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I was reminded a short time ago of a pastor who visited my church. His sermon stuck with me because it was one of the most helpful I have heard in my life. I’d like to share the basic gist of it with you.
Jude, the earthly brother of Christ, warns the Church about apostates and gives a fivefold description of them. These five things are good for identifying and avoiding apostates, but if we flip them on their heads, we suddenly have five things that every Christian should be.
“These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.” Jude 12-13
In the end, these things are the result of following Christ and abiding in His Word. A true Christian will see these things in his or her life, although imperfectly. God is so gracious that He did not just save us from hell and leave us alone. He is working in all His children to shape them into the image of Christ.
Editor's note: This was originally published for Engage Magazine.
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