The Epistle of Jude
The Epistle of Jude
The Epistle of Jude
Epistle
JUDE
of
by
Th.B. B.R.E., B. D.
J. WILLIAM KANOY
©Copyright, 1994
By
Fellowship Tract League
Revised July, 2000
Suggested Outline
With these thoughts in mind, let us consider several things about the
servant and his life found elsewhere in the Scripture.
A. God's Servant
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3. A servant is rewarded for his labors (Luke 19:11-27; I Cor.
3:8; Col. 3:24; II John 8; Rev. 22:12).
B. God's Workman
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c. Call to decision and dedication Rom. 12:1,2 (Consecration);
John 6:67 (Stand by the truth); Mark 10:21 (Total
I nvolvement); II Tim. 4:6-8 (Paul sold out)
Answering this call means far more than mental assent. It means
obedience in serving Him. It means to be totally involved.
We might well weigh carefully the words of our Lord in Luke 2:49; of
Paul in I Cor. 9:6 and I Cor. 13:15; of James in James 1:22; and of
Peter in I Peter 1:13-20.
"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: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (Jude 1
and 2)
The thought here is "set aside" or "separated for the Master's use."
Christians should be fully aware of the fact that Christ died for us that
His Spirit might live in us and work through us to a lost and dying
world. The workman is on parade to glorify God (I Peter 2:9). He is
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God's display to a lost and dying world (Eph. 2:10). Note seven truths
i n this connection:
g. Strives for the faith of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27; II Tim. 4:2)
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Surely the Christian workman has nothing to fear, "And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:
28)
Mercy
1. God's Mercy
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d. Do justly, love mercy (Prov. 11:17; Micah 6:8)
e. Show mercy (Matt. 5:7)
f. Be full of mercy (Luke 6:36)
Yes, beloved, mercy is God's pity for the undeserving and guilty. It is
often expressed as loving kindness. God expects His own to be
merciful to others and bear His message to a lost and dying world.
I t is well said that love is displayed in mercy, and mercy is the very
ground for peace, that peace that passeth understanding; and mercy,
peace, and love should be the guardian of the Christian heart and
thought in Christ Jesus.
" What would we ever have done if God had not been merciful? There
could have never been a soul saved in this world. Not one of us can
ever find a refuge at any door save the door of mercy. But here the
vilest sinner can find eternal shelter; and not mere cold shelter only,
for God's mercy is 'tender'. We are inside a sweet home. Our refuge
i s the very heart of God. No mother's bosom was ever so warm a
nest for her own child as in the Divine mercy for all who find refuge in
i t." ( Miller) " Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the
dayspring from on high hath visited us," (Luke 1:78)
Peace
I t will be found as we study Jude that the Christians are suffering great
afflictions from men trying to destroy their relationship to God in
Christ, and thus the great need of peace is multiplied.
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1 There is no peace to the worldly and wicked,
I t is well said that joy and peace come together. These blessings are
not of earth. They are gifts from heaven. Peace that passes
understanding has its fountain above. It is God who gives these, for
He is the God of hope. Though heavenly in origin and nature, they do
not gush up into the soul like water springing from the fountain. They
find their way into the soul by a very natural, very simple, and effectual
channel - the belief of God's good news about His only begotten Son.
The way to receive this precious blessing is only through Him. (John
1:4,12)
Love
We now come to love, the last of the three great blessings that God
showers upon His faithful ones.
The love given in our text is divine love (agape). This love is infused
i nto the believer through the marvel of the new birth. The source of
this love is God, who produces a continuous supply of divine life for
the faithful. (Rom. 5:5; I John 4:7, 10)
When we are born of the Spirit, the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts. Love is an exotic transplant from a celestial clime by the very
hand of God. No fine heredity, no degree of culture, no drilling in
religious ceremonials, no rigid discipline of the law, no literary
sentimentalism, no study of the material works of God, no poetic
genius of mere Christian influence can produce this love.
a. The tenor of our thought life (Phil. 4:18; Rom. 12:1,2; II Cor.
10:3-5)
a. God's Love
b. Brotherly Love
"Love that will not bear all, care all, and share all is not love at all."
( Selected)
May we review the works of these three gifts before going on in our
studies.
Such love fulfills the law. The person who loves God will make Him
supreme. The person who loves God will delight in worshipping Him.
The person who loves God will never blaspheme His name. The
person who loves God will not abuse the privileges of the Lord's day.
The person who loves God will not rebel or disobey those over him in
the Lord.
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a. No condemnation (Rom. 8:1)
b. No bondage (Rom. 8:2)
c. No debt (Rom. 8:12)
d. No fear ( Rom. 8:15)
e. No corruption (Rom. 8:21)
f. No accusation (Rom. 8:33)
g. No separation (Rom. 8:35)
Such peace should reveal itself in the life and activities of a Christian
without words. It will draw others, discharge its rightful duties, declare
the good news, and continue to dutifully multiply.
The mercy of God is the fountain of all the good we hope for; it is for
those in difficult places as well as for the guilty. Peace flows from the
mercy of God and love flows from peace. These three should be in a
continuous state of multiplication.
Matthew Henry says of mercy, peace, and love, "The Christian may
not be content with scraps and narrow scantlings (a small quantity) of
them, but that souls and societies should be full of them."
I f mercy, peace, and love are being multiplied in the life of a Christian,
then there need be no fear of the apostate. Beloved, how is your
multiplication table?
Bloody wars have been fought with numberless lives lost on the
battlefield for what men believed to be right. We hear much about the
fight for democracy and liberty.
The teachings of Jude are concerned with "The Faith", which is the
only foundation for true religion and Christianity.
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of different cults, but it must be understood there is but one, "The
Faith", that meets the need of a sin-sick, hell-bent soul. Saving faith is
far more than assent of the mind - it is also heart consent, including
the action of the will. Mere mental belief is speculative, but saving
faith is operative. "Faith is a higher faculty than reason." (Bailey)
I I
I t is evident that Jude first intended to write a general letter, but certain
circumstances made it necessary to write a strong warning about evil
and misguided men who were spreading destructive teaching abroad.
The purity of the faith was being threatened. The warning calls for
i mmediate action in defense of the faith.
I n this regard, note the first and last words of verse three -
Beloved.., saint. The first word indicates Jude's precious relationship
to the saints of God. Saints are to love one another (John 15:17).
The saints are those separated from the world and cleansed by the
blood of Jesus Christ. Such are especially set apart for worship and
the service of God. True Christians have much in common as sharers
and partners in the work of God.
There is but one saving faith and it was delivered to the saints to use,
to care for, and to manage. Note: Jesus Christ is the way (John
14:6), and there is no other way (Acts 4:12). By a simple act of heart
obedience, men are born again. (I Peter 1:23; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9;
Gal. 1:8,9)
b. That we maintain not only this, but also that all Scripture is
given by inspiration of God;
c. That ... we open the real meaning of the Word, and not
adhere to our own preconceived opinions;
d " That we contend for the very system of truth... and maintain
i t in all simplicity and purity" (J. Day).
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It i s possible to earnestly contend for the faith without being
contentious, but we need only to read 11 Corinthians 11:21-23 to find
the cost Paul paid for the faith he stood for. Yet a far greater than
Paul made enemies by His faithful ministry of truth. Bitter enemies
hounded Him to His death and jeered at Him while He hung on the
cross. The saint of today should take heed to follow the pattern laid
down by his Master. The servant can be no better or greater than his
Lord.
Some critics often say Christians are too narrow in their views. To
this statement we say that a saint should be broad in many ways. I
will suggest several.
1. Broad in love, especially for the lost (John 3:16, I Cor. 13)
Historical truth is narrow. A given event took place in just one way
and on a particular date.
It is folly even to think that man can broaden God's truth which is the
basis for life-giving faith. God's rule stands. Let no man dare even to
suggest a broader view than Spiritual truth defines (Matt. 25:31-46).
Let us never forget that faith is a higher faculty than reason. "The
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stammering tongue of faith is preferable to the powerless silence
of unbelief." (Van Gosterzee)
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be aware of actual danger. Complacency leads to contamination of
the soul.
Jude 3 is only one of many places which illustrates this. How faithful
the Old Testament prophets were when conditions made it necessary
for them to engage in controversy. How unflinching in this field were
Paul, John, and James! What an example of a faithful and yet
controversial ministry our Lord Jesus set!
All is not well with Christendom. Who would suggest that it is? We
must examine the teachings of religious men to see if they are
scriptural. We know that they are not in so many cases, and we
would be unfaithful if we failed to raise a voice against them.
Can we see the flock of Christ being given poison, and not raise our
voice in our Master's name?
Too often love is given as a reason for not being controversial. But to
see men being taken to a lost eternity by false shepherds and not to
raise a voice is anything but loving.
When has the Church been a power for God in the world? When its
preachers did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God. The
Reformation was a time of great controversy, but it was also a time
when multitudes came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ. William Farel, John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Hooper, Hugh
Latimer, John Knox - all were men mightily used of the Lord. And they
did not shun controversy.
For our further encouragement, Paul said: "I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13)
" So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that
are at Rome also." (Romans 1:15)
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" And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more
abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." (II Cor. 12:15)
" 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." (Jude 4)
Once outside the Church, they have crept in over the wall. The One
Door was obnoxious to them because of the blood upon it. They
speak with high-sounding words that appeal to the lusts of the flesh,
and capture the admiration of men. They deplore Biblical truth. Jesus
calls such men thieves and robbers. (John 10:1, Gal. 2:4; II Peter 2:1)
They are ungodly persons who pervert the spiritual blessing and favor
of God into lawlessness, wantonness, and immorality. They disown
and deny the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (Col. 2:18)
Their one-stringed harp has but one song, "God is love. God will not
punish sin." They affirm that man is at liberty to do his own thing,
even to the promotion of loose living and gratification of the flesh.
According to their teaching, man can be as selfish as Lucifer, as cruel
as Nero, as greedy as Judas, and still get to heaven - for God is love.
Such should read Proverbs 26:10-12 and Romans 6:23 and take
heed.
They deny all the essential doctrines and listen to the voice of Satan
saying, "Ye shall be as gods", thus repeating the sin of Adam.
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2. That He was God in the flesh (John 1:14; Phil 2:6-8; I Tim.
1:16,17)
" Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (II Timothy 2:19)
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1. Forfeited privilege of God's own people (unbelief)
2. Fallen angels who sinned (pride)
3. Falseness of natural philosophy (lust)
This is unbelief, and unbelief is sin today - just as it was in the days of
I srael long ago. (John 16:9)
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Biblical repentance implies a godly sorrow and the forsaking of sin in
any form. Not only those popular sins which are so neatly cataloged
i n some circles, such as: gambling, drinking, dancing, swearing, etc.,
but every pet sin and idol is to be forsaken. "Mortify therefore your
members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
i nordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is
i dolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the
children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time,
when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath,
malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."
( Colossians 3:5-8)
These same sins exist today. One cannot help but see that those
who neglect divine privileges are subject to God's loving, yet severe,
judgment and chastisement.
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rebellion of the angels was headed by Satan (Ezekiel 28:11-
15; Isaiah 14:12-14). The Scriptures do not clearly
specify all that was involved in their sin when they left their
lofty habitation in heaven and their high vocation as God's
chosen servants. Several thoughts come to mind:
Satan, as prince of the power of the air, heads a vast host of demons.
The Christian today is fighting a spiritual warfare as clearly
outlined in Ephesians 6:10-20.
These two illustrations plainly teach Christians of every age that only
by "patient continuance in well-doing" can there be a full
realization of our Christian privilege and high calling in Christ
Jesus.
These two cities, Sodom and Gomorrha, had once been places
of high privilege. Their land was said to be like the Garden of
God (Genesis 13:10). They were spared from the fierce attack
of Abraham's forces, but they fell into sensuality and
unspeakable degradation.
The longer the list grows, the more responsible America becomes as
we continue in our worldly complacency. The downward steps of
Sodom and Gomorrha can be traced in Ezekiel 16:48-50:
Many mourn for the death of their children who never mourn for the
sins of their children. Noble were the words of the queen who said, "I
had rather see my son die than sin." (Venning)
The only cure for the apostates described by Jude is "the common
salvation." The only way we can gain victory over them is through
Christ. They must have Christ on the cross for their redemption and
Christ in their hearts for cleansing. As we confront them, we must
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prayerfully seek to win them by the love of our lovely Lord Jesus
Christ.
One preacher has said, "Dreams are crazy as a bed bug." Yet
a great theologian has suggested a new way of life based on the
interpretation of dreams. Dreams are unreal realms of experience.
They cause one to laugh, often to weep, and even to fear.
Dreamers are powerful in this world. Even Michael the
Archangel could not cope with them (Jude 9). We see them
illustrated in three ways in this passage.
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They deny the judgment seat of Christ, the great white throne
judgment of sinners, and retribution of any kind. (Hebrews 9:27;
Revelation 20:12; Mark 9:43; II Thessalonians 1:7-20)
Take Heed: "For there must be also heresies among you, that they
which are approved may be made manifest among you." (I Cor.
11:19)
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whole of that throng of thousands celebrated their redemption from
thralldom by singing the doxology! It is a picture of the Christian's
buried past. Beloved remember. " Therefore we are buried with him
by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life." (Romans 6:4) "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those
that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God." (Romans 6:13)
The only safe and happy place for the Christian warrior to be is
i n the love of God. Ever be on the watch. The enemy would tear you
down. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only source of victory. He is able
to keep you (Jude 24; Psalm 121:3). We find several things the
Christian must keep.
1. Keep thyself unspotted, pure. (James 1:27; I Tim. 5:22)
2. Keep thyself from idols. (I John 5:21)
3. Keep the Lord's Words. (John 14:23)
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The warrior ought to rescue those in danger of an eternal fire with far
more zeal than a city fireman who suffers and even risks his life for
the cause of society. Yes, the Christian should be willing to agonize,
suffer, and even die for the salvation of others. This work must be
done in humility and fear, lest we contact the contagion and fall. (Gal.
6:1)
The thought is, really, perfect. Sin has marred our lives; but we shall
be perfect, for we shall be like Him (I John 3:2). Our present hope will
find its glorious fulfillment in that crowning day when we shall be like
Him.
May our hearts cry with Paul, "And be found in Him, not having mine
own righteousness... but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith:" (Philippians 3:9)
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B. We shall be presented in glory
Beloved, "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which cloth so
easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before
us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the
joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews
12:1,2)
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