Contend for the Faith Against: Those Who Turn Grace into Sex

Introduction

Commentator Thomas Schreiner has said that the book of Jude has been one of the most neglected books of the NT. Possible reasons: (1) short-only 25 verses (2) whose Jude? (3) it’s weird: refers to two books not in the Bible—1 Enoch and Assumption of Moses (4) content—judgment, especially upon the sexually immoral.

We hear: “We ought to respect everyone’s beliefs.” “Don’t judge” (esp. my sexual activity). “Live and let live.” “You’re on your own spiritual journey; faith is a subjective thing and no one else can judge it.” “Tolerance.”

We are going to see the exact opposite in this letter.

1. Why Should We Listen to Jude? (1-2)

He’s a Slave of Jesus Christ (v.1)

Jude 1 (ESV)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

Some versions translate “slave” as “servant,” but the word in the original is much stronger: it is slave.

Paul and Peter describe themselves as slaves of Christ. Why slave of Jesus Christ? Carries the idea of being bought and belonging to Christ and obeying him.

We were slaves to sin at one point, serving and obeying the desires of our flesh. But Jesus, dying on the cross for our sins, has redeemed (bought) us. He is now our master and we obey him rather than that desires of our flesh.

Romans 6:18 “And, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Illustration: liken it to a stray dog. The dog roams around as a scavenger, doing what he wishes when he wishes. His master is his own appetite. But then, you, the loving person you are, decide to take in the dog and become his owner. You clean him up and provide food for him. You sacrifice your time, money, and probably patience. The dog receives a good home, food, and care. In turn, the dog is satisfied and healthy, and the dog returns your good gifts with obedience and affection. The dog has been set free from its passions as its master and now has you as its master—a good, loving master.

He’s the Brother of James (v.1)

Jude 1 (ESV)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

“Jude” = “Judas” = brother of James

Mark 6:2–3 ESV

And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

We should note Jude’s humility: he does not call himself an apostle of Jesus nor mention that he is Jesus’ brother. He first calls himself a slave of Jesus Christ and then brother of James. He avoids altogether the fact that Jesus was kin.

What makes Jude authoritative and demand our attention is that Jesus is his master and James is his brother. Interesting for several reasons:

(1) James, along with Jude, initially rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

John 7:2–5 ESV

Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.

(2) But later, James (along with Judas) becomes a believer and a stalwart of the faith. In Acts 15, he is seen as one of the elders of the Jerusalem church and head of a council to instruct other churches. And then he authors the book of James in the Bible.

So, why should we listen to Jude? He was a slave of Christ and brother of James, who was foundational to the Jerusalem church. What he says carries weight because of his association with Jesus and James.

2. Jude’s Reason for Writing: Contend for the Faith. (3)

Jude 3 ESV

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Jude Appeals

παρακαλῶν - “advocates, encourages, exhorts”

To Contend

ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι - serves as a present active verb - means “to carry on a conflict, contest, debate or legal suit” [TDNT, 135].

In Greek society, it is imagery of the contests that occurred in the arena games.

In the NT, it takes on the thought of “the goal which can be reached only with the full expenditure of all our energies. . . . The struggle of the kingdom of heaven allows of no indolence, indecision, or relaxation” [TDNT, 137].

“It was necessary.” - Because false beliefs are a big deal!

Introduction to the commentary we are using:

“Some people avoid studying the Bible because they think doctrine is dry and boring. Yet this should be exciting and important work. Theological opinions and options have led to revolutions, battles, and ongoing disputes in the world, even today. Those who refuse to learn correct doctrine are susceptible to false teaching because they are not grounded in God's truth. It is imperative to understand the basic doctrines of the Christian faith in order to recognize false doctrines and prevent wrong teaching from undermining our faith and hurting others.” [Life Application Commentary, 1&2 Peter/Jude]

Today, do we find it necessary to take a stand against false beliefs and teachings? Or do we go along with the cultural belief system to respect all beliefs, live and let live? Do we find it necessary, or do we believe that we ought to tolerate false ideas and beliefs?

We often find it necessary to contend for our political beliefs but what about biblical beliefs?

Maybe we find it difficult because we have unknowingly (or knowingly) given into the cultural belief that there are no facts when it comes to faith and beliefs?

Cultural mantra: “Perception is reality.” But is that reality? Is it reality that perception is reality?

Contend for The Faith

There is only one true faith. It is the Christian faith as revealed by Jesus and in the testimony of the Christian Scriptures, the Bible.

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Contend for the Faith Once for All Handed Down

We receive the teachings of Jesus and the apostles as they are passed down to us by other faithful Christians and the Bible.

We should not neglect church history.

CS Lewis on chronological snobbery: “The uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate of our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that count discredited.”

The Bible is not a collection of corrupted documents.

“Our New Testament is 99.5% textually pure. In the entire text of 20,000 lines, only 40 lines are in doubt (about 400 words), and none affects any significant doctrine.”

“Is the New Testament Text Reliable?” Greg Koukl at https://www.str.org/w/is-the-new-testament-text-reliable-

3. Issue 1: Contend Against Those Who Turn Grace into Sex. (4)

Jude 4 ESV

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Turning Grace into Licentiousness (Sensuality)

ἀσέλγειαν - “sensuality/licentiousness” = sexual immorality

We will see later in Jude 7 a reference to Sodom and Gommorah, which was known for its sexual immorality.

How were they perverting grace into sexual immorality? Quite easy: use grace as a license to sin: “Since I’m under grace—I’m a forgiven person—I can just keep on sinning because God forgives me.”

Easier than that: “I’m a sinner and God knows that—I just struggle with sexual sin, and so it’s just something I do. But I’m under grace.”

To be clear: Sexual sin includes more than homosexuality and bestiality. Includes any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman.

(1) Sex outside the bonds of marriage the Bible calls fornication:

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

(2) Having sexual relations with someone other than your spouse the Bible calls adultery.

Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”

(3) Sexual relations with an animal: bestiality:

Deuteronomy 27:21 ““ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”

(4) Thinking about and desiring to have sexual relations with someone other than your spouse or with anyone if you’re not married: lust

Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Other: incest, pedophilia, polygamy

If we attempt to justify in any way our own sexual immorality because we are under grace or because we think “God will understand,” we are perverting the grace of God. We are substituting the Gospel with a false Gospel.

Shane Claiborne: “Mixing Christianity with a political party is like mixing ice cream with horse manure. It might not harm the manure, but is sure messes up the ice cream.”

Modified: “Mixing Christianity with sexual immorality is like mixing ice cream with horse manure. It might not harm the manure, but is sure messes up the ice cream.”

But it’s actually much worse according to Jude:

Denying Jesus Christ

Jude 4 (ESV)

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Thom Schreiner:

“They denied Christ’s lordship by the way they lived, by their antinomian lifestyle.”

Conclusion:

Here’s what Jude is exhorting us to do: to fight for the one true Christian faith by pointing out and correcting sexual sin.

In short: contend for the faith against those who turn grace into a license for sexual immorality.

The context of Jude’s letter is the church: we cannot expect the sinful, unbelieving world to operate this way or to listen to us. But as the body of Christ, we are to do our best to maintain the purity of the body of Christ and help others become more like Christ. It’s easy to become just like our culture: sexually immoral and hold their sexual ethics. But we are to be different. And when it infiltrates into the church, we need to be reminded that such practices are contrary to the Gospel of Grace.

If we are committing adultery, we need to repent of that. If we are having sexual relations without being married, we need to repent of that. If we are having same-sex relations, we need to repent of that—if lusting (use of porn or reading graphic novels, any other lust), repent. I realize that all this is foreign and contrary to how our culture thinks and believes. But that’s what Christianity it: counter-culture. Different.

To live a life of grace means to no longer practice these things, not continue to practice them while attempting to justify them.

Remember John 8:10–11 “Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.””

Come as you are, but do not stay the way you are. Jesus will take you as you are, just like the stray dog, but he will clean you up, give you a new home, namely, salvation and life.

In short, let us contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, not pervert it with sexual immorality.