JUDE--PART 4

BEGINS AT VERSE 19



Verse 19 tells us The spiritual status of these certain men.

“These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.”

Essentially, these men were NOT spiritual; they were carnal and insensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Sensual in this context has nothing to do with sexual attractiveness. It describes the person who lives only by and for what they can get through their physical senses, and they live this way selfishly. Their motto is, “If it feels good, do it” or, “How can it be wrong if it feels so right?” “What I say or do in THE PRIVACY OF my own house is my business, not GOD’S, CHURCH, NOR MANS! ”

Who CAUSE DIVISIONS: These certain men had an instinct to separate themselves and make divisions. “The word, found only once in the Bible, denotes those superior people who keep themselves to themselves - Christian Pharisees.”

NOT having THE SPIRIT: This same description could be written over many churches, or church projects, or evangelism campaigns, or home groups, or even individual Christian lives. The church and the world truly need genuinely spiritual men and women today.

What to do about the danger of the certain men.

Significantly, Jude does NOT tell us to attack the certain men who ARE A DANGER to the church. Instead, he tells us to FOCUS on OUR WALK WITH JESUS, help others affected by the certain men, and to focus on JESUS. We simply are to pay the certain men no attention, except for what is necessary for our warning. God will take care of them.

A REALISTIC EXAMPLE FOR US IS THIS…

When people, who SAY THEY ARE CHRISTIAN STATE:

WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN. THAT IS NOT TRUE!

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT ALL MANKIND IS CREATED IN HIS IMAGE…BUT ONLY THOSE WHO LOVE JESUS CHRIST AND CALL HIM LORD AND SAVIOR…BECOME CO-HEIRS WITH CHRIST AND THEN BECOME GOD’S CHILDREN.

OR THEY SAY…I AM A SPIRITUALIST, I BELIEVE IN GOD & ALL PATHS LEAD TO GOD. JESUS CHRIST REFUTES THIS WHEN HE SAYS…I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.

DO NOT ATTACK THEM…USE THE BIBLE AND ITS PROMISES & TEACHINGS TO COUNTER WHAT IS SAID.

IT YOU ARE REALLY A CHRISTIAN, REALLY SAVED, REALLY BAPTIZED…YOU WILL INSTANTLY BEGIN TO SPEAK IN TONGUES AND PROPHECY…THAT IS NOT TRUE!

1 CORINTHIANS 12:11 SAYS… “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally AS HE WILL.” WE DO NOT PICK AND CHOOSE, WE DO NOT INSTANTLY MANIFEST ANY OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UNTIL HE DEEMS WE NEED IT… THE HOLY SPIRIT DECIDES…NOT MAN.

Verses 20-21 tells us to take a look inward.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Keep yourselves IN THE LOVE of God…

Romans 5:6 TELLS US…We know that God loves even the ungodly. Therefore Jude doesn’t mean, “Live in such a way to make yourself lovable to God.” Instead, to keep yourselves in the love of God means to keep yourself in harmony with God’s ever-present love.

But we should understand what it means when the Bible says that GOD LOVES THE UNGODLY.

The significance of the idea that God loves us all has been twisted considerably.

THINK ABOUT the sinner who defends his sinful practice by saying “God loves me just the way I am.” His implication is that “God loves me; I must be pretty good.” Actually, the fact that God loves him is a reflection on God’s goodness, not his own goodness. The perspective isn’t, “I’m so great that even God loves me,” but “God is so great that He loves even me.”

EVERY DAY, IN SMALL AND LARGE WAYS, WE SEE THE SUBTLE TWISTING AND PERVERTING OF GOD’S WORD BY SATAN AND BY MANKIND WHO LISTENS TO HIM.

God’s love extends everywhere, and nothing can separate us from it. But we can deny ourselves the benefits of God’s love. People who don’t keep themselves in the love of God end up living as if they are on the dark side of the moon. The sun is always out there, always shining, but they are never in a position to receive its light or warmth.

An example of this is the Prodigal Son of Luke 15, who was always loved by the father, but for a time he did not benefit from it.

Building yourselves up on your most holy faith: This is one way that we can keep ourselves in the love of God. It means to keep growing spiritually, and to keep building up. Jude tells us, “build yourselves up on your most holy faith.” This means that WE are responsible for OUR OWN spiritual growth. It means that we cannot wait for spiritual growth to just happen, a bolt from Heaven to instantly change us or expect others to make us grow.

WE MUST SEEK JESUS….STUDY HIS WORD TO COME TO HAVE A DEEPER AND CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

THINK ABOUT IT…WHEN WE LOVE SOMEONE…WE GET CLOSE…WE STAY IN TOUCH…WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THEM…WE WANT TO KNOW THEM ON A DEEP PERSONAL LEVEL, RIGHT?

JESUS CHRIST WANTS THE SAME. HE KNOWS FOR US TO REMAIN STAY, STRONG, AND ENCOURAGED AND HOPEFUL…WE NEEEEEEEED TO PRAY, TALK TO JESUS, AND STUDY…NOT JUST READ IT….BUT MEDITATE ON HIS WORD…TO STRENGTHEN US AND FOR US TO HAVE A BETTER KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF JUST WHO OUR JESUS CHRIST REALLLLLLLLLY IS, AMEN?

Jude has shown us the frailty of men and how deceivers even infiltrated the church. If you ENTRUST your spiritual growth to A PERSON, A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, A FAD, A TREND, AN ICONIC IDEOLOGY, TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE BUT THROUGH STUDY OF JESUS WORD, SEEKING HIM OUT, PRAYING ALL THINGS UP INTO JESUS HANDS, it will not only hurt your spiritual growth, but it may also lead you astray.

Others CAN AND MAY help provide an environment conducive for spiritual growth. But NO ONE can make another person grow in their relationship with the Lord.

I HAVE COUNSELED INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, WHO ARE BROKEN, AND HAVE HAD CHILDREN SAY IN GROUP COUNSELING…MY PARENTS NEVER KNEW ME. I NEVER KNEW I MATTERED…I NEVER KNEW I WAS LOVED. AND THE AGGRIEVED PARENTS COME BACK WITH OF COURSE WE KNOW YOU. OF COURSE YOU MATTERED. OF COURSE WE LOVE YOU. AND I ASK THE PARENTS…HOW DID YOU SHOW THEM? DID YOU TELL THEM YOU LOVE THEM? DO YOU KNOW THEIR FRIENDS? THEIR TEACHERS? WHAT THEIR FAVORITE SUBJECT IS? WHAT ACTIVITIES THEY LIKE? AND SADLY, MORE TIMES THAN NOT, THE PARENTS CAN NOT ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. AND THEY COME BACK WITH I FED THEM, I CLOTHED THEM, I CAME HOME EACH DAY. I PROVIDED A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS…I DID NOT SAY THE WORDS…BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT.

JUDE TELLS US WE AS CHRISTIANS AND ESPECIALLY AS CHRISTIAN PARENTS MUST TELL OUR CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS, WHO HE IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US… JESUS AND HIS WORD NEED TO BE A VISIBLE, TANGIBLE PART OF OUR DAILY LIVES…AMEN?

On your most holy faith…The most holy faith is the same as the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). Jude wasn’t talking about growing in the most holy faith (though that is a valid idea). Jude is talking about growing on your MOST HOLY FAITH, IS NOT A RELIGION NOR A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, OUR MOST HOLY FAITH SHOULD BE IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND HIS WORD. We grow on the foundation of the truth FOUND IN THE HOLY BIBLE.

Praying in the Holy Spirit: This is another way to keep ourselves in the love of God. The battle against wrong living and wrong teaching is a spiritual battle, requiring prayer in the Holy Spirit, THAT MEANS TIME FOR PRIVATE PERSONAL ONE ON ONE PRAYER TIME WITH JESUS, JESUS THE GOD who SEES AND KNOWS what we can not….the BATTLE ON THE SUPERNATURAL PLANE.

AND WHEN WE GET ALONE, PRAY ONE ON ONE WITH JESUS, ALL OF OUR PRAYERS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH JESUS ARE SHIELDED FROM SATAN AND HIS DEMONS…THEY ARE NOTTTTTTT ALLOWED TO EAVESDROP.

Many of our prayers are directed by our own needs, by our own intellects, or by our own wishes and desires. But there is a higher level of prayer: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:26)

The Holy Spirit EVEN INTERCEDES FOR US IN PRAYER…JUST AS JESUS INTERCEDES FOR US WITH ALMIGHTY GOD AND PRAYS FOR US ALWAYS.

Looking for the mercy of Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life…This is a third way that we can keep ourselves in the love of God. As we keep the blessed hope of Jesus’ soon return alive in our hearts, this effectively keeps us in the love of God, and helps us to not give away our faith.

Verses 22-23 tell us to take a LOOK OUTWARD, to those around you.

“And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”

On some HAVE compassion: Jude begins here to tell us what we must do with those who have been influenced by these certain men. We need to make a distinction, based on where they are coming from. Certainly, on some have compassion.

Using wisdom we approach different people in different manners. By being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we CAN KNOW when we should comfort, and when we should rebuke. Christians should not abandon a friend flirting with false teaching. They should help him through it in love & prayer & GIVING THEM JESUS WORD, JESUS HOLY BIBLE TRUTH, INSTEAD OF SOME MAN-CREATED, TWISTED, REVISED RELIGIOUS TEACHING, OR WORLDLY PSYCHO-BABBLE TREND OF THE MOMENT…GIVE THEM JESUS…SHOW THEM JESUS.

This means No matter how bad a person is, or how misleading and terrible their doctrine, we are NOT allowed to HATE them - or to be unconcerned for their salvation….pray our enemies UP!

Others save with fear: This second group must be confronted more strongly - but in fear, not in a sanctimonious superiority. You may need to pull them out of the fire, but never do it in pride.

This outward look is important. It demonstrates that we are not only concerned for our own spiritual welfare. It proves that we genuinely care about OTHER Christians who are edging towards significant error. GIVE THEM JESUS!

Verses 24-25 tells us to take a look UPWARD to the God of all glory

“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.”

NOW TO HIM…Jude closes the letter with a famous doxology (a brief declaration of praise to God). Jude’s doxology reminds us of God’s care and of our destiny.

Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present faultless: Jude’s message of warning and doom might have depressed and discouraged his readers. Perhaps they thought that with so much false teaching and immorality around, very few Christians would ever reach heaven. Here he reminds them that the answer lies only in the power of God THROUGH HIS PRECIOUS SON JESUS CHRIST. He is able to keep you, and you aren’t able to keep yourself.
FOR EXAMPLE, JUST AS in mountain climbing, the beginning hiker attaches himself to the expert so that if he loses his footing he won’t stumble and fall to his death. In the same manner, if we keep connected with JESUS CHRIST, we cannot fall. He keeps us safe.

SO WHAT DOES JUDE TELL US….TEACH US….?

By comparing passages of Scripture, we also find out who is really responsible for our safe keeping. Jude began the letter by addressing those who are preserved in Jesus (Jude 1:1).

Then he exhorted Christians to avoid dangerous men and to keep themselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21)

Here at the end he concluded with the recognition that it is ultimately God who keeps us from stumbling and falling. Paul put the same idea in Philippians 2:12-13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

Keeping us spiritually safe is God’s work. But you can always tell the people He is working in, because they are working also. JESUS DOES NOT call us to simply let the Christian life happen to us and He doesn’t command us to save ourselves. He calls us to a PARTNERSHIP with Him.

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy: As God is faithful, we won’t have to slink shamefacedly into the presence of God. We can be presented before Him with exceeding joy.

Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever: This all reminds us of God’s wisdom, glory, and power. Jude isn’t trying to say that we can or should give these things to God. When we acknowledge and declare the truth about God, it glorifies Him. We aren’t giving God more majesty or power than He had before; we are just recognizing and declaring it.

Both now and forever: This could also be translated “unto all the ages.” This is “as complete a statement of eternity as can be made in human language. Our victory, our triumph in God, is forever.

JUDE REMINDS US THAT THERE IS SERIOUS DECEPTION in the world and often among those who call THEMSELVES/THEIR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, THE ONE TRUTH FAITH, THE ONE TRUE PATH, AND STILL CALL THEMSELVES “Christians“.

There ARE enemies of the gospel who have infiltrated the church. Yet despite the greatness of the threat, God is greater still.
He wins, and if we will only stay with Him, we are guaranteed victory also.

Jude is a book full of warning, but it closes with supreme confidence in God. Dangerous times should make us trust, PRESS IN, CLING, AND FOLLOW OUR MIGHTY JESUS CHRIST.

THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS FOR CHRISTIANS (THE CHURCH/THE BRIDE OF JESUS CHRIST)....JUDE WANTS US TO STAY CLOSE TO JESUS....TO DEPEND ON HIM....TRUST HIM....COME WHAT MAY.

AND FOR THE LOST...THE MESSAGE REMAINS THE SAME...CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NOW...WHILE YOU MAY...

BE BLESSED AND STAY BLESSED IN OUR AMAZING JESUS CHRIST!