Hello
Friends!
Welcome
to an all-new Encouraging Concepts
Bible study series focused on the powerful little “epistle” of Jude written by our “Lord
Jesus Christ’s” younger half-brother –
“Continue CONTENDING!”
The
Epistle of Jude REVISITED: Continue CONTENDING! (Verses 1-7)
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and
brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved
in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy
unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you
of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort
you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints. 4 For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 I will therefore put you
in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and
Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire – Jude 1-7
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: We as “believers” rightly “live” and “serve”
within a CRASS culture that DECEPTIVELY determines what is “true” by asking: "How do you FEEL
about it?" And as a result, the true “church” is under ATTACK
for its solid “stand” on the
Biblical “truth” of our great
“God” Himself. Conversely, MANY professing
“believers” (including pastors!) are quite
READY to lay aside “sound” Biblical “doctrine” in order to build an evil ECUMENICAL and
ungodly UNIVERSALISTIC truss of another “Tower
of Babel” empire. However, the “truth”
matters MOST to our “God”
and it MUST matter to “us”
as well – Jesus Christ is THE
Truth!
The “Epistle of Jude“ is one of the smallest
books in all of the Bible and often gets overlooked or even WORSE yet, completely ignored.
However, it is absolutely amazing what we find in this power-packed
little “letter” when we intentionally
invest the necessary time to “read”
through it thoroughly and carefully! This intriguing “instruction manual” is a supernatural “weapon” of divine DISCERNMENT for today’s “Christian”
in SUCCESSFULLY waging
“war” for the “truth” of our God’s eternal “message” for mankind. Sadly, there is a GROWING abhorrent
“apostasy” amiss within the “church” and is readily on the RISE today. Therefore, “Christians” are courageously “called” to eagerly ENGAGE
ourselves in this “battle” for
God’s “truth” triumphant – Our CALL to CONTEND!
An
Outline of Jude:
Desires of
Jude
(1-2)
Declaration
of War Against Apostates (3-4)
Damnable
Outcome of Apostates (5-7)
Denunciation
of Apostates
(8-16)
Defenses
Against Apostates
(17-23)
Doxology of
Jude
(24-25)
During the time of “Jude’s”
writing, MANY fanatic “false teachers”
had crassly “crept” into the “church” and were DISTORTING God’s great “truth” and DENYING the “Lord Jesus Christ” as the ONLY saving
“Redeemer” King. Sadly, the most DEADLY assaults against
the tangible “truth” of “God” often come from INSIDE the “church”
itself! This is what the Bible refers to as “apostasy”
and is a FULL dastardly DEFECTION
away from the “truth” of “Scripture” and the most effective
attacks “come” from “within” through menacing “men” of whom purport to “know” the “truth”
and even “believe” the “truth” itself. These “apostates” and “defectors” of whom simply name
the “Name” of “Jesus Christ” and had once professed
their “belief” in “God” and the “Scriptures” are now His “enemies” at large… IN the Church!
A GREETING to the CALLED!
In the opening verse of this little letter, “Jude” humbly introduces himself
to his readers:
Jude, the servant of Jesus
Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father,
and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called – Jude 1
CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: Incidentally, “Jude” could have simply introduced
himself as a younger half “brother”
to “Jesus Christ” just as he refers
to himself as a “brother of James”
of whom was also a “brother”
of “Jesus Christ” as well…
Is not this the
carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and
Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him – Mark 6:3
However, by rightly ranking himself as a submitted solemn “servant of Jesus Christ” rather than His
fleshly “brother” as
such, “Jude” demonstrates that
showing HUMILITY is much
more important than parading his POSITION of authority – Humble Leadership!
Thus, “Jude” sets himself in stark CONTRAST to the “apostates” in that he is a willing
submitted “slave” unto “Jesus Christ” as “Lord”
over all…
According as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue
– 2 Peter
1:3
Conversely,
these “apostates” will claim
the great “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”
but then turn it into a lying “license” to savagely “sin” producing a LICENTIOUS and LEWD lifestyle that DENYS the loving – Lordship
of Jesus Christ!
And
“we” too are “those” of whom are also
the “called” ones set apart as
“sanctified”
by “God the Father”
and perfectly “preserved”
in “Jesus
Christ” alike! Thus “Jude”
graciously PROCLAIMS this terrific
“truth” as such:
Mercy unto you, and peace, and
love, be multiplied – Jude 2
The
Greek verb for “multiplied”
here is plathuno of which means to be increased.
In other words, “Jude” says: “May you HAVE
these BLESSINGS in a constantly INCREASING amount!” as does the “Apostle Peter” in kind:
Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied – 1 Peter 1:2
It
is the PRAYER, the PLEDGE and
the PROMISE that
powerfully PROCLAIMS that no matter how difficult
the besetting battle becomes, “we”
will experience
God’s manifold “Mercy,
peace, and love” of His distinctly “Christian”
message in magnificently “multiplied”
brilliant – Blessings!
The CALL to CONTEND!
Next
we find one of the most interesting introductions of
“exhortation” found in any other “epistle” throughout God’s wonderful Word:
Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to
write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints – Jude 3
Here
“Jude” tells us that he had one “diligent”
desire on his HEART when sitting down
to “exhort” this passionate
plea. However, he actually was found “delivering”
something quite DIFFERENT than he had originally
intended! He most likely wanted to “write”
an eager “epistle” that would CELEBRATE the great “joy” of our “common salvation” but may have
received a troubling report from someone... Or perhaps several reports…
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark
them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the
hearts of the simple – Romans 16:17-18
It
is quite possible that “Jude”
had diligently “discerned” a
wildly WICKED trend of “divisions” wound up in doctrinal DANGER concerning the saving “Gospel” being severely “compromised” by such DEMENTED men. And unless the “church”
rightly ROSE UP in an effort to
“earnestly contend” for its survival,
it was in DIRE straits. Therefore, what begins as a friendly,
encouraging
and comforting
light-hearted “letter” instead becomes a
firm “diligent” call to arms –
CONTEND
for the Lord!
And
behind
this very important “letter”
is a bit of INTENSE insight:
For there are certain men crept
in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ – Jude 4
There
has been an INFILTRATION into the “church” by such “certain men” who have “crept in unawares” and had been “turning” the great “grace of our God” into lewd “lasciviousness” by deeply “denying the only Lord God” and our “Lord Jesus Christ” Himself – DAMNING Deception!
THEOLOIGICAL THOUGHTS: Likewise, the “Apostle
Peter” rightly REPEATS this same WARNING regarding these “certain men” of corruption…
But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their
pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:
whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not – 2 Peter 2:1-3
And
although we do not “know” the specifics
of this intrusion or how the information came
to “Jude” directly, we do “learn” that these “ungodly men” were “ordained”
by God “before of old” for this
concise “condemnation”
course. This is the grave DANGER
of alluring “apostasy” of
which is “knowing” the
tangible “truth” but then
willfully abandoning it by rankly – Rejecting God’s Word!
In fact, the “Apostle Paul” in his “Epistle“ to the “Hebrews“ also rightly REPEATS this same WARNING to all “those” of whom have moved away from the “good word” of “God” as their “doctrinal” firm FOUNDATION of tangible “truth” itself:
In fact, the “Apostle Paul” in his “Epistle“ to the “Hebrews“ also rightly REPEATS this same WARNING to all “those” of whom have moved away from the “good word” of “God” as their “doctrinal” firm FOUNDATION of tangible “truth” itself:
For it is impossible for those
who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the
powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
him to an open shame – Hebrews
6:4-6
QUIZZING QUESTION: If after being “enlightened” and having “tasted of the heavenly gift” and have
become “partakers of the Holy Ghost”
and then “fall away” as such, IS one
really RIGHT with “God”
Himself? NO! Rather, it is absolutely “impossible” to be “saved” from eternal DAMNATION
at this point. WHY? Because they have utterly REJECTED the sweet “Son of God” and “put Him to an open shame” after they had “heard” the full LIGHT
of the “Gospel” invitation of
His soul SAVING great “grace” alone – DAMNING Doctrine!
The OLD and NEW Apostates!
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: To make this WARNING
as a “remembrance” concerning
these “apostates” quite clear,
“Jude” continues his pressing plea by
selecting several HISTORICAL narratives from Biblical accounts as an
excellent “example” of these EVIL men
and their “coming destruction”
of everlasting “eternal fire” by God’s “vengeance” in His full fury:
I will therefore put you in
remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the
judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about
them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after
strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal
fire – Jude 5-7
Here
we see THREE Biblical accounts of God’s just “judgment” of the serious “suffering” to come in dealing with “apostasy” of which demonstrates how
He rightly reacts as such:
ONE: The “children” within the disobedient nation of “Israel” were utterly “destroyed”
because they “believed not” and had
forgotten “they” were “saved” out of the “land of Egypt” by the gracious – HAND of God!
Because all
those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and
in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not
hearkened to my voice… Doubtless
ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell
therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your
little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they
shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they
shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness
forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the
wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even
forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty
years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the Lord have said, I will surely do it
unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this
wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die – Numbers
14:22 & 30-35
TWO: The “angels”
that had fallen away from “God”
foolishly “left their own abode”
in heaven and are now in “everlasting chains
under darkness” for the “great day”
of their final – JUDGEMENT by God!
And it came to pass, when men
began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they
took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,
for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the
sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them,
the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that
the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually – Genesis
6:1-5
THREE: The “Gentiles”
living in “Sodom and Gomorrah”
and the “cities around them”
had willingly “given themselves over”
to a depraved
mind of serious “sexual
immorality” through fickle “fornication”
unto “strange flesh” via
hostile homosexuality and as a result, were rightly “set forth as an example” of God’s “vengeance of eternal fire” in everlasting
“hell” fire – APART from God!
But before they lay down, the men
of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and
young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said
unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out
unto us, that we may know them… For we will
destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of
the Lord;
and the Lord hath
sent us to destroy it… Then the Lord rained
upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he
overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the
cities, and that which grew upon the ground… And he looked toward Sodom and
Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke
of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God
destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot
out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which
Lot dwelt – Genesis 19:4-5, 13, 24-25 & 28-29
In
each
of these CARNAL cases, there was
an accompanying
dire “destruction,” just “judgment” and proper “punishment” in an “eternal fire” of which are all ILLUSTRATIONS of our great “God's” Holy HATRED of such adamant “apostasy” no matter who it is…
Then shall he
say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels – Matthew 25:41
And turning the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an
ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot,
vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man
dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day
to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly
out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished – 2 Peter 2:6-9
And the devil
that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the
beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever
and ever. And
I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth
and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the
dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another
book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake
of fire – Revelation 20:10-15
And
this WARNING must be made very clear
TODAY as well. WHY?
Because there IS an eternal “hell” and it is a FOREVER
place! It is a “burning”
horrific “torment” and you WILL be
rightly incarcerated there for ALL
of “eternity” if you DENY the true “faith” of “God”
Himself. Incidentally, the MORE
you “know” of the “Christian faith”
the HOTTER your
place in “hell” will be if you
willfully
continue to pridefully – REJECT Jesus Christ!
In closing:
As
the “Holy Scriptures” poignantly PROPHESIED in their POWERFUL
pronouncements, these “apostates”
will blatantly “blaspheme” our
great “God” Himself. HOW? By way of their utter DISREGARD of His “Holy Law” through their WICKED wonton “lifestyles” and dastardly “doctrines of demons” of which will cause
them to coarsely “corrupt themselves”
completely…
For when they speak great
swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through
much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption:
for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage – 2 Peter
2:18-19
And
DUE to their willful spiritual
“ignorance” of the “Word of God” itself, “these” maniacal “men”
actually have the gall to BLASPHEME
even the “holy angels” by
their blatant DISREGARD of God’s “commands” and thus “foolishly” attempt to USURP
Divine prerogatives of which belong – ONLY to God!
REAL REFLECTIONS: Beloved, may God give US the courage and boldness
to “contend earnestly for the faith”
that was signed, sealed and delivered
some – 2000 years ago…
Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints – Jude 3
Please begin reading through the excellent book of Jude and
continue CONTENDING for the “faith” once “delivered unto the saints” of God ~ AMEN!
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"
