January 16, 2024: Jude 19 - They do not Have the Holy Spirit

January 16, 2024  /  Stephanie Klepacki

“These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” - Jude 19

After having described the many characteristics of the deceivers - men who have stealthily crept into churches and pretend to be saved but are not - Jude sums them up in three ways:

  • They separate themselves, meaning they cause divisions; they divide people against each other and influence people to separate from what they previously believed to follow them. The apostle Peter wrote of them:

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [secretly] shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious [destructive] ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of [blasphemed].” (2 Peter 2:1-2)

  • They are sensual, meaning natural or worldly-minded, being more concerned with their temporary life on earth and not their eternal, spiritual life. They are led by their sinful, fleshly desires rather than by the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit does not dwell within them. Two other examples of this meaning are shown below.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife [self-seeking] in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish [demonic]. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:14-16)

  • They do not have the Holy Spirit within them; only we who have believed in Jesus Christ and put our faith and trust in Him and Him alone to save us from all our sins have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit:

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6)

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirt of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter [another name for the Holy Spirit], that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:16-17)

These unbelievers are still living and walking according to their sinful flesh and not the Spirit of God. To make matters worse, they are pretending to be believers and their desire is to divide and conquer by any means necessary. What we have seen in churches, including, and perhaps especially, in America, is a great dividing of churches. There are many churches who have left God, that have left their first love, and there are churches that remain faithful to the word of God, unafraid to preach and teach on the entire Bible, even if it means losing many in their congregations and being slandered by those who don’t believe in God and His word. Sadly, this slandering also comes by some still in the church and who are more influenced by corrupt societies than they are by God. We have seen many church splits in America, particularly regarding issues of homosexuality and also abortion. I have posted below links to two articles that are an example of such splits:

It is clear and simple: Any church and any pastor that supports and advocates for anything that God calls sin is apostate and is not walking according to the Spirit but according to the flesh and is deceiving people into believing it is acceptable to God. The apostle Paul warned the early Christians in Rome, and his warning stands true to us today:

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [licentiousness-disregarding sexual restraints] and wantonness [lewdness], not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:12-14)

Jesus can and wants to save us from our sins; that is why He came to the earth the first time: to offer us the free gift of salvation by putting our faith and trust in Him. However, we must decide for ourselves whether or not to accept that free gift. It doesn’t matter if we are deep in sin when we accept that gift, He will save us. We are ALL sinners in need of the Savior. Once we are saved, He sends us His Holy Spirit to reside within us and to guide us in our new life as a born again believer. Part of the Holy Spirit’s guiding is to show us when we are sinning and to help us sin less and less. Sometimes though we don’t want to heed this guiding, and we quench the Holy Spirit. I have been guilty of this many times. However, we must know with all certainty that Jesus does not want us to remain in sin and we must fight against it each and every day. We must heed the words of Paul to a young pastor named Titus:

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” (Titus 2:11-15)

Notice that Paul did not tell Titus that he should preach to his congregation that if society approves that which God calls sin then it’s okay and people can live their lives as to how society dictates. No! He told Titus to teach his congregation to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Sadly, we are seeing the results that come when many false pastors and teachers have crept in unawares into churches and have corrupted many, if not the majority of them, because their motivation is not to please God but to please their own ungodly and worldly lusts of the flesh.

The apostle Paul wrote about this battle between the flesh and the Spirit and the characteristics of those walking in the flesh versus those walking in the Spirit. Take a look at churches today - are they walking in the flesh or are they walking in the Spirit? I would say most are walking in the flesh.

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest [evident], which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft [sorcery], hatred, variance [contentions], emulations [jealousies], wrath, strife [selfish ambitions], seditions [dissensions], heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance [self-control]: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:16-26)

The first fruit of the Spirit that Paul listed above is love. To love someone is to tell them the truth, no matter if they might deem it offensive. The truth, the truth of God, can sting, and it is meant to. It is to show us that we are all sinners in need of the Savior Jesus Christ. After we are saved by putting our faith and trust in Him to forgive us of our sins, the truth reveals to us that we must not continue living in our sinful lifestyles and we must fight against our fleshly desires through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. When one is not truly saved by trusting in Jesus for their salvation, then they don’t fight against the sinful nature and are vulnerable to returning to their old ways, to their bondage, where their chains are held by the god of this world, Satan. True liberty is found only in Jesus, who seals us with His Holy Spirit:

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles [unbelievers] walk, in the vanity [futility] of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness [hardening] of their heart; who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct] the old man [our former selves prior to salvation], which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place [an opportunity] to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:17-27)

True shepherds of God’s word will love you enough to give you the truth because they don’t want you to go to hell when you die but to be saved by our loving Savior Jesus Christ and spend your eternity with Him. True shepherds won’t tell you what you want to hear because it tickles your ears and makes you feel comfortable in your sin; only the hirelings, the false shepherds, the paid men, will do that, for they care not what happens to you. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the One who laid His life down for you, and He gives you the truth. Jesus gave the truth to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea at the time when Jesus was crucified:

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fights, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.” (John 18:36-38)

Jesus gives us the answer to this question of what is truth:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:6)

The Bible tells us what happens to people when they deny the truth, and oh, how do we see this on full display today in society:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [suppress] the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest [evident] in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change [exchange] the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another; men with men working that which is unseemly [shameful], and receiving in themselves that recompense [penalty] of their error which was meet [due]. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [fitting]; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate [strife], deceit, malignity [evil-mindedness], whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful [violent], proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable [unforgiving], unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:18-32)

I challenge you to read the above passage again and see if there is any aspect of the society described therein that does not match society in our world today, particularly in American society. We have people who think they are the opposite sex of what they were born in, people who think they are not any sex, people who think they are cats, dogs, birds, horses, lamps, furniture, and you name it. There are women who say they are in love with a tree, chandelier, fence, roller coaster, bridge, dolphin, swimming pool, and it goes on and on. This truly is a description of society described in Romans 1 above. It is also a society that is the fulfillment of a prophecy of Paul that tells us perilous times will come in the last days as society denies God and the truth of God and embraces the lies and deception of Satan:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent [without self-control], fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady [reckless], high-minded [haughty], lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

The types of people described in Romans 1 and 2 Timothy 3 are the ones who are being willfully deceived by Satan because they don’t want the truth of God that convicts them of their sin but they want the lies of Satan, who affirms their sin and makes them comfortable in it. They are just like Eve, who gave into the temptation of Satan, who was in the form of a serpent in the Garden of Eden. Satan asked her, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) and he lied to her, saying “Ye shall not surely die.” (Genesis 3:3) Eve, who knew the truth of God, suppressed the truth, even changing what God had told Adam, which was not to eat of the fruit, but Eve said they also must not touch it, which was a lie. Instead of fleeing from the serpent because she knew the truth of God, she desired after the fruit with her eyes and gave into the temptation. She willfully was deceived by Satan, and so was Adam when he also ate the fruit. Our society is no different. We have people who are deceived by Satan, asking “Did God really say that [fill in the blank] is a sin?” They are also saying there is no God, God is dead, we can become gods, which is also what Satan told Eve (Genesis 3:5), and that God wants us to do what we are doing because it makes us feel good and society says it’s okay and normal. All of these are lies, and we each have a choice whether to believe in them - and in the originator of the lies, Satan, who is the god of lies, the god of deception, the god of confusion - or to believe in the One true God and in the truth of God. It is these types of people who will be deceived by the coming final Antichrist because they deny the truth:

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery [hidden truth] of iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work: only he who now letteth [restrains] will let [do so], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked [Lawless One] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit [breath] of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned [condemned] who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12)

We are seeing this falling away from the faith that the apostle Paul prophesied of in the above Scripture. Many “churches” are no longer houses of God but dens of the Devil, who are being led not by men of God but by pretenders, deceivers who do not have the Holy Spirit within them, just as God, through Jude and other apostles of Jesus Christ, told us there will be in the last times.

For we who remain in our faith in God and are saved by Jesus Christ, who believe the truth of God and reject the lies of Satan, we must stand firm by drawing near to God. We do that by reading His word, diligently seeking solid churches that have not caved to societal demands and if none are found, then having home Bible studies, and praying to God everyday. We stand firm in our faith, not cowering in fear, by putting on the whole armor of God that the apostle Paul wrote about in Ephesians 6:10-20. May we speak the truth of Christ boldly and in love, to an unsaved world that is perishing in its sin:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [schemes] of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery [hidden truth] of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds [chains]: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that had been influenced by false teachers. True pastors and teachers in churches today, the ones who have not departed from the faith and who are preaching and teaching the truth of God in love and not some watered-down, sugar-coated, modified version of it, who are becoming fewer and fewer in number, and all believers in Jesus Christ would do good to heed Paul’s words:

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not [do not lose heart]; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost [perishing]: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:1-7) ✝️