We live in uncertain times. We live in a world that reimagines truth as something fluid. Oprah Winfrey speaks of “your truth,” and the world is mesmerised by what they imagine is her depth of insight. Of course, all such talk of truth as fluid is foolish. Water still freezes at 32 degrees F and boils at 212 degrees F at SL. The Laws of Thermodynamics still prevail regardless of what anyone thinks, and the We still purchase a plane ticket expecting that the pilot and co-pilot hold to the truth that directions are true—north is still north, and south is still south. We expect that the neurologist will not amputate our great toe because we are having migraines. Yet, in so many areas of life we imagine that truth is flexible, twisting and turning to fit our feelings at some given time; The world would love to enter into dialogue with the Christian, as if we are amenable to changing our understanding of truth.[1]
Changing economies, flexible truth. This is the world we live in. How many people get unsolicited phone calls (robo calls) wanting to sell you something, or more than likely con you out of something? There are those who will take all your money and you’ll never see or hear from them again. Any of this sounds familiar?
What are we to believe? Who are we to believe? The world is full of uncertainties. There are those in the church that are no better. Jude’s little letter sounds a big warning against such.
Jude 4 (NKJV) 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.
We spent the last 4 Sundays describing these that would lead us astray and we look at their demise. So just how are we to persevere? What is our plan?
Jude 20–21 (NKJV) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
You can see the concern in Jude. He is clearly addressing the true believers here. Jude calls them - Beloved – Dear friends in HCSB and NIV
These two verses are key to living in a world full of false teaching and those who would try to destroy the church.
Breaking down these two verse we are given 4 commands
1. building yourselves up on your most holy faith
2. praying in the Holy Spirit, Thereby doing these we can:
3. keep yourselves in the love of God, and
4. looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
Jude represented well the biblical tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. On the one hand, believers only avoid apostasy because of the grace of God. On the other hand, the grace of God does not cancel out the need for believers to exert all their energy to remain in God’s love.[2]
Let’s examine these: The sentence structure is a little different here in the Greek, for in the Greek the main command is
3. keep yourselves in the love of God
We stay in His Love by building up in the faith and praying and the Holy Spirit – more on this in a minute. In John gospel, Jesus tells us to abide in Him:
John 15:5 (NKJV) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
We are to keep ourselves firmly in the love of God. I saw a statement on Facebook the other day commenting on the school shooting last week. God was asked, “Why would you let this happen?” and the answer was “You kicked me out years ago.” We have a world that has kicked God to corner and we wonder why bad things happen? The world has abandoned the love of God. Little wonder here why Jude says we need to stay in the love of God.
And how do we do that? Let’s look at what Jesus says:
John 15:9–10 (NKJV) “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Obedience. We obey His commandments. We do those things we know He wants us to do.
1 John 2:5 (NKJV) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
We keep His word. Now here the key. How do we know His word? How do we know His commandments? By:
1. building yourselves up on your most holy faith
We build ourselves up in the faith We progress in knowledge. Jude tells us
Jude 3 (NKJV) ... for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
This faith, this gospel, that was once and for all given to the saints. Do you know what it is? The warning is sounded in the OT:
Hosea 4:6a (NKJV) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
We need to fact check all that we hear, and not with Google, but with the very words of God. Look at the saints in Berea. they hear the message Paul brought to them and they fact checked him, not with Google but with the word of God:
Acts 17:11 (NKJV) These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
So studying the Bible, being mentored by mature Christians, we can see and avoid the heresies that are out there. We will know what God expects from us and we can know and obey His commandments. And we can do those things because we are in constant communication with the Master:
2. praying in the Holy Spirit
We maintain in touch with the God, by praying in the Holy Spirit. What is praying in the Spirit? Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us when we pray. We don’t always know what to pray for but the Spirit guides us.
Romans 8:26–27 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Praying in the Spirit will allow us to pray in the will of God. And the will of God will be manifested in our lives through our obedience to His commands. And by obedience to His commands we will keep in God’s love, all the while we need to:
4. looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
That word “looking” can be translated as earnestly expecting. This is watching for a future event, the return of Jesus. We are looking for His mercy, because this side of eternity, I will never measure up. Anyone here reach perfection yet? We need His mercy and we expectantly look forward to that Day Jesus will come and redeem us into eternal life. Because we know Jesus and coming and we are looking forward to it, we live in expectation and purity.
1 John 3:2–3 (NKJV) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Those who take their eyes off their future hope will find that their love for God is slowly evaporating, and it will be evident that their real love is for the present evil age.[3]
Through these four things we can keep ourselves on track. But what about the those that are coming under fire. Those that are traveling by the broad way to destruction. Those Christians that may have listened to and fallen prey to those evil godless men bent on destruction? These next 2 verses tell us about them.
Jude 22–23 (NKJV) And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
Now before I get into these verses, let me digress for a moment and discuss some variances amoung the translations. This is one of those areas where translators disagree on how it should be translated taking into account the variances of some of the ancient manuscripts.
The KJV and NKJV have two phrases whereas others have three phrases. Most scholars believe the three phrase version is more accurate for a number of reasons I will not get into today. But both the 2 and 3 phase versions are saying basically the same thing. This morning I want us to consider the ESV version.
Jude 22–23 (English Standard Version) 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
As other things the Jude does in this little letter, he breaks down rescuing others into three groups.
"And have mercy on those who doubt"
New Christians are very susceptible to false teachings. They have not yet learned the deeper things of the word. Many have doubts. We need compassion and patience with them, instructing them in the word of God. We call this discipleship training, and we do this through mentoring, and Bible studies.
"save others by snatching them out of the fire"
The world without Jesus is doomed to the fires of Hell. We as individuals and even the local church, we cannot change the whole world, but we can sure make a difference in our corner of it. We need to warn those destined for hell.
"to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh."
And there are those caught up in heresies. We are to rescue them in fear. This is not the fear of God, but the realistic fear of being caught up with those we are trying to save. The saved Christian, one recovering from drug or alcohol addiction cannot always go where those things are prevalent. The Bible makes a distinction here with the understanding that we will not reach everyone. There is a difference between one caught up in heresies and additions and those that push those things.
In fact there are those who peddle heresies door to door – Think Jehovah Witnesses and Mormon missionaries, we are not invite into our home for a friendly discussion:
2 John 10–11 (NKJV) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
But as we rescue some, we need to avoid all the trapping of the evil environment. In the OT, one that was ceremonial clean for worship, if they even touched an unclean garment, they became unclean. This is the thinking. We as Christians need to avoid all that is unclean and unholy. Even as we try to reach those caught up in those sins. Avoid pornography, avoid alcohol, avoid the drug scene, and the list goes on.
Ephesians 5:3–4 (NKJV) But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
We are to remain in the love of God, and rescue those we can.
To do so, we need to build up in the faith, pray in the spirit and watch expectantly for the return of Jesus.
Doing all these things take practice and the power of God.
For some it is not a matter of turning our eyes on Jesus,
we need to keep our eyes on Jesus
[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/confidence-in-an-uncertain-world-michael-stark-sermon-on-228193?ref=SermonSerps
[2] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 484.
[3] ibid.
