But you, brethren, remember the utterances from that which was spoken before by the apostles and the Lord Jesus, that they said to you upon the last time there would be scoffers going about according to their own strong desires of ungodliness. These are divisive ones, soulish, not having the Spirit (Jude 17–19).
Although men and women have crept into the Church and changed the grace of God into promiscuous and unprincipled disregard for acceptable rules, moral standards, and restraints, Jude encourages us to remember the utterances from the apostles and our Lord.
These men and women bring shameful practices into the Church disguised as worship and service to God. They follow the way of Cain, teaching righteousness by works. And they merchandise the saints for their own profit and political status (Jude 11). In going after the way of Korah, they reject the authority and hierarchy that the Lord has established. They place the pastor over the Church, create Elder boards to run the assembly, and even appoint women to the position of a pastor. All contrary to the utterances we received from the apostles and our Lord.
Peter reminds us of these last days we are in. As the Israelites had false prophets, we will also have false teachers among us (2 Peter 2:1). Many will follow their destructive ways (2 Peter 2:2). Paul states that in these last days men will grow worse, becoming fond of themselves, fond of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, having a form of godliness while denying its inherent ability as they change the grace of god into financial gain (2 Timothy 2:1–5). We are to turn from such people!
Although we still have assemblies out from the assembly of Thyatira—Catholicism and her children—who teach the saints to commit spiritual fornication and worship idols through their religious practices and worshiping of saints (Revelation 2:18–29). And although we still have assemblies out from the assembly of Sardis—Reformed Theology—who have a name that is alive, but are themselves dead because they do not accept the true gospel (Revelation 3:1–6). We are in the last period of the Church on earth, the Laodicean assembly (Revelation 3:14). This assembly cares more about wealth than doctrine (Revelation 3:17). Many within this assembly are not Christians even though they make a claim to follow Jesus (Revelation 3:20). Rather than seeking God and His will, they go after their own desires, setting themselves up as champions of the faith, seeking large assemblies with multiple locations, and boasting about the wealth their assemblies have. All while ignoring proper doctrine and the truth. We truly are in the last days. Men are fond of themselves and money more than God.
Yet, our Lord still has a faithful assembly. Scripture describes it as a smaller assembly that God continues to provide for. This assembly follows the way of the Philadelphia assembly (Revelation 3:7). They hold to the Word of God and guard the Lord’s commandments to the Church (Revelation 3:10). Find and join these assemblies. They teach the Christian life. How to have victory over sin, Satan, and the world system (Romans 6:4–13; Ephesians 6:10–18; 1 Corinthians 7:31). They hold to proper doctrine of godliness, with contentment being great gain, not a person’s financial status (1 Timothy 6:6).
Just as Jude urges us, particularly in these last days, so let us keep firmly to the teachings of the apostles and our Lord, and get rid of those men and women who have entered into the Church, bringing in heresy and causing the saints to turn away from genuine godliness; and in the same way that Paul urges us, let us turn away from and reject their false teaching.
