Regardless of whether a change agent of the 1st century or 21st century is under consideration, the inspired writer Jude’s portrait is indelibly etched onto in Scripture in just one verse: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).
Not only does Jude expose a change agent’s methodology and motivation (see two previous posts), he also identifies the poisonous content of his message–“turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ”. Perverted grace and a disdain for God’s legitimate authority are the twin pillars of the message of these apostates.
The grace of God that brings salvation to all men teaches a denial of ungodliness and worldly lusts and a life of sobriety, righteousness, and godly living in this present age (Titus 2:11-12). Any teaching on the grace of God that explicitly or implicitly teaches a Christian to continue in sin that grace may abound is a false doctrine. It is “CERTAINLY NOT!” true (Romans 6:1-2 NKJV). The purpose of God’s grace is not to excuse sin, but to eliminate it. A change agent’s message is that grace gives you liberty to sin; the Bible’s message is that grace gives you liberty from sin.
The ultimate poison in a change agent’s message is his denial of the Lordship (i.e. authority of) a Christian’s Father and Savior. Although an earthly child is to obey his father in all things (Colossians 3:20) and Christ was obedient to His Father to the point of death (Philippians 2:8), a change agent teaches that a child of God does not have such an obligation to his/her spiritual Father. Although wives are to submit to their own husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24), the spiritual bride of Christ (who serves as the example for human marriage—Ephesians 5:32) has no such obligation to her husband.
Because of a change agent’s ungodly attitude toward and ultimate irreverence for God, his message is that grace gives a Christian freedom from God’s authority as his/her heavenly Father and Christ’s authority as his/her spiritual husband. Such a message is Satanic to the core.
These messengers of Satan “were before of old ordained to…condemnation.” Rightly so.
