Today's Morning Thought

Denying our Lord Jesus Christ

Scripture Passage:
Jude 1:4
[4]For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Encouragement:
Previously, whenever I had heard about denying the Lord, I have always imagined some individuals with knives to our necks asking us to renounce our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the only context I knew to be true - Others persecuting us to force us to renounce our faith in the Lord.
Of course, this is happening around the world and I, in no way, am taking anything away from those of my Brothers and Sisters who have been through this. They are true believers. True martyrs for the Lord. They are our heroes.
However, when I read this verse and really studied it, I discovered something which I had never even thought of before. It is entirely possible to deny our Lord Jesus Christ without any external threats to our lives. It is through our lifestyle. It is through our actions. It is through lewdness. Every time we indulge in lewdness, we deny our Lord Jesus Christ. Everytime we take the grace of the Lord for granted, we deny the Lord. Everytime we abuse of the mercy of God, we deny Him.

Hebrews 10:26-31 says:

"[26]For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
[27]but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
[28]Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
[29]Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
[30]For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
[31]It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

For some of us, the word Lewdness may be unfamiliar. Let us see what the word means:

1. Online dictionary defines the word Lewdness as the trait of behaving in an obscene manner. synonyms: bawdiness, obscenity, salaciousness, salacity. types: dirtiness, smuttiness. obscenity in speech or writing. It is conduct that is indecent, obscene, or lascivious. The term is commonly used in statutes to refer to pornography, prostitution, indecent exposure, and other sexual conduct.

2. Strong's g766 defines the word in the following manner:
- Lexical: ἀσέλγεια
- Transliteration: aselgeia
- Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
- Phonetic Spelling: as-elg'-i-a
- Definition: (outrageous conduct, conduct shocking to public decency, a wanton violence), wantonness, lewdness.
- Origin: From a compound of a (as a negative particle) and a presumed selges (of uncertain derivation, but apparently meaning continent); licentiousness (sometimes including other vices).
- Usage: filthy, lasciviousness, wantonness.
- Translated as (count): sensuality (9), to sensuality (1).

3. For further clarity, the word lasciviousness means feeling morbid sexual desire or a propensity to lewdness. Synonyms are carnality, lubricity, prurience, pruriency. Type of: amativeness, amorousness, eroticism, erotism, sexiness.
- inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man. arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs.

4. Definition of wantonness: the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry. Synonyms: abandon, abandonment, unconstraint.
An adjective used to describe behavior that is either particularly inhuman (as in cruel and wanton behavior), or behavior that is lewd or bawdy (in a sexual context).
It is described as Extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures.

5. The Bible says in Romans 13: 12 - 13:
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and WANTONNESS, not in strife and envying.

6. John MacArthur describes the meaning of the word lewdness in the following manner in his Study Bible:
"Literally unrestrained vice or gross immorality, which describes the shameless lifestyle of one who irreverently flaunts God's grace by indulging in unchecked and open immorality."

The word deny is defined in the following manner:
Strong's g720
- Lexical: ἀρνέομαι
- Transliteration: arneomai
- Part of Speech: Verb
- Phonetic Spelling: ar-neh'-om-ahee
- Definition: (a) to deny (a statement), (b) to repudiate (a person, or belief).
- Origin: Perhaps from a (as a negative particle) and the middle voice of rheo; to contradict, i.e. Disavow, reject, abnegate.
- Usage: deny, refuse.
- Translated as (count): denying (6), he denied (5), denied (4), having denied (2), to deny (2), will deny (2), disowned (1), have denied (1), he has denied (1), let him deny (1), refused (1), shall deny (1), they deny (1), they rejected (1), we will deny (1), Were denying (1), you have denied (1), you will deny (1).

John MacArthur talks about the denial by these false believers:
"Two Greek words for Lord are used here. The apostates disowned Christ as Sovereign Lord (despotes) and disdained any recognition of Christ as honorable Lord (kurios) by their wicked behaviour."

Matthew Henry writes in his Commentary that "Those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness do in effect deny the Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now let me be very clear: this verse is not talking about true believers. This verse is not talking about genuine Christians who have been saved, washed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, redeemed by His grace and are daily walking with the Lord. Yes, Christians do sin. Yes, Christians do fall. But genuine Christians are marked by repentance. They are marked by godly sorrow for their sins. They do not persist in a particular sin but renounce and forsake that sin in submission to the Lord.
This verse is about the ungodly ones - ones who profess to be Christians but are not. These are ones who are delusional. They think they are saved but are not.

So why am I writing about such people?
1. Because, unfortunately, such people are present in our churches. This is an undeniable fact. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares making us aware that agents of Satan will be present among us. Their objective will be to divide us and to corrupt us.
2. Because, unfortunately, they hold positions of authority and influence in the church. They are on the church boards and leadership groups. They are not the timid ones but the outspoken, critical and overbearing ones.
3. Because, unfortunately, they are often involved in teaching and preaching. They are responsible for guiding a new Saint in his walk with the Lord. They take Sunday School. They are leading various ministries such as youth, worship,etc. They are the Preachers on the pulpits who hold you sway with their words but whose goal is to be mere beneficiaries of what you can give them.
4. Because, unfortunately, they are responsible for the doctrine taught in the church. They are responsible for identifying, declaring, teaching and enforcing what is being taught in the church.

How will we identify such people?
Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself told us the answer in Matthew 7:15-23:

"[15]“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
[16]You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
[17]Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
[18]A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
[19]Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
[20]Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
[21]“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
[22]Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
[23]And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

We will know them by their fruits. Their bad fruits. What are bad fruits? Anything which is contrary to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Doctrine that people persist in committing. Their very inclination is toward evil. They hide behind facades and masks, and only show their true colours in private.

John Gill has described such people in the following manner:
"they are said to have "crept in unawares": either into private houses, as was the custom of those men; or into the churches, and become members of them being the tares the enemy sows among the wheat; or into the ministry, assuming that office to themselves, without being called and sent of God; and so into the public assemblies of the saints, spreading their poisonous doctrines among them; and also into their affections, until discovered; and so the Ethiopic version reads here, "because ungodly men have entered into your hearts"; and all this was at an unawares, privily, secretly, without any thought about them, or suspicion of them:

John Gill further explains how these ungodly ones subvert the grace of God:
"wicked men turn or transfer it from its original nature, design, and use, to a foreign one: and they may be said to turn it into lasciviousness, either by asserting it to be a licentious doctrine, when it is not; or by treating it in a wanton and ludicrous manner, scoffing at it, and lampooning it; or by making the doctrine of grace universal, extending it equally alike to all mankind, and thereby harden and encourage men in sin"

How does this apply to us?
It should give us pause and make us examine our lives. Are we bearing good fruit? Are we indulging in a secret sin which we are not letting go of and yet are appearing as though we are angels descended from heaven itself? Are we marked by repentance and godly sorrow? What are our motives in church? Power? Position? Glory? Fame? Riches?
Or
Grace? Repentance? Deliverance? Hope? Peace? Mercy? Love? A knowledge of and conformation to our Lord Jesus Christ?
It should make us ask whether we are genuine believers or are we merely delusional?

Have a blessed day!