Thursday Devo
Scripture:
Jude 1
10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11 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.
10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11 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.
Commentary:
10 All that they do not understand includes true biblical doctrine about God, angels and demons, and human sin and forgiveness through Christ. What they understand instinctively, like animals, is how to follow their bodily instincts and feelings, flouting God’s moral standards. Following subjective feelings and desires, for someone whose conscience is not trained and governed by God’s Word, will lead that person ultimately to be destroyed by his own sinful compulsions.
11 The False Teachers Are Motivated by Greed. Cain (Gen. 4:5–8), Balaam (Num. 22:5–7; 2 Pet. 2:15), and Korah (Num. 16:1–3, 31–35) were all characterized by their dissatisfaction with the place they occupied, and so they engaged in rebellion against God, greedily seeking selfish gain at any cost.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2450.
11 The False Teachers Are Motivated by Greed. Cain (Gen. 4:5–8), Balaam (Num. 22:5–7; 2 Pet. 2:15), and Korah (Num. 16:1–3, 31–35) were all characterized by their dissatisfaction with the place they occupied, and so they engaged in rebellion against God, greedily seeking selfish gain at any cost.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2450.
Questions:
- One thing you might have noticed up to this point in the book of Jude is that he is CONSTANTLY teaching from the Old Testament... and there is still more to come! There are prominent pastors and churches that will try to tell you it's best to "unhitch" your faith from Old Testament, that it isn't relevant today and will only serve as a stumbling block. But we must remember that the Old Testament is just as relevant as it ever was! Would you be able to defend the relevance of the Bible against someone who thought it was outdated? How convinced are you that every word in Scripture is relevant for today?
- The Bible isn't an OLD book, it's an ETERNAL book. It doesn't just tell what HAPPENED and will HAPPEN, but what ALWAYS HAPPENS. How important is it to you to have a firm grasp on both the Old and New Testaments? Do you tend to pick and choose verses to read that give you inspiration for the day, or do you systematically study Scripture in context?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would be convinced, through your study of Scripture, that it is relevant for today.
- That God would give you a hunger for His Word.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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