Licentiousness is defined as the wanton disregard or transgression of laws, rules, or moral norms. Though the author of this epistle, the Apostle Jude, who more than likely was one of Joseph's sons, and therefore a half-brother of Jesus, doesn't specifically identify what kind of licentiousness he was calling out, he makes it clear that philosophy and teaching which promoted it was creeping into the church through ungodly people who had "stolen in" to the church membership and were acting as if they were Christians, too, while perverting the message of the Christian gospel.
He uses several Old Testament examples, which the Christians to whom he was writing would have understood, to illustrate the kind of perversion of theology and doctrine about which he was talking. He mentions that these false teachers "go the way of Cain," who was Adam and Eve's oldest son who, because of jealousy, turned on his younger brother Abel, and murdered him. He says that they "abandon themselves to Balaam's error," which is basically to abandon one's principles and morals for money. And he says "they have perished in Korah's rebellion," a reference to the Israelite who incited a rebellion against Moses, basically over internal politics related to individuals Moses had appointed to royal leadership.
Prophetic Similarities in American Christianity
While I don't believe these references are specific events intended to predict some future "end times" event, I do believe they are sufficient prophetic warning for churches in America today that are allowing far right wing secular politics to intrude into their congregations, their worship, their discipleship ministries, their relationships with each other and with the communities in which they exist. There are plenty of examples of churches in which the Christian gospel, along with the mission and purpose has been hijacked and replaced with politics, which are not a gospel at all, along with demands for loyalty for a political candidate, Trump, whose character is as far from the expectations of a Christian who follows the gospel of Jesus Christ as it is possible to get.
There's a whole segment of conservative, Evangelical Christianity that has sold out its theology, doctrine and Christian practice in exchange for the power that comes from politics, and in many cases, for what they see as potential financial benefit. From Trump's open denial of his need for repentance and forgiveness, and his view of "God" which contradicts the Biblical description of his nature and his character, to his surrogates claiming that the core principles taught by Jesus are "weak" and "don't get us anywhere in this world," I see nothing in the way this man conducts himself, in his speech, in his behavior, or in his open pledges to use his presidency as a means of getting even with his enemies, that shows any agreement with or respect for the Christian gospel. Christians supporting Trump have bought into a personality cult and, as the Apostle Jude describes, are blind to the truth.
These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage. Jude v. 16, NRSV
That Evangelicals are willing to be first class hypocrites and set aside their own convictions and morals to sell themselves out to Trump is evidenced in their having to live with his choice of a spiritual advisor. Conservative Evangelicals are "complimentarian" in their theology, which means they hold to a literal interpretation of an obscure passage in I Timothy, and have developed a core doctrine which forbids women from holding any kind of church leadership position, especially in the clergy, in the role of a pastor or elder. Unfortunately for them, Trump has chosen Paula White as his spiritual "advisor," a female who claims the titles of "Apostle" and "Prophet," and one who believes that speaking in tongues is a sign of the advent of the Holy Spirit, a doctrine some conservative Evangelicals tolerate but don't accept, and which renders those who believe it as heretics to other Evangelicals.
It's not surprising that Trump is attracted to White. He worships money, she's a prosperity gospel preacher who believes God wants his people to be rich and he'll make them so if they just pray hard enough and, oh, by the way, tip the offering plate a bunch, thank you. That, along with taking a long list of licentious behavior off the "sin" list, including pathological, deliberate, intentional lying for one's own benefit and to be deliberately deceitful, all forms of physical immorality, including adultery and rape, and demanding personal loyalty be directed away from Christ and toward Trump, is the essence of how spiritual, conservative, Biblical Evangelicalism has been infiltrated by heresy and made apostate.
Most Evangelical Churches Engaged Actively in Right Wing Politics are Apostate
But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, 'In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own worldly lusts.' It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions." Jude v. 17-19
I am amazed that the ink is still dry on the page where these words are written, they are so relevant and so prophetic, and so descriptive of what has happened to so many Evangelical churches across this country in the past eight years. Trump revels in worldliness in which he engages freely because he has no spiritual conviction of sin, no knowledge of the Christian gospel or of the conversion experience, and he has not come close to accepting the Christian gospel as the means by which he lives his life. Those who follow him, are loyalty to him and believe in him implicitly within the church are those worldly people causing divisions in the church.
Aside from staggering membership losses over the past decade, Evangelical churches in many cases are no longer recognizeable as bodies of Christ. The preaching has become infused with political statements and political positions baptized in a Christian way and brought to the pulpit by infiltrators.
I recently read a church growth analysts study of the growth of megachurches, and that they are most likely found in the largest, and fastest growing counties in the United States. The primary factor in the growth of these churches is no longer evangelism, or winning large numbers of converts to Christ, but on people moving into these fast growing communities from other churches. And while a handful, fewer than a hundred, churches are showing major growth because the county they are in is growing, 85% of all churches identified as Evangelical have experienced a 20% decline in membership over the past decade, as the total number of people who identify as Evangelical Christian in the United States has declined 15% during that period of time.
Apparently, there are quite a few other Christians like me who get up and walk out the door the moment a political statement is made, worked into the sermon or discussed in a small group.
When the Church Endorses a Political Candidate, They Endorse His Morality and Ethics
Trump is a pathological liar. He's been convicted of a rape, and he's on record claiming that because he's famous, he can grab women by their genitals and they don't mind him doing so. He's had three well known affairs and each time, divorced his wife to marry the "other woman." He brags about the level and scope of his immorality, and follows that up by telling prominent Christian leaders who want so bad to be the one who can claim they "led him to Christ," that he has done nothing for which he needs to ask God's forgiveness. That denies the scripture that Evangelicals teach is inerrant and infallible.
Trump's rhetoric is vengeful and full of hate. It contradicts the entire Christian gospel. I don't care if he is running for the Presidency of a country that separates church and state, supporting someone who is so anti-Christian in their rhetoric and behavior is sinful, and is a sign of the apostasy that has crept into the American Evangelical church, duped and deceived its members and is rendering them ineffective in their ability to carry out their ministry.
Jude's advice for fixing this problem in the church is simple. "Pray in the Holy Spirit," he says. "Keep yourselves in the love of God." And he finishes off with "Look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ."
According to the scripture, which Evangelicals claim is inerrant and infallible, Trump doesn't exhibit any characteristics that would make him "God's man" to lead the United States. So Christians who want to remain true to their faith should not be casting their precious ballot for a man whose lifestyle epitomizes what John calls "anti-christ."
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