Volume 20, Number 1 January Winter 2025
Bible Study in the Book Of Jude
Contending for the Faith
(Part I of IV)
Introduction
In the beginning days of my preparation for this particular series of messages, God gave me an introduction that illustrates the terrible state of falling away that we find in local churches of our day. My phone rang early one Sunday morning from an individual in search for a church home. This wasn’t my first conversation with him, regarding what to look for in a local church, but he never seemed to understand what I was trying to say which was proven by what I’m about to tell you. His call was in regards to the architectural beauty of a particular church facility and how he thought that spotlights ought to be placed in the yard and at night shown onto the stained-glass windows. In my previous conversations with him, he always focused on the externals and never about the preaching of God’s Word, the spiritual truth being proclaimed, nor the mission and discipling of the local church. Everything for this person was about the non-essentials, the externals, and never about biblical doctrine whereby the Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up and Almighty God glorified with a desire to learn, obey, and follow Him in genuine worship. In fact, in one of my previous conversations with this gentleman, he flat-out told me that he was not interested in doctrine because, in his opinion, that was something only preachers ought to know. It seems like most church people today are more interested in what color to paint the walls, the type of floor covering they want, how to redecorate the facilities, a particular taste of music, like or dislike of musical instruments, and how many services to have during the week, rather than the proclamation of Biblical Truth. After hanging up the phone on that particular Sunday, the Lord laid on my heart that this was exactly what the book of Jude is about, local congregations of professing believers who profess, but do not possess Christ, nor have their focus or desires on Spiritual Truth, living out that truth, denying themselves, taking up their cross, and following Christ (Matt. 16:24).
I’ve come to the conclusion that most people who attend church service today, just like this gentleman who called me on the phone, are more interested in spotlights on the building instead of the “Light of the World” (Jh. 8:1) being proclaimed from the pulpit by a God-called preacher and lived out by committed Christians in the pew who are called by God to reflect that “Light” (Matt.5:14) to those living in a world of spiritual darkness. While the Book of Acts describes the beginning of the New Testament Church as we know it today, it’s the epistle of Jude that depicts its invasion of apostasy that side-tracks the church from her mission (Matt. 28:19-20). Therefore, we need to understand that while Christendom today is filled with apostasy (which is a falling away from Christ), it’s nothing new for local churches. Most Christians will agree that the early church had to deal with apostasy, but with every new century, it has seemly grown worse, more acceptable, more dangerous, and more contagious. In other words, apostasy appears to be more common than not in local churches worldwide regardless of the degree or intensity or the denomination.
The theme of the Book of Jude deals with apostasy that is found in local churches, or in other words, even in churches that profess to believe the Bible, but don’t practice it as they ought. In other words, always remember that half-hearted or partial obedience is not obedience at all. The Book of Acts records the deeds and teachings of God’s servants who were used to establish the New Testament churches. The Book of Jude records the deeds and teachings of evil men who infiltrate into local churches with false teaching and that’s why so many within the modern-day church don’t consider doctrine important. The theme of the Book of Jude is simply apostasy within the church regardless of the age in which it is found. Jude is the only Book in the Bible that is entirely devoted to warning us against the plague of apostasy, departure from the Truth, and turning from it. Even though the epistle of Jude is very brief, it’s an excellent introduction to the Book of Revelation which describes in part, God’s apocalyptic judgments upon an ungodly world. The word apostasy itself is not found in the writings of Jude, whom we believe was the human penman of this Book; however, it’s truth is clearly evident. The Greek word for “falling away” is, APOSTASIA, which literally means to leave, forsake, desert, or depart from a belief previously held and in English is literally translated to be apostasy (II Thess. 2:3). A time of apostasy is described in Scripture as a departure from the Faith (I Tim. 4:1-2). The entire period of the New Testament Church can rightly be called the “last days” and describes a time when God’s Truth will be challenged by men’s selfish “lust” (II Pet. 3:3). A diligent study of Jude should awaken every believer to the realization and reality of apostasy’s invasion into the ranks of the modern-day institutionalized church. One of the best ways to be prepared for false teachers who infiltrate into the church is by growing in the knowledge of God’s Truth so that we can boldly stand for it without apology.
Jude 1-2
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.”
The Salutation of this Letter
Let me remind you that the salutation of Jude is far more than just a courteous expression at the beginning of a letter. Like all other Scripture, the salutation is also “inspired” which means that it holds lessons from which we can learn (II Tim. 3:16). Instead of signing his name at the end of the letter, as is our custom, “Jude” identifies himself as the human penman at the beginning. In the Greek, his name is Judas coming from the Hebrew Judah and translated “Jude” in Latin and English. “Jude” reveals himself as the “brother of James” who was a leader in the Jerusalem church and the human penman of the Book of James. Elsewhere, scripture calls this same “James the Lord’s brother” (Gal. 1:19); therefore, this would also make “Jude” the half-brother to Christ just as “James” was also (Mk. 6:3). It’s generally believed that both “James” and “Jude” were converted about the same time, but it wasn’t until after the crucifixion of Christ. It’s interesting to notice that these two epistles were written by half- brothers of Christ. In the epistle of James, he shows that good works is evidence of saving faith. In the epistle of Jude, he shows that evil works is evidence of apostasy.
Rather than acknowledging any earthly relationship to Christ, “Jude” identifies himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ.” Neither “James” nor “Jude” ever mentioned their human relationship to Christ. But, in Christian humility, he calls himself a “servant” preferring to be known as the property of Christ rather than his half-brother. The word “servant” literally means that he was Christ’s bondslave and under His authority. The Word bondslave referred to a person who was under the total control of his master with no freedom of his own. Unless a Christian yields his life to the absolute control of Christ, we will find little profit from the study of God’s Word. Only the bondslaves of Christ can find meaning, purpose, and understanding in the Word of God by submitting to His authority.
In addressing this letter to the first century Christians, “Jude” reminds them that they “are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” That’s a pretty good mouthful, so let’s back up and take a look at what all of that means. For a Christian to be “sanctified” speaks of him/her being set apart for God’s glory, not perfected in this life, but placed on the road of spiritual growth that will ultimately lead to Heaven where we will be free from sin. For a Christian to be “preserved” means that he is eternally secure in his salvation regardless of how harsh the storms of life rage against his soul. For a Christian to be “called” reminds us that we are not saved because of any merit of our own, but because of the sovereign grace of God alone in His choosing us in salvation and service (Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:23, I Thess. 5:24, II Thess. 2:13-14). It is God Who always takes the initiative in calling those whom He has “chosen” (Jh. 15:16). In our utter depravity, it’s impossible for a sinner to ever initiate any desire for God. It is God that gives us a desire for Him. The Greek literally renders this to read, “having been loved by God the Father and having been kept for Jesus Christ those who are called.” We cannot save ourselves nor can we keep ourselves saved, but it is God alone Who saves and keeps us saved by His “love” for His redeemed children (Jh. 3:16).
During the cold dark days of apostasy, this three-fold comfort is especially encouraging to true believers. Some translations use the word “loved” rather than “sanctified,” but the word “love” is found in the very next verse and Scripture teaches the doctrine of “sanctification” (II Thess. 2:13) which all translates into believers being “sanctified” by the “love” of God. In fact, it’s all because of (v.2) God’s “multiplied … mercy … peace and love” that we can be made a “new creature … in Christ” (II Cor. 5:17). We can rest assured that God will never stop loving us even while the world is hating us. That’s because we are “preserved,” or literally translated from the Greek to mean “kept,” and from the perfect tense it means “continually kept” which refers to a continuing result of a past action. We know that past action to be a work of God’s “grace” (Eph. 2:8-9) in our salvation. “Preserved” reminds us that God promises to complete the work of “grace” that He has begun in us by keeping us secure eternally (Jh. 6:37-44, 10:28-30, 17:11, 15, II Tim. 4:18, Heb. 7:25, 9:24, I Pet. 1:3-5).
We cannot keep ourselves “saved” (Rom. 10:8-9) no more than we can save ourselves to begin with; therefore, God promises to keep His children eternally secure “in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 8:38-39). Believers daily need the “mercy … peace … and love” of God, but there are special times when we need an abundance of it, especially in times of apostasy in the church. Always remember that God’s “mercy” is His divine pity for us helpless and needy sinners. His “peace” fortifies the righteous heart against the wickedness of this world and His “love” is the bond that unites us to the Lord and to one another.
Jude 3-4
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.”
The Purpose of this Letter
It appears that “Jude” started to write a message on “salvation,” but instead he warned believers of the false teachers, counterfeits, wolves in sheep’s clothing, who had already “crept” into the early New Testament church (Matt. 7:15-23, II Jh. 10-11). Here is a reminder, lest we think differently, that apostasy is nothing new because it “crept” into the church in its infancy. For that reason, “Jude” felt a divine compulsion to write about how we are to defend the Christian “faith” at all times and in all seasons. He felt a divine compulsion to encourage us to defend the Christian “faith” saying that we are to “earnestly contend for the faith” (v.3). That means to agonize upon, fight for, and contend strenuously in defense of “the faith.” In the early church, Gnosticism which relied upon human intellect or knowledge, was a problem for the early believers. This could possibly take on many different forms or likenesses, but today is often seen in what we refer to as legalism. Legalism is adding to or making the Scriptures say something that it doesn’t imply, such as the need for human works for our justification.
Now, let’s just pause and ask just what is the “faith” to which “Jude” makes reference? He is referring to the body of inspired Truth, or simply the biblical doctrine, the inspired written Word, that is found only in the Living Word, Jesus Christ (Jh. 1:1-4,14). There are many different kinds of faith in the world today. You often hear people refer to themselves as people of faitih, but in whom and what are they placing their faith. The only “faith” that will do you when your dying is “faith” in the risen Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, in the forgiveness of your sins. Therefore, to “contend for the faith” involves standing for holiness and against wickedness, to stand for Biblical Truth and expose human error. It’s like taking the sword and the trowel analogy of the Old Testament, using one hand to build ourselves up in the “faith” and the other hand to fight the opposing forces of the world with the other hand. Like the workers in Nehemiah’s day, we also must be listening for the “trumpet” that warns us against enemy attack (Neh. 4:17-18). Contending “for the faith” not only includes standing for God’s Truth at all cost, but encouraging and supporting all Bible believing churches and Bible preaching ministers. Believers must maintain a pure and holy witness of our Savior with a courage that refuses to compromise with the world.
“Jude” warns about apostates who infiltrate into the church and prey upon God’s people like a vulture (v.4). An apostate is one who hears the Word of God and may even temporarily accept it like the “seed” that falls on bad soil (Matt. 13) for a limited time, but eventually falls away from it (Lk. 8:13). It’s possible for a genuine believer to fall into biblical error, but they cannot become apostate. Apostasy is the deliberate rejection of Biblical Truth having received the light of the Gospel presented by mortal man, but not the Life of the Gospel which only the Holy Spirit can reveal. An apostate has no spiritual understanding of God’s Word nor will they bear any Christian fruit as we’ll see later in verse 12. Apostasy is simply the denial of Jesus Christ or the perversion of His teachings.
Apostates are known for luring others away from the Truth of Scripture and genuine Godly worship due to their disrespect for biblical authority. They have not only “crept in unawares” to sit in our local churches, but also, to teach in our schools, colleges, and seminaries. Today, the false doctrine concerning such things as the universal brotherhood of man and the universal fatherhood of God are widely accepted in our heathen culture and propagated within institutionalized churches. Whenever tradition, custom, creed, and denominational loyalty is more important than God’s Word, then the door of apostasy is swung wide open. Apostasy usually always begins when Bible Truth is not a person’s top priority like I tried to illustrate in my opening remarks in introducing the study of this particular Book.
It’s interesting to note that there are some “who were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” Regardless of how people want to misinterpret Scripture, this is a profound statement pertaining to the Sovereignty and Predestination of our God. The KJV translates this passage with the word “ordained” while the NJV and ESV says “long ago,” and the NSV says “long beforehand.” Personally, while all three are acceptable, I believe that the KJV says it best in light of the Scriptures mentioned in the remainder of this Book. It’s amazing how people in the so-called conservative church will argue over the beautiful doctrine of predestination, but at the same time affirm the authority of Scripture, which is a God-breathed Book of history that was written in advance before it ever occurs. How could God do it without Him having a predetermined plan for those whom He has chosen to be both godly and ungodly (Prov. 16:4, Eph. 1:5,11)?
We need to notice three outstanding characteristics of an apostate listed in these verses. First, an apostate is “ungodly.” It’s interesting to note that a person doesn’t have to appear as immoral or wicked to be “ungodly.” What I’m trying to say, is to remind you that Scripture warns that the devil often appears as “an angel of light” giving the appearance of something good and appealing to the flesh (II Cor 11:14). That’s the way it often is with “ungodly” people who invade local churches professing Christ, but not possessing Christ. To be “ungodly” is simply to lack the reverential fear of God that leads to spiritual obedience. Therefore, it’s possible for people to be religious and at the same time “ungodly” (II Tim. 3:5).
Secondly, an apostate turns the “grace of God into lasciviousness.” God’s “grace” is the unmerited favor towards sinners which is granted in the place of judgment. Apostates pervert (misapply) the doctrine of “grace,” making one believe that we have a license to sin. Herein, we are introduced to a big word, antinomianism, which describes people who see the “grace” of God as a license to sin, believing that we are under no obligation to obey the moral law of God. Evidence of perverted “grace” is seen in the lives of those who profess Christ, but do as they please and go where they please indulging in fleshly desires and compromising with the world which is “lasciviousness.”
Thirdly, an apostate is guilty of “denying … Christ” which is to deny “God” His rightful place in our lives. There are perhaps many ways where a person can deny Christ, but I mention several areas which overlap each other, that might summarize and show where “Christ” is being denied as “God” in our modern world. Humanism (simply focusing on ourselves rather than God) abounds in today’s society and children are introduced to it at a very early age as they are taught to reject the universal sovereignty of “God” and become narcissist. Man wants to be his own master thus rejecting the rightful claim of “Christ” as Supreme “Lord” over him. Being in spiritual blindness, multitudes still refuse to acknowledge “Jesus” as their personal Savior from the penalty of sin. In disbelief, the divine claim of “Christ,” as the long-awaited Messiah promised by God in the Old Testament, is ignored. Apostates discredit “Christ” as nothing more than a mere man by showing no respect for His holiness. To deny God’s Word which includes such doctrines as His virgin birth, miracles, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and second coming are just some of the denials that mark men as apostates. Apostates may claim to know God and even claim to do His work, but their heart is unbelieving and unregenerate (Titus 1:16).