Jude

Verse five and Six: The apostles routinely remind the church that being in the body of Christ does not guarantee entrance into the Kingdom of God. Here Jude delivers that message by reminding them that though Jesus saved the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, He then killed many of them because of their lack of faith. Even angels who refused to stay in their assigned place, but came to earth where they mated with human women are being punished to this day by being “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgment of the great day.”

Verses seven through Sixteen: In verses 7 & 8 the apostle compares the fate of the false prophets described in verse 4 to the fate of the homosexuals of Sodom and Gomorrah. False prophets and homosexuals, Jude warns, will suffer “the vengeance of eternal fire.” From verse 8 through 16 Jude depicts such men as being involved in any number of sins. Do not forget: THESE WERE CHURCH LEADERS WHO, DUE TO THEIR SINS, “DENY THE ONLY LORD GOD AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” As is the case of church leadership today, these “ministers of righteousness” on orders from the “angel of light” spoke against things they knew nothing about (God’s Word), thereby corrupting not only themselves, but those who followed them as well. Jude compares them to Cain, Balaam and Korah. Though they join with the rest of the church in all activities, he compares them to spots on the fabric of the church, clouds without water, fruitless trees, waves of the sea and wandering stars who will join the fallen angels (vs 6) in a place of blackness. Enoch prophesied about them, describing them as ungodly sinners who will be judged according to their ungodly deeds.  One of those deeds, perhaps the most egregious of all their deeds, was to flatter people to gain an advantage.

Verses Seventeen through Nineteen: Here Jude reminds the church that they had been told by the prophets of old that there would rise up in the church “mockers in the last days who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts,” who, because they would not have the Holy Spirit, would cause divisions (denominations) in the church. Note it: DENOMINATINS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO GOD.

Verses Twenty and Twenty-one: Here Jude addresses the true saints in the church, telling them to build up their holy faith (by studying and believing God’s Word), praying according to the voice of the Holy Spirit. They were to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” Note that this must be done by the saints. Jesus explains how to do this in John 14:15: “If you LOVE ME, keep My commandments.” The Apostle John also speaks to this: “For THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD–THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS” (1 Jn. 5:3). Note that the purpose for obeying the Holy Scriptures is to gain mercy from Jesus so as to receive eternal life. L.J.