~ Children of Israel – Rebellious
Angels – Cities of Sodom & Gomorrah ~
In the Book
of Jude we find three apostate groups
(identified in this post) and three
apostate individuals (identified in the next post).
Key Scripture ~ “Beloved,
while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I
found it necessary to write to you exhorting
you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the
saints. For
certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this
condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the
grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4). This is the lead in paragraph to the
following verses.
Children of Israel ~ “But I
want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe”
(Jude 5). Do not
presume on past mercy and grace from your Savior. The warning is that past spirituality does
not substitute for current reality. In
essence your Christianity needs to be part of current events and not just past
history. How are you doing?
Rebellious Angels ~ “And the
angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great
day” (Jude 6). The angels
gave up their dignity! Christian, do you
realize all the benefits of your spiritual birthright? Are you living in the victory and joy of your
position as an adopted child of the Creator?
Cities of Sodom & Gomorrah ~ “As Sodom
and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having
given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are
set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude
7). The evil here is misuse of God-given
sexuality. Improper sexual lust and
behavior is a major characteristic of most of today’s cultures—especially the
more “sophisticated open-minded” societies.
God’s righteousness and His standards have not changed. How are you doing? Are you able to keep your actions (and
thoughts) pure in God’s sight?
Additional Comment ~ Peter in his second epistle
mentions a somewhat similar trio of God’s judgment: the condemnation of fallen
angels, the great flood of Noah’s day, and Sodom & Gomorrah.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES:
(1)
The
current
TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very
bottom of this home page.
(2)
There
is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the
left column.
(3)
You
may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.
(4)
You
may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by
prominently displaying the following statement: Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free
blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid
Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/
.
