We must realize that Biblical history reveals that God has always responded to sin. He has never winked at sin, ignored sin, or chosen to look past sin. God is a Holy God that always has and always will address sin. The Word of God is clear that sin always separates a person from God. We may think that because God did not respond at the moment somehow He is going to overlook it. God will never overlook sin. He will judge sin that is not under the blood of Jesus and He will forgive sin that is under the blood of Jesus.
Jude 1:5-8 says, “But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise, also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.”
Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
Psalm 50:21-22 says, “These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes. “Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver.”
Jude makes it clear that we once knew that God never ignores sin. This used to be a normal way of thinking. However, in the last days, many have bought the lie of the enemy that God is getting more and more comfortable with sin. The hyper-grace movement paints a picture of God that does not represent the Old Testament or New Testament God of the Bible. Jude says that we once knew this. The word knew in Greek means to be aware, behold, consider, and perceive something about God! The concerning part is people do not seem to now know what they once knew as the spirit of deception has taken root.
THE RESUME OF GOD’S JUDGEMENT:
Jude begins to reveal how the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt and afterward destroyed them that did not believe as well as giving other examples of how God always responds to sin. Please be sure to watch the full video podcast for a more in-depth understanding of this topic. Allow me to give you a quick snapshot of God’s resume of addressing sin.
1. FALL OF LUCIFER
Read Ezekiel 28 and you find that Lucifer son of the morning was sinless and walked in the ways of God perfectly until he sinned. Once sin overtook him, he was removed from God’s presence.
Ezekiel 28:11-17 says, “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.”
When sin was found in Lucifer you must realize that God never ignored it. He actually kicked him out of heaven. He was demoted from being the lead Cherub that led worship in heaven to being the prince of the power of the air.
Luke 10:18-19 says, “And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
2. FALL OF THE EGYPTIANS
Jude wants us to understand that the Egyptians were impacted by 10 plagues in Exodus 4-12 because of their sins. The ones that did not believe God were destroyed. When Pharaoh and his army sinned and refused to let God’s people go, God provided a way of escape for His children and then drowned the enemy. God never ignores sin.
3. FALL OF THE ANGELS
Jude wants us to remember that the angels did not keep their proper domain but left their own abode. They were reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Remember 1/3 of God’s holy angels rebelled with Lucifer and became destined to hell with satan.
Revelation 12:4 says, “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.”
Matthew 25:40-43 says, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.”
These unfaithful angels committed the sin of commingling with the human race. The Bible says the angels kept not their first estate which means that they did not remain in their own realm or native state. Genesis 6 reveals how the angels commingled with the daughters of man creating a hybrid being which is why there were giants in the land. The Word of God is clear that God did not ignore their sin.
2 Peter 2:4-5 says, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.”
4. FALL OF HUMANS THROUGH HOMOSEXUALITY
Jude wants us to understand that as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. God did not ignore the sin of homosexuality. God rained down fire from heaven and destroyed place. The scripture is clear that no homosexual will inherit the kingdom of God.
Genesis 19:24 says, “Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.”
1 Corinthians 1:6-9 says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Romans 1:24-27 says, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”
It is extremely clear that God never ignores sin. This is why we must keep our hearts in a place of repentance and purity. Never ignore the Holy Spirit as He brings conviction into your life.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”