Today's reading is the book of Jude. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who are called, loved by God the Father and kept in Jesus Christ. Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed, ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turned the grace of our God into a license for immorality. and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered his people out of the land of Egypt, he destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own domain, but abandoned their proper dwelling, these he has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day. In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in the same way, these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, The Lord rebuke you! These men, however, slander what they do not understand. And like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively. Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain. They have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam. They have perished in Korra's rebellion. These men are hidden reefs in your love's feasts. shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind, fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted. They are wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them. Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of his holy ones to execute judgment on everyone and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against him by ungodly sinners. These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts. Their mouths spew arrogance. They flatter others for their own advantage. But you, beloved, Remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ when they said to you, in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires. These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them from the fire. And to still others, show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence with great joy. To the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen. This is God's Word. Jesus has atoned for all our sins. Nothing can separate us from God's love, and we are fully and finally forgiven. So why not live in sin and live it up? Some people think we should. They might not put it that way directly, but they encourage us not to worry about giving in to our sin nature or striving for holiness. like a player in Monopoly who draws the get-out-of-jail-free card. We have a permanent fire escape from hell, they argue, and it can't be lost or voided. So, some say, don't worry about how you live, because it will turn out fine in the end. Jude taught us in this chapter, this book. that those who teach this way are ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." Those are the words of the NIV's translation. In what way do they deny Jesus Christ? They deny that He is our only Sovereign and Lord. In other words, they discount that He is King. And as His redeemed citizens, we live under His rules and are accountable to Him for our lives. Fortunately, Christ's rules come with a new nature that desires holiness. They come with the Holy Spirit that stimulates holiness within us. And they come with a community of others to help us grow that we call the Church. This is why Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light in Matthew 11.30. But if we fall under the false influence of ungodly teachers, we can do so much damage to ourselves and others by living in ungodly ways. Our defense against this corruption of the gospel is to keep yourselves in God's love, as verse 21a puts it. But how do you do that? By building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. It is important to cultivate spiritual growth by daily learning the Word, obeying what it says, and praying. You've made it this far in our trek through the New Testament, and I hope it has helped you grow stronger in your faith. But keep going as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you into eternal life, as verse 21 puts it. That's a reference to the return of Christ. Keep going in your faith until Jesus comes. Keep seeking Him. Keep praying to Him. Keep building yourself up in our most holy faith. It will guard you against false doctrine. It will keep you from falling into sin. And may God be with us as we seek to do that today. If you enjoyed this devotional, please sign up to receive it every day in your email by going to dailypbj.com slash subscribe. Also, please consider giving me some monthly financial support. You can go to dailypbj.com slash support to find out more about that. Finally, please share this with someone who might grow in their faith from watching it or hearing it. And I'll see you next time. God bless you. Have a great day.