I Felt the Necessity

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I Felt the Necessity

When a parent sees their little child  about to run  into a busy street  to retrieve a ball,  the parent will anxiously call out, “Stop!”     Hopefully,  the child will obey.     Similarly,  Jude was very anxious  when he wrote  to the early Christians.     He wanted them to stop and think  about where they were headed  and the grave danger  they were in.     He wrote  in Jude 3-4,

I felt the necessity  to write to you  appealing  that you contend earnestly  for the faith  which was once for all  delivered  to the saints.     For certain persons have crept in unnoticed,  those who were long beforehand marked out  for this condemnation,  ungodly persons  who turn the grace  of our God  into licentiousness  and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

If we run head-long  into false doctrines,  and think they are okay  just because “so-and-so” said they were okay,  we are not listening  to our heavenly Father calling out,  “Stop!”     All of  God’s word  has been delivered to us — “once for all  delivered to the saints.”     We have all we need  for our salvation  in the Bible.     That was delivered  to us once — and it is  for all the saints  who will ever live.

Anybody who tries to twist God’s word  into something the Bible does not teach  is to be regarded as “those who were long beforehand  marked out  for this condemnation.”      There are many references  throughout God’s word  that tell about people  who will try and deceive others  by twisting what the Bible says.     All of these false teachers  will be eternally condemned — but,  we need to stop letting them  twist God’s word  for us.     We need  to avoid them  like the plague.     It’s enough  to know  that they are condemned by God.     That is fair warning.

Jude notes  that these false teachers  “turn the grace  of our God  into licentiousness.”     In other words,  they saucily claim  that since God is a forgiving God,  we are free to sin  in any way  that pleases us —  sinning doesn’t matter,  because God will forgive anyway — the greater the sin,  the greater God’s grace.     We need to wise up  and realize  that such a false teaching  is nowhere  in the Bible.

If we want  to mock God  by willfully living in sin,  we will pay the consequences — just as a child  who willfully disobeys his parent’s command  to stop  will get run over  by the traffic.      We are not  to test God’s love,  or patience,  or faithfulness towards us.     Instead,  we need  to get in the light  of God’s word,  and realize  that His every command  is good for us.     Love IS obedience.

Jude also pointed out  that these false teachers will  “deny our only Master and Lord,  Jesus Christ.”     They will claim faith  in Jesus  is not necessary  for getting into heaven.     Boldly,  they will claim  that they “know for sure”  that they will go to heaven  because they’ve got this “god thing”  all figured out.     They will tout all their theories  and philosophies  as having to be true  because they have “experienced” something  spiritually.     And,  they will shamelessly make fun  of the Christian’s faith  in the saving blood  of Jesus.

Our eternal salvation is at stake  when we call these false teachers  our “friends”.     We need to ask ourselves  who has the greater authority — the proven Creator and Redeemer of all,  or the smug person,  who cannot even foretell  what will happen tomorrow?     Who really controls  our eternity?

If we value the gift  God Almighty is offering us  through faith  in Jesus Christ,  we need to stop and think.     We need  to run back  to the safety  of our heavenly Father’s arms.     Every single precept  and every single command  of our Lord  is meant to teach us the glory  of all His goodness and love  for us.     Let us learn — and let us obey His love.

As we abide  in God’s word to us,  and look at the wonder  of His faithful love for us,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Abba!     Father!     Thank You  for Your protective care.     Let us know the necessity  of sharing Your saving truths  with others.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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