Austin Bible Church
Characteristics of apostacy include saturation with human viewpoint, despising authority, blaspheming God, mocking God, lust-centered mental attitude sins, and trouble makers filled with human viewpoint because they do not possess the filling of the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:8, Jude 1:18-19.
“Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.” (Jude 1:8, NASB)
“that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” (Jude 1:18-19, NASB)
Categories of apostacy include lust for praise (Cain – an unbeliever), lust for money (Balaam – a believer), and lust for power (Korah – a believer). Jude 1:11.
“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.” (Jude 1:11, NASB)
Apostacy can be found in believers, angels, and unbelievers. Jude 1:5-7.
“Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:5-7, NASB)
Illustrations describing those in apostacy can be found from nature. Those in apostacy are called “hidden reefs” and are literally hidden rocks in shallow water that destroy ships. The apostates sneak into fellowship dinners to gain acceptance and destroy. Apostates are “Clouds without water” where water represents the Word. They are unprofitable clouds in an agricultural environment. They drift a great deal of the time. Jude 1:12-13.
“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 1:12-13, NASB)
Those in apostacy are like autumn trees which are expected to yield fruit, but do not. They are “doubly dead” as a result of their negative volition. They are “uprooted” (passive voice where they receive the action of the verb) and receive the judgment of God. They are “wild waves” referring to apostates that destroy themselves by their own power when they reach the shore and dissipate. They are “wandering stars” that indicate that they have short ineffective influence.
The judgment of those in apostacy is handled by Jesus Christ at the Second Advent. In Jude 1:14-15, Jude as a pastor-teacher speaks about the apostates or false teachers.
“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.”“ (Jude 1:14-15, NASB)
The defense against apostacy can be found in Jude 1:17-21 and comes from the intake and application of the Word of God. They must be first identified. The believer’s defense is always spiritual growth resulting in erection of an edification complex in their soul. Prayer is also an effective defense, but must be based on accumulated Bible doctrine to be effective.
“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” (Jude 1:17-21, NASB)
Offense against apostacy includes refuting them and witnessing to unbelievers in apostacy. But there are qualifications on this. Jude 1:22-23, 2 John 1:7-11.
“And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23, NASB)
“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” (2 John 1:7-11, NASB)
We are to have compassion (agapao love) for believers, but do not get into mental attitude sins as a result of pressure from those in apostacy. You need to understand that separation from them may be needed. You will not have rapport with them and you should separate yourself from many of them. We are also to despise the false doctrine from those in apostacy.
Role Reversal of Men and Women in Times of Apostacy
The roles of man and woman are often reversed in times of national apostacy. Man becomes a woman in their soul – a responder. Woman becomes a man in their soul – the initiator. In the case of malfunction on the part of a man, the woman must become spiritually self-sustaining as soon as possible. The stability of a decadent nation is often in its women, not just in its men. But as the Fifth Cycle of Discipline of the nation approaches, women without Bible doctrine will also fail in their spiritual life. Judges 4:4; Isaiah 3:12.
"Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time." (Judges 4:4, NASB)
"O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths." (Isaiah 3:12, NASB)
The ἀγάπη (agapē) love of 1 Corinthians 13:4 is developed in the believer’s soul from the intake and application of Bible doctrine and cannot be quenched by pressure and adversity. This is unconditional love.
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant," (1 Corinthians 13:4, NASB)
For the spiritually growing believer, the darker the times, the more sufficient the grace of God. 2 Cor. 12:9.
"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB)
An Illustration of the Man-Woman Role Reversal
This is an illustration of what can happen in times of national apostacy. This illustration demonstrates the victory of the spiritual life in times of disaster. No tragedy is too great for the plan of God. Here, a generation of the people of Israel were negative to Bible doctrine. God had permitted them to be under the bondage of a Canaanite, Sisera, a general because of their negative volition. They had spent 20 years in negative volition leaving just a few spiritually growing or spiritually mature believers to deliver a nation. Judges 4:1-3.
"Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. The sons of Israel cried to the LORD; for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years." (Judges 4:1-3, NASB)
They cried to the Lord, but were not interested in the Lord. They were not interested in doctrine. They just wanted to get out of their mess, but if they got out they would forget where they got their help.
No matter how rough life may get, there will always be believers who learn Bible doctrine daily, through the grace apparatus for perception and are building epignosis in the right lobe of their souls resulting in a growing edification complex of the soul thus wiping out any scar tissue that resides in the soul. This is what delivers a nation from God's administration of divine judgment.
In Judges 4:1-3, a weak man (Barak) becomes strong because of the edification complex of the soul of a woman (Deborah). Also, a strong man (Sisera) becomes weak because of the edification complex of the soul of a woman (Jael).
Barak means “flash of lightning.” He was a coward, the glittering of a sword. As a soldier, he wasn’t much good. He wanted a woman to go to war with him and provide him Bible doctrine. He was a weak man with a strong name. He will become positive to Bible doctrine when he gets a chance.
Sisera means “attack” and was a general and commander of the armies of Jabin, king of Canaan. Sisera had been a victorious man, but he was missing something in his soul. He had never lost a battle in 20 years.
Deborah was a grace lady with a maximum amount of epignosis Bible doctrine in her soul. This woman had an completed edification complex of the soul and was a fantastic person. Her husband’s name was Lappidoth which means “torch.” Judges 4:4.
"Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time." (Judges 4:4, NASB)
Jael was a helpless Arab woman with a man’s name that meant ibex or wild mountain goat. Her father apparently wanted a boy, but got a girl. It would be like naming a girl George. She was also a grace lady like Deborah with a completed edification complex of the soul. Jael and Deborah would be heroines of the great war.
Israel’s deliverance will come through a woman. One woman was so positive toward doctrine that she had for years and years been building an edification structure. This is the first illustration of a person who is going to deliver the nation.
There were no men who has the doctrine to handle the crisis so God used a woman with doctrine. She had a gift of communication – she was a prophetess. God had to use women in spiritual leadership because men weren’t able to do the job. Lappidoth had lost his manhood. He was negative toward doctrine. A spiritually mature woman can cause some men to be mean. She was the spiritual leader of the land. This was very difficult for a woman because she was a responder. However, with Bible doctrine in her soul, she was quite capable of stepping in to do what had to be done.
Deborah has the Word of the Lord and she gives the command to Barak to go up and fight Sisera. She says that the Lord will deliver him into their hands. Deborah believes it. It was a promise directly from God. Barak had to depend on her stability. Barak had troops, he had heard God's promise, Deborah had given direction, so what did he lack? Bible doctrine in his soul. He had no spiritual frame of reference.
"'I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.'"" (Judges 4:7, NASB)
In Judges 4:8, Barak demonstrated his pitiful state of thinking. He had to depend on Deborah for spiritual strength! She was running the show even though she didn’t want to, but if no man will step up, then the woman will have to.
"Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."" (Judges 4:8, NASB)
Sisera’s army lost the battle with Barak and was the only one to escape on foot from his army. Judges 4:15-16.
"The LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left." (Judges 4:15-16, NASB)
In Judges 4:18, Jael went out to meet Sisera who had showed up at place he thought was a friendly hideout. She said “turn aside, my master” and “Do not be afraid” to convince him he was in a safe place. When he heard “do not be afraid,” that should have been a warning.
"Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug." (Judges 4:18, NASB)
Jael knows Sisera is an enemy and for 20 years has oppressed Israel and he needs to be put out of the way. This is not murder, but warfare. Believers in the military should learn to kill well in preparation for combat. They should be the most proficient at killing the enemy in their outfit. Jael ends Sisera efficiently.
"But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died." (Judges 4:21, NASB)
Barak and his army then went on to destroy Jabin the king of Canaan. Two brave women with Bible doctrine in their souls were used by God to deliver their entire nation from captivity. Judges 4:23-24.
"So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan." (Judges 4:23-24, NASB)