Jude 17-19

Jude 17-19

And you all, beloved ones, remember the sayings that were spoken ahead of time by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that they said to you all.  Upon the last days of time, people who mock will be while behaving according to their own lusts of ungodliness.  These ones are the ones who cause divisions, humans by nature, who do not have the Spirit.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jude continues in the general theme of his letter, reminding his audience that there will be people who mock the faith by chasing after their own desires.  This is just human nature.  It is a part of who we are.  We all have the capacity within us to have our own desires and to then chase after them.  We also have the ability to decide to set ourselves aside and chase after the love of God.  But not all people choose the second option.  Some people spend their lives consumed by the pursuit of their own desires.

What do you pursue?  What desires do you have in your life that you pursue?  Are they God’s desires for your life?

Second Thought:

Jude then reminds us that these people are the ones who cause divisions.  Why shouldn’t this be true?  If you have a person in the midst of a group and that person is chasing their own agenda, doesn’t it make sense that they will cause a division?  In fact, this happens by default when the group is following God.  A person following their own desires will always cause division among a group of people trying to follow God because the person following their own desires is by default different from the group.  This is the point Jude is making.  If we are a group following God, then people coming into our midst who follow their own desires are an inherent danger.

When have you ever been a divider among people because of your desire to seek your own way?  When have you been a part of a group that someone else divided?  How do you respond in either situation?

Third Thought:

The final point that I would like to make is a point about the apostles’ foreknowledge.  They taught about this reality.  They knew this would happen.  This is human nature, so it is absolutely guaranteed.  In every group there will be people who seek after their own desires.  Therefore, the apostles taught about it.  They prepared people.  They made sure that the people that they were training in Christ were prepared for this eventuality.  Part of making disciples is preparing people to interact with the world and expect human nature.

Why is it important to prepare people for human nature?  Do you feel that it is a fault for assuming the worst of the people around you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Jude 20-23