learn from Me

I recently interacted with someone in a Facebook group who said she’d just started attending a Christian church and was loving it, but didn’t know how she felt about the idea that one’s eternal future is decided by whether or not one declares Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In her words, “That’s not the god I want to believe in.”

I don’t think a Facebook group full of strangers is necessarily an effective place to get into theology and apologetics, but I did briefly point her to John 14:6 and what Jesus declared about Himself: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” I was immediately advised by a group moderator to “tread lightly.”

If you don’t tend to frequent the areas that Millennials and Gen-Zs congregate, I want to let you know that this is one of the major frontlines of spiritual warfare right now. In these trenches, truth is always expected to “tread lightly” while the emotions and ego are massaged by deception. It is an incredibly complex and dangerous situation, where the Enemy delights to turn truth into evil and lies into goodness.

I find in these trenches that the name of Jesus is very welcome, but the actions and words of Jesus as presented by Scripture are not. “Jesus” has come to mean anything that makes everyone feel good about their decisions and affirmed in their beliefs, even when those decisions are sins and those beliefs are lies.

The Jesus of Scripture, from all I can gather, was not known for treading lightly.

And yet I’m sympathetic to what brought us to battle here. A generation that has been battered by a hell-centric and fear-based theology will tend to swing hard to the other end of the pendulum, instead of seeking out a more whole and healing knowledge of who God is. When you’ve been taught that the goal is merely to avoid punishment, it’s difficult to take up the yoke of Christ and make relationship with Him the objective instead. It’s hard to fathom moving closer to a God you’ve been subconsciously conditioned to believe is angry and vindictive, even though it’s only in knowing who He really is, in all His glory—not the often-oversimplified and reactionary version of Him we’ve learned from others—that we find rest.

That brief interaction on Facebook left me with many questions. What would Jesus have said to her? Would He have tread lightly, knowing better than I how fragile her soul might be? Would He have been direct, knowing better than I how to wield the Sword of the Spirit in a spiritual war? Christ spoke of Himself as “gentle and lowly,” and yet He never diluted the truth. He was deeply compassionate toward the deceived, the broken, and the suffering but unapologetically harsh toward deceivers and perpetrators.

These questions brought me to Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

It’s the phrase “learn from Me” that I keep coming back to. I want to learn from Him—how to be like Him in this world that consistently rejects Him. How to respond to questions like the one in that Facebook group. How to discern where gentleness is called for and where only the sharp truth will do.

And I want to point anyone who questions whether He is the God they want to believe in to these verses, too. I want to beg them—learn from Him! Let Him teach you who He is. Let Him show you. Don’t take any one pastor’s word for it, don’t go to Facebook or YouTube for the answers. Go to Him. He is gentle. He is humble. In Him, there is rest.

It doesn’t mean it’s easy. It doesn’t mean you will agree with His truth or find His character palatable. And as I’ve written before, you are free to choose not to follow—we all get to pick where our allegiance lies. We can create a god of our own choosing (which usually looks a whole lot like us), or we can follow the God whose name is “I AM THAT I AM,” or better translated, “I Will Be What I Will Be” (Exodus 3:14).

Even in Jesus’ inviting words from Matthew 11, He uses a quotation from another part of the Bible that gives us a subtle reminder that this “easy” yoke is not easy because it’s like one we would choose for ourselves. “You will find rest for your souls” is a reference to Jeremiah 6:16, which reads,

Thus says the Lord,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

The yoke of Christ is the yoke of obedience. It is the yoke of submission, surrender to the Lordship of God. It’s easy and light because this “good way” is the only path toward true rest, not because it demands nothing from us.

And like the Israelites of old, we do have a choice. We can say, “We will not walk in it.” We are free to tell God, “You’re not the God I want to believe in.” It is our choice, and God is not codependent—He won’t force us into a relationship with Him or shift His own character to make us comfortable in it.

In some ways, I’m glad the culture has reached a point where so many people are honest enough to say out loud, “That’s not the God I want to believe in”—because this is far from the first generation that has sought after a god of its own choosing. This has been the story of humanity from the very beginning, only some us have hidden our idolatry better than others, coloring it over with Bible verses to make it pass for true faith—often deceiving even ourselves. When God is not quite showing up the way we’d prefer, we are all apt to throw our gold into the melting pot, pull out a golden calf, and say, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4b).

If we would be useful to the Father in this moment of the spiritual war, we must be certain that we are learning from Him—that we know Him for who He is. It will require incredible discernment, solid spiritual armor, and the highly skilled use of our Sword to do battle well. We must ensure that our highest pursuit is relationship with the One True God, because there are counterfeits being advertised everywhere.

And we must remember that our fight is not against flesh and blood. The Millennials, the Gen-Zs, the people who are honestly telling us “I don’t know if I can follow that God” are not the enemy. They are prisoners of the “spiritual forces of wickedness,” and they deserve our compassion, our love, our grace, and our commitment to the truth.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

Jesus invites us to learn from Him as He walks with the Father in “the good way.” He calls us, paradoxically, to do spiritual battle by seeking spiritual rest. Let’s go to Him, learn from Him, and come to know this One called “I Will Be What I Will Be.”

Whatever comes to pass on the frontlines of this battle, we know He wins the war.

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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO GOD IS?

The best place to go is to the Word. The Bible is the story of who God is, and who God is changes everything for you and me.

To that end, I have a couple resources that may help you get started in your journey through the Bible:

• The Bible180 Challenge is an opportunity to read through the Bible in 180 days, according to a thorough chronological schedule. You get a day of rest each week as well as an email offering accountability, support, and the very best study resources I’ve found to help you understand what you read. You can also use the Bible180 Challenge Journal to help you focus, stay on track, and build good study habits!

• Bedrock: A Foundation for Independent Biblical Study is a comprehensive textbook/workbook that will teach you how to dig DEEP into each of the seven types of Biblical literature. It’s a great next step for anyone who feels ready to surpass the typical milk of sermons and Bible studies, and desires to learn how to serve themselves on the meat. Find it on Amazon.

Jude 8-16 - a call to discernment

Last week we studied the first seven verses in Jude - his call to vigilance to all believers, a plea to "contend earnestly for the faith" in light of the enemy's sneaking deceptions. Today, we continue into verses 8-16 - this time, a call to the discernment that we will so desperately need if we are to hold the line that divides truth from falsehood.

A study in Jude - part two

“Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 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.

It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.”

— Jude 8-16

Identifying "these men"

We must come into these verses fresh from the seven that precede them - the ones we studied last week - because of two key phrases: "in the same way" and "these men."

In the same way - as what? Jude is referring back to verses 5-7, in which he reminded us of the historic consequences of disobedience and unbelief. The lies we are called to watch for and discern are of the same breed as the blasphemy of the Egyptians, the rebellion of the angels, and the perversion of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are that serious.

And "these men" points back to verse 4: "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Within the first seven words of this new paragraph, Jude reminds us again of the urgency of the cause. These men, these "certain persons," are headed for the same destruction, eternal bondage, and eternal fire as some of the most heinous peoples in the Bible - and they are trying to take others with them.

So how, practically, do we discern and identify these men when they are - God forbid - among us?

They are arrogant

 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.

By dreaming: This is not nighttime dreaming or even daydreaming, but a reference to their trust in their own personal "revelations." They follow their own minds, even when they lead far away from the standards of holiness.

Defile the flesh: Both physically and morally, they literally "pollute" or "stain" themselves as a direct result of the licentiousness they claim as God's grace. They have made up their own rules about what grace is and what good is.

Reject authority: Just as it sounds, and just as Jude said earlier: they deny the Lordship and Mastery of Jesus Christ, along with His chosen leaders in the church. They think they know better.

Revile angelic majesties: Even the truly sacred and holy things, beings that they cannot even begin to understand, they profane and pretend to have authority over.

We will know them by their arrogance. They will not submit to the Lordship of Christ or the leadership of the church or the authority of Scripture; instead they will follow their own minds, feelings, and "rights." In their self-aggrandizement they will try to speak things even Michael the Archangel would not dare to speak outside of the authority given to him by God!

They are beyond reason

... The things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they will be destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Have you ever watched, brokenhearted, while an animal destroyed itself by its own instincts? I remember a bird whose toe was caught in a wire on the fenceline when I was a kid. I could have helped it get free, but its instincts said that I was a predator, and so it struggled so hard to escape me that it broke its leg beyond repair. Eventually it did fly free, but whether it was able to survive with such a handicap, I don't know.

These deceivers are like that bird. They follow their own feelings to the point of total lack of reason. Their actions and choices clearly point to destruction, but they - and often the ones they deceive - are too blind to see it.

They have gone the way of Cain: Cain lost control of himself by letting his anger and bitterness rule over him, and it led to the tragic murder of his own brother and a life of exile for himself (Genesis 4).

For pay they rush headlong into the error of Balaam: Balaam was a prophet who tried to get away with disobedience for personal benefit. He let his sinful desires control him and as a result, he became a pawn of the enemy (Numbers 22).

And perished in the rebellion of Korah: Korah, a Levite in the days of Moses, self-importantly tried to redefine God's values for the leadership of Israel. He blindly followed his desire for authority and renown in spite of what he knew of God's holiness, and God allowed the earth to swallow him up (Numbers 16).

We will know them by their distorted thinking. They will not submit their instincts to the ultimate authority of our Master, Jesus, for reshaping and redemption. In their delusion they will find their destruction.

They are fruitless

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.

The descriptions Jude has given us so far make these deceivers sound terribly obvious. Wouldn't someone so blatantly arrogant and unreasoning stick out like a sore thumb? Not necessarily. They are called hidden reefs in your love feasts - they are among us, they are breaking bread with us, and though the sea looks safe - it isn't. This is why the call to discernment is so vital: we must be able to spot that perilous kind of self-importance that can be hidden, disguised, camouflaged under words and actions that are almost-right.

A third characteristic that will help us spot them, even when their arrogance and delusion are well-hidden, is their fruitlessness.

Clouds without water: A cloud that doesn't produce any rain is useless to the thirsting earth. Deceivers tend to talk a big game and act like they have all the answers, but they leave many hurt, disillusioned, and increasingly needy people in their wakes.

Autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted: An autumn tree is useless for fruitbearing because its season has passed, but if it didn't even produce fruit while it had the chance, it's worse than dead - for it has failed to preserve its kind with a next generation of trees. Deceivers are dead and uprooted themselves, but even worse, they are effectively killing the faith for the next generation.

Wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam: The waves crash and churn restlessly, but achieve nothing more than a little foam - light, empty, a weak result for so much violence. Likewise, deceivers tirelessly pursue their fleshly passions and convictions and the end result is only weakness and shame.

Wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever: More accurately, this refers to planets, which produce no light of their own and wander through the skies in irregular patterns. Deceivers are the same way: they have thrown out the compass of truth, and so there is no way to measure their choices beyond the urging of their own lusts. They don't produce any light with which to guide those around them.

Even if we miss their arrogance and don't notice their delusion, we should have the discernment to know these deceivers by their fruit - or, in Jude's argument, by their fruitlessness. A healthy and God-fearing believer knows the way to the Living Water that truly satisfies, plants seeds of the faith for the next generation, follows the clear direction of God's Word, and shines with the brilliant light of Christ. A deceiver produces only emptiness, confusion, and darkness.

In conclusion

It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Ultimately, we are called to discern the ungodly from the godly - the condemned from the convicted and the sin-slaves from those who are set free. Sometimes, on the surface, they look alike, but Jude says to watch for the complainers. Watch for the criticizers. Watch for those who follow their own desires and who claim an authority that is not their own and who try to take advantage of other people.

And remember: they are among us, hidden reefs that make the safe-looking sea into a death trap. Souls are at stake. We must be vigilant, and we must be discerning. And we must fight back. Next week, we'll learn how.