WWUTT 482 Devoid of the Spirit?

Unity in the Spirit and Division Without It

Before we came to Christ, we had no people, but in Christ, we are God's people. There is no unity outside the body of Christ, but those who are in Christ Jesus are unified by His Spirit when we understand the text.

You're listening to When We Understand the Text, committed to the sound teaching of the Word of God. For questions and comments, email whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com. And don't forget our website, www .utt .com.

Here's our host, Pastor Gabe.

Jude 17-18: Remember the Apostles' Warning About Scoffers

Thank you, Becky. We continue our study of the book of Jude, and I will begin in verse 17 and read to the end of the chapter. Jude writes, But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They said to you, 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. 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. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever.

Amen. So we come back to verses 17 and 18, which we read yesterday. You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, In the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions.

Remember what we read from the apostle John when we were going through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. In 1st John, he said that this is the last hour. So we are presently living in the last days. And so Jude kind of repeats that again here in verse 18.

In the last time in which we live, there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. So why is it that we have false teachers in the world whom we must warn the saints about? Because the Bible says there will be.

So it is as much a responsibility on the church to be aware of false teaching and warn others of false teaching as it is to promote the truth. The apostle Paul said to Timothy that the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, meaning that the church holds up the truth, announces the truth, presents it to the world.

That's the pillar aspect. And then the church is the defender of the truth, which is the buttress aspect. So we don't just present the truth. We're also defending the truth. And in doing so, we're presenting the truth as well.

One of the responsibilities that a pastor has, according to the qualifications given in Titus 1, is that he must hold fast to the trustworthy word as taught and be able to rebuke those who contradict it.

So that pillar and buttress aspect applies to the pastor, that he must know the truth, be steadfast upon the truth, and rebuke those who might contradict the truth. That is one of his responsibilities.

And so Jude is even presenting this to the whole church here, reminding them that in the last time, there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. He comes back to that word ungodly again, which occurs quite a few times in Jude's letter.

In particular, we remember a section we were looking at last week where Jude is quoting from Enoch. Behold, the Lord comes with 10 ,000 of his holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness, that they committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him, spoken against Christ.

The Holy Spirit Brings Unity, Not the Flesh

So here, Jude says in verse 18, that the scoffers follow their ungodly passions. And they do not have the spirit which leads to division, but those of us who do have the spirit, it leads to unity. That's the next part, verses 19 and 20.

It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the spirit. And then Jude goes on, verse 20, but you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.

Keep yourselves in the love of God. So if we have the spirit, there will be unity, but those who are devoid of the spirit will not have unity. Once again, in Titus, where the apostle Paul says that before we came to Christ, we were hated by others and hating one another.

So those who are not in Christ Jesus are divided. There is not a unified conglomerate of unbelievers who are scheming against the believers. The schemes that are being enacted against the truth is something that the devil is doing.

But there is not any unity among those who are unbelievers because they're hated by others and hating one another. They have their own agendas. They have a sinful, solitary mind in which they want their own thing, chasing their own passions, proclaiming their own glory, declaring their own righteousness.

And so they're divided. There is not unity in those who are outside the body of Christ. But we who have the spirit are unified by something that is so great and powerful. It is unseen and it exists within every believer, drawing us closer to one another.

And that is the Holy Spirit of God. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit. And the evidence of the spirit is not that you flop on the floor or speak in tongues or perform miraculous healings. That's not the evidence of the spirit.

In fact, the Bible does not say that that will be the evidence of the spirit in any person. For even those who are under the control of Satan are able to do miraculous things. They are leading astray with false signs and wonders.

Jesus warned about them in Matthew 24. So the ability to produce some kind of miraculous sign is not evidence of the Holy Spirit within a person. What is the evidence of the spirit? And that is that they are producing the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians chapter 5, where Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit. I'll start in verse 16 of Galatians 5. Paul says, but I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For the desires of the flesh are against the spirit and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do. Now, we've talked about this before when we were going through James.

But how is it that you resist temptation? You draw near to God and he will draw near to you. You resist the devil and he will flee from you. So here Paul says a very similar thing in Galatians 5. That if you walk by the spirit, you won't gratify the desires of the flesh.

So how do you stay away from temptation? How do you keep away from sin? Pursue the spiritual things. Stay far away from the fleshly things. If you're pursuing the things of the spirit, you won't even be thinking about or contemplating or pursuing those desires that you have in your sinful flesh.

Verse 18. If you are led by the spirit, you're not under the law. If you are pursuing the desires of your flesh, you're breaking the law. And it's by that law that you will be judged on Judgment Day. That's Romans 2 .12.

Christ's death and resurrection doesn't mean that the law doesn't apply anymore. Well, Christ fulfilled all the law and the prophets. Correct. He did do that. And so for those who are in Christ, they're no longer under the law.

They've been set free by the law of the spirit. That's Romans 8 .2. But those who are not in Christ Jesus, that law still applies to them. And on the day of judgment, it will be shown to them that they broke the holy commandment, the law of God.

They could not keep the law. They could not attain their own salvation. Anyone who tries to keep the law is going to fail. And so it is by that law that they will be judged. It's by that law that we were judged before we came to Christ.

For the law showed us, made us aware of our sin, that we were liars, blasphemers, thieves, that we were adulterers. If you even have an adulterous thought toward another person, you lust after a person in your mind, well, you've committed adultery with them in your heart.

That's what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. If you have hatred toward somebody else, you've murdered them in your heart. If you've even called somebody names, you're liable to the hell of fire, according to Jesus in the same chapter.

And so the law revealed to us how we had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And it's by the gospel that was declared to us that we heard salvation has been given to us in Christ Jesus. For all who believe, their sins are atoned for, and the law will not be held against you.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians in Colossians 2 .14, the record of debt that we owed because of our sin has been paid and nailed to the cross. God has canceled the record of debt that was held against us with all of its legal demands.

Not only are your debts paid, but you are no longer bound to the law. You're not under the law. You are set free by the law of the Spirit. So let's come back here. I think I'm rabbit trailing a little bit.

Back to verse 18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Verse 19. Now the works of the flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. All of these things are breaking the law. And the law will be held against them on judgment day. But if we are in the Spirit and pursuing the things of the Spirit, then we're not gratifying the desires of the flesh, which are against the law.

So verse 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another and envying one another. So here you have the point that Paul is making. That those of us who are in the Spirit are in unity.

We're walking together. We are keeping stride. We are pursuing the same things. We are of like mind. We have the mind of Christ. All who have the Spirit of God dwelling within them are of one mind. Doesn't mean we're robots.

Doesn't mean it's groupthink. It means that we are all redeemed and pursuing the same heavenly things. All of us are looking the same direction. And that is heavenward to Christ Jesus. But those who do not have the Spirit, verse 26, are conceited.

So that's the warning that's been given there. Let us not become conceited. So if you're not pursuing the flesh, you're pursuing your own desires. Your own selfish pursuits, which makes you conceited.

Selfish. Provoking one another and envying one another. So you don't have what another person has. So you envy what it is that they have. We're no longer unified. You want what somebody else has. Or you know you have something that somebody else doesn't have.

And so then you provoke them. Because you boast about your own accomplishments or the things that you possess. Whether that's material goods. Whether that's a job that you have. Might even be a spouse.

You have that trophy wife mentality. Look at the good-looking woman that I'm married to. None of you guys have this good-looking woman that I have. That would be provoking one another. Or an opportunity that you have that nobody else has.

See, I've done all this for myself. I achieved everything that I have accomplished. And then it provokes others to envy or to spite. To disliking you because of the things that you've accomplished. And the things that you are boasting in, in yourself.

So when we are not in the spirit, we're divided. But when we are in the spirit, there is unity. Paul talks about this with the Ephesians as well. With the Corinthians. There was division that was going on in the Corinthian church.

Because they were pursuing their own interests. And were divided by class. There was a lot of class separation going on in that particular church. And so it was necessary for Paul to remind them to be of one mind.

To be in the same mind in Christ Jesus. Paul saying to the Philippians. Philippians 2 .5. Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. And this after he gave the instruction to put others needs ahead of their own.

So if we are in the spirit and pursuing the spirit, there is unity. But where the spirit is not, there is division. And that's what Jude has been talking about here. It is these who do not have the spirit who cause divisions.

Jude verse 20. But you beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith. And praying in the Holy Spirit. There is unity among you. So keep yourselves in the love of God. Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That leads to eternal life. Now you already have that mercy. But you still live in a fallen world surrounded by hateful things. Things that are going to come up against people who are in the spirit of God.

We have been promised that. In this world you will have trouble. You will face tribulation. And as Paul said to Timothy. The person who desires to live a life of godliness will be persecuted. So these things are going to happen.

And we are going to face trials while we're in this world. So we're still waiting for the mercy of God. That delivers us from this world into his eternal kingdom. We have been delivered from our sins.

And are secure in Christ. With our place of eternity reserved for us. But we have not yet been delivered from our existence in this particular world. So keep yourselves in the love of God. Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That will lead us into that eternal kingdom. Now we have this statement made here in verse 21. To keep yourselves in the love of God. But then we get to verse 24. And this is the section we'll be talking about tomorrow.

Where Jude says that he is able to keep you from stumbling. And present you blameless before the presence of his glory. With great joy. So you are being encouraged. As much as it depends on you. As you are hearing the words that are being spoken from the word of God.

To keep yourself in the truth. Do not be led astray by lies. Do not pursue the flesh. Pursue the things of the spirit. You have heard it spoken to you by the word of God. So it grows your faith. But ultimately we realize.

In the grand scheme of things. Within our hearts. We are being guided by the spirit. It is the spirit who is working to keep us steadfast. Not ourselves. So you have heard the command to be steadfast.

You are responsible to listen to it and obey it. But ultimately. When all is said and done. All the glory goes to God. You get no credit for it. It belongs to the Lord. Who has saved you and preserved you.

For the day of eternal life. Verse 22. And have mercy on those who doubt. So God has shown you mercy. We are waiting for that ultimate mercy. That is going to come and deliver us from the world that we are in.

Since you are under the mercy of God. Show mercy to one another. Have mercy on those who doubt. There are those whose faith may not be as strong as yours. Do not look down on them. Do not ridicule them.

Don't smack them around or be disparaging. Why don't you understand this? You are old enough. You know better. There may be a time in which that kind of statement might be appropriate. You know better than this.

You have heard it proclaimed. You have been taught these things. And yet you are disobeying them. Come on, you know better. But there is still a loving and a gentle way to say that. Let us not look down upon those who are not quite as mature yet in their faith.

Have mercy on those who doubt. Again, putting their needs ahead of our own. We have this instruction given to us in Romans 15. Trying to turn back there. I'm still getting stuck in 1 Corinthians 15. Here we go.

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

For whatever is written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, there we have that instruction again, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God. So we must even consider others' needs ahead of our own when it comes to spiritual maturity, not looking down on one another, not ridiculing each other, not lording your maturity over somebody else.

Well, I'm so much better than you because I've had umpteen years of spiritual education and on and on it goes. No, understand that part of spiritual maturity is not saying to somebody else, I'm more mature than you are, so you need to listen to me.

That would be immature. That's acting like a selfish child, but that you have mercy on those who doubt means you're going to help them along. You're going to do what you need to do, coming down to their level to help them along in trying to understand some of the difficult concepts of the spirit.

Save others by snatching them out of the fire. James said something similar. James 5 19. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover over a multitude of sins.

Snatch them out of the fire. You see somebody that is walking in unrighteousness, call them to correction gently holding out the word of life, showing them their error and bringing them back to the path of righteousness to others.

Show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. So you are going to be presenting the gospel to those who are lost. As you go into those places, as you go out into the world, declaring as Jesus declared, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Make sure that you are not being tempted by the things that you see them doing, but hate even the garment that is stained by the flesh. Instead, where the new pure garments that we are given in Christ Jesus walk in holiness and pursue his righteousness.

We're going to finish there today and then conclude our study of Jude with the doxology tomorrow. Let us pray. Our Lord God, we thank you for the salvation that we've been given in Christ. Our Lord, keep us steadfast in this.

Help us to hate sin and love righteousness, hating the former self, the sins that we once walked in and pursuing the new creation that we have been made in Christ Jesus, growing all the more in these things, growing together in these things with the saints in fellowship in the church, encouraging and admonishing one another.

We are growing closer to each other. As we learn these things together, as we continue this walk of sanctification together in this world, thank you for loving us and showing us your mercy and help us to be merciful to each other in Jesus name.

Amen.

Closing Announcements and Sign-Off

Pastor Gabe keeps a regular blog, sharing personal thoughts, alerting readers to false teachers and offering commentary on the church and social issues. You can find a link to the blog through our website, www .utt .com.

Thank you for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue our study in God's word. When we understand the text.