The Bible speaks about the enemies of the cross of Christ. In Jude 19, the Bible says, “These be they who separate themselves, sensual.” This word “sensual” has to do with all things that are natural. This has to do with living life not by faith, but by the natural senses.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But 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.” Notice that “the natural man” does not receive them, and notice his response. “They are foolishness unto him.” The matter of faith in God cannot be dealt with by those who have no faith in the only true God.
Sensual does not necessarily mean sexual, but it does mean a lack of faith in the true and living God. It is a life lived by the base things of this world. The Christian must live the faith life. The Bible says that these apostates are “sensual.”
The Word of God also describes these apostates as “having not the Spirit.” They have never been born again. They separate themselves. They are sensual. All of this behaviour comes to pass because they have not the Spirit. They are religious, but they have never trusted Christ as their personal Saviour. It is shocking to think of how many people who identify with churches and religion may be lost.
John the Baptist spoke to a group of religious people to in Matthew 3:2-7, saying,
“And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
If a man is lost, dying, and going to hell without Christ, should we not speak in a way that might wake him up and get him to realize that he has never been born again before he dies and goes to hell forever?
The Bible says that these apostates separate themselves, are sensual, and have not the Holy Spirit. But what about those of us who know the Lord? Our separation should be from the world and unto the Lord. Our lives should not be marked by sensual living but by faith in God. When was the last time you trusted God for something?
The Bible says that they have not the Spirit, but if we have truly been born into God’s family, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
These people are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Look at the difference in their lives. They look at revealed truth and turn from it while maintaining the appearance of truth. Their lives are sensual. They separate themselves.
We know the truth. We should live lives separated unto God. We should trust the Lord. Because we are indwell by the Holy Spirit, we should seek the Holy Spirit’s fullness and be bold for Jesus Christ. Can you imagine if someone living next door to me was starving to death, and I have a kitchen full of food and did not feed him? What would you think of me?
I read a story of a lady in Florida who found a thirteen-year-old girl and her three-year-old brother sleeping in her garage, eating out of her garbage. They had no home because they had been thrown out. They shared part of their story with this elderly lady after she caught them. They had been in her garage for three days. When she went to make a phone call for help, they disappeared.
Not too far from this lady’s house, they uncovered a place where the two had built some sort of cardboard dwelling. They had been sleeping in the bushes. It had gotten so cold that they had to come inside. How many people who have shelter and food would be willing to share their shelter and food with that little thirteen-year-old girl and her three-year-old brother? Lots of people would be willing to help them.
As we consider this story, may God pierce our heart with conviction and think, “So many are spiritually hungry and without the eternal shelter provided by the blood of Jesus Christ, but so few Christians are willing to do anything to change it.”
It is not enough to talk just about identifying marks of the apostates. May the God who indwells us convict us and help us to do what we know we need to do for the lost and dying in our world. Most of us have said enough about what we do not do. Let us begin to show the love of Christ to the lost around us.
“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” — James 5:19-20