Last week, we heard that there were many predictions of “scoffers” who would come in the last times and challenge God and His Word. Some would even be within the churches, yet were “worldly” people, without the Holy Spirit, but following “their own ungodly passions,” and causing “divisions” (Jude, v.17-19). God’s faithful people were not left without help and hope, though. They had the Word of God, through which they were built up in their “most holy faith,” in “the love of God” and praying by the...
Last week, we heard that there were many predictions of “scoffers” who would come in the last times and challenge God and His Word. Some would even be within the churches, yet were “worldly” people, without the Holy Spirit, but following “their own ungodly passions,” and causing “divisions” (Jude, v.17-19). God’s faithful people were not left without help and hope, though. They had the Word of God, through which they were built up in their “most holy faith,” in “the love of God” and praying by the power of the Holy Spirit. Above all, they continually had the “mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ,” who would “lead them to eternal life” (Jude, v.20-21).
The believers knew that they were still sinners, yet were “beloved” and forgiven, “called” to a “common salvation” through the “grace of God” in “Christ Jesus the Lord” (Jude, v. 1-3, portions of v.4). If God so loved them, they were called to seek to show that same love and mercy to others, even in their own churches, who were struggling spiritually. Jude said that to them in Jude, v. 22-23, describing in a very brief way three different kinds of people among them, in addition to firm believers.
First, there were those who were “doubting.” The Greek suggests that these were people who knew some about the Christian faith, but were continually doubting, continually “wavering” within themselves about the faith, with lots of questions, and were easily drawn into sinful behavior. They needed to be approached by concerned Christians in a way that is described in other Scriptures like Galatians 6:1-2, Romans 15:1-7, Ephesians 4:12-16,
and Ephesians 4:32, in a gentle, caring way, with believers ready always to explain their own hope that was in them, in Christ (1 Peter 3:15, Jude, v.22).
Then there were others who had drifted far from the faith, if they were ever really in faith, and were in great spiritual danger. Jude said, seek to “snatch them out of the fire” (Jude, v.23). These are people on the road to hell, rather than to heaven, if left on their own, as they were. Hell is pictured in various places as a “fiery” place of judgment, for those apart from the Lord. See the words of John the Baptist, who warned that “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire;” and “the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:10,12). (See also the words of our Lord Jesus Himself in passages like Matthew 5:22: “Everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment… and whoever says, “You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” See also Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:19, Matthew 25:41,46, and the words of Revelation 20:10 and 14,15.)
When we hear these words, we realize that we, too, deserved that judgment, because of our own sins, but were rescued by what Jesus has done for us as the Savior and by our being personally brought to faith in Jesus and by the gift of baptism. We did nothing to deserve God’s mercy, but He gave it to us by His grace. And God wants more and more people to be “snatched out of the fire” and brought to forgiveness and trust in Him.
See the story in Zechariah 3:1-5, where the Lord calls Joshua the high priest “a brand (a burning stick) plucked from the fire.” Joshua was “a high priest,” a leader among God’s people, and yet is described as wearing “filthy garments,” symbolic of his sins. His filthy garments are removed, and he is clothed with “pure vestments,” as the Lord said, “I have taken your iniquity away from you.” In Zechariah 3:10, the Lord also promised, “I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day,”
All this was predicting what Jesus would do on Good Friday. He was “the Lamb of God, who” in one day “would take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and provide a “robe of righteousness” and “salvation” for all who would be brought to faith in Him (Isaiah 61:10-11 and Revelation 19:7-8). The Scriptures promise, ”In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). God now sees Christ in those who are baptized and believe in Him, and they will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Unbelief and its evil fruit and evil deeds are what condemns.
God gave such a warning to His own people in the Old Testament, using an image just like what was used by Zechariah and now by Jude. The prophet Amos said, “You were as a brand (a burning stick) plucked out of the burning, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the Lord” (Amos 4:11). Even though Christ died for all, some can choose to resist and reject Him and His saving work and never come to Him or return to Him.
Ultimately, it is God who brings people to faith in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, but God often used people like Jude, and Christians in the churches to whom he wrote, to bring to people the call to repentance (since God does take sin seriously) and the Good News of forgiveness and hope only through Christ Jesus. If some come to renewed faith in Christ, those people are “snatched out of the fire” and have God’s eternal blessings and a better life now, as they seek to follow His will, which is always best.
The third group of people that Jude wanted to reach out to through the believers is the most difficult, and Jude said, the most dangerous to approach. Jude still said to “show them mercy,” but to do so “with fear” and “hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude, v.23). These are the people for whom Jude used his strongest words of condemnation, because they were openly going against God and His Word and will, especially, it seems, in regard to sexual immorality, “following their own sinful desires.“ They were “loud-mouthed” and “malcontents,” and really wanted to “gain advantage” over others and draw them to their own ideas and lifestyles, which were “such ungodly ways” (Jude, v.15-16).
These people even needed to be approached “with fear,” because they could be so influential to believers in such negative ways and create so much division. Remember the warning in Galatians 6:1: “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” and be drawn astray to things that sound good, or at least OK, but are really not. Jude even used the very strong word “hate” with regard to “the garments stained by the flesh” and where fleshly desires might lead. God does not want to “hate” people, and John taught that “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15) and is “in the darkness” (1 John 2:11).
At the same time, God is holy and just and wants people to do what is right and good and is best for them and others and can never approve of evil, or of people doing evil. David says of the Lord, “You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with You… You hate all evildoers” (Psalm 5:4-5). At the same time, we read that “God so loved the world,” that He sent His only Son to suffer and die for all, including evildoers, which we all are” (John 3:16) and that “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
So, God hates all evil and can never approve of it or call it acceptable. Yet He still wants to “show mercy” to sinful people who have gone far astray and bring them to repentance and faith. That includes us, who have been shown God’s amazing mercy. We have been spotted, stained by sin, yet we were saved with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or stain” (1 Peter 1:18-19). So, Jude also called for the Christians to show mercy to the toughest people in the churches, without approving of their behaviors, and guarding against being influenced by them.
Jude closed his letter, then, with a word of blessing and encouragement, giving all glory to God. It is God, Jude said, who can keep the faithful people in the churches from stumbling, so that they would not be influenced by false people and wrong ideas and living in wrong ways. It is God who can also help God’s people who are trying to witness to those going astray, in finding the proper balance between the Law, which can show people the reality of their sins, and the Gospel of Jesus, who alone can save through His work already done for the world.
Christians are still imperfect sinners in this world, but are forgiven and counted as saints and “presented as blameless” when they (and we) are presented before God in heaven. The glory and majesty and dominion and authority are all God’s, for His creating and redeeming work on our behalf. The Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existed “before all time” and is with His people now (including today and whatever we are going through) and will be with His people, including us, forever in eternal life. Jude can only close his letter with the word “Amen.” This is most certainly true!
Someone wrote me recently that “Jude has a lot more information than I imagined, still relevant to today.” Amen! That is also most certainly true. Next week, I will try to make some practical applications of what we have been reading to some of the moral issues of today, which are troubling many churches, including such things as gender and LGBTQ issues, as well as adultery and sex before marriage and divorce. We need to talk more about some of these issues in the church, but if you prefer not to, just avoid the next podcast or podcasts. A blessed Christmas to all, too.
