Be Encouraged!

As I was studying for a speaking engagement this morning, I came across the following in H.A. Ironside’s commentary on Jude. I wanted to share it with you because I realized that I cannot be the only one who has been discouraged by the state of the visible church. All around, we see an unbelievable lack of discernment and an astounding disregard for what the Bible says. Even in churches that have historically stayed true, we see this falling away. It can be so disheartening and yet! Ironside reminds us why this is not disheartening but rather strengthening and encouraging. But why? He reminds us of an important truth–

*Well it is for the soul who seeks to be guided by Scripture to remember that nothing which he beholds on every side was unforeseen by God. Unbelief and apostasy may abound, but nothing takes Him by surprise. Long since, the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ had warned us that the last days would be characteristically days of spiritual declension and departure from the truth. The coming of mockers, walking after their own unholy desires, has been foretold from the beginning.

For the simple believer there is both strength and encouragement in this. If he look about him and see, as it were, star after star falling from heaven, teacher after teacher apostatizing from the truth, the love of many waxing cold, with error proudly defiant and apparently carrying all before it, he is apt to be overcome by fear and gloom. Like the prophet, he will be ready to cry, “Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey” (Isa. 59:14, 15). But he may forget to add, with the same prophet, “The Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment.” But let him remember that all that is so solemn in the on-rushing tide of evil has been foreknown and foretold long ago by Him who knows the end from the beginning, and he at once begins to take heart. He realizes that he is not to expect anything else. Therefore what he sees but the more firmly establishes him in the truth of Scripture. And, more than that, it is in the time of the end all this iniquity is to come to its height, before being forever overthrown by the personal appearing of the Living Word as King of kings and Lord of lords. Therefore he finds encouragement in the very darkness of the scene to expect soon to behold the shining-forth of the Morning Star, and later the rising in glory of the Sun of Righteousness.

This is the value of prophecy, which is as a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in the heart (2 Peter 1:19). Led on by this sure and steady gleam, the humble child of God will not be dazzled by the pretensions, nor disheartened by the evil influence, of these haughty resisters of the truth, who set themselves apart as a select circle, who have attained to what the commonalty of Christians have not yet reached. There is a spiritual and carnal separation. The former is separation from evil at the call of the word of God, when to longer continue in some particular association would be unfaithfulness to Christ. The latter is a walking apart in fancied superiority, led on by pride and vainglory.

Yes! What a wonderful reminder. Prophecy is a light, given to us for such a time as this. What we are seeing has been foretold and we can take great encouragement in this. May we, as Jude encourages us, build ourselves up in holy faith and keep ourselves in the love of God, helping others along the way as God gives us opportunity.

*Ironside, H. A.. An Exposition of the Epistle of Jude (Ironside Commentary Series Book 44) (p. 44). CrossReach Publications. Kindle Edition.