FOLLOW MERE NATURAL INSTINCTS / JUDE 1:19

(KJV) Jude 1:19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

We live in a world obsessed with spiritual branding. From social media bios to prominent pulpits, it is easy to find individuals claiming a high level of spiritual enlightenment, special revelation, or unique divine backing. But what happens when the lifestyle does not match the label?

In his brief but hard-hitting letter, Jude pulls back the curtain on individuals who master the language of faith but lack its actual substance. Let’s look closely at Jude 1:19:

“These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”

To understand the weight of Jude’s words, we have to look at the psychological and theological games these false teachers were playing. The corrupt individuals infiltrating the early church claimed to be completely “spiritual.” They operated under a distorted form of grace—an early version of Gnosticism—believing that because their spirits were saved, it did not matter what they did with their physical bodies.

They used this faulty reasoning to justify deep immoral behavior. Ironically, they looked down on ordinary believers, labeling them as “sensual” or “worldly-minded” because those believers still cared about holiness, boundaries, and physical obedience.

Here, Jude turns their own weapon against them. He flips their faulty logic on its head, showing that the very people claiming to operate on a higher spiritual plane are the ones actually controlled entirely by sensual desire.

When Jude writes that they follow mere natural instincts, he uses a specific phrase to describe someone who operates entirely on a soulish, animalistic level. They are driven by:

• Fleshly desires: Prioritizing immediate physical gratification over holiness.
• Human logic: Substituting God’s revealed truth with worldly wisdom and cultural trends.
• Personal gain: Exploiting the faith of others to feed their own pride and pockets.

Rather than being highly spiritual, they are entirely “soulish”. They can use religious vocabulary and simulate spiritual fervor, but their default setting is entirely rooted in their fallen human nature.

Jude delivers a devastating final blow to their religious resume: they “do not have the Spirit.”

This isn’t just a critique of their teaching style; it is an indictment of their spiritual state. Scripture makes it explicitly clear that the Holy Spirit is the seal of true salvation. As Paul writes in Romans 8:9:

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

By declaring that these individuals do not have the Spirit, Jude reveals that they are not saved at all. They are religious imposters fracturing the church from the inside out. True spiritual maturity creates unity, humility, and holiness; false spirituality creates division, pride, and compromise.

Jude’s warning is as urgent today as it was in the first century. It calls us to examine where our true alignment lies:

• Are we letting the Holy Spirit transform our behavior, choices, and speech?
• Or are we merely using religious language to cover up a lifestyle driven by natural instincts and self-interest?

Let us stay grounded in the true Word of God, testing every spirit, and leaning heavily on the Holy Spirit to guide us into true holiness, unity, and truth.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the clarity of Your Word which cuts through deception and reveals the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Lord, deliver us from the trap of a superficial spirituality that honors You with our lips while our hearts and bodies are far from You.

We pray for deep discernment in these days. Protect Your Church from divisive influencers who follow their own natural instincts rather than Your Holy Spirit. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit, so that our lives produce the genuine fruit of holiness, humility, and love. May our allegiance belong entirely to Jesus Christ, and may our walk match our talk. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1. UNGODLY … UNGODLY … UNGODLY / JUDE 1:15
2. ENOCH … PROPHESIED / JUDE 1:14
3. THESE MEN ARE LIKE / JUDE 1:12-13
4. TWICE DEAD / JUDE 1:12
5. WAY OF CAIN … BALAAM’S ERROR … KORAH’S REBELLION / JUDE 1:11
6. MICHAEL … DISPUTING WITH THE DEVIL /JUDE 1:9
7. THESE DREAMERS / JUDE 1:8
8. SODOM AND GOMORRAH / JUDE 1:7
9. GRACE OF OUR GOD INTO A LICENSE FOR IMMORALITY / JUDE 1:4
10. THE FAITH … ENTRUSTED TO THE SAINTS / JUDE 1:3
11. JUDE & JAMES – MERCY … IN ABUNDANCE / JUDE 1:1-2
12. THE ANGELS / JUDE 1:6
13. GUIDED BY GRACE ABOUT

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