When the Spirit IS ABSENT
Jude 17-19
"But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit."
Whereas the church is defined as those touched by the Spirit, the world is made up of just the opposite, those without the presence of God in their lives. Here, Jude calls these people sensual, proclaiming they live not by the Spirit, but according to their own lusts.
All of us know what it means to live according to our lusts, for without Christ, our sinful nature defined our lives. Without the Lord, our focus is always on ourselves and what we can gain to satisfy our lusts. Even now as believers, we can find ourselves seduced by the sensual nature of sin when we forget to live by the Spirit.
Jude gives warning that those who live according to lusts of life will come into the church and mock those who remain faithful to Christ, causing divisions within the body. For when believers get caught up in questioning the relevancy of the Christian life as compared to living for self, some will go astray, choosing sin over sanctification.
The warning is given. Within the church we need to be on guard, encouraging each other live by the Spirit, recognizing those who would come in and cause us to doubt our faith and choose sin over Christ.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for the protection of the Spirit in my life. I ask you to guard my heart so that sin's lusts will not lure me away you're your body. I ask you to guard our church so that mockers will have no right to speak, ensuring the unity of the congregation. Amen.
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