How to Keep Our Guard Up

Jude 16-21

“¹⁶ These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹ These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

1. Be aware of the reality of apostasy

Verse 17

1 Timothy 4:1-2-“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”

2 Peter 2:1-“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”

1 John 4:1-“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

2. Watch out for the characteristics of an apostate

Verses, 16, 18, 19

Acts 20:30-“Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

Romans 8:9-“But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

1 John 2:19-“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

3. Follow the steps to guard against apostasy

Verses 20-21

Acts 20:32-“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up…”

Romans 10:17-“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Hebrews 7:25-“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Romans 8:26-27-“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”