GOD'S JUDGEMENT ON

THOSE WHO ABUSE HIS GRACE

    First century Christians had to deal with a society that was seeped in immorality. As a result, churches not only had to deal with members who fell into sin, but also with cults that rationalized and sanctioned sexual wickedness (the Gnostics). The following passages tell us how the church leaders of that time dealt with the problem.

JAMES’ REBUKE

James 4:1-4
1  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
    [Comment: The letter of James is addressed to those whose idea of faith was belief in One God, not reliance on Christ (James 1:1 and 2:19). Since those who have a false faith lack the fruits of faith, there were many problems. And, in these verses he makes it clear that those who profess to trust in Christ while rationalizing abortion (killing) or sexual immorality, are the enemies of God (verse 4).]

JUDE’S INDICTMENT

Jude 3-23
3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
    [Comment: The words “earnestly contend for the faith” make it clear that Jude saw those who turn the grace of God into an excuse to be immoral, as enemies of the faith. He then makes it clear that those who do such things are denying Christ (verse 4). It is impossible for those who do not want to be righteous, to trust in Christ for righteousness.]

5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
    [Comment: In these verses Jude explains the words “before of old ordained to this condemnation” (verse 4), by citing examples of God’s condemnation of unbelief and immorality in the past.]

8  Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
    [Comment: The words “these speak evil of those things which they know not,” (verse 10) indicate that they were speaking evil of spiritual matters, and even spiritual beings, that they knew nothing about (verse 8-9). At the same time, in matters that they did know something about, they gave into their lusts like beasts, corrupting themselves by immorality (verse 10).]

11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
    [Comment: Here Jude compares these people to Cain, Balaam, and Korah while making it perfectly clear that they are spiritually dead, and destined for eternal damnation. (Hosea 10:7, Ezekiel 19:12, Revelation 2:14, Numbers 16:30).]

14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
17  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18  How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
    [Comment: Enoch’s prophesy tells us that Jude is dealing with the same kind of reprobate behavior that was prevalent just prior to the flood (verses 14-15). Lacking the Spirit of God, those who justify such conduct mock anyone who condemns their behavior, and wax eloquent in defense of their lifestyle (verses 16,18,19).]

20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22  And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
    [Comment: Even though these men “were before of old ordained to this condemnation,” Jude makes it clear that there is a chance God may grant them repentance (verses 23). The difference is between those who are not sorry for their sin, and those who show some remorse (verse 22). Nevertheless, we need to be very careful in dealing with them lest they corrupt others (verse 23).]

PAUL’S WARNING

Hebrews 10:26-31
26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
    [Comment: Paul’s reference to willful sin brings to mind David’s sin against Uriah. As long as David walked humbly before God with a repentant heart, no sin was imputed to him (Psalm 32:2). However, when he hardened his heart to commit adultery, and then murder, Christ’s sacrifice did not cover his sin until he repented. (Compare 1Kings 15:5 with 2Samuel 12:13.)]

28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
    [Comment: These verses tell us that those who use God’s grace to justify wicked behavior will suffer things far worse than death, for that is like spitting in Christ’s face, showing contempt for His sacrifice, and treating His death on the cross as something evil (verse 29).]

PAUL’S CALL FOR DISCIPLINE

1Corinthians 5:1-13
1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
    [Comment: These verses make it clear that it is wrong for any congregation to tolerate immorality. The man specifically being dealt with was guilty of a sin that was clearly condemned by God’s moral law (verse 1, Leviticus 20:11, Deuteronomy 27:20). And, because he was unrepentant, Paul instructed the congregation to deliver him to Satan (verses 2, 5).]

6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9  I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
    [Comment: Verse thirteen tells us that delivering that man to Satan involved excluding him from the congregation. He was to be treated as a “heathen man and a publican” (verse 11, Matthew 18:17). However, this was not to be an act of spite on the part of the congregation, but a rebuke that was given in hope that he might be convicted of his sin by the congregation as a whole (verse 5).]
    [Note: The words, “whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” tell us that when a congregation carries out this discipline as God intended, He will stand behind it (Matthew 18:18).]

1Corinthians 6:9-11
9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
    [Comment: In verses nine and ten Paul lays down the law, making it clear that God still condemns wicked behavior, and those who are guilty of it will not inherit the kingdom of God. In verse eleven he comforts those who have repented by assuring them that their guilt has been washed away through faith in Jesus Christ. (1John 1:7-9, Romans 10:4)]

2Corinthians 2:6-8
6  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
7  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
8  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
    [Comment: Since the man referred to in verse six seems to be the same man that was delivered to Satan in 1Corinthians 5:1-5, these verses tell us that when someone has been placed under church discipline, they can be received back into the fellowship if they repent.]

CONCLUSION

    Although Christ died so that we could have forgiveness, He is not going to allow His sacrifice to be used as an excuse to sin. As Paul warned, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Because repentance and faith are gifts of God, those who think that they can commit adultery and then ask for forgiveness, may just find that they cannot feel any remorse for what they have done, or cannot believe that they are really forgiven. At the same time, it is impossible for those who are not sorry for their sins, and have no desire to be righteous, to rely on Christ to make them righteous (Romans 10:4).