DAY #349: Jude 1:1-25

This short one chapter book packs a ton of punch. Jude called the believers to action, to defend the faith, calling for hard work, diligent study, willingness to stand against society’s desire to water down the gospel, speaking up for the truth and bearing the burden of interpreting the timeless truth to a changing society. The believers could not (and would never be able to) sit back and idly enjoy the mercy, peace, and love of their faith. Rather, their Christian faith must be defended against the onslaught of false teaching.

Although Jude’s brief letter does not mention his intended readers, it addresses specific concerns about false teaching that was threatening the churches. There could be no other fate except condemnation, for these teachers had turned against the only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. With their flagrant sexual sinning in the name of God’s grace, these false teachers were denying Christ as their Master and Lord, replacing him with themselves and their appetites. While claiming to know God, their actions denied him. They taught lies, and in so doing they denied the basics of the Christian faith. Such a denial also ends in judgment and destruction.

So how are believers today to discern false teaching? Heresies can be discovered through asking probing questions. We can guard against heresies by asking these questions about any religious group:

Does it stress man-made rules and taboos rather than God’s grace?
Does it foster a critical spirit toward others, or does it exercise discipline discreetly and lovingly?
Does it stress formulas, secret knowledge, or special visions more than the Word of God?
Does it elevate self-righteousness, honoring those who keep the rules, rather than elevating Christ?
Does it neglect Christ’s universal church, claiming to be an elite group?
Does it teach humiliation of the body as a means to spiritual growth rather than focusing on the growth of the whole person?
Does it disregard the family rather than holding it in high regard as the Bible does?

Like many of the false teachers of today, theses false teachers had come from the ranks of the believers. While not truly followers of Christ, they were saying and doing many of the right things, even as they were teaching their wrong doctrines. They understood that they could find deliverance from bondage to sin (like bondage to Egypt), yet they were choosing sin over salvation. The obvious result, Jude wrote, would be that they, like the disobedient Israelites, would be destroyed.

Jude was emphasizing that the false teachers were immoral, insubordinate, and irreverent. Jude hardly needed to say more. The believers had no reason for listening to or following such people. Their refusal to heed God’s voice left them enslaved to sin and their sinful passions. The only things these men truly understood were the passions and lusts that enslaved them. Even though they claimed to be able to indulge themselves without retribution, eventually they would bring about their own destruction.

Just as Cain murdered his brother, so the false teachers “murder” people’s souls. Just as Cain did not care about his brother, murdering him out of envy, so the false teachers did not care about their followers, willingly leading them along the pathway to destruction. Like Cain, the false teachers were defying God’s authority and acting out of sinful passion.

Through these three Old Testament pictures, Jude painted these false teachers. They were without love (like Cain), greedy for money (like Balaam), and insubordinate to God-appointed authorities (like Korah). God’s punishment on them is certain.

The false teachers were like dangerous reefs along a shoreline, ready to shipwreck the believers. Jude spared no words in describing the danger of these false teachers’ involvement with the believers. In the worst sort of hypocrisy, these intruders who had stolen in among the believers were participating in the love feast while at the same time living and speaking in opposition to Christ.

They were shameless in their selfishness. They cared nothing for the believers, their celebration, or the God the believers worshiped. Instead of looking after others’ needs, the false teachers’ only concern was their own needs. Jude could hardly have said worse about anyone. Sparing no words for these false teachers, he laid their attitudes, words, and actions out for all to see. He meant for the Christians to take this irrefutable evidence and decide for themselves about these men.

And in the midst of this heresy, this abomination, Jude puts out a call to remain faithful.
Jude encouraged the believers to remain firm in their faith and trust in God’s promises for their future. This was vital because they were living during a time of increased disloyalty to the faith. We too are living in the last days, much closer to the end than were the original readers of this letter. We, too, are vulnerable to doctrinal error. We too are tempted to give in to sin. Although there is much false teaching around us, we need not be afraid or give up in despair—God can keep us from falling, and he guarantees that if we remain faithful, he will bring us into his presence and give us everlasting joy.




SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I am reminded of Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) - "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Stand your ground. Stay the course. No retreat. No surrender. No turning back.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)


Oh Lord, would you work in each of hearts like this. Sold out to the things of God and the work of God. Total abandonment to the will of God. And when the time of testing come, we dig our heels in and stay solid. Lord, you know how this truth flies in the face of where the culture is going.

The culture cries out quit - run - give up. May we rise above today to claim our place in Your work. Lord, give us a spirit of tenacity and perseverance. Lord, give us a spirit of courage and boldness.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

AMEN! (so be it)