Jude
Jude • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
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Short Book Only 25 verses
Popular Verses (12) Clouds without water
— Speaking about Apostates who had infiltrated the church
(24-25) Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen
— Doxology
Popular Name Jude was a very popular name
Author Jude is English for the Greek name Judas, which translates the Hebrew name Judah
— This was a very popular name (for good reasons)
— Judah was one of Jacob’s 12 sons and he founded the tribe of Judah
— Along with Benjamin, Judah was one of two southern tribes that were invaded by Babylon (597 B.C. and 586 B.C.)
The Hero Judas was the hero of the Maccabean revolt against the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes in the 2nd century B.C.
— Greeks were offering sacrifices and worshipping idols
— Judas restored Jewish religion and defeated the Greeks
— Used Guerrilla warfare
8 Judes There are 8 Judes mentioned in the NT
— Only two Judes associated with Jesus
— The Apostle Jude can be ruled out
— Besides the obvious fact that he killed himself
— (Luke 6:16) Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor
— This Jude is the brother of James
Brother (1:1) Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James
NASB — James the son of Alphaeus (NASB) in keeping with normal Greek usage
— This is the other half brother of Jesus and brother of James the Lord’s other half brother (Gal 1:19)
— One of Jesus’ brothers (Matt 13:55)
Not Apostle This Jude was not an apostle
— If he were he would have identified with them
— Instead he does just the opposite.
— He distances himself (1:17)
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Brother As a brother, he did not believe in Jesus’s deity
Only after the resurrection did he believe in Jesus’ deity (John 7:5; Acts 1:14, c.f. 1 Cor 15:7)
Afterward After the resurrection his relationship changed
— No longer the half-brother of Jesus
— Now Lord and Messiah (Mark 3:32-25; John 2:4)
— Catholics believe that Mary is still the “mother” in heaven
— All those earthly relationships are now gone
— No Marriage in heaven only Lord and Messiah (Mt 22:30)
Irony “Ironically, the man who penned the sharpest condemnation of apostates in scripture shares the same name as the
most notorious of all apostates. Judas Iscariot. That may help explain why nearly all modern English translations
use “Jude” instead of “Judas” in this epistle” (MacArthur)
Date Date and place is unknown
— Possibly 68-70 A.D.
— Reads like a sequel to 2 Peter
Overview A warning against false teachers and their godless lifestyle
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Threat The greatest threat is not outside the church but inside the church
— This is the message of Jude
— Jesus warned “Beware of false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing.. you’ll know them by their fruit” (Matt 7:15-20)
— Paul gave a similar warning in Ephesus “ After I leave savage wolves will come … draw away the disciples” (Acts 20:29-30)
— Paul was in Ephesus 3 years; he knew that after he left a false teacher would come possibly from within the church like a savage wolf
7 Churches John addressed 7 seven churches in Revelation
— Only two (2) were still faithful - Smyrna and Philadelphia
Q: When we think of Judas - who do we think of?
Judas Iscariot - greatest apostate of all time
Q: What is an apostate
Providence By God’s providence God selects a man with the same name to (Jude, Judas) to write a book on apostasy
(1:1) Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ
Bond Servant Owned, absolute, selfless submission
— A willing slave
(1:1) To those who are called
Personally chosen or selected
— God chose believers to Himself
— Set apart and chosen them as children
Not General Not speaking of the general invitation for everyone
— Jude is not referring to the general invitation for all sinners to come (Is 45:22, 55:6, Ezek 33:11; Matt 11:28, 23:37; Luke 14:16-24; John 7:37; Rev 22:17)
Often Rejected The general invitation is often rejected
— c.f. Matt 12:14; Luke 4:16-19;28-30; Acts 4:13-18, 5:17-18, 5:26-28; 33-40, 7:54-58; 2 Cor 2:15-16)
Internal Call The call that awakens our will
— Imparts spiritual life
— Enables us to embrace the gospel by Faith
— cf. John 5:21, Acts 16:14; Eph 2:5, John 6:44
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Holy Calling Paul called this a “holy calling”
— A calling that awakens our will and imparts spiritual life (2 Tim 1:8-9)
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Q: Why did he call us?
— Not because of anything he saw in us
— Not even our foreseen faith
— His call was motivated by His own glory and good pleasure
— That his mercy would be put eternally on display (Rom 9:23-24)
— We did not earn it and it cannot be taken away (c.f. John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom 8:28-30, 38-39)
(1:1) beloved in God the Father (NASB)
— who are loved in God the Father (NIV)
— sanctified by God the Father (NKJV)
Loved by God He set his love on us
— While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Ro 5:8, c.f. John 3:16, 13:1; 1 John 4:10, 19)
Beloved Perfect, passive, participle tense
— means it was from eternity past with results that continue to the present and the future (Eph 1:4-5)
Selective A selective love that began before time began
— Acts 13:48; 2 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim 1:9
Required It required that he give his son as a penalty for sin
— Isa 53:5-6; Mark 10:45; John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24
Convict He sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin and draw us to saving faith
— And regenerate our sinful hearts
— John 3:3-8, 6:37, 44; Rom 3:25-26; Rom 8:1; 1 Cor 6:11; Titus 3, 5, 7
Security And then he promises security for his children
— A relationship that will last forever
— John 14:1-4; Eph 1:13-14, 5:27; 1 Peter 1:3-4
What kind? John wrote about that love (1 John 3:1)
— What kind of Love was it?
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
ποταπός (potapos) how great, what manner of love
— Originally meant “from what country?”
— Devine love that is alien to us, outside our realm of understanding
— Other wordly
— As if from a foreign culture
— People usually don’t love strangers or enemies!
Defiant But God loved defiant sinners
— Eph 2:1-10; John 15:13, 16; Rom 5:8; 1 Tim 1:12-16; 1 John 4:19
— He loves us the same way he loves his son
(1:1) and preserved in Jesus Christ
Kept We are kept, preserved
— You can’t lose your salvation; you didn’t save yourself; you can’t un-save your self
— You contributed nothing to your salvation; God saved you and he can keep you
— c.f. John 6:37-44, 17:11, 15; Rom 8:31-39
— Jude echoes Jesus’ own teaching on the preservation of the saints (John 10:27-28)
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
(1:2) Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you
Mercy and peace A common Jewish greeting
— He adds “love” to remind his readers of Christ’s love for them
Mercy God gives us mercy when we sin
— God’s blessings include a generous supply of his mercy (Heb 4:16)
— As sinners, we are “vessels of mercy” (Ro 9:23)
Peace His mercy leaves us with peace
Love Rom 5:5 the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us
(1:3) Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to
you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Made every effort He hurried in vain to write but could not complete what he originally planned
— He wanted to write about their common salvation but because of false teachers he had to change his plans
Worried He was worried about the gospel
— He was burdened about losing the gospel to false teachers
— Martin Luther rescued the Gospel in 1517 - 500 years ago
Contend (1:3) contend earnestly for the faith
— Defend vigorously (c.f. 1 Tim 1:8, 6:12, 2 Tim 4:7)
— True believers have always had to battle for the purity of the salvation gospel
(1:4) For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men,
who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
His warning was real Not hypothetical, false teachers were already there
— His warning was real
— There are many false teachers outside the church
— Those inside the church are especially dangerous
Unnoticed (1:4) crept in unnoticed
In the fabric of the church, teaching, worship music and ministries
— the church succumbs to devastating errors in doctrine and practice
Apostates We don’t know the “specific” error but Jude’s readers knew
— NT warns of apostasy
— Acts 20:28-31; 2 Cor 11:12-15; Gal 1:6-9; Gal 3:1-3; Col 2:8, 18-19; 1 John 2:9-11, 18-22, 4:1-6; 2 John 7-11
(1:4b) who long ago were marked out for this condemnation
Will be judged Apostates will be judged
— Jude will talk about it later (14-15)
— NT talks about it (2 Pet 2:3-6)
— OT also talks about judgment of apostates (Isa 8:20-22; Jer 5:13-14, 8:12-13; Hos 9:7-9; Zeph 3:1-8)
— Long ago God decided what would happen to apostates, false teachers
Q: What are those people like (v4)?
(1:4c) ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ
Ungodly Claim to belong to God but their hearts are far from Him (Matt 7:15-23)
— They play at religion, not for love of God
— Their sinful character betrays any claims they make
— Empty words, talk is cheap
Licentiousness Immorality (NIV)
— pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality (NIV)
— lasciviousness (ASB)
— lewdness (NKJV)
— sensuality (ESV)
— riotousness (Douay-Rheims, Catholic bible)
They indulge in their fleshly desires - they justify this by twisting grace
— They watch porn or cheat on their spouses and say: “I’m weak, God will forgive me”
— They use grace as a license for sin
— c.f. Rom 6:1-2; Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 2:16; 2 Pet 2:19
(1:4c) and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ
Will not submit They do not think that Christ is Lord or sovereign ruler (master)
— They deny him his rightful position as God (John 5:23)
— as King (Matt 25:34; 1 John 1:49-51)
— as Messiah (Mark 8:27-29; Luke 2:25-35)
3 of God’s judgements against Apostates (5-7)
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
1. Israelites
2. Angels
3. Gentiles
Israelites
(1:5) having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe
Destroyed He destroyed those who did not believe
— He delivered them out of Egypt but judged those who were not faithful to Him
— Isreal rebelled against God and He judged them (Num 14:26-38)
— Anyone 20 years and older would die in the wilderness and not enter the promised land
— The only exceptions were Caleb and Joshua
Renegades The lord will destroy all renegades, those who go astray in their hearts
— Matt 11:20-24; Heb 3:7-12, 10:26-31
Apostate Angels
(1:6) And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode
Q: Who were these angels (v6)?
Not Sure We are not sure who these angels are
—Jude’s audience knew and Jude doesn’t spend any time filling in the details
Satan’s fall We know of the angels that fell with Satan, but these are free, running around
— They are not bound in eternal chains (1 Pet 5:8; Job 1:6-7)
OT Angels There were angels in the OT that co-habituated with women (Gen 6:1-3)
— They had offspring with these women
1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
Chained them The offense was so severe that God placed these angels in chains (2 Pet 2:4)
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
Apostate Israelites > Apostate Angels > Apostate Gentiles
Apostate Gentiles
Sodom and Gomorrah Debauchery, shocking and horrific (Gen 18:16-19:29)
— Two (2) angels come to the city
— Lot sees them and offers them a place to sleep in his house
Men want sex Men of the city surround his house and demand that the strangers come out and have sex with them
— Assume these angels were handsome and strong and beautifu
— Lot offers his virgin daughters instead !
— The angels pull Lot back into the house and blind them men
Strange flesh These men wanted relations outside of that which was proper
— Strange flesh
Sobering This is a sobering warning
— You know the truth but you walk away from it (Heb 6:4-8)
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
(1:8-10)
8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
Revile (1:8) reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries
— reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings (NIV)
— and revile angelic majesties (NASB)
Reject, Revile — the idea is blasphemers and specifically directed towards angelic majesties
— Angels are the object of this blasphemy
Q: Why is that a big deal? I don’t think I’ve ever spoken evil of an angel
Angels — Highly devoted to the holiness and glory of God
— They have a role in establishing God’s moral order on earth
Law They communicated the law (Duet 33:2; Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:1-2)
Judgment They will be involved in the ultimate judgment (Jude 14-15)
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Michael He knew that he was not to go beyond his God prescribed limits
Moses Micheal contended over Moses’ body
— Appealed to the Lord as Sovereign - ended the argument
(1:11) Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah
George Santayana George Santayana (1863-1952)
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”
(1:11) Woe to them!
οὐαί (ouai), woe Alas how horrible it will be!
Obedience
(1:11) For they have gone in the way of Cain
Cain First child born to Adam and Eve (Gen 4:1-15)
— Unacceptable sacrifice
— God must have told him what was acceptable
— Cain openly rebelled against God’s revealed will regarding sacrifice
— He was a farmer but instead of the required animal sacrifice brought a grain offering; that which cost him nothing
Macarthur
Abel’s offering was acceptable (cf. Heb 11:4), not just because it was an animal, nor just because it was the very best of what he had, nor even that it was the culmination of a zealous heart for God; but, because it was in every way obediently given according to what God must have revealed (though not recorded in Genesis). Cain, disdaining the divine instruction, just brought what he wanted to bring: some of his crop
Tragic Proud, self-willed, religious but disobedient
—He murdered his obedient brother Abel
Profift
(1:11) have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit
— Money is the motive of false teachers (cf. Ps 10:3; Mic 3:11; 1 Tim 6:10; 2 Peter 2:3)
— Unlike God’s true servants (cf. 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:2)
Balaam Balaam was a profit for hire (Num 22-24, 31) and he loved money
— Balak, the king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse Israel
— Balaam figured out a way that God would curse Israel if he (Balaam) could lead them into idolatry and immorality
— God prevented the plan by using an angel and a donkey
Korah Korah was a cousin of Moses (Num 16)
— When he was not chosen to be a priest he was pissed!
— He enlisted Dathar and Abiram (+250 other men) to rebel against Moses
— Similar to 2020 election, if we lose we’ll burn it down!
— Said, “the people are holy and don’t need you as their leader” (Num 16:3)
— They rebelled against the authority that God gave Moses and the earth swallowed them up
Korah’s influence He had great influence among the people
— A plague killed another 14,700 Israelite followers of Korah (Num 16:41-50)
— Many followers of false teachers will share in their judgment
The danger of tolerance (12-13)
12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
(1:12) These are spots in your love feasts (NKJV)
— These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts (ASV)
— These are hidden reefs at your love feasts (NASB, ESV)
Hidden Hidden reefs are very dangerous for sailors
(1:12b) They are clouds without water
— They promise rain but they don’t deliver
(1:12c) autumn trees without fruit twice dead, pulled up by the roots
— doubly dead!
— Both no fruit and pulled up by the roots
— Every plant which my heavenly father did not plant shall be uprooted (Matt 15:13)
— (c.f. Matt 3:10, 7:17-20, 13:6)
Wild Waves (1:13) raging waves of the sea
— Scripture often uses waves as a description of those who do not know God (Isa 57:20-21, James 1:6)
Wandering Stars (1:13b) wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever
— Most likely a shooting star
— It appears for a short while and then disappears into darkness
Jude 14-16
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
Enoch Prophesied that the Lord would judge false teachers
— His prophecy is not recorded in the OT, but the Holy Spirit inspired Jude to use it
— Because it was historical, familiar and supported his point and recorded in 1 Enoch
— 1 Enoch was not part of the OT Cannon
Comes Enoch went to heaven without dying and was a hero of the Jewish people
(1:14) “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints
— He comes
— Enoch is so certain, he sees this as if it has already happened
Christ’s Purpose (1:15) to execute judgment on all,
— Christ’s purpose in the second coming is to execute judgment (1:15)
— When he comes the sins of the ungodly will be exposed
(1:15) Ungodly deeds
— They followed their own lusts
(1:15) and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him
— They are at odds with God and have spoken harsh words against Him
— They are good at telling people what they want to hear (2 Tim 4:3-4)
— Manipulating people with words, flattery
Contend for the truth (17-23)
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
Q: How can we contend for the truth?
(1:17) remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles
Discernment We need to develop discernment (Prov 2:3, 23:23; 1 Cor 16:13; Phil 1:9; Heb 5:14)
— This entire book is about false teachers and discernment
— The Ephesian church exercised spiritual discernment (Rev 2:2)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
Corinthians Paul feared for the Corinthian church
— They were far to accepting of errors
— To tolerant of errors (believed almost anything)
— As a result - they almost welcomed apostasy (2 Cor 11:3-4)
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Hold up to the Word Compare teaching to what the apostles taught
— Compare everything to scripture
— When it passes the test - hold it fast (1 Thess 5:20-22; 1 John 4:1-3)
20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Jews lacked it The Jewish leaders lacked discernment
— They knew the weather forecast but lacked discernment (Matt 16:1-4)
Contemporary Churches Many modern day (south-bay) contemporary churches that are in tune with the culture
— but don’t preach or understand biblical doctrine
— They focus on “felt needs” of sinners
— Focused on the “comfortable, non-confrontational”
Defenseless As a result, people are theologically weak, naive
— These churches are defenseless against error
Six Reasons for the lack of Discernment
(1) Doctrine Minimize how important doctrine is
— These (defenseless) churches minimize doctrine because they think that doctrine is divisive, unloving
— It puts up walls, hinders unity and is unloving
Q: Have you ever heard that about doctrine? Why don’t we teach doctrine in our church?
Result The result is “easy believism”; a watered down gospel
— It might result in “false unity” of inter-religious ecumenism like we witnessed in 1994
ETC 1994 ETC ‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium’
— Evangelicals like Charles Colson (1994); Richard John Neuhaus, Bill Bright, J.I. Packard, Pat Robertson
— Part of a larger Catholic-Evangelical collaboration started in the 70s by Jerry Fawell & Moral Majority
— J.I. Packard said it was about principle not about rapprochement with the Catholic Church
— Opposed by RC Sproul, John Ankerberg, James Kennedy, John MacArthur (sola fide)
Catholics Don’t agree with Protestants as to how one is saved
— In ETC protestants refer to “believing Catholics” but Catholics assume everyone in the church is saved:
Any valid baptism, Father Dulles tells us (quoting Unitas Redintegratio 22), ‘causes the baptized to be “truly incorporated into the crucified and glorified Christ, and reborn to a sharing of the divine life....Thus baptism establishes a sacramental bond of unity existing among all who have been reborn by it”’ (p 131). To speak of a non-Christian or an unbelieving Roman Catholic is therefore a contradiction in terms.
False Commission Political Activism and legislated morality, experience based Christianity
— It makes men feel comfortable in this life but utterly prepares them for the life to come
(2) Moral Relativism Less objective, substituting unconditional trust for moral relativism
— Truth is black & White but many Christians say that the truth is gray
Bibel is clear The bible makes a clear distinction between right and wrong
— Saving faith and a false profession, the broad way and the narrow way (Matt 7:13-14)
— (Matt 24:46-51) Eternal damnation and eternal life
— (Matt 13:38) Kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God
— (Matt 5:43-44) Hate and Love
— (Matt 11:16-19) Worldly wisdom vs. Divine wisdom
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Churches avoid Many churches (even in the south bay) avoid doctrine
— Avoid theological absolutes
— Instead, embrace “every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14) as if a virtue
(3) Abandon the Power of Scripture Mimic secular society
— Many churches don’t see Scripture as distinct, special
— A friend of the world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17)
— To be friends of the world makes us enemies of God
— The distinct call of the gospel is lost - there is no hope of evangelizing culture; salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)
(4) Not Properly Study Scripture The church does not properly study Scripture ; people are plundered into error
Spiritual Apathy Paul understood spiritual apathy, command Timothy (2 Tim2:15, 2 Cor 4:2, Acts 7:11)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
11 Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.
Discernment Requires that we have a deep desire to know and understand God’s word
Six reasons for discernment: doctrine > moral relativism > Abandon the Power of Scripture > Not properly study scripture > ...
(5) No Church Discipline People feel comfortable
— Their sin is never addressed
— The church grows with more and more wickedness, sin, heresy
— This works against discernment if the church approves of sin
— Or if the church is primarily unsaved sinners
(6) No Spiritual Maturity Church filled with babies
— Superficial understanding of Scripture (Mark 12:24)
24 Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?
— You need solid food in order to be discerning (Heb 5:12-14)
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(1:17) But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
— Jesus predicted that there would be false teachers/prophets (Matt 7:15)
— OT false teachers (Isa 28:7; Jer 23:14; Ezek 13:4; Mic 3:11; Zeph 3:4)
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
(1:18) who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts
— Jude said the same in v4, 15, 16
— They give free reign to passion because they have no holiness
(1:19) These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit
— sensual (NKJV)
— worldly minded (NASB)
— follow their natural instincts (NIV)
Jude describes them in physical terms because they were religious terrorists. Why?
— because they were devoid of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Rom 8:9; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:13)
— Physically alive but spiritually dead
Maintain Discernment We are to maintain discernment (20)
(1:20) building yourselves up on your most holy faith
— Keep on the road of sanctification
— build up on the faith
— All the ministries of the church should result in edification (Rom 14:19; 1 Cor 14:22; 1 Cor 14:26; Eph 4:16; 1 Thess 5:11; 1 Cor 8:1)
(1:20) praying in the Holy Spirit
Not speaking in tongues
— Praying consistent with God’s will, Spirit’s will
Spirit’s Will His will is evident in scripture
— (Deut 17:19-20; Ps 19:7, 19:11, 119:11, 105, 130; Prov 6:23; Matt 4:4; Luke 11:28; John 5:39; Rom 15:4; 2 Tim 3:16-17; James 1:25)
(1:21) keep yourselves in the love of God
— Abide in God’s love and place of blessing
— Obedience = blessing (John 15:9-11)
— Out of a job, sick? Maybe I am harboring sin; confess it (Ps 19:13)
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
— Disobedient, then expect chastisement (Heb 12:3-11)
— Who the Lord loves He chastises
(1:21) looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
— Mercy; Christ’s final mercy
— That is, we will enjoy the fulness of eternal life (Rom 2:7; 1 Tim 6:12; 1 John 5:13)
— His mercy will result in our resurrection and glorification of these bodies (John 5:24,17:3; Rom 5:17; 2 Tim 1:10; 1 John 5:20)
— c.f. Dan 7:18
We are to reach out to the mission field (22-23)
Threat These false teachers and apostates are a great threat but also a mission field
—Jesus had meals with Pharisees while he denounced them as heretics (Luke7:36; 11:37-38; 14:1)
— He also told them about salvation (Luke 7:40-50)
— Three (3) categories of unbelievers in these two verses
(1) The Confused (1:22)
(1:22) And on some have compassion, making a distinction
— And have mercy on some, who are doubting (NASB)
— Be merciful to those who doubt (NIV)
— Be merciful to those who doubt (D-R) [Here the Douay-Rheims is vey different]
Show Mercy on those torn between truth and error, committed and non-committed
— Exhort them with the truth
(2) To the convinced (1:23)
(1:23) but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire
Wrongly Convinced Already convinced by false teachers
— This is a harder job
— God is the ultimate source of salvation (Ps 3:8; Jonah 2:9)
— Share the gospel with humility (John 1:12-13; 3:6-8; Eph 2:8; James 5:19-20)
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
(3) To the committed (23b)
(1:23) but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
— Same as the previous verse
— Some are “convinced” but can be swayed, others 100% committed
— “fear” getting very close to the corrupt, these people are unmovable
— Be careful, they could influence you (Matt 16:6, 12; 1 Cor 5:6-7, 15:33)
Garment χιτών (chitōn) spotted, polluted, stained underwear
— You are handling someone’s dirty underwear!
— Don’t get too close to the SPIRITUAL defilement of false teachers
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
(1:24) Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling
— Eternal security; perseverance of the saints
— Salvation is forever, not based on deeds but the unchanging person of Christ (Heb 13:8)
— If it were up to me, I would have lost my salvation already
Q: Do we still struggle with sin?
Yes We all struggle with sin (1 John 1:8-10; Rom 7:15-23; 1 Cor 1:11; James 1:14-15, 4:1-3)
Wicked! Paul said “wicked man that I am!” (Ro 7:24) “who will set me free from this body of death?”
Direction “It’s not the perfection of your life but the direction of your life” (MacArthur)
Q: Are you a better more sanctified person now or when you first believed?
Connected This doctrine of perseverance is inseparable from other doctrines
Election God elects (chooses) us and makes sure that we never lose our salvation
— Eph 1:11; 1 Thess 5:24; John 10:28-29; Phil 1:6; 1 Cor 1:8-9
Justification Christ fully paid the price
— We can’t loose our salvation because there is no basis to be condemned
— Rom 8:1, 33-35
— I didn’t justify myself so I can’t un-justify myself
Sanctification & Glorification The Holy Spirit sanctifies us
— The receiving of the Holy Spirit is a downpayment for our ultimate salvation and glorification
— We are sealed until the day of our redemption (Eph 4:30)
What the Lord will do?
(1) The Lord Preservers the saints (1:24)
(1:24) keep you from stumbling
— He will not allow us to fall way
— Jesus will not cast us out (John 6:37-40)
Keep φυλάσσω (phylassō). vb. to guard, watch, keep
— Watch over, a military word
— God is at his post watching over you when the enemy attacks
— He will ensure your safety (Ps 12:7; Prov 3:26; 1 Cor 1:8-9)
(2) The Lord Presents the saints (1:24)
(1:24b) And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy
— makes you stand (NASB, NRSV)
— to establish, to set
— For a sinner to stand in the presence of a holy God is terror
— Ezekiel fell over like a dead man (Ezek 1:28)
— Peter, James and John fell over like dead men at the transfiguration (Matt 17:5-7; Luke 9:32-34)
— But as saints, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, we will experience great joy
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
(1:25) To God our Savior
— God is by nature a saving God, unlike the reluctant and indifferent false deities of human and demon invention
— 1 Tim 2;2, 4;10; 2 Tmi 1:10; Tit 1;3; 2:10; 3:4; 2 Pet 1:1
(1:25b) Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power
— The angles and saints in heaven and now Jude all ascribe these qualities to God and the Lord Jesus Christ
— Rev 4:10, 11: 5:12-14
Additional Resources
ETC : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicals_and_Catholics_Together
Evangelicals and Catholics Together: A New Initiative, Christianity today, Dec 8, 1997. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1997/december8/7te034.html?start=2
Iain H Murray on ETC: https://churchsociety.org/docs/churchman/110/Cman_110_3_Murray.pdf