Pervert Grace

Purpose Media Productions

The Gospel of Licentiousness (Pervert Grace) II

As at when John the beloved was writing the book of Revelation at about 100AD, it was very clear that the prophesies he gave about 30 years ago. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus when he was about to die around 60-70AD. Tradition had it that Timothy was murdered in 80AD and Apostle John had taken up the eldership of the Ephesian church. But in Revelation, we see a very bad state of the church and it’s neighbouring cities prominently as a result of doctrinal issues.

The church in Pergamos was accused to have taken to the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit immorality alongside holding on to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which Jesus hates, Rev. 2:14-15. The church in Thyatira also had the Prophetess Jezebel who teaches and seduces God’s people to commit sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idol, Rev. 2:20-22.

Jude in our passage of consideration tells the church:

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude makes us know that these false teachers were there as at the time he wrote but they crept in unnoticed because they were not even Christians and it was surprising how they manipulated their way to the leadership of the church. As pastors we need to be very careful here. This is Jude, one of those in the Apostolic age saying we were not aware when they came in. It was unnoticed. He also agreed with Peter that these men has been doomed long ago for damnation. They turn the grace of God into lewdness (lasciviousness, lawlessness or recklessness). They promoted self indulgence.

Jude regarded these men as immoral, proud and rebellious Verse 7-10.

The modern or contemporary counterpart of these is what is termed the “hyper grace movement.” I am not comfortable with this term/ description as the grace of God is without limits. It is either you have the grace of God or you lack it. It would be more safe to say the “false grace movement” or be content with the Biblical description, “the pervert grace movement” as is the title of the work. This teaching tells people to come the way they are because Jesus loves us the way we are. This is true, Jesus indeed loves us the way we are but it is only part truth (Satan’s Strategy/Weapon of Deception). God only accepts people in Christ Jesus and that involves transformation of life and character as 2 Cor. 5:17 tells us.

Paul years before these gnostics were on the scene had written Romans 6 for us to know what Christian living is all about. He says we cannot continue to sin and expect grace to abound, verse 1. He also stressed that we are no longer under the dominion of sin, verse 12, 14, and finally that whomever we yield our bodies to obey to such we are slaves either to righteousness or unrighteousness, verse 16-18.

Let me ask a question then and I know you might be interested? Does it mean then that Christians can’t and don’t struggle with sin? Can’t a Christian be found in a prolonged sin for a season? The answer to the two questions Biblically is Yes! We all struggle with sin, so John says if we are in the light as God is in the light, the blood of Jesus is available for our cleansing, 1 John 1:7. He challenges the Jewish moralists who are now in the minority that denying the presence of sin is falsehood and an indication that such is not living in the truth (is not a Christian) 1 John 1:8-10. Further more, he acknowledges our struggles with sin in 1 John 2:1 that we should not sin but in case we do (fall into, entrapped in it), we have an advocate.

It is also very possible for a Christian to struggle with addiction and “sin” also for a prolonged period of time. An example is the Corinthian man who married his father’s wife. It was so prolonged that his sin was already becoming a reproach even to the unbelieving world before Paul recommended his discipline. At least we know David’s sin lasted nine months. When Paul recommended the restoration of a person overtaken (held captive) in any trespass, he must have had more of prolonged sin in mind which definitely takes time to find out and also needs gentility and patience to restore.

What then is the difference? When a believer struggles with sin or with an addiction, he knows he is not in his normal state and desperately seeks or realizes his need for help. He wants to come out from the trap but it becomes damnable when a person now believes a gospel and doctrine that makes him comfortable in his sin and even makes him proud and justify himself that all is well and that it doesn’t matter with what he does with his body, he is saved and saved. God bless you.

My admonition to fellow pastors:

We need to heed Paul’s warning to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16. It doesn’t matter what we preach, we will have disciples and receive the applauds of men. The number of men who sit to applaud our sermons doesn’t guarantee we are doing it right. If we teach false doctrines, we are accursed and that is fearful both for us and those who sit under our ministration.

© Purpose Media Publications, 2020