Responding to the Fire of False Teaching

Text—these are the very words of God

Jude 17–23 ESV

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Introduction and Context

Intro

In the 1970’s the National Fire Protection Association embarked upon a campaign aimed at children called “Learn Not to Burn.”

And while the slogan for the campaign is a little bit wild, it has to be one of the most successful public service campaigns ever launched in United States history.

The proof of that is the fact that every kid in America for 50 years has known how to respond if they are in a situation where they are on fire:

Stop. Drop. And Roll.

Three simple things to remember if things go sideways.

I’ve never had to stop, drop and roll personally, but I imagine it has saved countless lives from the danger of fire.

Well in the same vein, as Christians, we also need to know how to respond to a type of fire—and that is the fire of false teaching.

This is a type of fire that can spread.

A type of fire that can divide a church.

A type of fire that can destroy the soul.

So what do we do?

What is the equivalent of “Stop, Drop and Roll,” when the fire of false teaching becomes a threat?

Jude gives us our answers this morning.

Context

In verses 5-16, we saw Jude issuing clear warnings and descriptions of the anti-law false teachers that had crept into the company of Jude’s audience.

These were people who said that in light of being saved by God’s grace, they could live however they wanted.

They were particularly abominable in the way they indulged themselves in unnatural sexual perversion in the name of God’s grace.

They had crept in unnoticed and they were infecting the church, to the point that they had infiltrated the church’s love feasts, which would end with the sacred ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.

The fire of false teaching was touching the church and the church needed instruction on how to respond.

And Jude gives it to them in v. 17-23.

Outline

1. Remember (v. 17-19)

2. Remain (v. 20-21)

3. Rescue (v. 22-23)

Remember (v. 17-19)

1. Remember (v. 17-19).

Emphasis on Apostolic Teaching

This is the first instruction that Jude has for the church in terms of their response to the fire of false teaching.

The church must exercise their memory when it comes to what they have been taught by Christ and the Apostles.

This is reminiscent of what Jude said at the beginning of his letter:

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.

There is a faith that is once for all delivered to the saints by the Word of Christ and the teaching of the Apostles.

Christ the Cornerstone and the Apostles the foundation.

Once again, there is mention here of what has been handed down.

In this case, it is the predictions of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ regarding how scoffers would appear in the last days.

Notice that there is a heavier emphasis placed upon this call to remember what the Apostles have said than the examples from Jewish tradition that Jude uses in v. 8-16.

While he refers to The Assumption of Moses and The Book of Enoch in those verses, he does more than refer to the teachings of the Apostles.

He emphasizes the need to recall their teaching and think on them.

Dwell on them.

Recognize that what they said is happening right in front of the church’s eyes.

This is a reminder to us that nothing is more important that the Word of God.

As we read the New Testament, we are reading the very words of God.

We are reading words inspired by the very Spirit of Christ.

And the Apostles of Christ are foundational because they relayed to us the teaching of Christ and carried on the work of Christ according to that teaching.

Christ gave them authority to be His witnesses and interpreters of the Gospel as they recorded His Words and penned the New Testament.

The Apostolic Predictions

Last Time

In v. 18, we see what they predict...

...That “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”

When Jesus and the Apostles spoke, it was almost as if they split all of history up into two periods.

From Genesis to the birth of Christ, you have “the former times.”

And from the days after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus to His return, you have “the last time” or “the last days.”

Jude’s audience lived in those last days.

You and I lived in those last days.

Scoffers

And the Apostle foretold that in this “last time,” there will be scoffers who follow their own ungodly passions.

The “scoffer,” is a recurring character in Old Testament wisdom literature.

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The man who delights in the Lord’s law and meditates upon it day and night is called “blessed.”

But the opposite of this man would be the wicked, sinners and scoffers.

The word scoffer tells us of someone who mocks and is full of scorn as they do it.

So in Psalm 1, you have a man who delights in the law of the Lord and a man who mocks it—who scoffs at it.

We see the scoffer in Proverbs as well. There we find out that they delight in the way that they scoff at God’s Law:

Proverbs 1:22 ESV

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

They ignore wisdom and take joy in scornfully mocking it.

The scoffer is a dangerous fool.

Ungodly Passions (v. 18-19)

The scoffers that Jude speaks of show their disdain for God’s Law and God’s wisdom by chasing after their ungodly passions.

They follow these passions.

They are led around by these unholy desires.

Paul tells us that you can either walk by the Spirit or you can gratify the desires of the flesh. But you can’t do both.

They are opposed to one another:

Galatians 5:16–17 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Spirit-led people are actually protected from being led around by their ungodly passions all the time because the Spirit does not move in the direction of the flesh.

If you follow the Spirit, you will not gratify ungodly passions within you.

But Jude says these false teachers are devoid of the Spirit (v. 19), which is why they are dog-walked by their own lusts.

They claim to be saved by grace and Spirit-filled but their living says other wise.

They are worldly people.

This is where their passions have led them—into friendship with the world, which is opposed to God.

Jude’s brother warns us:

James 4:4 ESV

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

This is why they cause divisions.

The church, led by the Spirit, is moving toward Christlikeness.

But these people who are led by their ungodly passions, are attempting to pull the church back toward the world.

As they chase their own sinful desires and others join in, you end up with a church filled with people going in two different directions.

So often, this is how Satan will divide a church.

He will use false teaching to enflame ungodliness in its members and then use the budding worldliness to cause a fracture in the body.

When did the Apostles predict these things?

Now you may wonder, when did the Apostles predict these things?

Well they predicted them as they passed on Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels:

Matthew 7:15 ESV

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

They spoke them and Luke recorded the words in the book of Acts:

Acts 20:29–30 ESV

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

And they wrote them in their teaching letters to the churches and to individuals:

2 Peter 3:3 ESV

knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

2 Timothy 4:3 ESV

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

If Jude is written in the late 60’s and early 70’s of the first century, then these things would have already been written down and certainly they would have been circulated orally throughout the church.

One way or the other, they would have been well known.

Therefore, Jude says—remember these predictions.

He wants them to see that the very things that were warned about are coming true before their eyes.

They cannot afford to be forgetful or they will be swept away by the fire of the false teaching.

They will end up as scoffers.

They will end up led around by their own ungodly desires.

And this would only prove that they too are devoid of the Spirit.

Application and Illustration

This is a response that we cannot afford to forget.

When false teaching creeps in unnoticed, we have to remember what the Lord has said through the Apostles.

We have to remember the Word of God.

When false doctrine and wrong living invade the church, it can be treacherous times.

I have a friend in ministry who once had false teachers storm the pulpit in the middle of a worship service and ultimately cause a church split.

Those were hard days for that church and that pastor.

What do you do when people like that and ugly instances like that show up on the church’s doorstep?

Well—you do what Jude has called the church to do—you look to the True North of the Holy Word to guide you back into the warmth of the sun and flat, peaceful waters.

Jude’s recommendation is not to hold a meeting and come up with a solution in their own wisdom.

His recommendation is not even that he would come to them and be the guy who straightens them out.

Instead, he is calls attention back to the Apostolic truth.

The words of Christ and His Spirit.

When the church begins to lose her way, the Word is always the compass that will get her back on the path.

Beloved—we must remember.

Remain (v. 20-21)

2. Remain (v. 20-21).

When speak of the second response action of “remaining,” we have to focus on the key phrase in v. 20-21— “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”

This is the main command.

Then there are three supporting commands around it.

Build yourselves up in the most holy faith

Pray in the Holy Spirit

Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

We have already seen in the intro of Jude’s letter that those who are beloved in God the Father are kept for Jesus Christ (v. 1)

But what we are seeing later in the letter is that those who are kept for Jesus Christ will show it by “keeping themselves in the love of God.”

The supporting commands tell us how this is done.

Build Yourselves Up in the Most Holy Faith (v. 20)

The “most holy faith” that we see in v. 20 is the same “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

That faith is the foundation of the Christian life.

The individuals of the church are justified by faith alone:

Romans 3:28 ESV

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

The church itself is founded upon faith:

Colossians 2:6–7 ESV

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

For Jude’s listeners to “build themselves up in the most holy faith,” they must build on the foundation that is already laid.

And the only way for them to do this is to continue to acquaint themselves with the Word of God, which God uses to bring about faith in the first place.

As Paul has taught us: “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

For Jude’s audience and for all of us—

Submitting ourselves to the study of the Word...

Focusing our hearts upon the preaching of the Word...

Exulting in the reading of the Word...

Continuing the study and meditate upon the Gospel taught in the Word...

These are the things that build upon the foundation of the most holy faith with more faith.

This is the opposite of what the false teachers were doing by the way.

They strayed from the Most Holy Faith and sought to tear down the church that was build upon the word.

They endeavored to make it something else all together with a different Gospel—eroding the very foundation that God had put in the place.

The church must eradicate these efforts and continue to build properly.

Praying in the Spirit (v. 20)

The second way that Jude’s friends can “keep themselves in the love of God,” is by “Praying in the Spirit.”

There are some who try to make the end of verse 20 about speaking in tongues, but that is misguided.

Even if you believe speaking in tongues is still for today and you expect to see what we see in the Book of Acts replicated in the church in 2025, this interpretation of v. 20 will not hold up.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul makes it clear that not all will speak in tongues, but Jude’s charge to pray in the Spirit in Jude 20 is for all believers.

Instead, when we think of praying in the Spirit, we should think of Romans 8:14-16:

Romans 8:14–16 ESV

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

John Benton says that the first thing a new believer is gifted by the Spirit is the cry of Father:

The first the Spirit gives to a new Christian is a cry. It is a prayer, which is the cry: ‘Abba, Father’ … The Spirit Himself lets us know that we have been accepted by God, that we belong to Him.

John Benton

What Benton is teaching us is that to pray in the Spirit means to pray in the Spirit of Adoption—the Spirit of Sonship.

It is to know that through faith in Jesus Christ, we can come to the Father like a child and pour out our hearts to Him and let Him know of all our burdens and our needs.

Praying in the Spirit is not some special form of Christian prayer—it is just Christian prayer, in general.

When Christians truly pray, they are praying in the Spirit.

When they offer up sincere, devoted, hearty prayers to God, they are praying in the Spirit.

Paul says this “prayer in the Spirit” is one of the main ways we stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

It is one of the offensive weapons we hold as we wear the armor of God.

The false teachers offer up an empty religion that contains no real devotion to God.

Jude’s listeners must reject this hollow form of godliness for a real godliness expressed through heartfelt prayer.

Wait for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 21)

And finally, as the church builds and prays, they are also to wait.

And this waiting has to do with the second coming of Christ.

The Greek word for “wait” in the New Testament is used of those waiting upon the kingdom of God.

So then, Jude’s hearers are to look to the hills where their help comes from and wait on the Lord to come on the clouds with His holy angels and the kingdoms of man become the kingdom of the Son.

When He does, He will defeat every enemy and He will vindicate His church that is harassed by false teachers.

What a day of mercy that will be.

The truth is that none of us will deserve to be a part of His vindicated church.

We don’t deserve to be here now—worshipping and studying and understanding spiritual things.

But on that day, we will not receive wrath because Christ has already received wrath on our behalf.

We will receive mercy.

We should long for that day.

It is the gateway to an eternity of God being our God and the Church being His people.

On the other side of that day are billions of days filled with no tears or crying or mourning or pain.

Instead, the days will be filled with the glory of Christ and newness and the unceasing fellowship of the saints.

It is a Day that will lead to eternal life.

But as we wait, we have trials and tribulations that come at us from seemingly every direction.

We have Satan, the enemy of our souls, who still wants to devour us.

We have false teachers, the enemy of the truth, who want to deceive us.

We have indwelling sin that still needs to be rooted out and crucified, which can derail us.

And yet we know who will deliver us.

It will be the merciful Son of God—Jesus Christ our Lord.

And as we wait, it is not just that we are promised that the merciful return of Christ will deliver us ultimately from false teaching.

We are also given a great deterrent of following false teaching in the here and now:

The imminent return of our Lord is the great Bible arguments for a pure, unselfish, devoted, unworldly, active life of service.

RA Torrey

How can we be sure not to fall into the trap of the false teacher, but remain in Christ?

Just meditate upon whether or not you would like to be found impure, selfish and worldly when Jesus returns.

If you loathe the thought of it, then patiently wait for Christ, not wanting to be found unready when the Day of the Lord comes.

This is what Jude’s hearers must do.

Application and Illustration

Because this is how one keeps themselves in the love of God.

Build upon the foundation of truth you have received by growing in faith through hearing and studying the truthful Word.

Pray in the Spirit—which is your great privilege as an adopted son of God.

Patiently wait on the mercy of the Lord in His return.

This is part of what it looks like to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

Your salvation doesn’t depend on you building and praying and waiting because you are not saved through religious works.

However, if you truly depend on God’s grace for salvation, you will have a desire to do these things.

Think of the relationship of works and salvation like this—

If you want to grow crops, you work and till the field.

But in order for there to be a harvest, the sun has to shine.

It is similar with working out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Those who have truly had the sunshine of God’s free grace shine in their hearts will work and till—building, praying and waiting—and they will receive the harvest of salvation in the end.

The work begun in them will be brought to completion.

Instead of building, praying and waiting, the false teachers in Jude are tearing down the church, perverting God’s grace and seeking an earthly reward to indulge their flesh.

This proves that the sunshine of God’s grace has not dawned upon their souls.

This is why they are headed for the gloom of utter darkness (v. 13).

But the true believers in the church will heed Jude’s instructions and endeavor to remain in the love of God that they have found themselves in by God’s gracious choice.

And if we are true believers in the church, we will find ourselves delighting to do the same.

Rescue (v. 22-23)

Remember. Remain.

And now our final instruction.

3. Rescue (v. 22-23).

The first two instructions were about the man in the mirror, so to speak.

Each member of the church must react to the fire of false teaching by Remembering and Remaining.

But the final instruction is outward facing.

It is a call to rescue those who have fallen sway under the false teachers and maybe even the false teachers themselves.

We can break v. 22-23 down into three sections.

The first is v. 22 in its entirety: Have mercy on those who doubt

Have Mercy on Those Who Doubt (v. 22)

This is connected to v. 21.

You wait on mercy of Christ.

As you wait, you have mercy on those who doubt.

It can be very easy to get frustrated with those who are being swayed by false teaching.

What are they thinking?

Why won’t just listen?

What is wrong with them?

But Jude says don’t lose track of the virtue of mercy.

Do not grow aggressive and aggravated.

Be filled with the same mercy God has shown you and promises to show you when His Son returns.

There must be a level of compassion directed toward those who are disputing the truth or doubting the truth.

These would have been the people who had started to question the true Gospel and simultaneously started to question whether or not the false Gospel was actually the truth.

The false teachers had crept into the church unnoticed and some in the church started to waver.

“Well—they said they had dreams?”

“Well—they seem nice enough at our love feasts?”

“Well—maybe I would be happier if I indulged my flesh and they say God’s grace will cover it anyhow...”

There is a temptation—especially if you are a person who values doctrinal precision and holiness in all things—to want to crush the doubter.

“CHRIST IS LORD! YOU KNOW NOT GOD!”

But you have to recall the mercy God has shown you...

None of us were born again with a perfect understanding of:

Doctrine

Ethics

Spiritual Disciplines

The Trinity

The relationship of faith and works

We learned more and more of the grace that saved us over time.

And during that time, not only was God merciful to you, but certainly there were others who were compassionate as you worked things out like a baby deer trying to get its legs.

And even now, if you have matured in Christ by His grace, you still are not inerrant in your understanding.

You are also still growing into Christlikeness in belief and in behavior.

Be concerned for the erring one, but also be merciful as you seek to bring them back.

Save Others by Snatching them Out of the Fire (v. 23)

Now, that being said, we get two more imperatives from Jude in v. 23 that qualify what he is saying in v. 22.

First of all, he speaks much more urgently about other who need to be saved by snatching them from the fire.

These are not just those who are beginning to doubt or toy with false teaching.

These would be those who have dove headlong into it and they are beginning to live it.

They are to be snatched from the fire of false teaching before it would consume their whole soul.

The word Greek word harpazo, which translates to “snatching” is the word that would be used for grabbing a burning stick from a fire.

And this whole phrase is likely a reference to Zechariah 3:3-5

Zechariah 3:2–5 ESV

And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

The point is that Joshua the High Priest was headed for the fire of judgment unless his sin—symbolized by filthy garments—was removed.

The angel directs for Joshua’s garments to be removed and replaced with clean ones.

Joshua is the brand plucked from the fire.

Similarly, the false teachers and their followers who were fully adhering to their lies must be quickly and forcefully addressed.

They are in danger of eternal Hell.

Condemnation.

The gloom of utter darkness.

There is a patience encouraged in v. 22 that seems to be replaced with urgency in v. 23.

The matter of souls is on the line.

The issue of life and death is at hand.

The perishing must be rescued.

Fanny Crosby said it this way in her famous hymn:

Rescue the perishing, care the dying,

Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;

Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,

Tell them of Jesus, mighty to save.

Fanny Crosby

Show Mercy With Fear, Hating Even the Garment Stained by Flesh (v. 23)

And then finally, we have Jude’s last words before his doxology in v. 24-25.

This seems to be instruction for the believer’s attitude as they are mercifully patient and mercifully urgent to those ensnared by false teaching and the sin it brings.

Mercy must be shown with fear—that is the fear of the Lord.

The idea here is that you must enter into correction with trembling before God, recognizing that you could end up guilty of the same sin as the one being corrected.

For no one is above believing and doing wrong things.

This is similar to what Paul said to the Galatians:

Galatians 6:1 ESV

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

We are not like Jesus.

We are not God in the flesh.

We are capable of failing and falling.

Therefore, as we seek to rescue those in the fires of false teaching, we must be sure that we are not consumed ourselves.

We have to make sure we do not sin by being un-Christlike in our approach.

We have to watch ourselves to make sure we do not become prideful and we reach to those aren’t doing as well spiritually.

We cannot lose track of the fear of God.

Part of the way we show mercy with fear is to hate the garment stained by flesh.

This is once again a reference to Joshua the Priest’s soiled garments in Zechariah 3.

In that passage, when the angel charges the bystanders to remove the filthy garments from Zechariah, the Hebrew word for “filthy” refers to excrement.

This is what Jude is referring to here.

He uses this shocking picture of soiled and stained garments to remind his audience of how gross sin truly is.

And that should motivate them not to get sucked into the sinner’s sin.

Showing love for the sinner does not exclude an intense hatred for the corruption brought about by sin...Believers need to beware of getting too entangled with some who sin, lest the sinner influence them rather than vice versa.

Tom Schreiner

People say “love the sinner and hate the sin.”

Jude 23 is the Scriptural foundation of the motto.

As we love sinners inside and outside the church, we have to constantly remind ourselves that their sin will drag the soul to Hell.

It must be despised, even as we seek for them to be delivered.

Application

Verses 22-23 are worth returning to often.

Most of us probably don’t have enough concern for the lost people around us...

...For the erring one in our lives and around the life of our church...

...For those who are immersed in false teaching and are being burned by the fire of it.

Let God break our hearts for those who are not in the truth.

Whether it is the false teacher or the ones under their sway, we can hate the stained garment while hanging on to pity with fear.

Like a firefighter who hates the flames but feels a duty to the ones trapped in them, let us approach the burning buildings of the lost and with mercy and fear snatch them from the flames

And let us compassionately warn those drawing too close to the buildings to back away.

Conclusion

This is how we “Learn Not to Burn” in the flames of falsehood.

It is as simple as stop, drop and roll.

Remember.

Remain.

Rescue.

This is how we respond to the fires of false teaching when they being to burn in our midst.