Being Prepared for False Teaching

Introduction

Last week we were introduced to the letter that Jude wrote about false teachers that some would call apostates, meaning they were people who had been involved in the Church, pretending to be believers, but have now shown themselves to be unbelievers by what they are teaching and believing. Jude wants the true believers to be prepared to confront such false teaching. Below is the outline that we will be following through the course of this study over the next couple of months.

1. Greeting, 1-2

2. Description of False Teachers, 3-11

3. Comparison of False Teachers, 12-16

4. Expectation of False Teachers, 17-19

5. Protection from False Teachers, 20-24

6. Conclusion: Doxology, 25-26

Even in the introduction, Jude helps these believers to realize the importance of their position in Christ that enables them to identify and confront false teaching. There is a reason that he describes them as he does. He wants his readers to be prepared to know false teaching when they hear it, as well as to confront it. In the study today we will ask this question: What kind of Christian is prepared to identify and confront false teaching. We will see four qualities of the Christian that will help us do that by looking at the greeting in this letter ().

The Christian who is called by God

The basic description of Jude’s readers is that they are “called”, a word that is used often in the New Testament, as Paul says to Timothy when he says that God “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity”

(). This calling has taken place in eternity past. As such, the believer is not called because of his/her own goodness, but because God chose them. The true believer is secure because God has called them to Himself for salvation. Such a calling will help them in the battle against false teaching.

The Christian who is loved by God

Following the general description of believers as called, there are two verbs used to enhance the description. The first is that they are loved. This love is something that was established in eternity past as well, and has continued blessings in the life of the Christian. The apostle John writes about God’s love frequently, none better than when he says “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” (). The believer can rest assured that those whom God loves are going to be secure against false teachers.

The Christian who is protected by God

The second verb used to describe those who are called is the verb “kept”. It is probably best to understand the phrase at the end of as “kept by Jesus Christ”. The called believer is not only loved by God, but he/she is kept, or preserved and protected by Christ Jesus, just as Jesus even declared when speaking of Himself as the good Shepherd when he said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (). The protection that is described in this letter is also a protection in the midst of false teachers.

The Christian who is growing

As Jude gives a formal greeting to his readers, he says, “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you” (). The word for “multiplied” gives us the idea of growing; indeed, it is growing to the max! He wants us to be filled with mercy, peace and love. This is basically a prayer that Jude is offering for his readers. It also makes a great prayer for you to pray on behalf of Christians that you know. This is how he prays for them. He wants God’s mercy, peace, and love to be multiplied in their lives. It is God who is going to do the multiplying.

That means he is praying that they will have a greater realization that God’s mercy will never end, a greater sense of peace with God because we know our sins have been forgiven, and a greater appreciation of the love that He has for His children.The Christian who recognizes the blessings of these three qualities is surely going to be prepared to confront false teaching.

Conclusion

Are you prepared to confront false teaching? From the opening words of this letter, Jude says you are prepared because of what God has done. He has called you, loved you, kept you, and blessed you with His mercy, peace, and love. God has done everything that you need to have done, and He is continuing to work in you even today. You are prepared, and now Jude is ready to take his audience (including you and me!) to the next level. He is going to examine the lives and teaching of the false teachers, and then tell us what we need to be doing before he finally reminds them (us) that we are being kept by God from stumbling.

Application

Since it is God who loves, calls, and protects us, the responsibility we have is to be growing. How is that going for you? What more can you do to enhance your growth in sanctification?