“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

— Matthew 4:17

There are some unbelievers today who are in the church and are doing great damage to the church. Their type was around in the first century.

Jude warns about “these ungodly dreamers,” who “defile the flesh” and “reject authority” (verse 8). Some of them today say the church has a ministry to alcoholics and to criminals, so why can’t it have a ministry to homosexuals and this sort? Wonderful, it certainly ought to have, by all means. But the ministry it has to alcoholics and criminals is one of repentance by which a gracious God will forgive you and receive you and cleanse you from your sins.

It’s not that we are going to form a club of continued professing alcoholics and criminals who will come to church on Sunday and worship, and they will go the rest of the week to rob banks. How utterly absurd.

Jude adds that they are blind in their sin: “But they destroy themselves in those things that, like unreasoning animals, they know by instinct” (verse 10).

These are those who are sensual and not filled with the Spirit of God. My friends, the spirit of lasciviousness and license, and of lawlessness, is the very spirit that was rebuked when God says to us, “Go and sin no more”—whatever our particular sin is. Jesus may meet us in our sinful state, but if you have a true encounter with Him, He does not leave you there. Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:19-20).

Holy Savior, give me strength for today to repent of any sin in my life. Let Your light shine in my soul, so that I can see my sin and run to You for cleansing and forgiveness…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
LIVE IN DAILY REPENTANCE.