Jude 1

Although Jude was a half brother to Jesus, he refers to himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He is writing to those who are called, set apart, and preserved by God...the true believers. Verses 3-4, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude wanted to write about the salvation that they shared in common; however, a more pressing issue took over and turned this letter into a warning. Ungodly men were within the church and persuading people to depart from sound doctrine. These men were changing the very meaning of grace in order to fulfill the desires of their flesh, while sinning openly without shame. Lewdness comes from the Greek word aselgeia which means "unbridled lust, excessiveness, shameslessness, and insolence." These people used no self control and were rebellious to authority, as they rejected the truth for the lie that they could engage in fleshly lusts to their fill without any consequences. This is very similar to many churches today, teaching people that you do not have to fear God and may participate in any and all types of unrighteous behavior by putting a grace covering on it. Unfortunately, they are wrong, and are leading many to hell with their lies.

Jude reminds them of past examples of when God punished His people for their rebellious and sinful behavior, and we should take this as a personal warning too. Verses 5-7, “But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”  These created beings, humans and angels alike, were subject to the wrath of God and did not receive the grace ticket to heaven that is promised to so many. You are only eternally secure IF you continue to walk in faith, which is why we are told to watch and pray that we may be counted worthy to escape the wrath to come.  Romans 11:22, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

If there is no regeneration or second (spiritual) birth in a person, and no change from the former man, then there is no evidence of genuine faith. Colossians 1:21-23, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven...” Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross so we could be free from sin, not so we could be free to keep on sinning. Anyone who truly understands His sacrifice would not heap up more sin upon the Lord, but be moved by His love toward us to honor Him with our obedience.
Hebrews 10:26-27, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” 

Look at the description of these people in the church who try to shipwreck the faith of other believers. Verses 8, 10-11, “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries...But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”  Here are three more examples of God not tolerating the sin of the people. Cain could not create his own way of worshiping God, Balaam was not allowed to use God for financial profit, and Korah and company quickly learned that God gets to decide who will be their leader, not them. Don't be fooled! We have Cains, Balaams, and Korahs right in our midst today. Cain was jealous, bitter, and angry, to the point of muder, because his brother's deeds were holy and righteous before God, shining light on the evil that was in his own heart. Korah was prideful to the point of rebellion against the authority God placed over him. He likely did not desire to follow God's words, especially through another man. When people in the church have accusations against leadership, be careful not to get sucked into believing them. It is very likely that they are doing it from an evil heart that has rejected their leader's message from God, rather than a true love and concern for the sheep. The standards by which they judge and condemn the leader may not even be Biblical issues, but things at which they themselves think they excel and can feel superior. Make sure your heart is not evil in wanting to take down Godly men in order to justify your own pride, sinfulness, and refusal to heed counsel; but rather you handle yourself and the situation as prescribed in the Bible. 

Verses 12-13, “These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”  If they remain in the body, these people are like spots of cancer, causing destruction without any fear of God. They grumble and complain, walk after their own lusts, and flatter others falsely when they are really full of bitterness. They do not have the Spirit, but are carnal/sensual people, creating divisions in the body which is something that God hates. You can discern that they do not know and love the truth just by how they act...uncontrolled freshly lusts, insolent and unruly toward authority, no shame or hiding their sin as though it is normal, and no fear of God! They may think they are getting their way and that they are gaining advantage, but it is only temporary. They are actually heaping up their own wrath for the day of judgement, unless they repent. Verses 14-15, “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.' ”

Verses 20-21, “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.” God IS able to keep us until that day, if we submit to Him and fall upon His grace, allowing it to train us and perfect us. Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”  There is more than one grace that is being taught today in Christian circles...but only one that brings salvation. This saving grace teaches us to live righteously and walk in holiness, which is something we cannot ignore if we want to see God. Build yourself up in the faith! We cannot sit back as lazy servants of the Most High and expect Him to receive us through our false ways. Let us remember that we are His creation, prepared with a purpose and equipped and expected to do good works. Therefore, we sure up our calling.

II Peter 1:2‭-‬11, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”