Jude 1:23 – And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.…
What does the Bible say about how we should respond to believers who continue to practice sin? If you are personally aware of individuals like this, what steps or action should you take to rescue him or her?
✦ What attitude does God expect you to have regarding these people’s sin?
✦ What kind of action does God expect you to take to see them delivered?
✦ What approach should you take regarding the sin they are living in?
✦ What is the proper outlook for you to have concerning their situation?
The answer to these questions is found in Jude 1:23. In this verse, Jude compellingly tells us, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire….”
First of all, Jude tells us to “save [them] with fear.” This suggests a strong dose of respect for something that is life-threatening, dangerous, or alarming. Jude tells us what kind of attitude we should have regarding sin. Sin is dangerous, alarming, and even life-threatening to a person’s spiritual life. Therefore, sin must not be tolerated, nor should the effects of sin be watered down. In short, we should have no stomach for sin.
Next, Jude 1:23 tells us what action we must take when we find a fellow believer who is getting caught up in sin. This verse tells us that we must act fast to “pull them out of the fire.” In Colossians 1:13, this word portrays that moment when Jesus Christ broke Satan’s power over our lives and snatched us out (pulled us out, grabbed us by the back of our necks and snatched us) of the kingdom of darkness. “Because of the alarmingly dangerous state that some believers are in, I urge you to take immediate and fast-acting measures to see them delivered and rescued. And if they don’t quickly respond, don’t stop! You need to keep up your sense of urgency until you are convinced that they are rescued and snatched out of the fires of destruction. If you must, go all the way to grab them by the back of their necks and jerk them out of those flames.…” Think back for a minute to Lot, the nephew of Abraham. Lot got so caught up in the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah that when the angels told him the two cities were about to be destroyed, he wanted to stay anyway! The angels had to take him by the hand and make him leave! They had to forcibly remove him from that situation; otherwise, he would have been destroyed. The angels literally dragged Lot out of the city against his will (Genesis 19:16). Likewise, we must do everything within our power to snatch people from spiritually dangerous predicaments. Although they may not feel the heat of the fire at the moment or realize the seriousness of their spiritual condition, we must speak forcefully and truthfully to them in order to seize their hearts and set them free.
If you know someone who is drifting away from his relationship with the Lord, pray for a door to open that will allow you to speak the truth in love and pull him out of impending destruction. Just think about it — if you were the one about to make a major spiritual error, wouldn’t you want your true friends to speak the truth in love to you? So believe God for an open door. He’ll show you how and when to speak the truth.
Prayer: Lord, I ask You to give me Your heart for brothers and sisters who are living in sin. Forgive me for the times I have been insensitive to the dangerous nature of sin. Help me to be passionate and fervent in prayer for them and to keep praying for them until their deliverance is complete and they are fully restored. Help me consider the way I would want others to pray for me if I were in the same situation.