SURVIVING THE APOSTASY
September 2013 |
Jude 1:24-25 – “Now unto Him Who is able to keep you from falling (as we’ve repeatedly stated, Christ is the Source of all things, but the Cross is the means), and to present you faultless before the Presence of His Glory with exceeding joy (the Holy Spirit will, at the appointed time, present us to the Father, and will do so ‘with exceeding joy’; this refers to the Believer standing blameless before the Judgment Seat, all because of Christ and what He did at the Cross [Col. 1:22; I Thess. 3:13]).
“To the only wise God our Saviour (speaks of the Cross), be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and forever. Amen (every Believer will share in all of this, and do so forever; once again, all because of the Cross).”
A Time Of Apostasy
To apostasize apostatize simply means to fall away from the truth. The Bible is clear that in the last days apostasy will occur on a massive scale. Personally, I believe that the evidence around us supports the idea that the apostasy, as prophesied, isn’t on the way, but rather, that it is already here. In the past few months the theme of surviving apostasy has been reinforced into my heart and mind as I have spent many hours studying the little Book of Jude. Even in his day, some 40 or 50 years past the Crucifixion of Christ, apostasy was a problem. So much so that the Holy Spirit directed Jude to change course in regard to what he had intended to write, a theme of common Christian tenants of faith, to the subject of warning the believers of His day to beware of apostates and their teachings. As he closes out his letter Jude gives a trio of thoughts in the text that helps equip the Believer to live free from the powers of apostasy. We would do well to heed his advice.
Maintain Your Praise
It is impossible to praise God from an earnest honest heart and doubt Him at the same time. In the verses of our text, Jude begins by saying, “Now Unto Him.... . . .” Several qualitative clauses follow this statement. But then in Verse 25 he picks up the theme of Praise. One might read Jude’s statements as “Now unto Him ... . . . To the only wise God our Saviour, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and for ever. Amen.” These are praises being offered to God. Jude praises God because He is the only wise God. He proclaims praise to the God who is “our Saviour.” He declares that all glory is due Him. That is, that the Believer should boast in their God at all times. To God and from God comes Majesty, Dominion, and Power. This proclaims a God that has the ability to do anything at any time for anybody. He is all powerful, all wise, and all praise and glory is due Him. It matters not what we go through, He is still worthy of our praise. Praise is an expression of Faith in God and in a time of apostasy it becomes a particularly helpful tool that aids the Believer in making void the efforts of the enemy that has come to steal, kill, or destroy.
Maintain Your Faith
As Jude writes in Verse 24, he proclaims that God is able “to keep you from falling.” This does not refer to a state of sinless perfection. That condition does not exist in relationship to man at this current time. However, the promises of God are clear. He has promised us, providing we come His way, that “sin will not have dominion over you.” Therefore, while we will never be sinlessly perfect we should be constantly gaining ground in our growth. Christlikeness should be attained in more and more areas as we grow. As well, if we adhere to God’s prescribed order of growth, we will never find ourselves in danger of apostatsizing. What is this way? It is the way of Faith and Grace (Eph. 2:8-9). As the Believer consistently places their Faith in Christ and what He accomplished for all of mankind on the Cross, the Grace of God is extended to us, working effectually by the Holy Spirit to change us and strengthen us. If we trust in what we do, we are in the flesh. If we trust entirely, exclusively, consistently in His finished Work, we are in the Spirit. With our Faith maintained in Christ and Him Crucified, the overcoming help of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee. By His help and His Help alone, the Believer will not fall into either the dominion of sin or the ongoing apostasy of the final days.
Maintain Your Hope
The Blessed hope of the Believer is the promised return, the Second Coming of the Lord. Included in that happening is the Rapture of the Church, also referred to in the Scriptures as the first Resurrection. As this event unfolds, the Believer will receive a glorified body, rule and reign with Christ in the millennium, pass through the Judgment Seat of Christ, and be presented to the Father. While the time frames of these events are sometimes argued about, their validity should never be. These events are going to happen. One of the most precious Ppromises declared here is that because of our faith in Christ, as a result of the Blood of Christ, the Believer is seen as faultless before God. With the imputed Righteousness of Christ applied to our hearts and lives, we will one day be presented to the Father. There, the Glory of God, in all its fullness, will be on display. There, true fullness of joy will be experienced. There, we will be safe forever from the damages of sin. No evil will befall us ever again. All sorrow and tears will be wiped from our eyes and the former things will be remembered no more. As we travel through the issues of this life, let us look forward to the pPromises that lie just ahead. Jesus will present me faultless to the Father. And for all eternity, I will be with Him! So, maintain your praise, maintain your Faith, and maintain your hope!
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