Jude 1:5-7 “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day — just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.”
Jude gives 3 examples of the certainty of God’s judgment towards those who refuse to heed the conviction and correction of the Lord. In the unbelieving Israelites rebellion, of the rebellious angels and of Sodom and Gomorrah’s pursuit of sexual immorality nod unnatural desires are judged at Jesus’ Great White Throne on Judgment Day in Heaven found guilty and destined for eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire in Hell. How little is this truth heeded today? The purpose of this reminder is to convict and correct those who are not repentant to turn from their wicked ways, come to Jesus at the foot of the Cross, find forgiveness, receive salvation and live rightly in the eyes of the Lord. The reminder also is telling faithful Christians to know what they have been saved from, and rejoice in faith at what they have been saved to as they walk connected with the Lord.
Jude 1:8-25 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
Three things are mentioned here that are extremely relevant to those who are unrepentant towards God. First, they rely on their dreams. So many people today say: I think that I am a good person. I would call myself a spiritual person. I believe in God. I do not read my Bible or go to a church, but I think that I am doing alright. They have the own practices that they do in order to feel “centered”, but they are not centered in the Word of God. They rely on their own dreams rather than God’s dream for us, which is to be people of His holy Word, who obey Him. Secondly, they defile the flesh and reject authority, meaning that they live sexually immoral lives rejecting God instruction. This may be the heart of why people refuse to obey God. They do not want to change because they want to be the god of their life. They want to have sex with whoever they want to, whenever they want to, wherever they want to. They do not want some Celestial Creator that they are accountable to telling them how to live.
Thirdly, they blaspheme the glorious ones. The word “blaspheme” is defined as: 1. To speak of the Supreme Being in terms of impious irreverence; to revile or speak reproachfully of God, or the Holy Spirit. 2. To speak evil of; to utter abuse or calumny against; to speak reproachfully of. To utter blasphemy. 3. To arrogate the prerogatives of God. This certainly references God, but could apply with evilly speaking abusively against spiritual leaders, evangelists and witnesses for Christ. You see the picture emerge of someone who refuses to heed to the conviction and correction of the Bible and Almighty God, so they do whatever they sinfully want. These false teachings are more rampant today then they were when Jude first penned this letter.
Jude 1:9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing
about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
The point is that God’s archangel Michael, contending with the devil, didn’t even try to argue with Satan. He simply stated, “The Lord rebuke you”. There are some people that it is just not worth arguing with, so move on and keep the peace. Some people pick fights with Christians, so step back and let stupid squabbles go. When the Bible is obscure on a point, try to focus on the broader point of the text and context was to get clarity. The warning of Jude is to take sinful behavior and false teachings seriously. False teachers get off on the “wrong” things, so focus on what the Bible is clear about.
A lot of people do not believe that the devil is real. The enemy of the Lord is absolutely real. There are angelic being around us and some of them are “fallen” angels seeking to live out Satan’s plot to steal, kill and destroy all those that he can with doubt of God, distractions away from God, disobedience to God, and creating unbelief, sinful lawlessness and blindness to God’s justice and good. The devil will show up in your live with deception. He’ll rob you of your spiritual freedom. He’ll corrupt your sexual purity and make you live a life riddled with guilt. Satan knows that he cannot unsave a Christian, but he can sure make them waste a lot of time where God could use them for spiritual growth and advancing the kingdom of Heaven. We use the Word of God to spot the enemy. God make you feel at peace. God makes you feel loved and accepted. God loves us where we are, but loves us too much to leave us where we are.
Let's conclude Pastor Kyle's message on the book of Jude in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment