Contending
for the Faith
Jude 1-25
by Paul
George
The local churches of the
first century were under attack by the enemies of Jesus
Christ, Jude’s letter is a call to all Christians, not
just the first century Christians, to stand up and
defend the body of truth that was once for all handed
down to the saints. From the beginning of the church age
to the present there have been false teachers who take
advantage of those who are not firmly established in
their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Through
no fault of their own they lack the ability to separate
the true from a false presentation of the truth. What
they hear sounds like something Jesus would have taught,
the apostles would have taught, or is written somewhere
in the Bible.
When Jude wrote this
letter an antinomian form of Gnosticism was making its
way into local churches. Gnostics claim knowledge is
superior to virtue, the non-literal sense of Scripture
is correct and can be understood only by a select few,
evil in the world precludes God being the only Creator,
the Incarnation is incredible because deity cannot unite
itself with anything material such as the body, and
there is no resurrection of the flesh. We may not like
to admit it but some form of Gnosticism is taught in
many local churches today.
Jude tells us the men who
had been accepted by the Christians of the first century
local churches who were turning “the grace of our God
into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord,
Jesus Christ,” were “ungodly persons.”
Who are these “ungodly
persons?” Jude compares them to Cain, who rejected God’s
offer to renew his relationship with God and went out
from the presence of God and murdered his brother
(Genesis 4:1-12). He compares them to the error of
Balaam (Numbers 22-24) and the rebellion of Korah
(Numbers 16:1-3). He describes them as “hidden reefs,”
“clouds without water,” “wild waves of the sea,” and
“wandering stars.”
Pride, greed, and rebellion sum up the character of
these “ungodly persons.” They were selfish; they
corrupted the love feasts, the fellowship meal eaten in
connection with the Lord’s Supper. They had nothing to
offer thirsty souls. They were unstable, fruitless,
without spiritual roots, and shooting stars that fall
from the sky. They are “grumblers, complainers, walking
after their lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering
people for the sake of gaining an advantage.” These
characteristics describe false teachers of all times.
Sad to say these “ungodly persons” can be found in local
churches today.
What are we to do today
when being political correct, religious correct, and
tolerant of all things is the order of the day? Do we
expose them? Denounce them? Do we take the same course
that Jude took? Jude takes the first century Christians
back to a time in the history of Israel, back before
Israel became a nation. He refers to something the
people knew happened and understood why it happened. It
happened when, “the Lord, having saved a people out of
the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not
believe.” This is reference to the refusal of the people
to go in and take the Promised Land when they were told
to do it. He tells them what happened with the “angels
who did not keep their own domain, but left their proper
habitation” God has kept them in eternal bonds under
darkness for the judgment of the great day.” This is a
reference to what happened in the days of Noah and Jude
is quoting from the pseudepigraphal apocalypse of 1
Enoch. Then Jude refers to what happened to the cities
of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities around them “having
in like manner with these given themselves over to
fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth
as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal
fire.”
These ungodly men Jude is
writing about their teachings were justified by citing
visions they supposedly had, were engaged in a
homosexual lifestyle, were rejecting the authority of
the Word of God. They were overstepping a boundary
Michael the archangel would not step over “when he
disputed with the devil and argued about the body of
Moses” he “did not dare pronounce against him a railing
judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’” Rather than
having superior knowledge of spiritual things these
ungodly persons had merely knowledge of spiritual things
that was equal to the knowledge of an animal.
Jude told the first
century Christians what they ought to do. They should
remember the words which have been spoken by the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; that in the last time
there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly
lusts that cause division. They are to keep themselves
in the love of the Lord and looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
What are we to do? We are
to do what Jude told the first century Christians to do.
We often look at the world as a hanging world and it is
but the nature and character of mankind has not changed.
In the 21st century men, women, and children need to
know who Jesus is. They need to know they need a
Redeemer. They need to know there is an enemy who is
determined to destroy them and he will use what ever it
takes. There are wolves disguised as sheep. They are
seeking to destroy the lambs of Jesus. They do not sound
like or look like what they really are.
In the past decade we
have witnessed an increase in the attack upon Christian
values and lifestyles. It will continue to increase.
Pastors, who will stand up and earnestly defend the
faith which has been handed down through the ages, are
facing the full force of an enemy that wants to silence
their voice. He is using the legal system of this nation
to destroy the Church Jesus said He would build.
We who have fully
surrendered our lives into the service of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who can stand with the apostles of the first
century, who can like Jude say, “I am a bond-servant of
Jesus Christ” are not struggling with flesh and blood.
Our struggle is with a demonic force, the servants of
Satan. We must never think we will be accepted in a
world that has rejected and is determined to wipe the
name of Jesus from the face of the earth.
What am I going to do? As
Paul said, fight the good fight. Will you join in the
battle?
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