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Let's face it some people are gullible or rags like these would not still be in business. What is even worse is that there are people who are gullible when it come to spiritual matters. Last week we looked at those who had been seduced to the “dark side” if you will. They had fallen prey to the apostates or creepers and in doing so began to doubt. What were they doubting? They could have been doubting their salvation, they could have been doubting the divinity of Christ Jesus, they could have been doubting the Apostles, or even the Word of God. We are not sure what part of their Christian life they were doubting. What we do know is what ever their doubt, Jude thought is was important to ask those Christians strong in their faith to show mercy on them. When we see a brother or sister in Christ doubting or struggling we are to come along side them to strengthen them in their Christian walk.
But verse 23 is not about those who have been duped, instead it is about the deceivers. Solomon called them scorners. These scorners scoff, deride, mock, jeer at the truth. Look at these examples from the Book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 1:22 – "How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?”
Proverbs 9:8 - Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Proverbs 13:1 – But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 24:9 – And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
But its probably Proverbs 15:12 that gives the best description of the scorner – A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. According to Webster's Dictionary 1828 – the scorner is a despiser or scoffer of religion. The gullible are destroyed by the scorners. The duped are led astray by the deceivers.
With the duped or gullible we are to show mercy and be compassionate. But with the deceivers or the scornful we are to be forceful or insistent. Why the change in tactics? What is the difference? Well for one, there is much more at risk.
Jude 23
23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
1. Pulling Them Out Of The Fire – This carries with it the thought of pulling the scoffers or scorners from sure destruction.
After all the unchecked way of the deceiver, the apostate, the creeper leads them directly to the fires of hell. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).
They may be headed for sure destruction, but if they repent, they will be snatched from the fires of hell. But how will they know to repent if we don't tell them? Often the lost don't know they are lost, Satan has them thinking everything is fine. Sometimes, like my dad use to say; its time for some straight talk. Are we willing to share the Word of God. There is a heaven prepared for the redeemed, but there is also a hell waiting those who die without Christ. As believers we have an obligation to share the truths of eternity, which ought to bring fear to those who are lost.
Okay, how do we pull the scorners, those who sneer, those who are just plain lost out of the fire? First we need to understand the danger of the fire.
2. Understand The Danger Of The Fire
There are two dangers when it comes to fire:
First is: It will scar you. It is possible to live through a fire, but if you are caught in it, it will scar you. Depending on the fire, and the length of exposure to it; determines the amount of scarring.Some years back, before skin-grafts were a common medical procedure, a certain girl throughout all her life openly showed her shame for the deep scars that covered both of her mother’s hands. The girl was so ashamed of her mother’s hands that she constantly insisted that her mother wear gloves whenever they were out in public so that she would not be embarrassed. This attitude on the daughter’s part continued into her adult years bringing daily heartbreak to her mother. After a short illness in that day when medical science had no cure for pneumonia, the mother died.
While the body laid in state in the funeral parlor, the girl’s aunt called her aside and told her the reason why her mother’s hand were so terribly scarred. It happened when the girl was a mere babe and, while playing one evening near the fireplace, lost her balance and fell into the burning flame. Her mother immediately plunged her hands into the fire and grabbed her baby and not waiting to locate a cloth or blanket, put out the fire with her hands. Miraculously the baby was spared severe burns but the mother’s hands were grievously burned. After weeks in bandages, her hands were finally unwrapped, exposing the deep and hideous scars that told the story of a mother’s love for her child.
As her aunt finished the story, the girl broke out in uncontrollable weeping, and ran toward the coffin which held her mother’s body. She swiftly removed the white gloves that covered her mother’s hands and began kissing them again and again. The guilt that she felt for the years she had ridiculed the scarred and unsightly appearance of her mother’s hands now collapsed upon the girl with a vengeance. While kissing her mother’s hands, the girl kept repeating, “These scars were for me.” Fire burns, fire maims. Fire destroys.
It can kill you. Each year people die in house fires, 538 deaths due to fire have been reported for January 1st – March 7th 2020. My cousin worked in the oil field on a deep well. The day started just like any other for the crew of H&P76 and things were going long fine, then came a rumble. At first the crew didn't know what was going on and then came a loud whoosh and a bad smell. The crew knew what had happened then and started piling of the rig floor. They had hit a gas pocket. The young man in the derricks jumped on his Geronimo line, but it was to late. He was caught in a massive explosion about half way down. He some how got to the bottom and was meda-flighted to the OKC burn center, where they did everything they could but with 3rd degree burns over 90% of his body he didn't make it. That young man was going to get married the following weekend when his 7 days on ended. Also killed was a floor hand who had tried to hit the emergency shutoff.
My cousin was lucky, after hurtling several barbed wire fences, while still running he was thrown to the ground by the concussion. He was a bit more than 100 yards away from the rig. He got off with a melted hard hat and 1st and 2nd degree burns to the back of his exposed neck and arms. Fire kills and it is no respecter of persons.
We need to do our best to pull folks out of the fires of hell because it can not only scar them – emotionally and physically. It can kill them, we must not under rate Satan, hell, and the dangers of an eternal, unquenchable fire. "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12)
My brother-in-law, Richard Scroggins just resonantly retired from the Oklahoma City Fire Department. And he will be the first to tell you that they have all kinds of tools for all kinds of situations. They have axes, pumper truck, hook and ladder truck, they have bunker gear to help protect them against the heat of a fire, masks and respirators and so on. They usually have what they need when they “go on a run” to both rescue those who need rescuing and to put out the fire.
When it comes to pulling folks from the fires of hell, God has equipped His saints (that includes you and me folks) the tools we need.
3. Utilize the Tools
Available
Prayer - as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith? (1 Thessalonians 3:10). Prayer is a tool that too many times is left as a last resort or not used at all. If we want to protect the church from apostasy, from false teaching, from slipping into destruction – We Must Pray!
Rebuke – The word rebuke means to admonish, convict, convince, tell the fault, sharply, cuttingly, severely. It is the work of the devil that tells us it is not right to confront someone about their wrong doing. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, (Ephesians 4:14-15). As much as we may not like it some times confrontation is necessary.
Doctrine – Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:16). Paul is saying we are to hold on to and teach only the truth. What truth? That Christ Jesus – God/man was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, arose from the dead, now sits at the right hand of God the Father, and will return some day for His bride (the church). It is Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone that saves. The reason why there are so many deceivers, the reason why there are so many non-offensive churches is because of a departure of doctrine.
Doctrine is one of the greatest tools we have in combating the fires of hell. How do we rescue the sinner from those fires? With the Truth of the Word of God. How do we train our young people to grow up strong in the Lord? With the Truth of the Word of God.
Understand the danger of fire, utilize the tools available and as much as we hope we never have to give one; sometimes an ultimatum may be necessary.
4. Ultimatums May Be Necessary
As much as we don't like it, and pray that it never comes to it; there are times when an ultimatum may be the only recourse left to us to try and snatch someone from the fire. Three times in the New Testament the use of an ultimatum is used. One is found in Matthew 18:15-17 ~ "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
Another is found in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 ~ It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
And finally 1 Timothy 1:18-20 speaks to this ~ This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
This is a drastic measure for a drastic matter, but sometimes it is necessary. Hopefully the one being given the ultimatum will realize their need for repentance before it becomes to late.
The act of mercy should reach so far as to attempt to actually snatch the scoffers, the apostates, the creepers from the fire of judgment. The ministry of rescuing those who have strayed from the faith is a vital one. This act of mercy of reaching out to snatch others from the fire should be done with “fear” (phóbos) (fob'-os) which means alarm or fright. You know there is nothing wrong with some “straight talk” about how frightening hell is. Many a people have been saved because of it.
And, as we have seen, it should be done with love and compassion for the sinner but with great hatred for the sin—“hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (v. 23). We are to be like Christ Jesus. He had a reputation for being a friend of sinners, but He hated sin. He came to be your Saviour and to rescue you from sin.
May you find this a challenge and an encouragement. And may the Lord richly bless you and yours.
Your brother in Christ, Biblesurfer.
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