Apostasy as defined by Merriam-Webster is: an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognize a religious faith; abandonment of a previous loyalty.

“Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.” (Jude 11 emphasis mine)

As early as the first century, apostasy was already creeping into the Church. Paul, James, Peter, John and Jude all address this cancerous growth that was trying to eat away at the true Gospel. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote a very short letter, but it really packs a punch. I am only going to use verse eleven, but all twenty-five verses should be read.

Apostasy actually began with Satan in the Garden of Eden when he successfully seduced Eve to believe his lie against God’s truth. From Adam and Eve to Jude’s day this baby (apostasy) grew into a monster. Satan has had many years to improve his technique and increase his lies. From Jude to today, this monster has grown even more and is seducing millions away from the true Gospel.

The carriers of apostasy are said by Jude to go the way of Cain, rush to profit as in Balaam’s error, and will be destroyed as in Korah’s rebellion.

WAY OF CAIN

In Genesis chapter four we find the historical account of Cain.

Genesis 3:21 tells us that God made a covering for Adam and Eve to hide their nakedness. This covering, from an animal(s) that God sacrificed, denoted His righteousness covering them so they could be presentable to be in His presence. This sacrificial system was passed down by Adam and Eve to their children.

Both Cain and Abel knew they were to present a blood sacrifice before God. Cain refused and then became jealous when God accepted his brother’s sacrifice and refused his. This sinful attitude resulted in Cain murdering his brother Abel.

Adam and Eve explained to their children that because of their sin, they must present a sacrifice before God. They explained that they, their children, their children’s children and all their progeny would be required to offer a sacrifice for their sins until God provides the final sacrifice for all mankind (Genesis 3:15, John 3:16). They all knew that:

• Man is a sinner and is not righteous
• The unrighteous cannot be in the presence of God
• Only the blood of the innocent can provide righteousness
• The innocent must die for the guilty

Despite knowing this, Cain depended on his own works, denied his sins and the blood redemption that is required to be cleansed. He rejected faith and accepted religion instead without the bloody sacrifice.

Those in apostasy today do the same.

• Don’t talk about blood. That’s gross.
• Don’t mention the cross. The children might hear it.
• Don’t need repentance. Just believe.
• Don’t talk about judgment. That’s too scary.

Is Cain’s rejection of God’s blood sacrifice any different than what is being proclaimed today about the cross? Many in the so-called church crowd today deny the cross, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, any need for repentance, and any thought of judgment. Let’s just get together, have a salad, a meal, sing some modern praise me songs and pat each other on the back, say they.

This is the way of Cain and it is apostate.

ERROR OF BALAAM

The elders of Moab and Midian were afraid Israel would consume their land after they witnessed what Israel had done to the Amorites. Beginning in Numbers 22 God gives us the historical account of Balaam being urged by Balak (king of the Moabites) to pronounce a curse upon Israel.

At first Balaam could only pronounce blessings, but finally he told Balak to introduce the daughters of Moab to Israel. The beautiful daughters of Moab would marry the sons of Israel and destroy Israel from within.

Jude calls this the “error” of Balaam. Balaam knows that God is righteous, and assumes God must curse Israel. He also assumes God must punish sin and sinners cannot be forgiven. He thinks he has come up with a way for God to do the “dirty work” without him being directly involved. Let God pronounce the curse, he thinks.

Over in 2 Peter 2:15, Peter labels it the “way” of Balaam. Peter is describing Balaam as a profiteer seeking to make money from God’s gift. If you could number the fleas on a dogs back, you could probably have an idea of the number of apostate scammers that have fleeced mankind. Your television (among other sources) provides a daily dosage of these Balaam type apostates.

Revelation 2:14 mentions the “doctrine” of Balaam in that he taught Balak how to corrupt Israel.

So here again Jude rightly defines apostates with the likeness of Balaam who depicts God as without mercy and only out to harm mankind.

REBELLION OF KORAH

In Numbers chapter 16 Korah (a Levite) along with 250 of Israel’s finest, rose up against Moses and Aaron. They were power hungry.

God had placed Moses and Aaron in charge of leading Israel. Korah and this large group of power seekers saw something they wanted … power. They forgot though that the power was not of Moses and Aaron, but from God. So they said in effect, “We’re taking over.” God said, “No you’re not.” For their rebellion they were swallowed up by the earth and dropped alive into hell.

They rebelled against God’s authority, and that was their fatal mistake.

SUMMING UP

Way of Cain: The apostate rejects faith. His religion, whatever it may be, overrides anything God says.

Error of Balaam: The apostate does not believe that a holy God would actually provide a way of forgiveness through His Son.

Rebellion of Korah: The apostate rebels against God’s authority.

So there you have it. The apostate:

• Rejects faith by grace and clings to works
• Rejects forgiveness through Jesus Christ
• Rejects God’s authority. In other words, it doesn’t matter what the Bible says.

This is a very condensed synopsis of what Jude was saying in this one powerful verse, but I’m sure you understand his warning against apostates. Nothing but lies drip from their tongues. The mother of these lies comes from the mouth of Lucifer as he whispered in Eve’s ear, “Hath God said?”

The Bible is clear that in the last days apostasy is one sign among many that the Lord’s return is near. Apostasy today is off the charts, and I can’t imagine how full-blown it will become during the Tribulation prior to Christ’s return.

How do I defend myself against apostasy? How do I know what is true and what is false? There is only one sure-fired way. Get in the Bible. Study God’s Word as we should be doing anyway (2 Timothy 2:15) and ask Him to teach you.

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

 

 

Christian Complacency

I don’t believe I am incorrect in stating that every “professing” Christian today has the mindset that they are a true Christian even though nothing has changed in their lives. They believe that because somewhere down the line they mouthed a few words that Jesus is Lord or they believe in Jesus, or walked the aisle, or filled out a card, or joined a church, etc., etc. they are “okay,” even though nothing has ever changed in their lives in relationship to Jesus.

True belief in Jesus will produce a life that is honorable to Him. Perfect? No, but honorable. The Holy Spirit, who takes residence in the soul of the new believer, will see to it that he/she grows in the Lord. There will be fruit. There may be just enough fruit that only God can see, but there will be fruit.

On the other hand, some think they must produce fruit first in order to be saved. That is also false. Works do not save anyone. That would be a total contradiction to Ephesians 2:8-9.  However, once a person is saved, they are baptized with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will produce fruit in the life of a true believer (see Galatians 5:22-26).

No person can be saved apart from God’s grace working through genuine faith in His Son. No works can be added by man. (Ephesians 2:8-9) The Bible is very clear on this. It is also just as clear that every true believer in Christ will grow in His grace. Some may grow much. Others may grow very little, but they will grow. They will be changed. No man can come to God in true belief and not be changed.

We live in a day when ignorance of God’s Word abounds from the pulpits to the pews. Ours is a day when the “feel-good, it’s all about me” gospel is proclaimed throughout the land. “Just say the magic words and hop on board to the soul train bound for Heaven.” “Live for the devil down here. Live for God up there.”

One of the most religious men of Jesus’ days on earth was Nicodemus, but Jesus told him he must be born again (John 3:3). He told Matthew, that thieving tax collector, to follow Him (Matthew 9:9). Jesus, in the Gospels and through the writings of Paul, Luke, John, Peter, James, and Jude made it very clear to those who will hear that being His disciple is more than a casual response.

No amount of religion will save a man (just ask the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew 23) and no depth of sin will keep a man or woman from Christ if he/she really wants to know Him as Savior and Lord (just ask the Samaritan woman, John 4:5-30 or the man from Gadara, Mark 5:1-13).

The Lord Jesus seeks to save all those who know they are not righteous and will follow Him.

“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32)

The problem in these last days is that so many people are deceived in thinking they are not sick. They think they are righteous, simply because they say the magic words, “I’m a Christian.” They live no differently than Satan’s crowd and actually are fool enough to think that God must approve.

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Revelation 3:17-18)

Read Luke 5:31-32 again. If you have never really repented and turned to Jesus, you are not one of His. Jesus wants all to think about “Who He is.” (Matthew 16:13) If you really believe, as Peter did, that He is “the Christ, the Son of God,” you have come at a crossroads in your life, and it is here you either believe in Him or you just shrug Him off.

Look, let’s say that I have actually met Glen Campbell, talked to him and shook his hand. Does that make me a groupie? Of course not, and this is the plight of many “professing” Christians today. Maybe they met Jesus at a church service. Just because they met Him doesn’t mean they are a groupie. Why? They will not follow Him. Many of those in the first century, when Jesus walked the earth in bodily form, did the same thing. They liked what He had to say. They liked the meals He prepared and the miracles performed, but they were not interested enough in Him to follow Him.

Go back to Luke 5:31-32 again. It says a lot. It says that works won’t save anyone. It says that you cannot be saved until you humble yourself before Him and admit you need Him and are willing to commit to Him.

You may notice that I have used several Scriptures from the Gospels. Now some dear soul is probably going to write me and say, “You can’t use those verses because they’re in the Old Testament era, before the cross and have nothing to do with the Church.”

If it is true they have nothing to do with the Church (and it is not true), then I suppose we had better never use John 3:16 to witness to the lost. Oh, and we had better never use John 14:1-4 for a Rapture reference. Why? Both of these Scripture passages are before the cross (pre-Church age). Since they actually part of the Old Testament, we’ll just ignore them. (I’m being facetious.)

How has our God always saved people? It has always been by faith in His Son. That includes from Adam to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses (Law), from Moses to Pentecost, and from Pentecost (Church) to today. It has always been by faith, real legitimate faith in Him working by His grace. If we don’t have that, what we have (if anything) is nothing. We don’t have the life-giving water of God, but instead just plain water that runs through our fingers and a thirst that can never be quenched.

The attitude of Laodicea reigns supreme today. Oh there are also plenty of Philadelphians (who will go up in the Rapture), but far too many who say they are Christians today think they are rich and have no need of a Physician. What does Jesus say about that?

He said via the apostle Paul, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Then He said via the apostle John, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Are you actually a Christian or are you just playing church? Who are you living for, you and your pleasures or Jesus Christ?

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html