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THE CHARACTER OF APOSTASY (I)
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Jude 8-19
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
 
“… Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light.”
 
THE CHARACTER OF APOSTASY (I)
 
Having put his readers in remembrance concerning the danger of apostasy, and its certain judgment at the hands of the thrice-holy God, Jude turns to describe the nature and character of apostasy. This is a long section, taking up almost half of the epistle’s total length, but it is an important section.
 
It is a well-known dictum that to know one’s enemy in any conflict is advantageous, if not crucial, to victory. This is all the more so in the spiritual realm, for the great enemy of souls is “a murderer from the beginning… a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). He is “as a roaring lion… seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8). And he will not hesitate to use deception and disguise to achieve his murderous, soul-devouring ends ‒ “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light,” and so likewise are “his ministers … transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:14-15).
 
It is not by accident that these “certain men,” of whom Jude warns in verse 4, have “crept… unawares” into the church, they have deliberately infiltrated the flock, to prey on the sheep. They are not silent, but vocal. They are not content to be solitary voices, but seek “to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30). They rise up as teachers of truth, but peddle lies for their own profit, and lead many to destruction. There is a great need therefore to expose these apostates for who they are; to strip away their veneer of spirituality and reveal the actual rottenness within. This Jude endeavours to do from verse 8 all the way to verse 19, and the extended description only highlights the great need for Christians to be neither complacent nor undiscerning.
 
Dear reader, God warns us in His Word that “in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Tim 3:1), and that the “latter times” will abound with “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim 4:1). These are not warnings to take lightly. Indeed, there is much in professing Christendom today that is not of God, but of the devil. There is a great need for discernment: let us therefore pay close attention to the character of apostasy, as described for us in these verses.
 
THOUGHT: I am living in the last days.
PRAYER: O Lord, help me to be sober and vigilant against the foe!

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