Senses exercised to discern both good and evil

 

Charles Spurgeon on who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil from his sermon on Hebrews 5:14, Strong Meat

But then our text tells us that they have had their senses exercised. The soul has senses as well as the body. Men who have had their senses exercised know how to choose between good and evil. Now, what are these senses? Well, there are our spiritual eyes. When the babe first sees it has little idea of distances. I suppose that to a babe’s eyes everything appears as a flat surface. It is the result of after-experience which enables the man to know that such a thing is so many yards off, and that another is so many miles distant. Travellers, who go to Switzerland for the first time, soon discover that they have not had their eyes exercised. You think that you can reach the peak of yonder mountain in half-an-hour. There is the top of yonder rock; you dream that a boy might fly his kite to the summit, but it shall take you hours to climb there, and weary limbs alone can bear you to the dizzy height. At a distance, young travellers scarcely know which is mountain and which is cloud. All this is the result of not having the eyes exercised upon such glorious objects. It is just precisely so in spiritual things, unless Christians have their eyes exercised. I hope, dear friends, you know what it is to see Christ; your eyes, by faith, have looked upon the King in his beauty. You know what it is, too, to see self; you have looked into the depravity of your own heart, and have been amazed. Your eyes have seen the rising and the falling of many deceptions. Your eyes have been tried in waiting for God in many a dark night, or in beholding him in the midst of many a bright Providence. Thus your eyes have been exercised. Now, when a doctrine is put before you, a strong doctrine, you look at it and say—“Ah! Yes; my eye of faith tells me from what I have seen before that that is healthy food upon which I may feed.” But if you detect something in it that is too high, or too low, you at once say—“No, that won’t do for me,” and you put it by. Hence it is that the man, the eye of whose faith has been tried with bright visions and dark revelations, is qualified to discern between good and evil in those great mysteries which would be too high for unexercised believers. Then there is the ear. We hear it said of some that they have no ear for music. We sometimes hear it said of others that they have an ear for music, and they can tell when people are singing half a note amiss. How shocked they would sometimes be with some of you who will persist in running away from our good leader, and getting a whole note amiss! But there are some who cannot tell one note from another. So is it in spiritual things, “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound,” but many do not know the difference between the joyful sound and that which is half a note lower. Why, dear friends, when a Christian is well taught, he knows when a note goes too high, and he says— “No, no, no; that jars;” or when it goes too low he says— “No, that is out of tune.” He wants to have the keynote of the Gospel constantly before him, and any divergence from the grand old tune of orthodoxy, which he has learned from the Word of God, at once makes him feel wretched. He has a fine, keen, discerning ear; he can tell at once any mistake, and is not to be led astray by it. Hence it is that such persons are fit to hear the solid doctrines of the gospel preached, because they have listened to the voice of God. They have heard the charms of evil, and have despised them; they have heard the conversation of educated saints, they have been taught in the ways of the Lord, and knowing, therefore, the difference between this and that, they can discern between good and evil, and are not to be led astray. Happy is he whose ear is well tuned to discern both good and evil. Then, dear friends, comes the nose, the intention of which sense is to smell things afar off. True Christians have smelt the fragrance of Christ’s fellowship. “While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.” Advanced Christians know the fragrance of heaven. The angels have brought them bundles of myrrh from the other side the stream; they have had their nostrils exercised, and you know the nostrils are of very essential use in reference to food. The nostrils can soon detect decay or that spiciness which the crafty trader employs to conceal it. There are certain persons whose ministry is putrid, but they lay on thickly very excellent spice about the safety of the believer, and the joy and peace that there are in Christ, that the putridity is somewhat checked, and some Christian people eat the nauseous morsels, forgetting, or not knowing what they really are, because of the sweet savouriness and flavour in which the whole is wrapped up. But our nostrils are given us on purpose to detect the craft and mischief of designing men; and the spiritual nostril that has been made to perceive the difference between the righteous and the wicked, will soon be able to perceive what is true food and what is carrion. Then, you know, there is the taste; and this sense needs educating, too. Some men have no taste; to them flavour is no luxury. There are many who have no taste spiritually. Give them a cup of mingle-mangle— “perhapses,” “ifs,” “buts,” “peradventures,” creature-willings, and creature-doings, and if it is only warm they will drink it down and say, “Oh! how delightful!” If you give them a cup, on the other hand, that is full of divine purposes, precious promises, and sure mercies of David; if you will only flavour it with a good style of oratory, they will drink that sweet potion too and relish it. The two things may contradict each other flatly, but these people have no discernment— they have not had their senses exercised. But those of you who have been made to taste the sweets of covenant grace, you, especially, who have eaten his flesh and drunk his blood, and you, too, who have been made to drink the wormwood and the gall till your mouth knows every flavour, from the bitterness of death up to the glory of immortality, you may taste the strong meat without any fear, for your senses are exercised. Lastly, there is the sense of touch, and you know, how in some men, ' this has been developed to a very high degree; how men who are deficient in sight, for instance, have acquired by touch the knowledge which would, if they had not been blind, have been derived from their eyes. So believers have been made to touch the hem of Jesu’s garment. They have exercised the sense of feeling by joy, by rapture, perhaps by doubt and by fear, and their touch has become so acute, so keen, that, though their eyes were shut, as soon as they touch a doctrine they would know what was of God and what of man.

First Principles: Resurrection and Judgment

and of resurrection of the dead

Our hope is not to die and go to heaven; no, our hope, our full salvation, is the resurrection from the dead. Jesus said, “because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19).

1 Corinthians 15:52-53 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

This is very important, our hope is not that we live forever in heaven as disembodied spirits. I hear this quite often, “You are a spirit, who has a soul, that lives in a body. Your body is your earth suit.” No. No! NO! Hear again the creation of man Genesis 2:7:

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

You see that? First God made the body; then He breathed the breath of spirit of life; then man became a living soul. When I look in the mirror, I see me. When you look at me, you see me. Spirit, soul, and body. That’s me. That’s you. That’s why we read in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."

The soul without the body is naked, unclothed. Resurrection is the salvation promised by God, spirit, soul, and body, me, restored.

The resurrection of the body is expressed in the Apostle’s Creed, “I believe in… the resurrection of the body.” We have, for some reason, toned this down, resurrection of the body. Did you know that in both the Latin (carnis resurrectionem) and Greek (σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν) versions, it is very shocking, very in your face, it is resurrection of the flesh.

and of eternal judgment

This is the day of judgment we have all heard something about. It’s “called eternal, because the sentence then pronounced is irreversible, and the effects of it remain for ever.” (John Wesley)

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 2:6, 16 Who will render to every man according to his deeds... In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ

This is why it is so important, vital really, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ now. When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and we are justified, declared righteous before God.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10  how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, this judgment is to be feared; if you are a believer you may have confidence when he comes. 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

What do we do with these first principles or foundation? First of all, Have we repented and believed? been baptized and had hands laid on us? Second, Do we understand these first principles well enough to teach them to others? If we answer, Yes, then let us go on unto perfection!

NEXT: Charles Spurgeon on who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil from his sermon on Hebrews 5:14

First Principles: Baptism and Laying on of hands

of the doctrine of baptisms -

As you can see, this list is following the steps we take in turning to the Lord. Repentance leads to faith, faith leads to baptism. This is the pattern throughout the New Testament, when someone believed in Christ they were baptized.

The doctrine of baptism is the teaching of baptism: Who it’s for and what it does.

Who is it for?

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized

Acts 2:38 Repent, and be baptized

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip…they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:36-38 See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest

Acts 18:8 Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

As I said before, Repentance leads to faith, faith leads to baptism. Interesting fact, there is no “sinner’s prayer” in the New Testament. Say what? How did they accept Christ? What did the invitation look like? "Jesus died and rose again, he is the Messiah. If you believe this, come and be baptized." Repent and be baptized, Believe and be baptized.¹

What does it do?

All I’m going to do is list verses from the New Testament that describe baptism:

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 2:38 Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Galatians 3:26-27 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Repentance, faith, baptism. Always in that order. Whatever else you conclude about baptism, we have to admit, it seals the deal. I say, “I believe in Jesus.” The Church, acting upon the authority of the Lord, baptizes me, assuring me, “Your sins are forgiven, you are born again.” ²

Amen. But why does Paul say, “the doctrine of baptisms”? Plural. Because there are three main baptisms mentioned in the New Testament: the baptism of John, Christian baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit.

John’s baptism was to prepare the people for Christ; Christian baptism is a declaration that Jesus is the Promised Messiah; baptism with the Holy Spirit is the receiving of the promise of the Father. We see all three in Acts 19:1-6.

and of laying on of hands – Listen to John Wesley, “The next thing [after repentance, faith, baptism] was, to lay hands upon them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.” This may be a shocking confession, but he was just being faithful to the Word.

We lay hands on people to impart grace. This is from the Old Testament. The priests would lay their hand on the sacrifice to place the sin of the people on it. Then we see Moses and Joshua in Numbers 27:22-23, “And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded.”

In the New Testament it is done:

+ when praying for the sick, Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe… they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover

+ when praying for people to receive the Holy Spirit, Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them

+ when imparting a spiritual gift, 1 Tim 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery

+ when ordaining elders and deacons Acts 6:6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them

+ commissioning someone to ministry, Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

The laying on of hands is so powerful. What a privilege! What a blessing!

NEXT: First Principles: Resurrection and Judgement

¹ I will be the first to admit this is a hasty and superficial overview of baptism in the NT. What do I mean? I mean I’m not addressing the issue of the baptism of infants and children. All the baptisms in the Book of Acts are what have been termed “missionary baptisms”, that is, people coming to the faith for the first time. But even here, we read of whole houses being baptized. See what I wrote about this here. 

Infant baptism is not discussed by the apostles, but when it first appears in the writings of the early believers, there is no discussion, no debate, no opposition; it appears as an established practice with apostolic approval. If we’re honest, we have to consider and study this.

² The NT very clearly says we are baptized into the forgiveness of sins, into Christ, into the body. It also appears to link baptism to regeneration, and many references to being washed probably refer to baptism. I’m not writing a book, so I can’t take up all these matters here. 

First Principles: Repentance and faith

Now we come to the principles that full grown believers should know and be able to teach.

6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;

He says he’s leaving the principles or ABCs of the faith, but he is still going to mention them.

Let us go on unto perfection – perfection is not the same exact word as full age in 5:14, but it is closely related; in fact, it comes from that word. The word for full age means to reach the goal. What is the goal of the baby? To grow up. Perfection means completion, actually grown up; not merely grown up, but knowing, wise, mature. This doesn’t just happen, we have a part to play in reaching this stage, let us go on unto perfection.

not laying again the foundation – these are called foundational teaching because you build on them.

1 of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

There are 6 of these. I will consider them one by one

of repentance from dead works - To repent means to change your mind. As Derek Prince put it, “Repentance is not an emotion, it is a decision; a firm, inward decision, a change of mind. Repentance is an inner change of mind resulting in an outward turning around.”

This is the first step in turning to the Lord, we must change our thinking about God, Jesus, ourselves, salvation.

Here he says, repentance from dead works. He is speaking to Jewish believers, who at one time thought all their efforts to keep the Law made them righteous. This sounds like a lot of people today: “I’m a good person, I do good things, I go to church; I’m confident this has made me right with God.” He says all this is dead works. It doesn’t work. It’s like having your house all wired, but the electricity is not turned on – nothing will work. Or, a car with a dead battery or no gas - it won’t run. Before we can be saved we have to know we are lost, that we can’t save ourselves. Repentance is coming to this understanding: “I am not saved; I am living in sin; I can’t do anything to save myself; Jesus died and rose again for me, he can save me. You, only You can save me!”

Repentance is a vital first step, and true repentance leads to faith.

and of faith toward God – In Acts 20:21 Paul said he preached, Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. There are so many scenarios:

+ I’m a very religious and upright person, that will be enough to get into heaven

+ Nobody’s coming to save us, we have to do it on our own; I don’t need help

+ There is no god and there is nothing after death

+ My gods are good enough, they will help me

+ There was no Jesus; never lived, didn’t die for me, certainly didn’t rise from the dead

+ I can live any way I want to, God will just have to accept it

+ Nobody has ever loved me; God doesn’t love me, he doesn’t care about me]

+ I’ve done too many bad things, God would never accept me

You can see how repentance and faith work together. You change the way you think about God, Jesus, sin, your life, eternity; then you believe the Gospel: There is a God, He loves me, He sent his Son Jesus to die for me, he rose from the dead, he promises to save me; “Jesus, you are alive, you are the Savior; I believe in you. Save me!”

Repentance is the first step, it prepares me to take that big step, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else in this list flows out of this faith in Christ.

Whether you think you are already good enough, or you are too far gone, you have to repent, change your thinking, and believe in Jesus Christ.

Whether you think there is no god, or that all gods are the same, you have to repent, change your thinking, acknowledge there is only one God, and believe Jesus is His Son.

Whether you think you don’t need a Savior, you can save yourself, or you’ve been living in open rebellion against God and his ways, you have to repent, change your way of thinking, admit you need a Savior, that you need to be saved from sin, and believe in Jesus Christ.

Repentance is not merely being sorry you did wrong or got caught, it is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Faith is not merely mental assent to a set of statements, it is believing Jesus is the Savior, who died and rose again, and trusting him to save you.

Romans 10:13, 14, 17

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

NEXT: First Principles: Baptism and Laying on of hands

First Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Hebrews 5:11-14

 

In the early years of my Christian life I was introduced to Derek Prince, who was a tremendous influence in my growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of his works was The Spirit-Filled Believer’s Handbook.¹ In this he goes through the foundational teaching or doctrines in Hebrews 6. I want to go through Hebrews 5:11-6:3 and present the challenge of the Apostle and briefly touch on these first principles (in a much less comprehensive and thorough way than Bro Prince!). I pray that all who read my notes will be blessed and encouraged in the grace of Christ.

Obviously, the best way to understand this passage is to start at chapter 1 and read everything leading up to this, then what comes after (and I encourage you to do that), but for now I’m confining myself to these seven verses. Let’s start!

5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 

He² points out a problem that is hindering them from growing, We have many things to say, but ye are dull of hearing. Wow, he did not mince words! What in the world was going on?

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 

Ah, he gets right to it! At this point in your faith, you ought to be able to teach the faith, instead you need to be (re)taught the first principles of the faith.

We have to ask two questions:

(1) How / when do we come to the place where we ought to be teachers? I think the simple answer is time and teaching. If we are sitting under teachers who are carefully and faithfully presenting the whole counsel of God, and we are receiving and acting on the Word, we will grow in grace and knowledge.

(2) The second question is blunt and personal: Am I able to teach the basics of the Christian faith, or am I in need of being taught myself?

are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat – Paul makes this same distinction in 1 Corinthians 3, as does Peter in 1 Peter 2. Milk is good, but it is clearly the first principles of the faith. These folks have been believers long enough that they should have graduated from milk to meat.³

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 

Milk is for babes in Christ, new believers. But as he explains, everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; they don’t understand it, they can’t defend it, they can’t teach it. We don’t expect that of babies. Babies are wonderful, but the normal thing is for them to grow in strength and understanding.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Strong meat, solid food, is for them that are of full age, who have grown and matured.⁴

Who are the persons of full age? “Understand, dear friends, that there is no reference here at all to the age of a person as to human life. The Greek word is, “Men that are perfect;” it signifies, therefore, spiritual men who have attained to the highest degree of spiritual development. Now this is not the result of years, for there are some grey heads that have no more wisdom than when they first began; and, on the other hand, there are some youthful believers who are worthy to be called fathers in Israel... Growth in grace does not run side by side with growth in years. As old Master Brooks says, “There are some few believers who seem to be born with beards; they are ripe Christians at a very early stage of their spiritual existence; and there are some who ... are always babes, needing the spoon and the rocking-chair, even in old age. The expression in the text, then, has no reference to age, but is used in a spiritual and metaphorical sense.”⁵

One of the signs of their maturity is their ability to discern both good and evil. Discernment is a very helpful and necessary grace that every believer needs and can walk in. I believe the passage reveals three ingredients to discernment, three steps:

(1) time growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ

(2) being thoroughly taught the word righteousness

(3) regularly exercising discernment (reason of use…senses exercised; this will be a separate post)

This is the backdrop for Hebrews 6, or as they say today, the backstory.

NEXT: The First Principles Hebrews 6:1-3

 

¹ Later republished under different titles, now known as Foundation Series

² I believe the he is the Apostle Paul.

³ We are all familiar with the distinction between milk and meat. Milk means milk (cow, sheep, goat, camel, yak); meat refers to solid food: vegetables, fruits, as well as “meat” (beef, pork, chicken etc). This all being true, I still prefer to use milk and meat.

⁴ “A careful examination of the context will inform you that one form of strong meat which is only fit for full grown Christians is the allegorical exposition of Scriptural history… Beyond a doubt, the historical parts of Scriptures are intended to be instructive allegories, setting forth heavenly mysteries... Holy Scripture is to be received, not only as a literal description of facts which really did occur, but as a picture in which grace-taught souls, illuminated by the Holy Ghost, may see pourtrayed in express characters the great gospel of the living God.” Charles Spurgeon sermon: “Hebrews 5:14, Strong Meat”

⁵ Charles Spurgeon sermon: “Hebrews 5:14, Strong Meat”

The Epistle of Jude 22-25

 

 

This is the conclusion of Jude’s short, but powerful epistle.

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.

I don’t think he’s talking about the false teachers. I think he’s talking about those who have been lured away by them, captured by their false teaching and lascivious living. Let’s be honest, “You can believe in Jesus AND live any way you want to. You don’t have to be held back, suppressed by those old-fashioned, legalistic, hateful rules” is much more attractive to the flesh than

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence*, even as the Gentiles which know not God

(1 Thessalonians 4:3-5) [*passion for forbidden things]

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 6:17 - 7:1)

So we want to keep ourselves in the love of God and seek to rescue the fallen and wayward.

Jude ends with a doxology. Nearly every book after Acts ends with a doxology, a praise to God. This is beautiful.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

He began with, “ye are preserved (kept) by Jesus Christ”, then in the middle of the letter he urges us to “keep yourselves in the love of God”. Now he closes with the focus once again on the Lord who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the Father.

“To the only wise God - He alone who is the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, who alone can teach, who alone has declared the truth; that truth in which ye now stand.

Our Savior - Who has by his blood washed us from our sins, and made us kings and priests unto God the Father.

Be glory - Be ascribed all light, excellence, and splendor.

Majesty - All power, authority, and pre-eminence.

Dominion - All rule and government in the world and in the Church, in earth and in heaven.

And power - All energy and operation to every thing that is wise, great, good, holy, and excellent.

Both now - In the present state of life and things.

And ever - To the end of all states, places, dispensations, and worlds; and to a state which knows no termination, being that Eternity in which this glory, majesty, dominion, and power ineffably and incomprehensibly dwell.

Amen - So let it be, so ought it to be, and so it shall be.”¹

 

Amen!

1 Adam Clarke, commentary on Jude. You can read it here.

Praying in the Holy Spirit

 

(I quoted A.B. Simpson in my last post. That quote was very good (which is why I used it!), but he had more to say about praying in the Spirit, which is also very good, and I wanted to share that as well.)

1. The Holy Spirit lays upon us the desire and burden of prayer. Sometimes we understand it; sometimes we do not. Sometimes it is a joyful consciousness of spiritual elevation; sometimes it is an unutterable and inarticulate groan. Sometimes it is a definite sense of need, a consciousness of personal defect, or a heart-searching sense of our own emptiness and failure. It is a blessed thing to “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The sense of need is the shadow side of the blessing. Let us thank the Holy Spirit when He gives us the burden of prayer.

2. The Holy Spirit enables us to pray according to the will of God. He gives us direction in our prayers. He saves us from wasting our breath and asking at random. He illuminates our mind to understand the Scriptural foundations of prayer, and makes us understand the things that are agreeable to the will of God, enabling us to ask with confidence that it is His will, and that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

3. The Holy Spirit gives us access into the presence of God. He creates for us the atmosphere of prayer. He gives us the sense of the Father’s presence. He leads us to the door of mercy and steadies our hand as we hold out the scepter of prayer, and reveals to us that inner world of divine things which none but he that feels it, knows.

4. The Holy Spirit enables us to pray in the name of Jesus. He shows us our redemption rights through the great Mediator, and coming in His name we can ask even as He, and humbly, yet confidently claim, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me, and I know that Thou hearest Me always.”

5. The Holy Spirit enables us to pray in faith, “for He that cometh unto God, must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”

He enables us when we pray to “believe that we receive the things that we ask,” and to rest in the Master’s word, without anxiety or fear. He witnesses to the heart the quiet assurance of acceptance and He sustains us in the trial of our faith which follows, enabling us still to trust and not be afraid.

6. The Holy Spirit enables us to pray the prayer of love, as well as the prayer of faith. The Holy Spirit leads us into the dignity and power of our holy priesthood, laying upon us the burdens of the Great High Priest, and permitting us to be partakers of “that which remaineth of the sufferings of Christ for His Body, the Church.” In this blessed ministry we are often made conscious of the needs of others, and permitted to hold up some suffering or tempted life in the hour of peril; and we shall find some day that many a life was saved, many a victory won, and many a blessing enjoyed through this hallowed ministry that reaches those we love by way of the throne, when we never could have reached them directly.

When we become wholly emancipated from our own selfish cares and worries, and fully at leisure for the burdens of the Master, the Spirit is glad to lay upon us the needs of the multitudes of God’s people, and the burdens of the whole Church and Kingdom of Christ, so that it is possible to have a ministry as wide as the world, and as high as that of our great High Priest, before the Throne.

7. The Holy Spirit leads us into the spirit of communion, so that when we have nothing to ask we are held in the blessed silence and wordless fellowship in the bosom of God. This should become the very atmosphere of our being.

Finally, as we thus “pray in the Holy Spirit” we shall be enabled to “build ourselves up on our most holy faith,” we shall “keep ourselves in the love of God,” and we shall “look” in heavenly vision “for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” And the benediction of this beautiful epistle shall be fulfilled in our lives. “Now unto Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”

 

A.B. Simpson, Power From On High, vol 2; chapter 25 "The Holy Spirit In Jude".

Simpson originally entitled this section, "Now, what is the prayer of the Holy Ghost?" But I confess, that doesn't make sense to me, so I altered it to "Praying in the Holy Spirit" because that is what he is describing and explaining. You can read the entire chapter here.

The Epistle of Jude 20-21

 

Ah, we have now arrived where I began and where all this was taking us. This is a great passage: compact and powerful! There is only one imperative or command here: keep yourselves in the love of God.

This does not mean we have to work hard at getting God to love us. He does that unbidden. The love of God refers to that place where His love and mercy, grace and blessing, are freely and without hindrance enjoyed and experienced. This is where grace, mercy, salvation, deliverance, power, and victory abound. I can keep myself in the love of God or I can carelessly wander away.

This is why I went through the first 19 verses of Jude. False teachers have come who “separate themselves, are natural, having not the Spirit.” Clearly, they are not in the love of God. And their teaching and influence could cause us to drop out of or depart from the love of God. So the Holy Spirit says, keep yourselves in the love of God. The cool thing is, he tells us exactly how to do it in this passage.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

There are three steps involved in keeping ourselves in the love of God and they are marked out by those three -ing words. There is one verb, an imperative, keep; there are three participles, building up, praying, looking. What is a participle? “A participle is considered a "verbal adjective". It is often a word that ends with an "-ing" in English (such as "building," "praying," or "looking"). It can be used as an adjective, in that it can modify a noun, or it can be used as an adverb and further explain or define the action of a verb.”¹ In other words, building up, praying, looking explain how we keep ourselves in the love of God. It is God who is working in us, and yet we also have a vital part to play. As the apostle Peter says, Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You see to the growing.

(1) building up yourselves on your most holy faith

Spend time in the Word, reading and meditating on it

Believe what you read

Confess the truth of what you read

Make sure you are hearing the Word taught and preached

Be careful to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only

Fellowship (spend time) with other believers

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [mind, thoughts] on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 2:6-7; 3:1-3)

(2) praying in the Holy Spirit

The Bible teaches three ways to pray in the Spirit

+ groans or sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26) 

+ praying in tongues, the blessing of having a prayer language (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)

+ depending on and being led by the Spirit as I pray.

Before we read and pray, it is very helpful to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you, speak to you, and guide you in your praying. One good practice is to read the Word, then begin to pray that passage for you and others; you will often find the Spirit then lifting you in prayer.

“This, beloved, is the secret of many an experience which you have not perhaps understood. This is the explanation of that depression that sometimes falls upon your heart and brings the tears gushing to your eyes, or makes you bury your head in your hands and pour out a supplication which you cannot comprehend. He sees some need, some peril, which you cannot comprehend, and He is praying against some evil which some day you will know. When you are about to take a false step, to enter upon a wrong path, to miss some important call, or to be deceived by some subtle wile of Satan, He is there to pray the prayer within you which may be only a groan that cannot be uttered; but if you are wise you will yield to it, and you will answer to His touch. Often it is a prayer for some other life, some soul in peril, somebody in dire distress or disease, some cause that needs assistance, some wrong that needs resistance, some need of the Master’s heart which He is letting you share with Him.”²

(3) looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life

Set your focus, faith, hope on the return of Christ and the salvation he is bringing. Our focus and hope is so often fixed on vacation, the next season for our sports team, the next election, payday, that raise or bonus, the weekend. We all do that to some degree, these aren’t bad, but they can be distracting, so we need to be careful, I mean the Lord talked about the cares of this life choking the seed.³ The Lord Jesus promised us eternal life, which he will bring with him when he comes. This is, as Peter says, our lively hope; truly our only hope. We should be looking for him, living in expectation of his coming! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Maranatha!

Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)

 

NEXT: Jude 22-25

 

1 Simple Definition of the Participle, https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/participles.htm

2 A.B. Simpson, Power From On High, vol 2; chapter 25 The Holy Spirit In Jude. You can read it here. 

3 Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

The Epistle of Jude 17-19

 

There’s a dramatic shift in Jude’s tone. When he was speaking of the false teachers there was a harshness, he had not one nice word to say about them; now in 17 and 20 he says, But ye, beloved. They were truly beloved: loved by the Father, and loved by Jude. He has two exhortations for them in 17 and 20.

17 But ye, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

But ye beloved, remember - Preachers and teachers are often tempted to always have something new. We in the pews (chairs for those who have removed the pews) often clamor for something new. One of the more powerful idols in America is “New”. We don’t like old people or old ways, one of the worst things you can call someone is “old-fashioned”. But we need to remember. We have, many of us, forgotten the words of the Lord and his apostles. There is a great need for the ministry of reminder.

Remember the words of the apostles. What words in particular?

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

I have said all along that there is a lot of agreement between Jude and 2 Peter. Peter begins chapter 3 with these words, This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:1-4)

Why does Jude tell us to remember? First of all, it is so easy to get discouraged – There are false teachers everywhere! Remember, we were told this would happen. Second, we are prepared. Our faith is up to date; we’re not fooled, we’re not deceived; our pastors are reminding us of what the Lord and his apostles said.

Jude has one more thing to say about false teachers.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

They separate themselves - From what? From the historic faith. They have “moved on”, “moved beyond” that old, out of date faith, to something “new, improved, and up to date, that better reflects who we are today”. They seek to lead the saints away from the faith and then from the fellowship.

They are sensual – The word means soulish, controlled by the soul. This is the natural man. What does natural man mean? He tells us…

Having not the Spirit - They don’t have the Holy Spirit. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)

What does he mean, having not the Spirit? It could mean the Holy Spirit is not the source of their teaching, that he doesn’t anoint their ministry, he doesn’t agree with them. I think it more likely that he means they literally don’t have the Holy Spirit. They haven’t been born of the Spirit, nor baptized with the Spirit.

How did Jude know they didn’t have the Spirit? He doesn’t say. But you can’t deny the only God and Sovereign, our Lord Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit. They turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, a license to live a flagrantly immoral life. This is not the Holy Spirit. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4) Their teaching and their living do not line up with the gospel. Beloved, remember, there is no truth in them, their message is a lie. They have not the Spirit, they cannot minister life.

Remember, the apostles warned us there would be false teachers. How do we detect them? Listen to what they teach, do they deny the faith once delivered to the saints? Do they turn the grace of God to lasciviousness, telling you that what was once sin is now acceptable to God?

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.

 

NEXT: The Epistle of Jude 20-21

The Epistle of Jude 5-16

 

Last week I pointed out that Jude and 2 Peter 2 are very similar, and 2 Peter 2:9 provides an excellent summary of verses 5-16 in Jude, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, except in Jude it’s mostly "reserve the unjust uno the day of judgment."

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this,

“I’m not telling you something you don’t know or have never heard, but I am reminding you.” It’s good to be reminded, even of things we know full well.

He now provides three examples of judgment

5 how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

The twelve spies. The ten who believed not persuaded Israel into unbelief, which caused that entire generation to die in the wilderness.

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.

I believe this refers to Genesis 6:2 “The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” These angels are held in chains awaiting judgment 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.

Sodom and Gomorrha, the third example of lasciviousness leading to eternal judgment.

 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Likewise, in the same way, these false teachers defile the flesh, despise authority (“They will come under no restraints; they despise all law”¹), speak evil of dignities (angels).

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.

Michael the archangel – “Let it be observed that the word archangel is never found in the plural number in the sacred writings. There can be properly only one archangel, one chief or head of all the angelic host. Nor is the word devil, as applied to the great enemy of mankind, ever found in the plural; there can be but one monarch of all fallen spirits. Michael is this archangel, and head of all the angelic orders; the devil, great dragon, or Satan, is head of all the diabolic orders.”¹

Disputed about the body of Moses – “What this means I cannot tell; or from what source St. Jude drew it, unless from some tradition among his countrymen.”¹

Which they know not - These false teachers act like they are so smart, but they don’t know what they are talking about, and what they do say corrupts them.

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 Korah.

What a summary! Their teaching causes people to perish, they teach whatever makes them the most money, and they rebel against God’s authority in the Church.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds 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.

He keeps piling it on! I think he’s saying, These people are terrible!

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 convict 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.

He quotes a prophecy of Enoch², who he says prophesied of these. I don’t think he means these teachers specifically, by name, but all false teachers. False teachers are a despicable lot; dangerous and doomed.

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.

I have come to the conclusion that these are character traits to avoid!

False teachers are a despicable lot; dangerous and doomed.

 

NEXT: Jude 17-19

 

1 Adam Clarke, commentary on Jude; read it here.

2 There is a Book of Enoch, and in Enoch 1:9 we find a verse very similar to this. What can we say about this? Since I’m not trying to fully teach Jude, or writing a commentary, I will just say, This prophecy “is nowhere to be found in Scripture. For this reason some of the Fathers did not receive this Epistle, although there is not a sufficient reason for rejecting a book on this account. But be this as it will, we let it pass. Still this is true, that God, from the beginning of the world, has left it to some to make His word known (the word that promises His favor and salvation to believers, but threatens the unbelieving with judgment and condemnation), even till Christ's coming down from heaven, when it is openly preached to the whole world. Thus, also, this father, Enoch, insisted on that word of God which he received from his father, Adam, and which he had of the Holy Spirit.” Martin Luther, The Epistle of Saint Jude. You can read it here.

The Epistle of Jude 4

 

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.

This is why Jude changed his letter from a word about “the common salvation” (I would like to also have this original letter!) to an exhortation to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints”: False teachers, despicable heretics, had appeared.

Certain men crept in unawares – false teachers, heretics, are never upfront, they sneak in with an agenda. “False teachers don’t announce themselves. They use your vocabulary, but not your dictionary.”¹

Before of old ordained to this condemnation – He is about to offer witnesses to the truth that God judges such ungodly men, false teachers, and heretics.

Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness – Lasciviousness is a big word! Here’s how the Greek word is defined and explained: "as living without any moral restraint licentiousness, sensuality, lustful indulgence; especially as indecent and outrageous sexual behavior debauchery, indecency, flagrant immorality.”² This tendency to pervert the grace of God and change it into a license for flagrant immorality is a terrible yet common heresy. We see it all around us today, as many are gleefully announcing that they can believe in Jesus and live any way they want.

Paul speaks of this in Romans 5:20 and 6:1: Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound . . . What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? The answer? God forbid, or simply, No way! It is true, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, but the grace that saves us through faith also teaches us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-14)

Denying the only Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ – This is very similar to 2 Peter 2:1 …there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Turning and denying are the actions which mark them as ungodly. They deny him either by their works or their words. By their work when they turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, by their words when they disown him as the Christ, only begotten Son of God, the Savior, the One who died and rose again. Probably both.

The word for Lord in the phrase the only Lord God, is an interesting one, a very strong word, despotes, "as a title for God, the one who has supreme power, Master, Sovereign, Lord; as a title for Christ Lord, Master.”² 

“The passage I believe belongs solely to Jesus Christ, and may be read thus:” 

and the only God and Sovereign, our Lord Jesus Christ denying.³

How abominable is this denial and how powerful is this phrase! Yes, Jude is referring to our Lord Jesus Christ as the only God and Sovereign. You see, the faith which was once delivered to the saints is not kidding when it says and we confess;

We believe … in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.⁴

Is this my confession of faith? Anything less is denying “the only God and Sovereign, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

NEXT: Jude 5-16

 

1 Attributed to John MacArthur; I cannot find the source.

2 Timothy Friberg, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (BibleWorks 5.0)

3 Adam Clarke, commentary on Jude https://sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/clarke/jde001.htm

4 The Nicene Creed