0096. Apostates From the Faith–Within the Fold

Apostates From the Faith–Within the Fold

"There are certain men crept in unawares" (Jdg_1:4).

A few centuries ago Jude’s certain apostates went under the names of "infidels," or agnostics, or even atheists; they dwelt outside the fellowship of the churches, and were considered enemies to the cause of Christ.

Today these same apostates are camping within the gates of the churches. They are called "modernists," or, "liberalists," or, "destructive critics." It is true that not all of the critics have gone as far as Ingersol, Hume, Paine, and Voltaire; but they are fast on the road to their denials. In fact, some of them, in their blasphemous utterances, have even passed beyond the infidel and skeptic of a century ago.

The fact that these men are within the church, teaching in our colleges, preaching in our pulpits, holding office in every phase of official church life, make them all the more dangerous. An enemy outside the city gates is bad enough, but an enemy strongly entrenched, within the very strongest citadels of the city itself, is worse.

There are some today who believe that the church should arise en masse and put out the critics. This sounds well, but our key verse tells us that these men crept in unawares, and we know that they have so securely entrenched themselves, that to dislodge them is, generally speaking, an impossibility.

A true believer can come out from among them and be separate. Individual Christians should seek churches which are true (thank God, there are still many of them); and they should refuse in every way to contribute either their money, or their service in support of those who deny the faith.

Jude in Joh_14:23 tells us plainly that we may save some with fear, pulling them out of the fire; but Jude does not tell us to go around trying to put out the fire.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR