The Book of Jude Packs A Powerful Punch Against The Grace Changers
The book of Jude is a small epistle with a powerful punch, especially for those who proclaim a false grace message. This epistle shows how God sees those false teachers, regardless how likeable and popular among man. This epistle is twisted, discarded and/or ignored by most in our day, that is, those who support financially or attend any once saved always savedor Calvinistic congregation, ministry, outreach, mission, etc.
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of
James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and
kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude 1,2)
This is the same Jude (or Judas) who is mentioned with James—two half-brothers of the Lord Jesus through their common mother Mary:
Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? (Mt. 13:55,56)
Mary, the mother of Jesus, had at least 4 other sons and at least 2 daughters. Mary did not remain a virgin after Jesus was born, as Catholics are taught.
Jude describes himself as a servant (or slave) of Jesus Christ. We are kept by Jesus Christ only as we follow him. The righteous can die spiritually.
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about
the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and
urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose
condemnation was written about long ago
have secretly slipped in among you. They are
godless men, who
change the grace of our God into a license to sin and deny Jesus Christ our only
Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 3,4)
The Book of Jude Tells Us All To Fight Against The Grace Changers
Jude was urging all Christians (men and women) to fight against the grace changers. This is the purpose of his epistle, which was written because of that particular false teaching. If this command to contend against the grace changers is ignored, it is a sin and nothing less.
They were teaching a dangerous counterfeit grace as the genuine. Their grace was a license for immorality, which makes it just like the once saved always saved (or eternal security) doctrine of our day. Hence, this was a very serious problem, which all Christians were to actively oppose, as in our day. This shows how important true grace teaching is and how it is not and can not be a license for immorality, the essence of Calvinism.
The grace changers are clearly shown to be spiritually dangerous people, who do much damage. Jude describes them here as condemned and godless. Not even once does Jude say anything complimentary about the grace changers. They needed to be stopped, not ignored. They are to be fought against by all Christians, not supported and helped. They are not helping the cause of God, but instead hurting it. Remember these key points.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that
the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 5)
Jude starts to refute the false grace message by mentioning how God saved the Israelites from Egypt, then destroyed the ones who didn’t believe. This alone shows God does destroy the very ones he previously saved, if they become unbelieving. Such is a good point against eternal security in our day too. (Jude referred to Numbers 14:27-37, which is also mentioned in 1 Cor. 10: 5-11.)
And
the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 6)
Jude next refers to the unfaithful angels of the past, who abandoned their home and are now bound in chains awaiting judgment. They weren’t safe either. There is never security for man nor angels who are unfaithful to God.
In a similar way,
Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who
suffer the punishment of eternal fire. In the very same way, these
dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. (Jude 7, 8)
Thirdly, Jude mentions Sodom and Gomorrah. For anyone to give themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion will mean the same punishment—eternal fire. It seems that the grace changers were doing such, who Jude also calls dreamers here.
Little known towns which surrounded Sodom and Gomorrah and which were also destroyed are listed here:
The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger. (Deut. 29:23)
Jude also said those false teachers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.
But even
the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a
slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9)
Verse 9 is one of the great mysteries of the Bible and only mentioned here. Why did the devil want Moses’ body? We might never know the answer. But the point in mentioning this is that Michael the archangel, the chief warring angel, didn’t even bring a slanderous accusation as the grace changers did.
Yet these men
speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. (Jude10)
They spoke abusively and gave out slanderous accusations.
Woe to them! They have taken the
way of Cain; they have
rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been
destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. (Jude 11)
Jude goes into details about those false teachers by referring to three evil OT characters they resemble: Cain, Balaam and Korah. Cain murdered his own brother, but also had an easy, false religion, which was rejected by God:
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, buton Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. (Gen 4:3-5)
John also wrote of Cain:
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. (1 John 3:12,13)
Besides taking the way of Cain, those false teachers also rushed for profit into Balaam’s error. That implies that they taught the way they did for the finances they would get by spreading their counterfeit grace and license to sin. Those people were getting rich by disseminating their dangerous lies about grace which were hurting people spiritually. That is also how it is today.
When Jude said they were destroyed in Korah’s rebellion he referred to their spiritual destruction, which came upon them because of their doctrines.
These men are
blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—
shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—
twice dead. (Jude 12)
The
grace changers were people
in the office of pastor (shepherd). They were really
ferocious wolves in sheep’s clothing, the worst type of wolves for sheep to be around,
especially if undetected and in close contact.
Jude said they were twice dead, likening them to a fruitless tree that has been uprooted. This implies the grace changers were once Christians. The same is implied in 2 Peter 2, a close parallel to Jude.
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom
blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 13)
Jude continues on with a description of the enemy. They are
clearly unsaved at this time and going to
hell—
blackest darkness.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 14,15)
Jude quotes from the
Book of Enoch to apply the part about ungodly sinners to the
grace changers.
This quote from Jude is not an endorsement of inspiration for the Book of Enoch, which anyone who has read it should readily be able to detect.
These men are
grumblers and faultfinders; they
follow their own evil desires; they
boast about themselves and
flatter others for their own advantage. (Jude 16)
Besides all of the other derogatory ways Jude describes the grace changers he continues to add to the list.
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who
divide you,who
follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude17-19)
The Book of Jude Proves It Is FALSE Teaching Which is Divisive
Besides everything else, the grace changers were divisive! Remember: It is false doctrine that is divisive, not sound teaching. NOTE what Paul wrote:
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. (Rom 16:17,18)
But you, dear friends,
build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to
bring you to eternal life. (Jude 20, 21)
Jude moves away from the grace changers and how God sees them to tell the Christians to build themselves up and keep themselves in God’s love.
Be merciful to those who doubt;
snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—
hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 22,23)
Jude now instructs them how to treat others in spiritual trouble, while hating their sin-stained spiritual clothes. Christians are to be spiritual firemen rescuing others from the fire.
To him who is
able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24, 25)
After all of that, he comforts the Christians by telling them that God is able to keep them from falling, etc. Such doesn’t mean Christians can’t fall, because other Scriptures show such does occur (Mt. 26:31; Lk. 8:13; etc.). It states thatnot falling is possible, which once saved always saved people sometimes teach against when they say a Christian sins all the time. The grace changers have a double message, which clashes with itself, but it doesn’t seem to be noticed or make any difference to the sin-loving proponents. Remember the above truths about the false grace teachers, which the book of Jude speaks of.
Skull and Crossbones Awards of False Prophets and False Teachers
Spiritual Treason and Tolerating Jezebel For Selfish Gain
Acid Test Question To Spot A License For Immorality
Plan Of Salvation
Approaching Death
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