Certainty in an Age of Deception

Certainty in an Age of Deception

I was reminded a couple of weeks ago when Aaron was preaching on Psalm 119 just how much I love the truth of God’s word. I’ve given more than 30 years of my life to reading, understanding, teaching, and preaching the truth. I realize that truth is what defines and sets apart biblical Christianity. Truth is what set me free when I was Born Again. The church is the pillar and ground of truth, truth is what sanctifies the believers, God’s word is truth. Jesus Christ himself is truth. And all believers have in this world that is certain is truth, it is the rock to which we build our house that no approaching storms on the cultural horizon intimidates nor threats the demise of the church. The truth is always under attack. Lies, deception, twisting it, distorting, redefining, conforming it to current ideologies and theories. Satan, one way or another, attacks the truth.

“The church on earth has, and until the second advent must be, the church militant, the church armed, the church warring, the church conquering. And how is this? It is in the very order of things that so it must be. Truth could not be truth in this world if it were not a warring thing, and we should at once suspect that it were not truth if error were friends with it. The spotless purity of truth must always be at war with the blackness of heresy and lies.” – C H Spurgeon.

The brother of James, a prominent leader in the church at Jerusalem, the half-brother of Jesus, Jude was simply a servant, surrendered, sold out, serving where God had called him. Intending to write about the common salvation, the danger was great, the grace of God was being perverted, made a license to do as they pleased. Peter had earlier warned the church of their arrival, 2 Peter 2:1 “1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” 3:3 “3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” Jude warns, Jude 4, they are here! The churches message was on the verge of taking a fatal turn becoming pliable and ambiguous, to be more attractive to those who were in tune with the culture. Jude did not want Christians caught off guard, the challenge was great, people’s lives were hanging in the balance, Jude 22. Believers had nothing to fear, God is able to keep His elect from falling for the lies.

Jude 3 “3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

“contend earnestly” – epagōnizomai – agōnizomai, to agonize, to fight, to struggle, to battle, to give great effort, to give great exertion. You add the prefix preposition, and it intensifies it, and it’s a good translation to contend earnestly or to battle mightily, or to struggle powerfully for the faith. The faith being the body of truth. The word is objective. It’s not subjective; objective faith.

Critical need for discernment, Jude 4.

“Unnoticed” means “to sneak in.” People have become so complacent, comfortable, and so coddled they can’t differentiate truth from a lie.

We have been warned of the swelling tide of false teachings; Matthew 7:15-17 “15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 24:11 “11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” Acts 20:29-30 “29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” 1 Timothy 4:1 “1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,” 2 Timothy 3:1-7 “1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 4:1-4 “1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 1 John 4:1-3 “1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

Preying on weak, guilt ridden, emotional wrecks of people, 2 Timothy 3:6 “6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,”

The rejection and intolerance of confrontative and demanding preaching.

There is a desperate need for discernment; thinking biblically, Matthew 7:16-17 “16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.” Ephesians 4:11-14 “11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Discernment is the ability to make a biblical distinction between truth and error, and right and wrong. It is telling the difference between good fruit and bad fruit.

The ability to think biblically and live an uncompromising life is to exercise discernment.

Confronted with challenging questions.

What are the distinguishing marks of a legitimate minister?

What are the distinguishing marks of a authentic Christian?

If all this corruption and apostasy is escalating, is God really sovereign? Are things running amok because God really doesn’t have control over all of this?

Is the individual Christian on the brink of losing themselves in this undercurrent of subjectivity? Will the church cease to exist by being eaten alive from the inside out?

Have you ever heard of the Parasitoid wasp? They reproduce by injecting their eggs into caterpillars and then allowing their young to literally eat their way through the host bug's body. The caterpillar is literally eaten alive from the inside out.

Certainty in an age of deception, Jude 1, 24 To those who are… (Somethings cannot be undone!)

Certainty in an age of deception is bookended by two promises. Jude 2, 24.

The certainty, believers are called, loved, kept, and blessed, the believer has nothing to fear.

Does God not know how to keep, safeguard, protect, and care for His very own in the most darkest of times.

Knowing who I am in Christ helps in an age of deception, Ephesians 1:3-14.

“Called” the kletōs, “the chosen.” The Greek “called” comes at the end of this sentence; loved and kept are modifiers of this truth.

The pactum salutis, formal agreement before the foundation of the world, to redeem a people for Himself.

It is the story behind the story.

The triune God committed in eternity past to redeem elect sinners.

It is the basis for all of God’s purposes in nature and history, foundation of redemption, Romans 8:19-24 “19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?”

Central to everything God does in the world is Jesus, the one sent to secure the salvation of chosen, it pivots on the cross of Christ, Ephesians 1:10 “10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Foundation of salvation, this covenant is the ultimate source of assurance.

In love, God decreed (an official order), conceived, planned, and wills the work of salvation, Ephesians 1:11 “11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Jesus Christ guarantees it and effectively acquires it; dying on the cross, Hebrews 10:5-10 “5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” 8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Spirit implements it and applies it; effectual calling, Romans 8:30 “30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Being the called is central to our identity.

Pure grace, exclusive, nothing we have done, just undeserved favor, Ephesians 2:8-9.

Salvation is irreversible wrapped in God’s decree to save.

The ultimate purpose, Ephesians 1:6 “6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” 12 “12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” 14 “14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

A settled reality for the believer is that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ, Romans 8:35-39 “35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A settled reality the believer is kept safe in their salvation.

“kept by Jesus Christ” tēreō, to guard, watch, and keep, John 6:37 “37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” John 10:27-28 “27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Once you’re in the Father’s hand and the Son’s hand, nobody can take you out, you are kept, and you are kept by Jesus.

1 Peter 1:5, “5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” God keeps me saved. If God holds us, there’s no power that can break His hold.

Knowing what I have in Christ helps in age of deception, Jude 2.

The abundant blessings flowing into the believer’s life; growing in number, a constant increase.

Prayer, promise, a pledge that no matter how hard it gets, we will be blessed.

Mercy when we fail. If we could lose our salvation, it would be due to sin, but God multiplies mercy.

Love when we feel forsaken, God’s love being poured out, Romans 5:5 “5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Peace when we fear, in every situation, John 14:27 “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Closing Remarks

No matter how sever a shift occurs within the framework of society or a culture. With such a sudden downturn and decline, onslaught of deception worming its way into our churches where subjective truth overriding objective truth, there is certain things that will never change, God will see to it. This is Judes point in his opening prologue, rest in the fact that no matter how bad it gets, 1 Corinthians 1:9 “9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

He has purchased and called. He loves and protects. He showers his children with mercy and blesses them with peace. Because we are his, we have internal security in our hearts, external security in the world, and eternal security in heaven.