Living in Ungodliness
Notes
Transcript
When you think of all the false teachings and compromises that are happening in the church today, what emotions come to the surface?
We tend to get angry right?
How many times have we heard some false teaching and start refuting and accusing those who are teaching it?
Where does that come from? I think if we reflect on it we would find it comes from anger and a defensive posture?
What words do we use in our rebuke?
What if I told you instead of acting that way we should be happy and enthusiastic about the false teachers?
It’s a good thing you don’t have any rotten fruit right now. I’m having plexiglass installed before next week.
Last week we talked about the false teachers, their condemnation, their ungodly lives, and their coming judgment.
We talked about how Jude was giving a history lesson to remind us that God is a God of judgment.
This week we’re going to be discussing how we are supposed to live in a world filled with ungodliness.
We’re going to be in Jude 17-23 today. We’re going to talk about why we should be rejoicing over the ungodly teachers and our relationships with God and others.
Jude makes three points to encourage us in our walk in an ungodly world.
Apostle’s Prophecy
Our Relationship With God
Our Relationship With Others
Jude transitions from God’s judgment to God’s faithfulness and His love for His creation.
Last week we discussed Jude referencing the Book of Enoch and how he didn’t consider the entire book as divine inspiration. His transition this week shows how he doesn’t regard extra-biblical books as divine.
Apostle’s Prophecy
Apostle’s Prophecy
Jude points out the grain of truth that the false teachers are twisting in an ungodly fashion. How they take uninspired books and promote them as “scripture.”
In verses 17-19 Jude gives another reminder. This time it’s clearly meant to point the audience back to NT teachings.
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:
18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
He’s saying the false teachers might be using the Book of Enoch, “But you, beloved,” are to remember the words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some say that the apostles Jude is referring to here could be any missionary sent to proclaim the gospel.
In my opinion it’s very clear in the text that Jude is talking specifically about the apostles chosen by, and taught by, our Lord Jesus Christ. He’s definitely making a clear distinction between true believers and false prophets and those who follow them.
He calls those he’s writing to “beloved.” He is specifically speaking to those who have received the Holy Spirit. Those who have experienced that moment before the Lord and placed their faith in Him.
He’s speaking to those of us who have placed our faith in the Lord.
How discouraged are we right now?
We’re watching our society rapidly walking away from biblical principles. We’re seeing massive deterioration in the church.
As my grandpa would say, “the world’s going to hell in a handbasket.” And wee tend to fear what’s happening in our society right?
But Jude’s history lesson for us should be encouragement not despair. He says, remember, we were told this would happen.
We must understand the last time is from the day of Pentecost till Christ’s return. We are told there will be those who despise Christianity.
Secular society that bases a religion on rationalism. False teachers in the church who twist the gospels into easy belief gospels. Prosperity gospels.
Gospels of grandeur where we have the authority to do what only God has authority to do. Solely because we believe in Christ. People who will distort the truth for their own gain.
In verse 19 we see the word “these” again. This is the same Greek word from last week that implies evil. As I did some deeper study on it, in this context it appears to associate peoples acts, words, and beliefs with demons or demonic influence.
The Greek word translated “sensual persons” actually means natural, worldly, unspiritual.
However, we must be careful in our understanding of this. In the Jewish context Jude is speaking about, the natural, worldly, or unspiritual is about the soul, not the body.
I have spoken about our souls being transformed a lot this year. I need to explain that we have a body, a soul, and a spirit.
The soul is what makes up our character, our thoughts, it is the very fiber of our being. Our spirit is our connection to God. It’s our ability to speak to, and hear from God.
Those who believe have the Holy Spirit take up residence within our spirit, to guide us, convict us. He helps us understand God’s word, and helps us communicate with God.
We are told in Hebrews that those who don’t believe, allow God’s word to cause division between their spirit, which is their communication to God, and their soul.
Thus they live ungodly lives controlled by their own ungodly lusts.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
James 3:15 really gives us the ultimate picture of these false teachers when he says.
15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
We are reminded that we are told this will happen. We even acknowledge we know this will happen. So then, why do we worry about the fact that it is happening!!
We should be encouraged. We should be overjoyed.
Yes, I’m a little crazy!!!
But the sad thing is you know what I’m saying is true. We shouldn’t have any fear. We shouldn’t be paranoid. We shouldn’t have any anxiety.
Now you probably think I’m totally nuts.
But listen, we are seeing, experiencing, and watching God’s plan, on track, being played out.
If I woke up tomorrow morning and everyone professed to be a Christian and every church taught solid biblical teachings according to God’s will.
Then I’d be worried. Really worried. Because that’s not what Jesus taught.
Instead we get to watch it play out before our eyes, just like God told us it will. These false teachers cause division in the church. They antagonize leaders, they cause doubt, fear, and church splits.
But Jude says, we are different and we have a responsibility in that difference.
Our Relationship With God
Our Relationship With God
Jude is reminding us that God adopted us as His sons to be active. We are to be active participants in our relationship with Him.
God has designed us to be relational beings. He designed us to be active in our relationships.
He gave us hands and feet to be mobile and to help ourselves, others, and do His will.
He gave us eyes to see what needs to be done and where we need to go. He gave us ears and mouths to communicate with God and others.
In verses 20 and 21 Jude explains how we are to be responsible for our relationship with God.
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.
We see another “but you.” Jude is once again contrasting the ungodly behavior of the false teachers with what our behavior should be.
He uses four verbs that describe in detail, how we are supposed to handle our responsibility in our relationship with God.
He says we are to build, pray, keep, and look (which is better translated wait) we’ll discuss that later.
First let’s look at build. “Building yourselves up on your most holy faith.” The most holy faith, that is the gospel.
Jude has encouraged us to agonize over the holy gospel, the faith. It’s called holy faith for two reasons.
First, is because of its origin. It’s not something humans would have ever conceived. Think about it!! It’s so outlandishly illogical that rationalism rejects the idea as even plausible.
It’s not like somewhere in history past that Noah and his sons, or Moses and Aaron said, “I know, let’s start promoting and pointing to this idea that God will send a Messiah to die for Israel’s salvation.”
“Even better the Messiah will be God’s son, God incarnate, and His death isn’t just for Israel, but for all nations. And at some point maybe 1500 years from now, some sucker will take the bait and pretend to be that guy.”
That’s about as far as they could have gotten, because resurrection, someone coming back to life after death, on their own? Yeah that would have never crossed their minds.
No, it is holy faith because it comes from God.
Second, it is called your holy faith because God expects a response to His truth. Our response is an active response that evokes faith and trust in the truth.
As we put our trust in Jesus we are transformed. It is holy faith because the results of our faith is that God makes us holy.
God’s holiness cannot reside with sin. Psalm 1:1-3 is a perfect example of how we are to build our faith.
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
We must first start using the ejection seat on all the sin in our lives. God’s Word can’t reside in our sin. We must make God’s word welcome and receive it by faith.
Without faith we keep God’s word on the doorsteps of our lives. We treat it like we treat unwanted solicitors who come knocking rather than a like a friend.
Make time for God’s word, invite Him in and meditate on it day and night.
The Second verb is Praying. “Praying in the Holy Spirit.”
What is praying in the Holy Spirit?
It is allowing the Holy Spirit to connect with our spirit and usher us into the throne room of God.
He is the Spirit of adoption by which we cry “Abba, Father!” Romans 8:15.
And in Romans 8:26 we see that He is our helper in our weakness.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Even in our weakness, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes and speaks to the Father for us.
We are to pray not with prescribed, remembered word for word, three times a day prayers. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing.
But Jude is telling us we must be praying from the deepest part of our souls. Honest prayers we bring before God about our sins, our ministry desires, our faith, our daily lives.
A Sunday School lesson once asked the question: “If you were the Devil how would you stop people from praying?” A young girl with a strong spiritual awareness answered like this.
“If I was in that position, I would use something religious to stop people praying. I would tell people, you’ve been to church today. You don’t need to pray. I would tell people: You’ve read your Bible today. You don’t need to pray.”
What is the devil using with you to stop you from praying?
The third verb is keep. “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” How are we supposed to keep ourselves in the love of God?
We have a tendency to think that God keeps us in His love because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We think God is doing the work.
In Philippians 2:12 Paul says to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” He follows it up in verse 13 with.
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
If God is doing it then why should we do anything? That’s how things get twisted. The Bible doesn’t portray a tug-of-war between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
It emphasizes them both equally and in union with each other. I should be working out my own salvation because God is at work in me.
We remain in His love by obeying His commandments John 15:9-10.
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
We keep ourselves in the love of God by building our faith and keeping the commandments given by Jesus. Those commandments should become a natural desire deep in our souls.
The fourth verb is “looking” and, as I stated earlier, this verb is better translated waiting.” It means to remain in a place and/or state, with expectancy concerning a future event.
However, when we dig deeper we discover that the Hebrew equivalent denotes, receiving someone or accepting something.
We are actually doing both receiving and accepting when we are waiting on the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are receiving the free gift of God’s saving grace.
And we are accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are to build our faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep ourselves in the love of God, and have complete trust in the promise of eternal salvation.
In working out our own salvation Jude tells us how we are supposed to naturally start treating others.
Our Relationship With Others
Our Relationship With Others
In verses 22 and 23 we are confronted with the hardest aspects of our Christian walk.
22 And have mercy on those who doubt;
23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
The first thing we see is to have mercy on those who doubt. If you have a KJV or NKJV it says have compassion, making a distinction.
The Greek word translated “compassion” actually means “mercy.” and the word translated “distinction” means doubt.
We must understand that doubt is not a sinful behavior. Unfortunately the church has created a dogmatic stigma around doctrine.
Far too many Christians are afraid to ask questions regarding their doubts, in fear of repercussions. Mainly because churches don’t allow anyone to question anything.
Instead of ridiculing someone who has doubts we are to be merciful. We are to be so confident in God’s truth that we encourage questions.
Without those doubts being answered they fester and faith gets stymied. People get hurt and walk away from faith.
This is where we are also to save others by snatching them out of the fire.
We do that by being engaged in the ungodly world. By treating others with the genuine love that God has for us.
When they realize our motive isn’t about numbers in our pews. Rather it is about relationships and we genuinely love and care about them, then they will be open to faith.
The last way we are to exercise our relationship with others is to have mercy with fear. I believe Jude is talking about those who have been hurt by the church here.
We are to have empathy with them and be gracious with them, but we must also be living a pure life. “Hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
We are to live our lives being honest and showing our faults as much as we show our righteousness. And showing our disdain for the sins we ourselves do at times.
They have been hurt by those who pretend they’re righteous, pure, and without faults. But those same people live sinful lives and are no different than the ungodly in the world around them.
You see just reading and hearing the Word of God, with prayer and meditation, might give us a certain level of understanding.
But, putting that into practice, as we live in this ungodly world gives us a deeper understanding.
Living out the word opens us up to new aspects of God’s Word and a deeper level of understanding we couldn’t get otherwise.
It opens us up and prepares us for God’s will in our lives.
It allows us to live in joy and rejoice as we see false teachers and society twist God’s truth. It’s what sets us apart so our light can shine in the darkness.
That’s how we snatch others out of the fire.