Jude
1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. KJV
The 1960’s ushered in the free love or free sex era
that carried itself strong into the 70’s. The 1970’s brought us the Supreme
Court case of Roe vs. Wade that would forever change the direction of this
country. Birth control pills for women were introduced to the society and it
gave couples of every age the apparent freedom to have as much sex with as many
different sexual partners without the fear of any un-wanted pregnancies.
Young people all over America were caught up into
this phenomena and it helped to bring the pornography industry head long into
the mainstream of society. People freely and openly used pornography as a means
to enhance their sexual experiences, along with drugs and alcohol of course. No
longer were the people in America willing to suppress their sexual urges, but
on the contrary they fought to be accepted in doing whatever felt good to their
flesh.
Then came the 1980’s and it seemed that the
intensity of the free love and free sex movement had died down, but in reality
it was so accepted that people never questioned sex by people that was outside
of marriage. We had always had sexually transmitted diseases with us like gonorrhea,
syphilis, herpes, and others, but at the beginning of the 1980’s a new disease
began to emerge primarily among homosexual men called AIDS and this disease was
deadly. Homosexual men were dying in rapid numbers and over short periods of
time after their diagnosis. However, this did not deter the mainstream of
heterosexual society from the vast promiscuity that had become so normalized in
our culture, because AIDS was not perceived as a threat to heterosexuals.
Fast forward to 1989 and an unknown filmmaker/director
named Steven Soderbergh released a movie (Sex, Lies, and Videotape) that would bring
him into prominence in the Hollywood film industry and capture the pulse or
heartbeat of our culture as it regarded sex in America. The movie tells the
story of a man who videotapes women discussing their sexuality. The movie plot
has everything you could imagine in relationships that are absent the
controlling influence of the One True God, adultery, masturbation, various
sexual fantasies, fornication, lust, pornography, and group sex. This film was
viewed as being so relevant and even informative for the time that in 2006, Sex, Lies, and Videotape was selected and
preserved by the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant."
All that was
revealed above is completely understandable behavior for men and women devoid
of the Spirit of God because the natural man does not receive
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned. However, the Apostle Jude warns us (who love our Lord
Jesus Christ) that we will be in a fight/battle for the true faith handed from
our Lord to the Apostles to us. Our fight will be with natural men, but not
natural men outside of the visible Church, but inside the visible Church trying
to normalize behavior that our Lord Jesus condemns. Antinomians during Jude’s
day asserted that God the Holy Spirit was not defiled by the sins of the body
(sexual sins).
The lies about sex
and God’s grace by the Antinomians of Jude’s day and the present day
Antinomians was that because God’s grace and love abounds so infinitely that it
matters not how we use our bodies in gratifying our sexual appetites, but it
only gives God the ability to show even more of His grace and mercy to people. Jude
used the English word turning to describe what these men do to the grace of
God. The English word turning is from the Greek word metatithemi,
which can also mean exchange, change sides, or pervert. God’s true grace is
exchanged for lasciviousness which yields an unbridled license to commit all
the sexually immoral sins in the flesh desired with the approval of God’s
grace. Salvation is a free gift, but God’s grace is not cheap. Cheap grace
presumes on salvation without repentance and even with a license to sin
sexually without shame.
This is the exact
thinking and mindset that the world has of sexual behavior (as described above)
and it is blasphemous to believe that the people Christ died for would exhibit
that same mentality after receiving so great a salvation. Paul refuted that
view of God’s grace in Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to
sin live any longer in it? NKJV Certainly Paul meant
here all sin even sin committed by the body in any sex outside of marriage.
Those who teach these lies and live them out in their own personal lives are
captivating people, very charismatic, great orators, and able to convince
people of their sincerity.
We know what drives those who are still dead in
their trespasses and sins to continue in a life filled with sexual lust and
sexual gratification of all kinds and that is being under the influence and
control of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the
sons of disobedience (satan). The audacity of these men (still under the
control of satan) to creep into the visible Church then teach, preach,
proclaim, and promote their sinful lustful desires to the true children of God
as if it were from our Lord Jesus shows the utter hatred, disdain, arrogance, and
rejection of God’s Sovereign authority written on their hearts. Wrong doctrine
will always produce wrong lifestyles or living. It is much easier to gain a
large following if you corrupt the truth about the will of God for sexual
behavior or just neglect it all together. Those who view God’s will for sex to
be permissive (that is other sexual behavior outside of marriage) will never
acknowledge that view upfront.
Listen to these
comments on Jude 4 by Cooper P. Abrams III, “These false teachers portray
themselves as wonderful people who love the Lord, all the while denying the
Lord Jesus by their false doctrines and practices. They appear outwardly to be
genuinely godly people. These are not on the surface evil people, but people
who appear very spiritual with special insights in God's word. Their charisma
disarms people and causes people to follow them.”
“Jesus, in Matthew
16:6 warned believers to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Leaven in the Bible represents an evil influence that grows until it permeates
the congregation. It perverts God's truth effectively limits God's ability to
work. Leaven that is unchecked in a congregation prevents God's blessings and
work. The Devil knows that God cannot bless false teaching, practices, and
those who compromise His word, mixing truth with error. Therefore Satan's
strategy is to send in unbelievers, as Jude says, who are "denying the
only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" by their actions. Understand that
publicly these deceivers outwardly claim to love God but actually are Apostates
who do not believe God's word.”
“The ploy of Apostasy
comes from those who profess Jesus as their Savior but deny Him by the lives
they live. If a person claims to be a Christian and does not believe and live
by God's word, he is denying Him. Such people do not fear God and have no
appreciation for His person and righteousness. It is uncanny, but they live
with a false sense of immunity from God's judgment of sin, which marks them as
unbelievers.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 15 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself
into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be
according to their works. NKJV
Acts 20:28-31 Therefore
take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own
blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in
among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore
watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night
and day with tears. NKJV
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But know
this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without
self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers
of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying
its power. And from such people turn away! NKJV
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent
Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can
be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and
Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book will be available
soon…
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