Jude 16
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:
18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Philippians 2
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”
In this portion of Scripture we read that we shouldn’t be grumblers and complainers, disputing, blaming people, blaming God. God says the people who do that don’t have the Spirit of God. They are carnal people. It has got nothing to do with spirituality.
Blame never restores, but wounds people. Blame never affirms, but assaults and attacks people. How easily do we point a finger at somebody. How easily do we blame people for this and that. Some even blame God. They come into a situation and they blame God for the situation. Blame never solves but it complicates; it complicates matters if we blame somebody. Blame separates; it doesn’t unite. Cry to God to show you whether there is blame in your life. What is your relationship to others like? Blame never smiles, it frowns. Blame never forgives, it rejects. If you blame somebody, then you are rejecting a person and you don’t forgive. How easily do we blame people, circumstances and God, and don’t realize that we reject people by that. If there is blame in my heart I don’t forgive wholeheartedly. Blame never builds, it destroys. May these words be written indelibly into my heart and yours.
If I blame people, I start grumbling; I am discontent with myself and with others. God’s Word says we should not grumble. God says that those people that grumble, are sensual, carnal people.
A grumbler murmurs. He is not satisfied. He is unhappy, finds fault with others, whimpers. From far away you can see him: O, this person doesn’t have peace in his heart. You can see there is something lacking in his heart because he constantly grumbles.
Such a person will eventually go into his bedroom and cry and feel sorry for himself, because he is a grumbler. Whatever he sees and needs, he grumbles and isn’t fully satisfied. Such a person always complains, even about the weather: then it is too hot, then too cold. He is never satisfied, but always grumbling. Then he complains that it rains too much. Or it doesn’t rain enough. He will always find something to complain about. Instead of living above it, he is under this carnal deception and under this carnal load.
Eventually the person is known by it.
19. “These are sensual people who cause divisions.” Those that grumble and complain cause divisions. Those that find fault with others and talk about their shortcomings, cause divisions amongst the Christians.
May I never be found to cause divisions amongst Christians; may I never be a person who grumbles and complains.
But if there is something like that in my heart, may I run to confess it, for prayer that I can be set free from that.
I would like to close with what is written in Phil 2:14-15: “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Do you see what God has prepared for us, what our life should be like to everyone? These words are as sweet as honey.
We must be blameless: We have heard what blame does and how it separates and divides people. But my life must be such that I am blameless. That is my prayer for each and everyone of us. We can’t be satisfied with anything less. May we be a light that shines in this dark world in this generation in which we live.