Sorrow Awaits False Teachers | Daily Devotion
“What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.” Jude 11
What sorrow awaits all who defy God and His holy, righteous ways.
The sorrow looks different on earth amongst people, as people differ with various strengths and weaknesses and God corrects specifically in ways individuals recognize they personally are not right with God, but ultimately the sorrow of the defiant ends in hell eternally.
What we do know universally, on earth sorrow is revealed in how people experience the detrimental ramifications of their sin. Those who are defiant do not hear God’s voice, and they lack peace internally. Their decisions will lack the filling of the Holy Spirit, thus their decisions are not beneficial for all around them and suffering will increase, it will not decrease. The fruit of the Holy Spirit will not be evident in their life, thus no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and no self- control.
Unbearable sorrow is often internal and can include circumstantial issues. However, unbearable sorrow is not isolated to circumstances, as many Christians right with God experience outward trials due to Satan assaulting them for their righteous living and faithfulness to God, and yet they have peace amidst turmoil. Like Jesus sleeping peacefully amidst the storm.
Internal unbearable sorrow is witnessed in guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, mental instability, unrest, lack of satisfaction, and unbearable fear. All internal issues that can be alleviated with repentance of sin.
Jude warning the Christians of the sorrow awaiting the false teachers, reminds me of what Amos said in Amos 6:3 NLT, “You push away every thought of coming disaster, but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer.” Woe unto you, who defy the living God.
Now, the unbearable sorrow experienced in hell is constant anguish – Luke 16:24.
Think about your greatest fear, and what you have experienced in life that brought severe hardship, trauma, and sorrow and increase the severity of that 70 x 7. That’s hell. In life, God has given us the ability to adapt to hardship, we grow used to suffering and often experience traumatic growth because Jesus will not allow Satan to triumph over His people – Jesus Christ gives us the strength to not be defeated by our circumstances, however, hell does not hold that ability, as Jesus is not present. Hell is constant torment with increasing severity and intensity and no comfort, no Jesus, no Holy Spirit, no God the Father. All the while you will know when you could have accepted the Lord, when you could have turned from your sins to experience life and peace – eternal life in heaven.
Hell, thus, holds constant regret with no relief. That is the sorrow that awaits all who defy God. That is the sorrow that awaits these false teachers.
Jude states these false teachers follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother out of envy – thus, they did not learn lessons from Scripture.
We know in Genesis 4, Cain cultivated the ground and presented his crops as gifts to the Lord – the first grain offering, so to speak. And we know Abel, who was a shepherd, brought the best of his firstborn lambs from his flock as a gift to the Lord – the first sacrificial lamb, so to speak. The Bible tells us the Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but He did not accept Cain and his gift – Genesis 4:3-5.
To be honest, this story has always baffled me, simply because there is no place prior to this instance stated in Scripture regarding what offerings God would accept and not accept. How were they to know? They offered a gift according to their work. What God has shown me is at this time in history, God blessed those whose hearts were in tune with His. No, they didn’t have the Bible right before them like we do – they had God. God spoke to them directly what He required. They didn’t need the Bible like we do today with the increase in sin. They didn’t have as many voices vying for authority in their life, like we do.
For us today, the Bible is God speaking to us directly – it is His voice of authority.
Back in the day of Cain and Abel there was an expectation of having a heart in tune with God. David says in Psalm 125:4-5 NLT, “O LORD, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O LORD. Take them away with those who do evil.” David obviously wrote this after the incident of Cain and Abel – but we see it clearly picture the story of Cain and Abel and God banishing Cain from the grounds where his brother’s blood was shed and from His presence.
When Cain was upset, due to his gift not being accepted, God spoke to him directly, questioning his pride, defiance, and anger, “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” – Genesis 4:6-7 NLT.
“Subdue your sin and be its master. Be in control of it,” says God in warning, seeing Cain’s heart and mind. Seeing his anger at his offering being rejected.
However, Cain did not master himself and his sin, he chose to sin. He blatantly defied God and manipulated his brother with deception to draw his brother away into the fields to kill him out of pride and envy. When God confronted Cain regarding the death of his brother, Cain lied flippantly, disrespecting God.
We see here that deception is the gateway to greater sin. With each step Cain took, he stepped into greater sin and reaped the repercussion that comes with defying God.
When Jude states these false teachers follow in the footsteps of Cain, he is indicating their offerings to God, their teaching, their service is unacceptable and not righteous, their unholy behavior is murderous toward Christians, and their defiance and disrespect of God will result in them not going to heaven. Malachi 3:2-3 NLT states, “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD.”
God cares about the holiness of our offerings and sacrifices – our work unto Him.
Moreover, when Jude likened the false teachers to Balaam who deceived people for money, he emphasized how the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil – 1 Timothy 6:10. For money, Balaam created a method for Balak, the king of Moab, to persuade and manipulate the Israelites to sin by way of idolatry and sexual immorality to bring God’s judgment upon the Israelites – Revelation 2:14. Thus, they lured the Israelites away from a pure devotion to Jesus Christ so that the Israelites would experience judgment, as if God did not see who the tempter was and the money pocketed. This deceptive teaching and the love for money desires people to experience the judgment of God and is noted more than once throughout Scripture regarding false teachers. These are teachers who know enough about God and His word, to know His judgment exists, however they do not hold love for God or love for His people and bring upon judgment to themselves. Their desires are for people to sin. However, Jesus says in Matthew 18:6 NLT, “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Therefore, to all false teachers, who seek to cause Christians to sin and walk away from Jesus Christ – Jesus says, it would be better for you to die a horrific death than to cause My people to sin.
Noting how the intensity and severity of the punishment for causing Christians to sin and walk away from Jesus is worse than a horrific death.
Lastly, Jude likens these false teachers to Korah, who encouraged 250 people to rebel against Moses and Aaron’s God ordained leadership, which incited God’s wrath – Numbers 16:1-3. Moses and Aaron interceded for the Israelites and God instructed them to tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram – Numbers 16:22-26. An action preventing the spread of Korah’s sinful leaven of contempt for God. The earth literally split open and swallowed the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and fire blazed from the Lord and burned up the 250 men that followed them displaying God’s divine judgment for their contempt for Him – Numbers 16:31-35.
Therefore, Jude indicates these false teachers showed contempt for God and were encouraging people to rise up against God ordained leadership in the church and that was inciting God’s anger and bringing about His divine judgment.
Today, will you pray for the rebellious to return to the Lord and for fellow Christians to stand strong in God given conviction?
Prayer: Abba, thank You giving us everything we need to defend the faith. Please fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we can walk in Your will today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
