The apostle Jude describes
the apostate false professors in that little epistle by two things that I think
are very interesting. He says, “clouds they are without water, carried about of
winds” and “wandering stars.” They have no foundation and no firm ties to Christ
or His church. They move through their lives and on this earth in an erratic and
unstable way. They pretend to be zealous for God’s truth and concerned for the
way He is worshipped. But these things are but covers for the real truth. The
truth is, they have no real interest in Christ but are as Jude said, “twice
dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own
shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
Their supposed searching and seeking is just a refusal to bow to the claims of
Christ in plain commands of scripture. They find no satisfaction with the
message preached or the one who preaches it in the place they are in because
they will not submit themselves to those God has appointed to have the rule over
them. They like the preacher and message that is far from them so they do not
have to discipline themselves to attend regular worship or support a local
church. They do not have to concern themselves with the trials, care or
responsibilities of the Lord’s tried and persecuted people. They always have
tapes to listen to and to give but they have no fellowship with the Lord’s
people where they are. They can criticize and correct preachers and people who
are seeking to serve Christ and promote the gospel of His glory in a place but
they are never there to encourage, support and help. They are simply without
spiritual root and “wandering stars.” A star, in order to be of any light or
benefit to anyone, must be stationary, stable and constant. No old mariner could
have benefited from the light of a star if the star was constantly “wandering.”
No, a star is fixed. It gives its light continuously from a spot ordained of
God. These spiritual nomads have no witness for Christ where they are, no time
to serve Him and no desire be among those who in His providence worship Him
where they are. Such religious vagabonds are too spiritual, too knowledgeable
and too talented for where they are. No, they are too in love with self, too
spiritually dead and too bent to hurry to their destruction. The maniac in Mark
5 that Christ delivered wanted to go with Him but the Lord said, “Go home to thy
friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee,” Make your
home near the gospel and worship and serve Christ there.