Message
Jude 17-25
Unexpected Grace
The book of Jude takes many different and, sometimes, unexpected turns.
Jude wanted to write about the wonders of salvation – instead a difficult and spiritually dangerous situation compelled him to urge the recipients to “contend for the faith”. They needed to contend against certain individuals who are secretly slipping into the church – God is against them because they are advocating anarchy and making empty promises.
When Jude describes these certain individuals Jude piles on the negative descriptions:-
The certain individuals “reject authority”; act “as irrational animals”; are “hidden reefs at love feasts”; they are “shepherds feeding themselves”; and “wandering stars; “grumblers” and “faultfinders”
Six times Jude identifies them as “ungodly”.
With all this in place it feels like Jude is leading up to a crescendo …
We kind of expect Jude to say “expel them”; or “have nothing to do with them”;
Such an outcome would be Biblical.
If your brother or sister sins … point out their fault … if they will not listen, take one or two others along … if they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Matthew 18:15-17
I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
2 Corinthians 5:11
There are times when it is appropriate to call for separation, and to put distance, and to create boundaries. Especially when such people are claiming to be part of the family of Jesus.
It is not unreasonable to expect such an outcome.
So let’s read Jude 17-25 and see what Jude does.
(read text)
That is unexpected isn’t it. In fact I would call this unexpected grace
Jude here doesn’t call for separation. Jude calls for engagement.
Which means we need heaps of discernment today. For there are times when it is appropriate, and godly, and biblical, to separate from those who oppose, or scoff, or are false.
And there are other times when it is appropriate, and godly, and biblical, to engage with those who oppose, or scoff, or are false.
To help us know when to engage, and the way to engage, Jude uses five commands:-
In Greek the command form is call an imperative.
Imperative number 1 (verse 17)
µ??s??te – remember
Specifically they are to remember that the apostles taught that “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”
Scoffers are those who hear the message of the Gospel and dismiss it. Or they try and do what is necessary to distort the message of the Gospel. When Paul was preaching he warned about the impact of scoffing.
Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:
‘“Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days, that you would never believe, even if someone told you.”
Acts 13:40-41
Scoffing is divisive because it causes doubts and raises questions. The person doing the scoffing, or the mocking, is setting themselves up against the Lord. In the last days such activity will increase and intensify.
In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’
2 Peter 3:3-4
BUT …
Here is the unexpected grace factor.
Scoffing causes division, ungodliness, and it expresses a sinful human instinct rather than the Spirit. Yet, in the middle of scoffing, transformation is possible.
At one point both criminals on the crosses near Jesus were hurling insults … then later one asks for Jesus to remember him … and Jesus promises Paradise. (c.f. Mark 15:32; Luke: 23:39-43)
Paul was mocking Jesus by breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. Jesus took this really personally and confronted Paul, “Saul, why do you persecute me?” The scoffing, mocking Saul becomes the next apostle. (c.f. Acts 9:1-31).
Jude’s imperative is to remember these truths … and that imperative forms part of how we engage.
For here we are being reminded that no-one is beyond the reach of God’s unexpected grace.
Imperative number 2 (verse 21)
t???sate - keep
Specifically the calling is to “keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait”
What we need to understand is that the “waiting” here is not just a “sitting around wondering what is going to happen”. Rather the “waiting” here is the time when we are looking ahead in expectation.
We go to the train station and wait for the train – expecting it will arrive.
We go to the waiting room of the doctor – expecting we will eventually see them.
We wait … expecting that Jesus will hold us into eternity, even when we sin.
We wait … expecting that nothing will separate us from his love, not even death.
We wait … expecting that transformation is possible, even when we feel useless and pathetic.
That doesn’t mean everything is easy. But it does mean that everything is done with a purposeful outcome.
The road to fulfilling this imperative comes by building ourselves up in holy faith.
This is not an individual act, it is a community response. Where we work as a kingdom community to encourage Scripture understanding, and growth in faith, and living in righteousness. Where we walk the narrow road together as we follow Jesus.
We build on Jesus who is the chief cornerstone.
We build on the teaching of the apostles that give the foundation.
We build as a body.
Keeping ourselves in God as we wait.
The road to fulfilling this imperative also comes by “praying in the Holy Spirit”.
Being in the Spirit is the most effective defence against those who do not have the Spirit.
Such prayer gives us total confidence in God.
Such prayer enables us to say what God wants us to say because the Spirit will give us the words.
Such prayer is where true authority lies. Keeping ourselves in God as we wait.
Jude’s imperative is to keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait … and that imperative forms part of how we engage.
For here we are being given the essential equipment which will enable us to reach out even to those who seek to deceive and manipulate with the hand of God’s unexpected grace.
Imperative number 3 (verse 22)
??e?te – have mercy
Specifically we are to show mercy, and keep showing mercy, to those who doubt. Doubt comes in all sorts of circumstances.
Doubt stops us from saying to the mountain, “Through yourself into the sea”. (Matt 21:21)
Doubt makes us question if God’s promises are true. (Rom 4:20).
Doubt makes us question is we are following God’s Word properly. (Rom 14:23).
Doubt makes us like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (Jam 1:6)
When we see people doubting we will see them wavering, or giving over to peer pressure, or not living in a godly manner, or acting contrary to their calling. Ultimately they are directionless. And they may even cause those around them to be let astray and become directionless.
In this case the call is to show mercy.
Mercy is showing the undeserved compassion of Jesus to others for the sake of bringing them into, or restoring them back to, a relationship with Jesus. It is the same mercy that Jesus extended to each one of us that while we were still the enemies of the kingdom, Christ died for us.
This means that such undeserved compassion can even be shown to those who, because of their doubts, scoff and mock. For would not Jesus say of such people, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34)
Jude’s imperative is to have mercy … and that imperative forms part of how we engage.
For this imperative enables us to come alongside those who are directionless and help them see the new direction which God’s unexpected grace can give.
Imperative number 4 (verse 23)
s??ete - save
Specifically we save by “snatching them from the fire”.
“Snatching” is a deliberate, decisive, and influential action. Paul talks about himself when he says, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up (snatched) to the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2). Snatching is actually not a negative action.
It is purposely interacting with a person for their sake.
The person in this case is in danger from the fire. The eternal fire of judgement.
Avoiding eternal judgement requires a decision to follow Jesus as Saviour. Are we going to trust in Christ, or are we going to keep trusting in ourselves?
Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33
Avoiding eternal judgement also requires an ongoing decision to follow Jesus as Lord. Are we going be on the narrow way, or veer off?
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Hebrews 10:26-27
When we are working for Jesus we constantly face the temptation to disengage because we give up.
We tried to bring the Gospel, but were rebuffed.
We despair as people we love walk away from Jesus.
What is the point?
We forget that Jesus is “snatching” all the time. Bringing in the lost. Fanning into flame a spark. Showing the heart of God who says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezek 33:11).
Jude’s imperative is to save by snatching … and that imperative forms part of how we engage.
For here we are being directed not to give up on those who are living the ungodly life; for every believer is a former “ungodly” who, by God’s unexpected grace, was “snatched”.
Imperative number 5 (verse 23)
??e?te – have mercy
Again there is the call to mercy … but it is “mercy with caution”.
It is mercy mixed with fear. Not the fear of being afraid … but living in reverent fear of the loving God who calls us his children. At no point can we allow our desire to see people in God’s kingdom get trumped by our kingdom calling … just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do (1 Peter 1:15).
We are in the world, but not of the world.
We are citizens of heaven.
We are children of light.
If ever there is a point when, because of mercy holiness is being compromised, our fear of the Lord is to be the priority. We can never let our engagement for the Gospel cause disengagement from God.
It is mercy which avoids being stained by the corrupted flesh.
The modern phrase we use is to hate the sin, but love the sinner.
Jesus ate with pagans, prostitutes, tax-collectors. He never sinned.
Paul became like a Jew, to win the Jews … and became like one not having the law so as to win those not having the law. Paul for the sake of the Gospel become all things to all people. But it was he who fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.
Jesus and Paul were merciful even at times to the greatest enemies, and scoffers, and false teachers. But they never allowed their flesh to be corrupted.
Jude’s imperative is to show mercy with caution … and that imperative forms part of how we engage.
For here we are being directed to always calling out sin for what it is … sin is the defining element that keeps us separated from God. If we don’t call sin out no-one will see why they need God’s unexpected grace.
Despite his warning and negativity Jude calls us … Jesus calls us … to show unexpected grace as we keep engaging with scoffers.
REMEMBER no-one is beyond the reach of God’s unexpected grace.
KEEP using the essential equipment which will enable us to reach with the hand of God’s unexpected grace.
HAVE MERCY so that the directionless can see new direction through God’s unexpected grace.
SAVE through the message that the ungodly can be snatched by God’s unexpected grace.
HAVE cautious MERCY by being separate from and always calling out sin so that all the ungodly will see why they need God’s unexpected grace.
That is how we engage … and then Jesus will do what He does best … He will bring the transformation.
Prayer
