Clouds without Rain

I always find it sobering how often the New Testament writers tell us to "be alert," "be on guard" against false teachers that will permeate the church family and attack the message of the grace available through Jesus Christ. I can't think of a single New Testament writer who doesn't talk about it. In fact, Jesus Himself, warned His disciples that wherever He plants His people, the enemy, Satan, comes right along behind Him and plants his people. And they are really hard to identify at times. We certainly need to be students of the Gospel. Obviously, indifference to error is deadly for the saint who desires with his whole heart to be faithful to Jesus.

Jude describes those false teachers this way:
"They care for no one but themselves."
"They are like clouds driven by the wind, but they bring no rain."
"They are like trees with the leaves of autumn but without a single fruit--they are doubly dead because they have no roots."
"They are like raging waves of the sea producing only the spume of their own shameful deeds."
"They are like stars who follow no orbit, and their proper place is the everlasting darkness of the regions beyond the light."
"They 'talk big' but will pay men great respect if it is to their own advantage."
"They are mockers who live according to their own godless desires, splitting communities, led by human emotions and never by the Spirit of God."

They come, I think, with two major lies, two messages that twist the Scripture and the truth of God's grace. One is that grace is not enough. Works are required for redemption. How a man can add to Jesus' sinless life, willing sacrificial death, and death-defeating resurrection is beyond my comprehension. But so they imply. Or subtlety infer. The ironic thing is that they usually turn around and say that any sincere attempts to please God--any system of works--will be enough to redeem you. Anything but faith alone in the work of Christ, who said, "This is the work of God to believe on Him whom He has sent."
The other lie they bring is that grace is the foundation for licentiousness--for living immoral lives. God's gift of grace means that you can live any old way you want. Forget obedience to His clear commands to live holy lives. In fact, if you live immoral lives you elevate grace. Paul sums up our Lord's response to that lie this way: "God forbid! No way is such a lifestyle pleasing to Christ! Why would He set you free from bondage to sin and then say, "Here put these chains back on. Let sin be your master; you don't need to follow Me."

Our loving Savior and every New Testament writer cries out, "Be on your guard. Be alert. Don't be led away from the life of true liberty and grace experienced only by the obedient bond-slave of Christ." As I'm sure I've said before, the freest men and women on earth are His lovingly obedient bond-slaves--those who have confessed their sins and a need for the Savior and willingly given themselves to the life of faith that pleases Him and radiates His grace.
Radiates His grace? Yes, for Jude under the inspiration of the Spirit urges us to use all means possible--from compassion to fear--to bring such people into God's family, to bring such people into a true understanding of the "marvelous grace of Jesus, greater than all our sins."
Be on guard. Recognize the lies. Refute the lies. Defend the Savior. Pursue with His gracious promise of forgiveness the liars.