"Note the seriousness here -- the believers were tolerating them [the
false teachers]. Now, that's the awfulness of it. It's not amazing that there'd be men
of this character [in the church]. The tragedy is that believers are tolerant of these
individuals! ...What happens when they're tolerated is they come in [into the church]. And
you know what they are? They're hidden reefs ... unsuspecting believers
then crash on them. And their faith is upset and their life is ruined. That's why you
cannot tolerate it [false teaching] among believers.
"You allow this hidden reef for an unsuspecting Christian to crash on, and often it's
done under the guise and in the name of "love." It's loving to set-up a reef
for a Christian to be smashed on? Not on your life! You know what it is? -- it's
cowardice on the part of believers. They don't want to deal with it [false teaching],
so they say it wouldn't be loving. You know what they're afraid of? -- they're afraid
of the battle.
"That's why Jude says, 'contend earnestly.' You've got to deal with it. You
can't be tolerant of it ... When you think of how deceived believers have been -- you have
to sift them [the apostates] very carefully through the Scriptures."
* Taken from a commentary on Jude 12a, preached 3/15/81 (Gil Rugh).
