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.
- Jude 5
In this short but sobering verse, Jude continues with his letter to the faithful in the church, reminding them that certain people have crept in with a doctrine of promiscuity. This is similar to the Revelation churches of Pergamos and Thiatira, where many in the congregation had departed from the virtue of the Gospel due to some new teachings within.
As we see, there are parallel gospels in every era. Each generation of believers must deal with these diversions and stay true to the purity taught by God. It is easy to be duped by cunningly crafted interpretations of the Word. Most often, these words lead us down a path which more suits the flesh in us than the spirit. Those people God destroyed in the desert all departed Egypt as believers, enthusiastic as anybody in the crowd.
Then, after a short while and a couple of tests, they let sin and unbelief enter their hearts, and commenced arguing about the gospel with Moses. On the mount, while Moses was on his mission to discuss the finer details with God, their promiscuity arose and God killed some of them right there. Most of those who were fortunate enough to live through that, still did not address the sin in their hearts, which arose from time to time, until God made sure all that generation were killed off before entering the promised land. Jude is telling us to challenge ourselves before God does, for any stretched-grace we might be trying to apply to our lives.
Today’s Prayer: Lord, thank you for the warnings you place throughout your Bible. Please help me to see that I, too, need check my walk with you, and straighten out the not-so-straight areas of my life.
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