Featured No need of Calvin, OSAS, Arminius, Spurgeon, Luther, and Boice

" Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
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.
5 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.
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.
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.
8 Likewise also these [filthy] dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
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." ( Jude 1:3-10 )

3) Here the Lord, through Jude, is writing to believers to remind them of their salvation, and that they should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered ( given to, by God ) to the saints.
4) Because there are certain men who have crept into the churches who were before of old ( in eternity past ) ordained ( appointed ) to this condemnation:

What is that condemnation?

They are ungodly men ( those who behave in an ungodly fashion ) who try to change the grace of God into lasciviousness ( wantonness, lustful behaviour ), and who deny both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Can you think of any who do that today, and are not ashamed of it?

Here's more:

2 Peter 2.

Back to Jude:

8) These dreamers ( the certain men crept in unawares from verse 4 ) defile the flesh ( commit adultery, fornication, etc. ), despise dominion ( sovereignty, control, supreme authority ) and speak evil things against dignities ( those of high rank or authority in governmental positions of power ).
9) As an example, even Micheal the archangel, who stands for the people of God ( Daniel 12:1 ) dared not bring a railing accusation against the Devil, but committed it to the Lord.So should we ( Romans 12:9, Titus 3:1-3 )
10) Those who rail against authorities and the truth, speak against the things they do not know, but what they naturally know as unregenerate men ( the Lord calls them "brute beasts" ) who were made by Him to be taken and destroyed ( 2 Peter 2:12 ).

 

The Scripture says lasciviousness, not arrogance or ego.

One can understand the Scripture and be able to answer things from it, without being prideful.
One can also slide into pride, even as a child of God.

That is why He reminds us not to go beyond what is written ( 1 Corinthians 4:6 ), and not to be high-minded ( Romans 11:20 ).
However, one cannot be one of God's ministers, and bring forth bad fruit ( Galatians 1:19-21 ) that remains, and that turn the grace of God into lustful behavior or works of the Law ( Galatians 1:6-10 ).

In truth, God's servants are humble and answer in meekness ( 2 Timothy 2:25 ), but are still bound by their rotten flesh and fight it everyday.
With the power of the Holy Spirit, they overcome it ( Galatians 5:16-17 ).

Paul told believers that a little leaven ( the leaven of works and hypocrisy, see Matthew 16:6, Mark 8:15 and Luke 12:1 ) leavens the whole lump ( Galatians 5:1-9 )
With respect, understanding and explaining Scripture is not what is in focus here.

Introducing the works of the Law, and making the grace of God through Jesus Christ of no effect, is.


May His mercy and grace to you be always in your thoughts.

 

I agree, but to me, that is not what's in focus with the passages you are listing.
In 1 Corinthians 5, what were they glorying in?

" It is reported commonly [that there is] fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you." ( 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 )

It wasn't ego about Scriptural understanding, it was pride about their sin.

Question:
Do you look at elders who have more scriptural understanding than someone who is newly converted, and accuse them of being prideful?
Do you regard those who labor in the word and doctrine as being prideful, if it seems they are talking over someone's head?


I'm just curious.

I can tell you, having sat at the feet of some, that most are not being prideful.
They regard their understanding of Scripture as having come from God, and not by their own efforts.

In fact, I don't believe I've ever met a prideful teacher of God's word yet...except false ones. That isn't to say there aren't some of God's children who aren't affected by pride, it's just that I have yet to meet one.

 

How does this apply to men who delve into Scripture to find answers, and who then relate those answers to others?
Are you saying that those who dig into Scripture to find answers are being prideful, if their answers are not easily understood?

Respectfully, has it occurred to you that studying is what God wants His children to do, so that they are not carried about with every wind of doctrine, and that they can one day rightly divided the word of truth?

 

Quite right, sir.
Knowledge puffs up and charity edifies.
So, in the interests of seeking your edification ( building you up in the faith ) I have decided that the best thing that I can do is to take my leave of this thread.


Respectfully, what I see in your OP is a mistrust for those who dig into Scripture and come up with answers that seem hard to understand.
Yes, I, too have had my own battles with this.
Therefore, I encourage you to do what I did some 15 years ago...read the Scriptures for yourself, and test all teachings by it, and it alone.
Divorce yourself from prominent preachers and teachers, and throw out any books that you may have on "theology"...from my perspective, they will only get in the way.


One day, come back to those prominent preachers and teachers, and see how much they were right or wrong compared to your own digging into His word.
I think you'll find it an eye-opener.

Again, I disagree.

It was their dependence on keeping the works of Law, and not the righteousness which is by faith.
They took pride in the fact that they were saved by their own efforts, and not strictly by God's grace and mercy.
Their hearts were far from God, and that is why they refused to be baptized by John's baptism of repentance...because they didn't think they needed to repent.

The Pharisees were the opposite, in their hearts, to the publican, who beat his chest and asked God, "Be merciful to me a sinner!"
The publican's heart had been changed by the miraculous working of God's Spirit.

And yet, Moses was a very angry man in the flesh who was guilty of murder...killing an Egyptian with his bare hands.
See what the power of God can do to someone who is guilty of even murder?
It changes the heart, like it changed David's, who was also guilty of having a man murdered to cover up his sin with Bathsheba...yet, he was a man after God's own heart.

The flesh, and yielding to it.
In addition, there is no such thing as a child of God being "backslidden" like the children of Israel were; The power of the Holy Spirit prevents it.
To me, that's "cultural Christianity" talking, and I learned to speak that way in IFB churches some 40 years ago.

The children of God cannot "backslide" permanently, because their natures have been changed.
They do, however, have trouble with sins that beset them ( Hebrews 12:1 ).
"Backsliding" only applies to religious people who fall away from "the rules", not to born again believers who wrestle with their flesh, but are kept by the power of God unto salvation ( 1 Peter 1:5 ), which cannot be lost.
God's children love Him, and keep His commandments out of a pure heart, not for fear of losing their salvation.

Again, apologies for the long post.


I wish you well, sir.
May God bless you abundantly, and may you and yours have a happy New Year.

 

That's cuz "Holiness" is associated with "churches" where, as the preacher gets wound up, he starts screeching & becoming incoherent, & many of the congregation goes to the floor & begins cutting dust angels, while babbling incoherently themselves I once attended such a "service" & wondered who'd emptied the funny farm.

Whatever spirit was there, it was not the HOLY Spirit. He's God, & God is not the author of confusion.

"Having a FORM of Godliness, but denying its POWER."

 

Lotsa other places had pride, etc. but Sodom & Gomorrah were both full of gays. That was the "abominations" God mentioned.