Letters of Second, Third John and Jude

The Greek word Apotosia comes from the root word
Apostasion meaning "divorce."  Those who
fall into apostasy are divorced from God.

Earnestly Contend for the Faith

Recently, I was asked a pretty straightforward question...so I thought.  Someone asked if their sister - who had been a practicing lesbian until her death - could possibly be in Heaven, because she was also a professing Christian.

Other "Christians" had told her: "We cannot know another person's heart"..."We cannot know who might go to Heaven until the judgment"..."Jesus paid the debt for all of our sins and our righteousness is in Him alone, not ourselves."  "Once we are saved we are always saved, so that person is surely in Heaven."..."Everybody sins; that doesn't mean we are no longer saved."...Remember, salvation is not of works."  

I told her that - unless this person repented of their sin and turned in faith to Christ before dieing - then no, such cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." I Corinthians 6:9-10

When this person shared my response with the other "Christians", they told her that I was being "too dogmatic" and no one could say for sure whether homosexuals/lesbians make it into Heaven. 

dogmatic: forcibly asserted as if authoritative and unchallengeable.

Let me ask you something.  If we cannot stand unwavering, unchallengeable, and with authority on what God explicitly states in His word, then why are we claiming to belong to Him?

All of Scripture harmonizes with each other.  Just because one man does not know another man's heart (or even his own heart for that matter) does not mean that we cannot believe God when He says that such shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Just because man is not the judge does not mean we cannot believe God's pronounced judgments in His word.

If we cannot receive the plain words of Scripture as the truths of God, then we have departed from the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus and have defined our own idol of Christianity.

In these last days, there are many deceptions about Jesus Christ, with false religion being championed in His name.  Our protection against these errors is the truth, the word of God.  Even the Holy Spirit - by whom we are regenerated into newness of life - comes to bring us into the knowledge of, and conformity with, that truth (John 16:13).

When you take lightly the truths of God's word and mistakenly believe that you can pick & choose to which Scriptures you will adhere, you open yourself up to a great deception which can lead you into apostasy.

The following notes are from Pastor Zac Poonen's sermon on the Books of 2 John, 3 John, and Jude which address the importance of holding on to God's truth in these dark times.

The Book of 2 John

• It is a great testimony when a woman has been able to bring up her children to walk in the truth.
• Peter did evangelism.  Paul established churches.  John corrected the problems in the churches as he began to see them decline.
• God's prophetic word to backslidden Christendom today is the same as what John preached to the church at the end of the 1st century.  
• As with 1 John, he continues to emphasize three points for the church: Keep God's commandments; Love one another; Recognize that Jesus came in the flesh.
• There is no compromise of truth for the sake of "love" because such is the opposite of love.  Obeying God's commandments is love (2 John 1:6).  We are to walk in truth and love another.
• The problem with many churches is that they don't specifically recognize that Jesus came in the flesh.  We have no excuse for sin because Jesus came as a man, was tempted as we are, and did not sin.  Understanding this truth is the key to obeying God's commandments and loving others.
• Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament (1 Corinthians 12:3) and Jesus as God came in the flesh (2 John 1:7)
• God allows deceivers so that our discerning faculties can be sharpened and we can mature in the faith.  To be protected from deception, we must have a love for the truth.
• You can lose your reward by falling for one of the many deceptions about Jesus.
• Stand up for the Lord in these days of deception.  It is not "Christian love" to show hospitality to those who are against Christ.  Those who greet such persons in the name of God are partakers in their evil deeds (2 John 1:11).

The Book of 3 John

• The subject of this book could be said to be a bad elder (Diotrephes) and a good elder (Demetrius).
• People have perverted this text to teach that it supports the false wealth/health prosperity doctrine (3 John 1:2).  Jesus is our standard.  He was not a rich man.  There were many people sick at the pool of Bethesda and He healed one person.  Jesus did not heal Paul of his infirmity (II Corinthians 12:7-10).  Jesus did not heal Timothy of his stomach ailments.  What we learn from that is that these temporary things (because everything in this world is temporary) are not the most important things in life.  We are to have health to do God's will, but Jesus did not teach that you will never get sick.
• John's greatest joy was when he heard that those to whom he had ministered were walking in the truth (3 John 1:3).
• We must be hospitable to the brethren, including giving them financial gifts to help with their expenses; such is an act of our faith.
• No Godly man ever takes money from unbelievers for preaching the Gospel (3 John 1:7).  To give to God's work is an honor and privilege that belongs to His children.
• It is possible for an elder to start out humble, but gradually come to the place where he wants to be a big man (3 John 1:9).  Such was Dotreaphes' downfall.
• If you are blessed enough to have a Godly brother as your elder or guide - no matter how much you have grown or are being used by God - respect his advice.
• If you want to serve God then you will be unjustly accused by others with wicked words (3 John 1:10).
• Those churches who have dictators over the people and controlling them are in Babylon. In the church of Jesus Christ there is freedom, even while having Godly spiritual authority in the leadership.

The Book of Jude

• The subject is to contend earnestly for the faith and do not compromise on it; such is a great necessity. 
• The watchmen of the church have fallen asleep and as a result, the wolves have come in.  An elder must be spiritually awake and alert at all times.
• These wolves pervert the grace of God, misrepresenting it as a cover while people continue in willful sin.  They falsely proclaim that once we are saved, we are always saved.  
• This is why John immediately puts us into remembrance of Israel; how they were saved out of Egypt, but were later destroyed due to unbelief in the Wilderness of Sin (Jude 1:5).  Falling away from the faith was not something which was only possible in the Old Testament.  This example is quoted in the New Testament by an Apostle of Christ because the lesson is relevant to the New Testament church. 
• Another characteristic of people who live after the flesh is that they reject spiritual authority (Jude 1:8).  The devil is preparing such for their doom.
• Don't ever make fun of the devil.  Rebuke him, resist him, stand against him, wrestle with him, and fight against him, but don't take him lightly. 
• Whenever a minister is jealous of another's ministry, it is because he doesn't love that person.  One with the heart of a father will never be jealous of someone else's accomplishments (like Cain), but will encourage that person to go further still. 
• Another mark of the wolves is that they have an inordinate affection for money (like Balaam) or are rebellious against authority like Core. 
• Contrasted against these false prophets, John points to Enoch who was a preacher of God's judgment.  Every prophet in Scripture spoke of God's judgment against sin.
• Be like Enoch, who walked with God.  Contend for the faith.  Stand up like him for the truths of God.
• Build yourself in the faith.  Pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourself in the love of God.
• We may fall, but when we do don't let your faith fail.  If we keep ourselves in the love of God, then He will keep us from falling (Jude 1:21, 24).
• Be very careful when you reach out to save those who are lost that you do not become polluted by sin (Jude 1:23).