Jude
Introduction to Jude’s letterverses 1-2
Jude – the servant of Jesus Christ – brother of James
to them that are sanctified by God the Father
and preserved in Jesus Christ – called
mercy unto you – and peace – and love
be multiplied
Ungodly men in the churchverses 3-4
Beloved – when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation – it was needful for me to write unto you
and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints
FOR there are certain men crept in unawares
who were before of old ordained to this condemnation – ungodly
men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness
and denying the only Lord God
and our Lord Jesus Christ
Judgment given by the LORD in the pastversese 5-7
I will therefore put you in remembrance – though ye once knew this
how that the Lord – having saved the people out of the land of Egypt
afterward destroyed them that believed not
And the angels which kept not their first estate
BUT left their own habitation
HE hath reserved in everlasting chain under darkness
unto the judgment of the great day
EVEN as Sodom and Gomorrah – and the cities about them in like manner
giving themselves over to fornication
and going after strange flesh – are set forth for an example
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire
Immoral lives of present false teachersverses 8-11
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh
despise dominion – speak evil of dignities
YET Michael the archangel
when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses
did not bring against him a railing accusation
BUT said – The Lord rebuke thee
BUT these speak evil of those things which they know not
but what they know naturally – as brute beasts
in those things they corrupt themselves
WOE unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain
and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward
and perished in the gainsaying of Korah
False hope given by false teachersverses 12-13
These are spots in your feasts of charity – when they feast with you
feeding themselves without fear
clouds they are without water – carried about of winds
trees whose fruit withers – without fruit – twice dead
plucked up by the roots
raging waves of the sea – foaming out their own shame
wandering stars – to whom is reserved the blackness
of darkness for ever
Enoch prophesied of our dayverses 14-15
AND Enoch also – the seventh from Adam – prophesied of these – saying
BEHOLD – the Lord comes with ten thousand of HIS saints
to execute judgment upon all
and to convince all that are ungodly among them of
all their ungodly deeds which they have
ungodly committed
and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners
have spoken against HIM
Characteristics of false teachersverse 16
These are murmurers – complainers – walking after their own lusts
and their mouth speaks great swelling words
having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage
Last days are predictedverses 17-19
BUT – BELOVED – remember ye the words which were spoken
before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time
who walk after their own ungodly lusts
These be they who separate themselves – sensual – having not the Spirit
Responsibility to build each other upverses 20-23
BUT ye – BELOVED – building up yourselves on your most holy faith
praying in the Holy Ghost – keep yourselves in the love of God
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
AND of some have compassion – making a difference
and others save with fear – pulling them out of the fire
hating even the garment spotted by the flesh
Benedictionverses 24-25
NOW unto HIM that is able to keep you from falling
and to present you faultless before the presence of
HIS glory with exceeding joy
to the only wise God our Savior
be glory and majesty – dominion – power
both now and ever AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called (5083 “preserved” [tereo] means to guard, hold fast, keep, or serve)
Here we have a second half-brother of Jesus writing a book to the church. He is warning the church that there will come a day when filthy dreamers will be in the church. They will be there to cause others to sin. There are many sins listed in this book. In the book these filthy dreamers are compared to others in the past that have gone away from God. They knew what God expected but didn’t care.
Jude introduces this book with the fact that those who believe in Jesus Christ are held fast by the LORD through hard times. They are called of God to service. They are sanctified by the Father as HIS children.
We are called saints. Our responsibility as saints is to earnestly content for the faith. This faith was delivered by Jesus Christ on the cross. HIS message was preached by the apostles. We are to carry on this faith until the return of Christ with ten thousand of HIS saints.
It will not be easy to keep the faith. There are so many false teachers in the world that want to lead people in the wrong direction. There needs to be dependence on the LORD who is able to keep us from falling into sin. HE expects us to help our weaker brothers and sisters with compassion. Some are to be saved with fear. Some are to be saved by pulling them away from the fire.
CONCLUSION: We have to hate the sin but love our fellow believers that are struggling with sin.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. ( 1864 “earnestly contend for” [epagonizomai] means struggle for, contend with intensity or fight)
There are a lot of lazy Christians today. They don’t know how to work their way out of a paper bag when it comes to contending for the faith. They just walk away and say nothing. Only five percent of those who claim Christ fight for the faith against the forces of the devil.
Most Christian think it is enough to just go sit in a pew and give some money to the church which completes their responsibility to the LORD and their fellow believers.
Jude is the half brother of Jesus. His mother was Mary and his father was Joseph. Mary and Joseph had at least six more children after Jesus. While Jesus was still alive Jude was not a follower of his brother. In fact, he and the rest of the family wanted Jesus to come home with them and stop HIS ministry.
Now after the resurrection of Christ he is not only a follower but a leader. He has the Holy Spirit give him direction to write a letter to those under his ministry.
What is the letter about? It is about all saints having the responsibility to understand the teachings of Jesus and tell others about them. It is not just something that a few should do but all those who are believers should do.
They have heard the message enough times to be able to understand and train others. They are to exhort each other in the faith. They are the ones who can spread the message better than anyone else.
We need to be busy encouraging others to share their faith. We need to be busy answering any questions younger believers need answered. We need to take another younger believer with us when we visit our neighbor to invite individuals to come to know Christ and attend a local church. The time seems to be short.
CHALLENGE: Our world situation seems to indicate that more of the prophecies of Scripture are going to be fulfilled in our lifetime. The stage is set. Are you helping others contend for the faith? Do you need help understanding how to do this assignment?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 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. (NKJV)
Bottom line in our growth in the LORD is that we have the responsibility to build up or encourage one another. When we meet with other believers, we should be finding out what the LORD is doing in their life and encourage them to move forward with the LORD.
We should also pray will those we come in contact with on a regular basis. When someone asks for prayer for something we should stop at that point and pray with them. People need to know that others are praying for their growth in the LORD.
The Holy Spirit will direct us regarding what we should pray for in those we know. We have a prayer list for Small Church Ministry that we pray for monthly. We take the last name of the individuals and pray for them on their day. All of need a system by which we pray for those in our address book or our email list. Some need salvation and that is always necessary. We can even write them and tell them that we are praying for them.
Again, Jude reminds us that all that we do with and for others should be done in love. It is not easy at times to keep ourselves in love toward other believers. Some are hard to love but you know we are at times hard to love also.
It is great to know that we have mercy from the LORD, so we should give others mercy as well. God gives us blessings in spite of the fact that we deserve to be in the lake of fire for eternity because of our sin.
Instead we have a place reserved in heaven for us. Praise the LORD!!! (BM)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Writeverse 3
Needful to writeverse 3
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Praying in the Holy Spiritverse 20
Prayer of benedictionverses 24-25
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Children of Israel in wildernessverse 5
Angels that kept not first estateverse 6
Sodom and Gomorrhaverse 7
Cainverse 11
Error of Balaamverse 11
Gainsaying of Coreverse 11
Enochverse 14
Adamverse 14
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 1, 4, 21, 25
Fatherverse 1
God the Fatherverse 1
Grace of Godverse 4
Lordverses 4, 5, 9
Lord Godverse 4
Love of Godverse 21
God our Saviorverse 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesusverses 1, 4, 17, 21
Christverses 1, 4, 17, 21
Jesus Christverse 1
Lordverses 4, 5, 9, 14, 17, 21
Lord Jesus Christverses 4, 17, 21
Able to keep us from fallingverse 24
Present Christians faultlessverse 24
Presence of his gloryverse 24
Wise God our Saviorverse 25
Gloryverse 25
Dominionverse 25
Powerverse 25
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – ourcomforter)
Spiritverse 19
Not having Spiritverse 19
Holy Ghostverse 20
Praying in the Holy Spiritverse 20
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angels (evil)verse 6
Left own habitationverse 6
Angels in everlasting chainsverse 6
Michael the archangelverse 9
Devilverse 9
Michael stated “The Lord rebuke you”verse 9
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Judeverse 1
Brother of Jamesverse 1
Crept in unawaresverse 4
Condemnationverse 4
Ungodlyverses 4, 15, 18
Lasciviousnessverse 4
Denying Godverse 4
Believed notverse 5
Fornicationverse 7
Strange fleshverse 7
Filthy dreamersverse 8
Defile the fleshverse 8
Despise dominionverse 8
Speak evil of dignitiesverse 8
Railing accusationsverse 9
Speak evilverses 10, 15
Corrupt themselvesverse 10
Way of Cainverse 11
Greedilyverse 11
Error of Balaamverse 11
Gainsaying of Korahverse 11
Feeding themselves without fearverse 12
Ungodly deedsverse 15
Hard speechesverse 15
Sinnersverse 15
Murmurersverse 16
Complainersverse 16
Walking after their own lustsverses 16, 18
Speaking great swelling wordsverse 16
Admiration of peopleverse 16
Mockersverse 18
Ungodly lustsverse 18
Separate themselvesverse 19
Sensualverse 19
Not having Spiritverse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Servantverse 1
Sanctifiedverse 1
Preservedverse 1
Calledverse 1
Mercyverses 2, 21
Peaceverse 2
Loveverses 2, 21
Diligenceverse 3
Common salvationverse 3
Faithverses 3, 20
Saintsverses 3, 14
Grace verse 4
Remembranceverses 5, 17
Savedverses 5, 23
Feasts of charityverse 12
Saintsverse 14
Building yourselves up verse 20
Praying verse 20
Most holy faithverse 20
Eternal lifeverse 21
Compassionverse 22
Making a differenceverse 22
Saved with fearverse 23
Pulling them out of the fireverse 23
Exceeding joyverse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Enoch prophesiedverse 14
Church (New Testament people of God)
Belovedverses 3, 17, 20
Exhortverse 3
Earnestly contend for the faithverse 3
Apostlesverse 17
Last Things (Future Events)
Everlasting chainsverse 6
Judgment of the great dayverse 6
Eternal fireverse 7
Reserved the blackness of darkness for ever verse 13
Lord comes with ten thousand of HIS saintsverse 14
Execute judgmentverse 15
Eternal lifeverse 21
For eververse 25
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QUOTES regarding passage
Believers were further admonished to keep themselves in the love of God. Believers do this by focusing on prayer that is energized by the Holy Spirit and by continually being built up in the faith (cf.20), God’s love that first drew the believer (1) should be demonstrated to others (2). Jesus’ words from Jn 15:19 apply here: “I chose you out of the world.” (p, 1998 The Moody Bible Commentary by Michael Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham)
21 The central command of the two verses now appears: “Keep yourselves in God’s love” (v. 21). Was Jude exhorting believers to maintain their love for God, an objective genitive? Or was he saying that they should keep themselves in the place where they experience God’s love for them, a subjective genitive? A decision is difficult. Probably we are faced with a false alternative. Our love for God depends upon his love for us. Hence, the two cannot and should not be rigidly separated. It is interesting to note that in v. 1 believers are said to be “loved and kept by God.” There God’s love for believers receives the emphasis, the love by which he called us to be his people. What is remarkable is that Jude exhorted believers here to keep themselves in God’s love. They must keep themselves in God’s love to avoid apostasy, so as not to be corrupted by the opponents. We have already seen that being preserved in God’s love will only be a reality if believers continue to grow in their understanding of the Christian faith and if they regularly pray. Ultimately, believers, as I argued in v. 1, are kept by Jesus Christ (Iēsou Christou tetērē̄menois). Or, as v. 24 says, God is the one “able to keep (phylaxai) you from falling.” Those who trust in Christ remain in the faith because of the preserving work of God the Father. Nevertheless, the promise that God will keep his own does not nullify the responsibility of believers to persevere in the faith. God keeps his own, and yet believers must keep themselves in God’s love. 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.
The third means of remaining in God’s love is explicated with the last participle, waiting (prosdechomenoi) “for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “waiting” is eschatological, focusing on the coming of the Lord. Joseph of Arimathea awaited God’s kingdom (Mark 15:43). Simeon and Anna were waiting for God’s redeeming purposes to be fulfilled (Luke 2:25, 38). In Titus 2:13 believers are to await the hope of the Lord’s return. Since believers are to wait for Christ’s mercy, they will receive it at the coming of the Lord. We are reminded that Jude prayed for mercy to be multiplied for his readers in v. 2. The preposition eis should be construed as one of result, so “resulting in eternal life” is more precise than the NIV’s “to bring you to eternal life,” though the difference is not great.21 Some commentators understand the phrase “resulting in eternal life” to modify “keep yourselves in the love of God.” The prepositional phrase, however, is closer to the participle, suggesting that the NIV reading is correct. Jude conceived of eternal life here, then, as something that will be received on the last day, as something that believers will possess at the coming of the Lord.
Referring to Christ’s mercy is unusual in the New Testament. Why did Jude speak here of mercy? Probably because he thought of believers as needing mercy (not justice) on the last day when they meet Jesus Christ (cf. Matt 5:7; 2 Tim 1:18). We have an indication here that grace is the basis upon which believers receive eternal life. Jude clearly taught that believers must remain in God’s love until the end and avoid apostasy. He did not believe, however, that believers will ever be perfect in this world, and therefore they will need Christ’s mercy on the last day. Jude emphasized that believers remain in God’s love by waiting for Christ’s return. Apparently Christians cannot remain in God’s love if they immerse themselves in this world and cease to long for their future perfection before God (vv. 24–25). One of the means by which we continue in our love for God is if we continue to long for the day when Jesus Christ will show us his mercy, when he will grant us the gift of eternal life, and we will be perfected forever. 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. (Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, pp. 483–484). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
VV. 20–21. In addition to remembering what the apostles had said about the apostates, Jude’s readers were to give attention to themselves. Here is the heart of his message: build yourselves up in your most holy faith … pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love, and wait for Christ’s return. (The niv seems to suggest three exhortations, but the Greek has four parallel participles: building, praying, keeping, expecting.) The evident contrast of these actions to the scoffers was introduced by the words But you. And for the third time Jude addressed his readers as dear friends (vv. 3, 17, 20).
Personal edification (“build yourselves up”) comes from progressing in the knowledge of “your most holy faith.” This “faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (v. 3) was the teaching of the apostles now recorded in the Scriptures, to be studied (Acts 20:32; 2 Tim. 2:15).
Praying in the Holy Spirit is not speaking in tongues, but is “praying out of hearts and souls that are indwelt, illuminated, and filled with the Holy Spirit” (George Lawrence Lawlor, Translation and Exposition of the Epistle of Jude, p. 127). It is praying in the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 6:18).
Keeping oneself “in God’s love” (Jude 21) does not indicate that salvation depends on one’s own efforts, for that would contradict other Scripture passages (e.g., v. 24). Instead, a believer is nurtured as he is occupied with God’s love for him, and is in fellowship with Him (cf. John 15:9–10, “remain in My love”).
Waiting (prosdechomenoi, “looking expectantly”) for the blessed hope, the return of Christ for His church, is a fourth means of personal nurture. Waiting for that event is waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sense that the Rapture will be the consummating evidence of His mercy. Jude added that it will bring you to eternal life, that is, to enjoying never-ending life in God’s own presence (cf. 1 Peter 1:5, 9, 13). (Pentecost, E. C. (1985). Jude. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 923). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
Build Your Christian Life (Jude 20–21)
The Christian life must never stand still; if it does, it will go backward. A house left to itself falls apart. The apostates are in the business of tearing down, but each Christian must be involved in building up—first, his own spiritual life and then his local assembly.
The foundation for our Christian life is our “most holy faith” (Jude 20), which is the same as “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). There is a sense, of course, in which our faith in Jesus Christ is the basis for our growth, but even that faith depends on what God has revealed to us in His Word. Subjective faith depends on objective revelation of truth.
The Word of God is certainly central in spiritual growth. I have yet to meet a strong, fruitful Christian who ignores his Bible. We must daily spend devotional time in the Word, seeking the mind of God. We must also study the Word regularly, in a disciplined way, so that we better understand what it teaches. The gifted Chinese preacher, Watchman Nee, used to read through the New Testament once a month. This becomes apparent when you read his books, for you are struck with his wonderful insights into God’s Word. The members of the Chinese church used to have a saying, “No Bible—no breakfast!” If we followed that motto in America, I wonder how many Christians would go hungry.
The power for building the Christian life comes from prayer: “praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20). The Word of God and prayer go together in spiritual growth. If all we do is read and study the Bible, we will have a great deal of light, but not much power. However, if we concentrate on prayer and ignore the Bible, we may be guilty of zeal without knowledge. We read the Word to grow in faith (Rom. 10:17), then we use that faith to ask God for what we need and what His Word tells us we may have.
The Word of God and prayer certainly go together (Acts 6:4). Evangelist Billy Sunday used to give his converts three rules for success in the Christian life. Each day they were to read the Bible and let God talk to them. They were to pray; in other words, they were to talk to God. And they were to witness and talk to others about God. It would be difficult to improve on those rules.
What does it mean to “pray in the Holy Spirit”? (Note the contrast with Jude 19—“having not the Spirit.”) It means to pray according to the leading of the Spirit. It has well been said, “Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven—it is getting God’s will done on earth.” This agrees with 1 John 5:14–15.
As Christians, we may pray in solitude (Matt. 6:6), but we never pray alone; the Spirit of God joins with us as we pray (Rom. 8:26–28) because He knows the mind of God and can direct us. He can give us wisdom and knowledge from the Word (Eph. 1:15ff). He can also help us approach the Father through the access we have in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:18). We worship God “in the Spirit” (Phil. 3:3), and the Spirit motivates us to pray, for He is “the Spirit of grace and of supplications” (Zech. 12:10). When the believer is yielded to the Spirit, then the Spirit will assist him in his prayer life, and God will answer prayer.
This “building process” in the Christian life involves the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and prayer. But these things, as precious as they are, can become somewhat routine; so Jude added another factor: abiding in God’s love (Jude 21). He did not write, “Keep yourselves saved!” because he had already assured them that they were “preserved in Jesus Christ” (Jude 1). He wrote, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Our Lord made a similar statement recounted in John 15:9—“Continue ye in My love.”
To love God means much more than to enjoy a special kind of feeling. Of course, as we grow in grace, we do experience deeper fellowship with the Father (John 14:21–24), and we do have times when He seems very near. The Bible compares this to the love of a husband and wife (Eph. 5:22ff). Any happily married couple can tell you that love deepens over the years.
But it takes more than ecstatic feelings to make a successful marriage—or a successful Christian life! There must also be obedience and mutual concern. “But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected” (1 John 2:5). “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love” (John 15:10). We grow in our love for God as we listen to His Word, obey it, and delight in doing what pleases Him. That is how we keep ourselves in God’s love.
God’s love is a holy love; it is not shallow sentiment. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil” (Ps. 97:10). To love God is to love what He loves and hate what He hates! We please Him by doing those things that He commands. It is the dedicated, separated Christian who enjoys the deepest fellowship with the Father in the family (2 Cor. 6:14–18).
We build our Christian life on the foundation of faith and through the motivation of love. But we also need hope: “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” The believer’s eyes must be lifted heavenward. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12).
The word translated “looking” (Jude 21) means “earnestly expecting.” It describes an attitude of life that is motivated by the promise of our Lord’s return. The apostates can only look for judgment, but God’s people are looking for mercy. Not only is our salvation from sin the gift of God’s mercy, but so also is the deliverance of His church from this evil world. In His mercy, He will come for us and take us to Himself.
We have already noted that looking for the coming of the Lord is a great encouragement to Christian living. It makes us want to keep pure (1 John 3:3) and to avoid the things of the flesh and the world (Phil. 3:17–21). Our hope in Christ is like an anchor (Heb. 6:19) that holds us in the storms of life, and like a helmet that protects us in the battles of life (1 Thes. 5:8).
The three “Christian graces” of faith, hope, and love enable us to grow in our spiritual walk. We are able to build on a solid foundation with materials that will not decay. Mere profession with the lips will not suffice. “Not everyone that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). The Parable of the Two Builders (Matt. 7:24–27) makes it clear that to obey the will of God means to build on a foundation that cannot fail. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 559–561). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.))
Ver. 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, &c.] By which may be meant either the grace and favour of God, that love with which God loves his people; and then the exhortation to the saints to keep themselves in it is, to set it always before them, to keep it constantly in view, to exercise faith on it, firmly believing their interest in it; as also to meditate on it, give themselves up wholly to the contemplation of it, and employ their thoughts constantly about it, which is the foundation of all grace here, and glory hereafter; or to preserve themselves by it, for so the words may be rendered, preserve yourselves by the love of God; against Satan’s temptations, the snares of the world, and the lusts of the flesh; whenever Satan solicits to sin, and any snare is laid to draw into it, and the flesh attempts to be predominant, saints should betake themselves to the love of God, as to a strong hold and preservative against sin, and reason as Joseph did, Gen. 39:9 for the love of God, and continuance in it, do not depend on any thing that can be done by men; nor is there any danger of real believers falling from it, or losing it, since it is unchangeable, and is from everlasting to everlasting; or else by the love of God we are to understand that love with which his people love him, and of which he is the object, Luke 11:42 and then the meaning of the exhortation is, that though this grace of love cannot be lost, yet, inasmuch as the fervour of it may be abated, and the people of God grow cold and indifferent in their expressions of it, it becomes them to make use of all proper means to maintain and increase it in themselves and others; such as are mentioned in the context, as conversing together in an edifying way about the doctrines of the Gospel, and praying either separately or together, under the influences of the Holy Spirit, and looking forward for the grace and mercy of Christ unto everlasting life; all which, with many other things, by the blessing of God, may serve to maintain and revive the grace of love, and blow it up into a flame: though perhaps this phrase may chiefly design that love, peace, and concord, which ought to subsist among saints as brethren, and which they should be careful to preserve: and may be called the love of God, just as the same thing is styled the peace of God, Col. 3:15 because it is what God requires, what he calls unto, which is of him, and is taught by him in regeneration, and what his love engages to, and without which there is no true love to him; and he takes love shewn to his people as if shewn to himself; and this sense is favoured by the context, both by the words in the preceding verse, and in the following ones: looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The mercy of Christ may be considered either as past, which was shewn in eternity, in his convenant-transactions with his father, in engaging in the cause of his people, in espousing them to himself, and in the care of their persons, grace, and glory; and in time, in assuming their nature, in his tender concern for the bodies and souls of men, in bearing the sins and sorrows of his people, in the redemption of them, and in their regeneration and vocation; and there is the present mercy of Christ, in interceding for his people, in sympathizing with them under all their afflictions, in succouring them under all their temptations, in suiting himself, as the great Shepherd, to all the circumstances of his flock; and there is the future mercy of Christ, which will be shewn at death, in the grave, and at the resurrection, at the day of judgment, and in the merciful sentence he’ll pronounce on his people; and this seems to be designed here; the consequent of which, or what is annexed to it, and in which it issues, is eternal life; which is not owing to the works of men, but to the grace of God, and mercy of Christ; eternal life is in him, and is given through him, and to his mercy should men look for it. Christ himself is to be looked for, who will certainly come a second time; and eternal life is to be looked for by him; and this is only to be expected through his grace and mercy; and this is to be looked for by faith, in the love of it, with delight and pleasure, and cheerfulness, with eagerness, and yet with patience. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 679–680). London: Mathews and Leigh.
FROM MY READING:
Did you ever receive an urgent message on the phone? It was very important that you knew what was happening and you were to past it on to others. I have had to call people with important messages many times in my ministry. I have received urgent messages at times.
I had a minister call me at midnight because his father was in the hospital and they weren’t sure if he was going to live long enough for him to get to his father. I went to the hospital right away.
I received another call regarding a woman who had a stroke and was headed to the hospital and I went to be with the family. This is not unusual for pastors to receive phone calls at any time of day or night.
Here it is urgent that all those who under the ministry of Jude realize that the time is now to present the Gospel to all those who need to know the truth of the Word of God. There are false teachers who have “wormed” their way into the church and are leading people astray from the Word of God.
Now we have these same individuals in many of our churches. There is at least one in every church that is not a genuine believer who is teaching false doctrine either in a classroom or just while talking with people at the end of church or at church socials. They are individuals who cause strife in the church. They under mind the pastor and his teachings every chance they get. They say all rules are past and we can do as we please today because of the forgiveness of Christ. They are living immoral lives in front of the people and they are not confronted.
Jude is warning the people to watch out for these individuals and confront them with what they are doing.
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah. (Quiet Walk)
CHRIST IS CENTRAL
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Matthew 11:25
How ridiculous it is for people to talk about arriving at God apart from our Lord! God has committed everything to Him. Christ is central; Christ is absolutely essential. He once put it in these words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). This is the content of the revelation. He, Jesus of Nazareth, claimed that He was none other than the Son of God who had come to earth, and He said that He had done so because God had sent Him. Men and women had sinned against God and were therefore under His wrath; so God would have to punish their sin, and that would mean death and separation from God. So our Lord came, sent, He said, by God in order to deal with that problem.
So these, He says, are the things that have been “hid…from the wise and prudent, and…revealed …unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). Christ is the Son of God, and He has come into this world not only to teach and to work miracles. The real purpose of His coming was that He might die on the cross. God sent Him, says the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in order to “taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). He said He came to bear the sins of mankind in His own precious body on the cross on Calvary’s Hill. There He was punished for our sins. That is the message; that is the thing that “babes” have understood. These things are as simple as that, that God in Christ was making a way of salvation through the cross.
Therefore what have we to do? We have nothing to do but to believe that and to accept it as a free gift. For God’s way of salvation is that all my sins and failure and shame have been put upon the Son and dealt with and punished.
A Thought to Ponder: God in Christ was making a way of salvation through the cross
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 116-117, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Undeserved Suffering
“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1)
This cry of the psalmist has been echoed times without number by those persecuted for their faith. “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, O LORD? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?” (Psalm 44:22-24). Consequently, one of the great mysteries of life is the suffering of the righteous. How can a God of love and power allow such undeserved suffering in His creation?
The fact is, however, that there is no such thing as undeserved suffering, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The reason there is suffering in the world is that there is sin in the world. Even though one’s particular experience of suffering may or may not be directly related to his particular sin, all of us are sinners before God, and therefore deserving of nothing but suffering and judgment in the sight of a holy God.
It is not suffering that is undeserved but God’s grace and mercy! “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). There has only been one person in all history whose suffering was undeserved, and He suffered for us, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18)
Our sufferings are not undeserved, but neither are they uncontrolled, for God “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). There are many good reasons why God permits a faithful Christian to suffer, but even if one cannot discern the particular reason at the time, he can at least “rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:13). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
At the very heart of legalism is the elevation of our ability to gain God’s approval through our efforts rather than through God’s grace. (p. 103)
Both legalism and liberalism violate God’s Word and violate the grace and sufficiency of Christ in our lives.
(p. 103) (Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
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