EVENING
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/19/2025 8:21 PM
My
Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “Survival Strategy
for Apostate Times”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Jude 17-23
Message of the verses: “17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken
beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying
to you, "In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own
ungodly lusts." 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded,
devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most
holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God,
waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And
have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the
fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the
flesh.”
This
evening we begin the second to the last chapter from John MacArthur’s
commentary on the book of Jude. I will
let you know that the introduction to this section of verses is long, and it
has been my practice to just quote from MacArthur’s commentary on his
introductions, and so with that said I will begin to quote his introduction.
“As Jude’s letter draws to its
conclusion, one crucial question arises: How can we as believers practically
contend for the truth so that we will be victorious in a day of rampant
falsehood? In other words, how can we
personally apply Jude’s cautions regarding apostasy to our own lives and ministries? To be sure, Jude’s warning is unmistakable,
and it clearly demands a response. But
what does that response look like? And
where does it begin?
“Jude, of course, recognized that
his readers needed more than just warning; they also needed a plan of
attack. Instead of being merely
defensive, they had to be proactive in their fight for the faith. And this meant taking action—not only in
reinforcing their own spiritual armor (cf. Eph. 6:10-17), but also in coming to
the aid of others in the church.
“In order to do this, Jude’s readers
desperately needed to develop discernment.
They had to be able to recognize the difference between truth and
error. Otherwise, they would not know
what to embrace and what to shun. They
could not ‘contend earnestly for the
faith which was once for all handed down to the saints’ (v.3) unless they
were able to discern true faith from its counterfeits. Thus if they were to heed Jude’s warnings,
they had to begin by actively pursuing spiritual discernment.
“The importance of discernment is
underscored throughout the whole of Scripture (Prov. 2:3; 23:23; 1 Cor. 16:13;
Phil. 1:9; Heb. 5:14; Rev. 2:2). The
apostle Paul, for example, voiced his rear that the Corinthians would be led
astray:
“1 I
wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are
bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I
betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a
pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we
have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not
received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this
beautifully” (2 Cor. 11:1-4).
Concerned about their
lack of discernment, Paul feared that the people would be deceived by false
teachers. They were far too tolerant of
error, and as a result they foolishly threw open the door to apostasy.
“Along those same lines, Paul
admonished the Thessalonians to prize sound teaching and exercise
discernment. He instructed them, ‘Do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast
to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil’ (1 Thess. 5:20-22; cf.
1 John 4:1-3). The believers in
Thessalonica were to respond carefully to the spiritual messages they heard—examining
them thoroughly to see whether or not they accorded with apostolic
teaching. The messages that passed the
test were to be held fast and embraced.
But those that did not were to be abstained from and rejected.
“Even the Jewish religious leaders
and elite scholars of Jesus’ day lacked spiritual perception. The Lord indicted them for being more
discerning of the weather than spiritual matters:
1 The
Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them
a sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you
say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 "And in the
morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and
threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern
the signs of the times? 4 "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a
sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He
left them and went away (Matt. 16:1-4).
Despite their
fastidious attention to Scripture, their rigorous theological training, and
their prominent status in the community, the Pharisees and Sadducees rejected
the truth because they could not discern it.”
8/19/2025 8:50 PM
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