Today you can decide to be whoever you want to be. There is nothing quite powerful than a person’s own will. And that’s the problem as well as a blessing. We see distortions all around us from the truth handed down to us.
The worship leader, Sean Feucht recently confronted publicly Matthew Blake (a former worship leader who now performs as a drag queen) over his sexualisation of young children. Blake accused Feucht of being a ‘hater’ and not one who spoke with love. The distortion from Blake outweighed the love for the children from Feucht, in Blake’s mind at least.
This letter from Jude pulls no punches as we have seen. We need this letter today as much as when it was first written. For centred around the Christian faith are those who by their choices to be whoever they want to be and do whatever they want to do are harming what was passed down to us generationally. We must continue to stand up for the truth given to us. Jude has told his readers to remember what was spoken to them by all the apostles and not just him.
“They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude v18-23)
There are scoffers. “But you, dear friends …” v20
The last days will contain scoffers. Since the ascension of Jesus Christ the world moved into the last days. During this last 2,000 we the ‘dear friends’ or ‘the beloved’ exist alongside those who ridicule the faith, the ‘scoffers’. It was always going to be. Just because they exist and ridicule this belief doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is returning soon.
We must remind ourselves who we are. We are in direct contrast to the scoffers. The word ‘dear friends’ sounds weaker than ‘beloved’ for it is the word for when the Father calls Jesus ‘You are my beloved’ in the river Jordan. You are not of the sceptics, the cynics, the scoffers. You are the beloved of God. Jude is appealing emotionally for us to not only know we are different but to be different.
But you …. The beloved, dear friends … But YOU! You don’t have to be like them.
Missions Paul 