achieved holy perfection but making progress in their holy direction. Upon salvation, Christians are given the Holy Spirit which empowers them and guides them to Christlike lives, free from sin – they are not trapped, or stuck in their sin. However, throughout the Bible we are told there is another spirit, the “spirit of the world “ — “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” These two spirits are naturally opposed to one another, one producing “the works of the flesh,” and one producing the “fruit of the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:16-25) Those who reject Christ remain in bondage to sin while those in Christ are free to live the life God always intended for mankind, the life Adam’s sin ruined, the life Christ redeemed, a life continually abiding in the Spirit, bearing the fruit of the Spirit into the world for God’s glory and for our blessing.
- Romans 8:1-11 — There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
- 1 John 3:9 — No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
- 1 John 3:24 — Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Hosea 5:6, 7 – With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them. They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord.
All of the religious activity and sacrifice in the world doesn’t make up for continued faithlessness. God seeks a wholehearted worshipper who worships from love and relies upon God’s grace, while obeying Him day by day out of love, not a ‘religious’ person who makes religious sacrifices while continuing in sin.
Jude 4 — For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
A teaching can creep into the church that allows grace to be used an excuse to do what you want to do. Grace is not a license for disobedience or immorality, nor does it mean that God will overlook such behavior. Grace is not freedom to sin; it is freedom from sin. Jude was compelled to warn the church against those within the church who make light of sin in the name of ‘grace.’ Jude reminds us that, while under grace, we cannot reject authority (v. 8) and simply act as unreasoning animals (v. 10) “who follow mere natural instincts” rather than the Spirit (v. 19). Instead, Jude commands “Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (vs. 20, 21).” While we wait for the mercy of Jesus, we are to continue to pursue holiness and obedience. In our pursuit, we are to hate sin while showing Christ-like mercy to sinners (vs. 22, 23) – Love involves revealing the truth of sin:
It would appear that, as is the case today, Jude had observed many in the church using grace as an excuse to live sinful lives, surrendering to their wicked desires rather than to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Though they claimed to be Christians, their actions revealed that in fact they were “devoid of the Spirit.” Jude exhorts the church to persevere in holiness while having “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.” Essentially he is saying, love the sinner, and hate the sin; influence without being influenced. Jude specifically calls out sexual sin as Paul did in Romans 1. How is acceptance of sexual sin creeping into the church today? Who would write Jude’s letter today?
- Romans 12:9-12 — “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Jude 20-23 — 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.
As we engage the sinful world, we must be reconcilers, seeking to unite people with Christ. There is no real peace, love, or unity outside of Christ. We must be uniters in a world full of dividers; we must be peacemakers in a world full of unpeaceable people. We must bring order in a world of disorder; we must bring light in a world of darkness. We must love in a hateful world. We do all this by proclaiming and living out the Gospel as representatives of Christ (ambassadors) wherever He has salted us out in society, remaining immovable in our allegiance and obedience to Him – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) However, this requires much prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than mere intellect. It is dangerous business to snatch others out of the fire. Don’t be complacent in your efforts to do so or attempt to do it in your own power, lest you get burned yourself. “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3)
- 1 Peter 2:9-25 — They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Jude 8, 19 — Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones…. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
Those who call themselves Christians yet continue in sin, proclaiming ‘grace’ all the while, are in actuality denying the Lordship of the Savior, rejecting His authority, blaspheming His Holy Name, and perverting the Grace that comes through the Blood of Jesus – they are, in fact, devoid of the Spirit. Such Christians are divisive, countering the ministry of reconciliation.
“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” Sin is always a rejection of God’s authority over your life and a discrediting of His holiness. The “Christian” who continues in sin is really rejecting the authority of Christ, living out blaspheme.
Jude 10, 11 – But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.
Jude describes the “carnal Christian” as spiritless animals who act on animal instincts rather than being controlled by the Spirit. They are like Cain who lacked self-control which comes from the Spirt. When you sin, you blaspheme God — how serious is that?
Jude 12, 13 — These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
Selfish Christians are hidden destroyers, claiming to be leaders but only lifting themselves up and drawing attention to themselves rather than God; they may claim to be alive, but in their selfishness and self-centeredness, they are really dead.
The disobedient Christian is worthless and destructive.
Jude 16 — These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Constant complainers who take sides are revealing their self-centeredness and ungodliness. Jesus gave us a mission of reconciliation, uniting other to God and to each other, not dividing. Do you know a church-goer who always seems to have a complaint, who always seems to be dissatisfied? Hopefully, that someone is not you. Hopefully, in your selflessness, you can influence that constant critic to reconcile to Jesus and to others. Again, read John 17.
Jude 18, 19 — 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.
Scoffers who cause divisions do not have the Spirit or are at least quenching the Spirit. Scoffers scoff because they want to pursue their own passions. Worldly people cause divisions, but the Spirit unites people in Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ, there can be no real unity. Many will seek unity around some idol, like a political party or an organization, but this is doomed and antichrist.
Jude 20-23 — 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.
We must be uniters in a world full of dividers; we must be peacemakers in a world full of unpeaceable people. We must bring order in a world of disorder; we must bring light in a world of darkness. We must love in a hateful world. However this requires much prayer and requires the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than merely intellect. It is dangerous business to snatch others out of the fire. Don’t be complacent in your efforts to do so or attempt to do it in your own power.
You don’t snatch people from a fire by standing in it with them.
Jude 24 – Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling….
Only Jesus can keep you from stumbling. You cannot stand on your own.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 31 October 2023: Today, live a holy and godly life, acceptable and pleasing to the Lord (1 Peter 3:11; Romans 12:1). Live out publicly and visibly your freedom on the Gospel, “not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God,” while “proclaim[ing] the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 