Fight For Faith (Jude)
April 26, 2020
As I was studying the book of Jude, I have been blown away by the amount of helpful information we find in this smaller book. This is another shorter book in the New Testament, but this book is packed full of scary thoughts, confusing thoughts, and incredibly encouraging thoughts. We could break this book up into many sermons if we wanted to and spend a couple of months digging out all of the gold that is under the surface. My goal tonight is to give you a good overview that will get you excited about studying it yourself. As I say this, I feel like I am talking about Psalms or some book with fifty+ chapters.
Introduction
As we begin the book of Jude, we see a typical introduction that explains the author and the recipient.
Jude 1--2 (ESV) --- 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
In the introduction, we see that Jude is the author. There have been many Judes and Judases in the New Testament, but this Jude is the brother of James. James and Judas are both brothers of Jesus according to Matthew 13:55. We could see how someone would want to call themselves Jude instead of Judas after Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Most believe that this is the brother of Jesus, and the fact that he calls himself a servant of Jesus does not take away from that fact. He is being humble and not leveraging his relation to Christ, though he may be leveraging his relation to James.
He is writing to those who are called, beloved, and kept for Jesus. These three descriptions are unique to Jude's letter. The idea that the people who are called and beloved are being kept for Jesus reminds us of John's gospel (John 17:15-26), where Jesus talked asked God to keep those who listen to the apostle's teaching and protect them from the evil one. This same idea is presented in verse 24 as well, and it touches on the primary purpose of this book.
Jude 24 (ESV) --- 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
As we begin this book, Jude wants God's people to know that God is keeping us in his loving care for the day of judgment. He wants us to remember the promises and the grace of God as you read this book. This seems to be written to a general audience, but verse 3 might allude to a specific group he has in mind as he describes his purpose for writing.
Fighting For The Faith
Jude 3--4 (ESV) --- 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Notice that Jude has changed what he was going to write about. He was planning to write about the salvation we share, but he found it necessary to appeal to them about something else. What is he going to spend this letter appealing to us to do? He wants us to "contend" or fight for the faith that was "once and for all delivered to the saints." This is the goal of this letter. Think of the implications of this statement. This means that any future description of the faith that changes the nature of the faith is false. It was not delivered once for each century or once for each millennium. It has been delivered once for all people for all time.
Hopefully, we all understand that everyone who has a different faith than what is described in the Bible by Jesus and his apostles is making a terrible mistake. How bad is that mistake? Jude is about to tell us in great detail because some people have already started twisting the truth. In verse 4, Jude says that some people have crept in unnoticed. They are already in the churches at the time of Jude writing these words. These men and women have perverted the grace of our God into sensuality, and they are seeking to deny our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude is warning us against those who take the good news about God's grace and make it into something it was never intended to be. They are saying, "Let us continue to sin that grace may abound," as Paul said in Romans 6. They are using the grace of God as an allowance for sin and refusing to submit to the commands of Jesus. These people are not showing a transformed heart and mind as a result of the grace of God. They are twisted in their thinking, and they have been designated for condemnation instead of salvation.
God Is Willing To Punish
Jude 5--7 (ESV) --- 5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day--- 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
In this section, Jude gives three examples of God's past judgments. First, he reminds us that God was willing to judge the people after he saved them out of Egypt. They did not go into the promised land because they refused to believe, even though they had seen the miracles with their own eyes and initially submitted to God. After they sent spies into the land, they doubted God's ability and were afraid to do what God had commanded them to do. So God did not allow them to go into the promised land. He let them die in the wilderness.
The second example he brings up is God condemning angels to eternal chains in gloomy darkness until the judgment. We don't know what this is about, but most speculate that it is referring to Genesis 6, where the sons of God went into the daughters of men. I don't typically believe that is what this is about, but no one knows.
The third example is of Sodom and Gomorrah and their surrounding cities, who took part in sexual immorality and pursued ungodly/unnatural desires. This is probably one of the most notable examples in the Old Testament, and it speaks of God's punishment for those who get involved in sensuality and sexual immorality.
The Sins of These People
Jude 8--11 (ESV) --- 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.
The next section contains four sins of the people Jude sees creep into the churches. They are relying on their dreams instead of relying on the truth that has been spoken. They are also defiling their flesh, rejecting authority, and blaspheming "the glorious ones." Then he brings up examples of unreasoning animals, Cain, Balaam, and Korah to show how evil these people are. He even brings up another event we aren’t familiar with in our Bibles about Michael the archangel. Why is he bringing all of this up? To illustrate that these people are sinning just like the Bible has always illustrated sinful mankind. They are making all of the same mistakes. It reminds me of what Paul said in
1 Corinthians 10:5--6 (ESV) --- 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
They have not studied their Old Testament and become acquainted with the evil of the past. They don’t know their history so they are doomed to repeat it.
Illustrations (12-13)
Verses 12 through 13 describe these people with six vivid metaphors. We could spend the whole lesson on those as well, but these metaphors indicate that these false teachers are dangerous, useless, providing no benefit, needlessly causing problems, and wandering from the truth. Interestingly, Jude doesn't go into detail about their teachings. He simply describes what they are like over and over again so that we can identify people like these and understand the outcome of following their way of life. A study of each false teaching would be an endless pursuit.
Oldest Prophecy
We get one more Old Testament reference that is not found in the Bible in verses 14-15.
Jude 14--15 (ESV) --- 14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Verses 14-15 tells us about Enoch's prophesy. Enoch is light amid darkness at the beginning of the Bible. It was said that Enoch walked with God. Jude points to his words to say that Jesus will come and bring about judgment on all who take part in such ungodliness. The repetition in this book emphasizes it’s importance.
Summary
Jude 16 (ESV) --- 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Verse 16 summarizes the sins of the ungodly using phrases that are similar to the rest of the book, but he adds a few thoughts that remind us of other sinners throughout scripture. All of these descriptions can be found in Israel at some point in time. They grumbled, followed their own sinful desires, and were self-seeking on every step of the way.
Jude intends to impact the reader and make them think about their own lives. There is no way that we should ever allow these evil, ungodly people to disrupt our faith and the belief we have in the truth of God's word. But they are creeping in, unnoticed. They are like reefs hidden under the water at our love feasts. You can imagine someone who makes a passionate appeal to everyone's worldliness and convinces them to change their perspective on God by just a little bit. That is what they are doing.
New Prophecy
The apostles have also prophesied that these false teachers would come.
Jude 17--19 (ESV) --- 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
We read this in books like 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Galatians, Thessalonians, 2 Peter, and 1 and 2 John. The apostles foretold that some would rise up and pull Christians away from the truth of the word. They will encourage people to cling to traditions as though they are required for salvation, or they will encourage people to throw out the teachings of the apostles to pursue other ideas altogether. They will not teach what is sound and healthy. Instead, they will cause division and growth in ungodliness instead of greater godliness.
Instruction (20-23)
Jude 20--23 (ESV) --- 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Jude ends his book with seven commands to help them stay on guard against the false teachers that are fighting against the truth. The first four describe things we must do for ourselves, and the last three explain how we must show mercy to others. First, he tells them to build themselves up in the "most holy faith." They need to study the word and grow in their understanding of it. Second, he says to "pray in the Holy Spirit." I believe that means praying in line with the Holy Spirit's revelation. I don't have time to describe that in detail. Third, Jude wants them to keep themselves in the love of God. We keep ourselves in the love of God by keeping our understanding of the grace of God pure. If we twist that understanding in some way, we leave the love of God for some other false teaching. Fourth, he wants them to wait for the mercy of our Lord. This takes patience and endurance as these evil teachers gain power and bring about greater persecution than we have ever known.
The last three are all found in verse 24. In the fifth command, he says that we must show mercy to those who doubt. This is a recognition that there will be doubts as false teachers cause chaos in the church. We must be merciful and not get impatient with those who doubt the truth. Sixth, we must show mercy to those who are in the fire. That may confuse us a little bit, but he is referring to those who are under judgment. They are worthy of punishment, but God wants us to show them mercy. This picture is given to us in Zechariah when God defends, bringing back the high priest and giving him a crown. He says that he is a brand that was taken out of the fire. In the final command, Jude tells his readers to “show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” The last thing we want to do as we show mercy is be pulled into their sin. Christians who have been lost in sin are dangerous and they can have their consciences seared to where they think nothing of destroying us along with them.
Final Words
The last words of this book are mind blowing. They give us some much needed hope as we hear about all of these evil people.
Jude 24--25 (ESV) --- 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
These people are evil, but God is so good. He is able to keep us from stumbling if we love him with all of our hearts. He is able to preserve us and make us blameless in the end even though we will not deserve that level of forgiveness.
Then, Jude wishes glory, majesty, dominion, and authority be given to God. How fitting is that? He wants God to have everything and these evil, false teachers to fail. That’s why he wrote this book. That is worth fighting for.
Application
Now that we know what is in this book, how does it apply to us? Are we really in a fight to keep the faith that was once and for all delivered to us, or is that fight over? The predictions of the apostles for the first century still hold true today. There are and will be many antichrists. Many people will pervert the grace of God and promote some level of sensuality or disobedience to our Lord. The scary thing is that these people are creeping in encouraging us to compromise in ways we have never imagined. For example: If someone changes the definition of sin to drinking, smoking, and sexual immorality, they overlook other passions and desires that are sinful. Works of the flesh like idolatry, envy, rivalries, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, and divisions must be considered sinful as well. We must remain diligent in our defense of the truth and in our defense of God’s divine revelation. False teachings and false teachers do not come with a sign that lets us know what they are. We must study to find the truth. One of our members told me that the best way to know what is counterfeit money is by spending a lot of time looking at real money. That holds true for the Bible as well.
The truth is found in the Bible, and we will not be prepared to defend it if we do not know it. We won’t be able to pray in line with it, if we haven’t taken the time to study it for ourselves. Jesus’s name and character must not be tarnished by ungodly teachers. If anyone sees me falling into any of these traps, I ask you to please show me mercy and help me see how I have strayed. Our goal is to build one another up in the holy faith that we have received from God and defend that faith. If we have erred, we need to see that error and change to bring God the glory he deserves.
Conclusion
As we end this lesson, let’s remember to stay away from the traps revealed to us in the Old Testament, and remain focused on the greatest commandments. Above all, let’s continue to show mercy toward each other as we grow. God has shown great love for us hoping that we would show that love and mercy to one another. He has given mercy to his greatest enemies and pulled us out of the fire. Let’s do the same for others. If you are still in the fire because of some rebellious sin that you have refused to let go of, God wants your heart to be faithful to him. Confess your sins and seek to make it right with a repentant heart.