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Contend – Stand for the Truth! (2 of 2)
Persevere!
Jude 17-25
Jude is one of the shortest books of the Bible (only 25 verses in length) and tucked away at the end of the New Testament before the beginning of the Bible’s final book, which of course is – Revelation. I’ve given this series the title: Contend – Stand for the Truth!
Jude 3-4 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
In verses 1-16 we found ourselves face-to-face with a passionate denunciation of the false teachers and their associated teachings and now the attention shifts slightly in verses 17-25 from the presence of false teachings (and teachers) to how faithful believers are address this challenge.
Jude 17-19 (ESV) –
“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”
- Followers of Jesus must not be caught off guard by the incredibly serious (and dire) threat of false teaching… (Jude 17-19)
Jude 18 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’”
The apostles warned about the threat of false teaching and the teachers who propagate it – they solemnly warned of this danger. Keep in mind that we’ve been living in the last days for a long time because the last days dawned with the coming of Christ.
Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.”
We’re living in the last times today and Jude’s original audience was as well and warnings about false teachers appearing in the last times run throughout the New Testament!
Matthew 7:15 (ESV) –
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Acts 20:29-30 (ESV) –
“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
1 John 2:18 (ESV, emphasis mine)–
“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”
Jude 18 (NIrV, emphasis mine) –
“…In the last days, some people will make fun of the truth. They will follow their own ungodly longings.”
Making fun of the truth – Does that sound like something we see in our everyday lives? These scoffers mock God by their immoral behavior, they deny Christ by following their own evil desires, they’re characterized by selfish lusts.
Jude 4 (ESV) –
“…ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:3 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“…knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”
No-doubt these clowns claimed spirituality but in reality they were (and are) only following their own natural, selfish and sinful instincts. They are profoundly not true Christians – if you don’t have the Holy Spirit you don’t belong to Christ, you’re not a true Christian!
Romans 8:9 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.”
This leaves us facing an important and practical question – How do these verses help us contend for the faith? New Testament scholar Douglass Moo – The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Peter, Jude (pg. 293) says it this way – To be forewarned is to be for armed. He’s right.
Awareness is the first step to addressing a problem. It’s impossible to protect against a threat we’re completely unaware of – to stay spiritually safe we need to know verse 18.
Jude 18 (ESV) –
“In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”
Choosing to remain naive is dangerous, the threat of false teaching pops up in – books, unfaithful preachers, YouTube, social media, music with sloppy lyrics, unfaithful churches and more. There is a multiplicity of teaching and much is excellent (and I’m thankful) but some is from scoffers and we must understand that not everyone will lead us the right way!
- Contending for the faith includes both personal perseverance and mercifully confronting those in grave spiritual danger… (Jude 20-23)
Jude 20-23 (ESV) –
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
In verses 20-21 we see that we contend for the faith by persevering. We address (or meet) the challenge of false teaching by securing our own personal spiritual position and continuing in it and then in verses 22-23 we see that we contend for the faith by reaching out to those in spiritual danger and lovingly and wisely confronting them!
Contending for the faith begins with strengthening our faith, with strengthening our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ! And this includes – time spent in God’s Word (the Bible), prayer and in fellowship of fellow Christians – these things are necessary.
I can’t imagine standing fast against the temptations of false teaching without the Word of God, prayer and encouragement from fellow Christians! I’ve often challenged us to personally pursue ‘our best year yet with Jesus’ – here we’re called to build ourselves up in the faith.
Warren Wiersbe, Be Alert: Beware of the Religious Impostors (pg. 191) –
If all we do is read and study the Bible, we will have a great deal of light but not much power. However, if we concentrate on prayer and ignore the Bible, we may be guilty of zeal without knowledge. We read the Word to grow in faith, then we use that faith to ask God for what we need and what His Word tells us we may have.
Jude 21, (ESV)
“…keep yourselves in the love of God…”
That’s only possible because we’ve been first kept! Divine sovereignty (the fact that God is in control) and human responsibility go ‘hand in hand’, they go together!
The threat posed by scoffers in verses 17-19 should compel us to personally strengthen our relationship with Christ! Christians who don’t know the Bible, seldom seek the Lord in prayer, who are isolated from other Christians and seldom look forward in expectation of Jesus’ return are easy pickings for the temptations of immorality and smooth words of false teachers.
Perhaps you’re sensing the nudge of the Holy Spirit to contend for the faith by starting to take seriously this call to build yourselves up in your most holy faith.
Jude 22-23 (ESV) –
“And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
We’re to contend for the faith by confronting those who have come under the influence of those who deny the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. Various levels of entanglement in false teaching are in view and understanding which category we’re dealing with dictates a different / proportional response.
Jude 22 (ESV) –
“… have mercy on those who doubt…”
What’s in view here is gentle and kind correction.
Galatians 6:1 (ESV) –
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
Don’t come down too hard on someone who’s confused or has genuine questions – be merciful and gently instruct them in the truth. Don’t ignore the errors they’re flirting with but be gentle.
The uninformed need to be gently and lovingly informed but sadly this is not the only possibility – not everyone is simply confused others are teetering on the verge of destruction!
They’re about ready to jump wholeheartedly into dangerous teaching and living and the call is to be decisive and firm, to – …save others by snatching them out of the fire… and the Greek word for save is ‘sozo’ which is used to describe salvation – Being saved!
At times we must respond firmly: That’s wrong! That’s not true! If someone is about to fall off a cliff you’ll pull them back from the edge: Please don’t do that! Don’t destroy yourself! Don’t!
Jude 23, (ESV) –
“… to others show mercy with fear…”
The contamination of false teaching is extremely infectious and people who pervert the grace of God into a license for immorality will spread their infectious teachings and others will be ruined. We always desire that false teachers will repent and be saved but we don’t give them a platform to propagate their errors! People in this category of sin are proud of their wickedness and recruit others to join them in evil.
1 Corinthians 5:4-5 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
2 John 10-11 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”
1 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV) –
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
We tend to go to extremes in addressing error – one extreme is to never confront error and for followers of Jesus this anything goes attitude is not an option – It’s unbiblical! On the other hand, there are those who treat anyone with questions (or doubts) as an enemy of the Gospel – This also is a horrible and unbiblical mistake!
Depending on the level of entanglement with the false teaching different responses are called for.
Jude 22-23 (ESV) –
“And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
The final words in Jude (verses 24-25) have been titled – Doxology! That comes from the word ‘doxa’ which means ‘glory’ so the closing message is – Glory to God!
Jude 24-25 (ESV) –
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
The emphasis on the power of God is tremendously encouraging in a letter full of warnings about the threat about false teaching – it’s incredibly hopeful to end gazing on Jesus’ strength!
God is powerful and He alone is able to keep us from stumbling and present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy! These are words of tremendous comfort, I’m so thankful for the assurance we have from our Savior!
Jude 24 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy…”
- How do I (personally) need to respond to the message of Jude?
- How do I need to respond to the call to – Stand for the Truth?
- Do I need a ‘reality check’? Am I naively only assuming the best?
- Do I need to take warning and be aware that not all teaching leads the right way? That not all teachers (and leaders) motives are pure?
- How do I need to build myself up in the faith? Am I a believer? Am I growing in God’s Word? In prayer? In fellowship with fellow believers?
- Do I need to take comfort and rejoice that I am kept by God?
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