Jude 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
Here is the real spiritual problem with the false teachers. They follow the way of nature and not the Spirit. “Natural instincts” refers to the way of the natural world, the way nature functions. In the natural world, it is eat or be eaten, kill or be killed. Everything is about survival of the fittest and strongest. This type of living always leaves victims. It is all about self. The way of the Spirit is about love and giving (Galatians 5:22). It is about putting the needs of others before our own (see Philippians 2:1-4). The natural way is inspired by the fallen sinfulness that indwells all people. Because of its inherent selfishness, it often results in division and broken relationships. This is what the readers of this letter are experiencing. Jude gives the answer to this problem as having the Spirit and will develop this further in verses 20-21. The answer to the problem of sin is submission to the supremacy of Christ and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will bring unity whereas the way of the world will bring brokenness.
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