Presumption - Stay off the Train of Unbelief, to Rebellion, to Eternal Judgment!
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
A. Identify the Sin of Presumption & God’s Plan for Us Facing It
Do you know what the sin of presumption is? Presumption is taking the ordering of our lives into our own hands, without consulting God or remembering our dependence on him. The sin that lost Eden was presumption. Jacob’s grasping at the birthright was presumption. Moses’ smiting the rock twice was presumption. Saul’s forcing himself to sacrifice when Samuel tarried was presumption. David’s numbering the people was presumption. Peter striking off the ear of Malchus was presumption. These are but specimen cases, readily recalled. A careful estimate of many sins will reveal presumption at the root of them. Still, if we read our lives aright, we shall find that we are constantly presuming on what God would have us to do, and acting without making due inquiries of him.
This is the sin so connected with pride, that puts us out of God’s good order and plan both in life in creation , work our homes, but also in our spiritual life with the LORD. Adn itis especially in regard to your relaoitnship with the Lord that presumption is deadly. This is what interpruts Jude from writing tot hese mostly Jewish Chrisians, probably as kind of sequel to his brother James letter after he had been martyred. He wanted to write about their common salvation, past, present, future, but do that till the cows come home, if nt raised up at htis time o point out a danger, callout a warning. How many of you have cell phones - ever get an amber alert - remember the murders out west. What did the plice do right away - description - and whatis your reponse as you drive down the 400 is there a silver 4 Honda Accrod with a man in dark hoodygotee , 20s with kids in the back - you on alert and if had that kids might even be ready for action to contend. That’s what Jude is sousnding the amber alert inthe church for. But unlike a kidnapper or murder out therein the world, you and I need to notoice that the amber alert is for our churches, the enemy is working from within. And the word Jude uses for “creep in untoiced” is stealth. a
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.
And the word Jude uses for “creep in untoiced” is stealth.
Wolf in sheeps clothing to use Jeuss parable. The threat of false teaching and false living, of error and evil, comes with pioepole who are part of the church community, came from us as John would say, but are not of us. This sin of presumption is sown like a weed among God’s people, when at night time - unwares, Listen to how Jeuss says it works:
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
Now there are times when false teaching, and worldly behviuor readly apparent - predict return date of Christ, deliver messages as if from god but onot in the word, bear no fruit of love - but those seem a lot more obvious. Can think in CRC circles of premillenialist predicting end of the world, or of Weibo Ludwig - furit in life clearly false shepherd. But this is something different, the sin of presumption can’t see the sheepskin covering the wolf - but in their proud way - saying we’re the people of God - but we don’t need grace - grace they talk of is God will oove you as you are whicih is ture, but then in reposnse withthe Holy SPirit God’s grace transforms us - desire to live holy lives submit ted and pleasing to Him.
But presumption perverts God grace how? Jude 4c
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.
Here is the heart of the sin of presumption - Paul had said we receive grace unto godliness. We can’t recieve grace, so that sin abounds. Presumption, take God’s grace, but say doesn’t need to change, me won’t submit to God. Paul had even put so strongly that instead of being slaves to unrighteousness and the devil, we now become slaves to Christ, slaves to righteouneess. Paul had to deal with this sin and says:
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Isaiah, vol. 2, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1910), 63.
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Isaiah, vol. 2, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1910), 63.
Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—
Understand this is no minor doctyrinal quiblle, but he very heartof th gospel being compromised, bastardized perverted and rejected right in the middle of the chuerch: they twist real grace of the gospoe into sensuality - and they deny Christ as master and Lord. tHEY DON’T REALLY KNOW HIm. Though they know HIs name, empty it of Mesisanic and Lorsdship value in their lives. And the result is antinomianism : Free from the law O\h Blessed Condition I can sin all I want and stil have remisision. Can you identitfy that atttude in any so-called Chrsitians - ever have it weeling up in you - pssbile that ahve name jesus sprinkeld through life, cshow up at Church, but grace never got hold of them, and if they are influencing others - to live as if grace deosn’t mean tranformation - stay away from them!
And jude who so long lived without Christ while in the earhtly minstiry, says - don’t want to go down that road. hold to grace hold to Christ.
And look how he explains this threat in the middle of the verse:
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.
And here Jude wants to dleiver comfort and courage in confronting false teacher and the sin of presumpotion in our lives. We are called, beloved and kept for Jesus, But here in the church - we find a souldamning sin and temptation and threat that brings condemnation - would leave you kind wondering if God’s in control and if your slavation is secure. But Jude says God designated these false teadhers, bring a trial of his peole in tothe hchurch, God has a plan - not just for the condemnation of those who distort and reject the graceo f God extended too them, but he has a plan for you facing this trial of faith the fire of this trial of sin of presumption doesn’t burn God’s people with condemnation, but rather purifyies their faith and concentrates their trust and realince on jesus!
But Jude , writintg to Jewish Christans wants them to understand from OT events that this testing is something that has hapnped inthte past as a type and exxample of what happen always in the life of God’s peole until the Final Day. SO next he and again in threes - spells out three OT events by which we are to seee how Presumption does its nasty work among the poeole of God and then applies the solution by way of an illustration with the Angel Michael.
So next:
B. Understand the OT Types that Show Unbelief, Moves to Rebellion, that Ends in Destruction
Our problem is that so often we only think of sins, as little foibles and isolated events - I got jealous there, I blew my top here, I lusted there, I wated my money here. We seldom ask the question waht preceded those sinful acts, we see a weed in our life, and pluck the dandeliion flower off, and leave the whole root in. We rarely look for the sin underneath the sin - our jealousy caused by thinking not enough in Christ, or our anger because we think we can control other people and events , or I lusted because anxious gapingwhole and bored in life , or wasted my moeny because don’t see greater purpose. There are sins underneeath our sins.
But in the same way we just focus on tyhe isolated bad behaviour, we also are not very big on thinking of the consequences of sin, what our sins will do in the future. If not in the grace of Christ - sins are actually storing up wrath, punishment, eternal destruction for us. And if we are in Christ, while God never punish the same sijn twice and all our sins punished on the Crosss, our sins do have future conquences not only t3mporally breaking fellowship with God, but also of bringing god’s disciplining hand uopn our lives.
So without drawing too stircit parallel between actual false teaching and living of the Preusumption gang in Jdues’s frieds churches and with the OT gang, in three broad stroke from OT events, Jude shows us how the sin of presumption works.
Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Those first wrods are striking, he doens’t come up with somehting new, he says - you want to understand sin and God’ s reaction both in judgment and also in grace - not just new ideas, But like Jesus said in
And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
If always craving new not satisfied with what god’s revealed! Become like those who forget the past and are dooemd to repeat it!
i. Unbelief of God’s People in the Desert
He begins with the realm of humans, and particulazrly God’speople Israel just after he had in pure mercy delivered them all out of Egypt., He sqaved a laos, a people - word for the people of God, eventually the church too. But in that mass of people the visibile church, there werere htose who alothoguh experienced mercy of God in general, saw the worsksof the LORD, they did not believe - trust God’s Word, as in our Fall, so in there ‘s said we can be our own god, judge for ourselves what’s best and how to get it, grumbled against God’s wrod, and HIs propeht, and Jude is referring to . THey had the facts, but there was no folwoing and kwoo experiential feeling. And Jude says in rejecting that deliveerance, not just rejecting God’s prphet Moses, or god’s Wrod, they were rejecting Christ.
Unbelierf of God’s Word - is at the heart of presumption and it is at the heart of rejecting the grace of Jesus. Jesus rescued them, and he rescued us, and now int he wilderness of this world, and just like God said at the baaptism, transifguration This is my Son listen to Him, So too Jesus say If you love me you will keep my commanmdents. He it is who lvoes… keeps my Word. Habkuk in OT and Paul in Romans in the new both say - that it is this faith in Christ;s Word that the just will live by . Paul will say what ever doesn’t come from faith is sin, fiaith in hearing the voice of jesus who he is what e woud have us do - leanign into those words with trust and obedience that is how we ought to be living. And when we hit spots were belief is tough, ought to be crying I belive help my unbelief
But the next picture shows us where unbelief if it is not checked, leads. For this Jude moves from the realm of people in this world, to angels in the universe.
ii. Rebellion of Angels Leaving Their God-ordained Positions
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Jude says think about hte angels - spiritual creations- wonders of messenger and servants do God’s bidding from heafven in the spiritual realm for what gets worked out on earth. And they behold the glory of God inblessed light - reflect taht light through out the universe.
But at the dawn of creation, 1/3 of the angels follwoing Satan don’t believe God has their best interests in mind. Satan convinves them after he fell, ie Milton, what now - now the only thing and he belive it is glorioous is a life of rebellion, opposethe Tyrannt of Heaven who wants happiness. lock our selves in war … rather than give up our freedom. Unbelife of God leads to this kindo f rebellion - got to sense the spirit of it.
But most likely refering not to intial fall of the angels intheirrebellion here, but much mor3e speicific and graphic.
the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.
Many used to think just God’s people taking heathen, but last 15 years archeology has uncovered all these pre-flood stories in the ANE of angels with humans and a race of giants. Revered and record kept in Babylon. here we have Genesis quoting this to show not awesome Gods, but source in rebellion with angels and dnagerious. God therefor shorten the life of men to 120 years. Polemic is
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
Another indication that this event is refered to is taht later when Jude recounts the S&G story - uses the words in the ESV footnote. Not they unatural desire, literally other or differnt flesh.
The story is one of unbelief spilling into this rebellion of God’s creatures now living outside the boundaries he set up. And as a result whtehr in first fall of theanels or the more recent transgression, when we live actively against God’s will, what’s the result - insteado f being vessels of God’s reflected light, insterad of being His servants coordinated by His purose and blessings;
b
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
They and we become vessels that spread darkness around, become not servantsof the good and holy but messengers of Satan that bring chaos into others lvies. Those angels were like miltary soliders abandoning post, what we become in our rebellion too, if not returning tot he Great Shpehrd King of our Suls when our foot gets on that path. If instead of living in the propoer dwelling God sets for us, we make our life’s home among the unirghteous. We are to be in the world rub shoulder, witness, help; neoghbour - but not dwell outsideo f Gods’ prosense . QAnd do you seee the greeat irony here - those whse unbelif gives birth to persist4ent unrepentant rebellion, they are not kept for jesus Christ, They aren ot prized and called and
No they are kept for jugment day, how in eternal chains, every where they go, kept incheckdarg cahins around, and not so much a place of gloomy darkness uyet, but where ever they go - covered in gloomy darkness.
And that brings us to the 3rd Picture
iii. The Eternal Fires of Punishment of Sodom & Gomorrah
just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Sodom and Gommorah and the othe surrounding cities became a symbol not of one particular sexual sin. And the other flesh here , while including unnatural seisre was also a violation of the mixing of angelic and human.
Those angels and now Sodom and Gomorah were waging awar against heaven - and basically saying in their lusting - they can break any boundaries, they can live autonomously wihtout God’s order, law and boudnaries..
By way of application understand celebrity handles and pre-teen drag fqueen shows, CBC .,.. like David Bowie earlier bi-sexual life style - Song REBEL YELL. Real rebellion that God’s word says, wehtehr sexual rebellionk or viotation of strnagers, or if this is lived in it brings down not Gods Yell, but His Wrath
But
Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
call their sin - inhospitablity, ooppressio f the poor by the rich./.. They gourge themsels in excess of food , ease, haguhty abominations, wihtout restraint and heading tot he God’s puishment. Jeuss also uses these two cities as symbol of etenral punihsment that’s the point - peope thought of that regions fire still burning, … symbolically unbelefi leads to rebeellion, but judes message is that God has this undercontrol, he has a plan, evil and error will not go uncheck ed by God.
Thought he wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet. Why for god’s children, Christ’s reutrn not a day of terror for us. and Jude underlines that fast or slow God will judge these false teachers, those living in presumption, so the terror for you and me should not be they Dya of the Lord, But listen it should be a terror of being found living in Sodom and Gomorah, living under the influence of those who would lead usinto presumption.
And Jude who so long presumed Jesus not a Saviour, didn’t need that kind of Grace, ddin’t need to submit to King and His Kingdom - he says don’t get stuck in that kindo f prsumption. Fless to Christ,live for him.
And Jude who so long presumed Jesus not a Saviour, didn’t need that kind of Grace, ddin’t need to submit to King and His Kingdom - he says don’t get stuck in that kindo f prsumption. Fless to Christ,live for him.
Well lastly Jude says, we got to apply these dynamics to the current situation and to you and me.
C. The Humble Obedience of Arch-Angle Michael and You
In verse 8 Jude quickly draw those three brush strikes and tells us a little more about the current church problem:
Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
Jude seems to be opinting out that like the pagans aournd them, and indeed OT seasons of revelation, that the false propehts claim divine revealtion through dreams for their positinos and lifestyles. A remidner that God’s special revelation at the ned of the NT period was closing - and only the inscriptururated truth was necessary and even permissable forthe faith andlife of God’s people, but even clearer is taht the defiling sins of the flessh and the attitdue of rebellion aainst authority, indeed superceeding God’s place are next highlight.ed. These are people who don’t live spiritual lives but the oppostive defling the body, morally outof contro, and rejecting the Lordship of Christ, which is blasphemy.
But then he gives not a Scriptureal story, though pquite pssibliy true, about when God hismelf buried Moses body on Mt Nebo, presummably so no supersittion would aboudn around it. But God buriess Moses and wants that location hidde, and what does Satan do - but seek to uncover that location and make it false place of worship. And the Apocraphyl book (not part of the apostlica faith once delivered, not partof the canon of the OT or the Nt) because it doens’t contia Mesisanic truth nor bear the marks of redemptive history - profitable but not deemed inspirded. The book the Assumpotion of Moses, descrbies a fight between the arch angle Micahel and Satan. And MIcahel’s attitude is held up as the soution to the sin of presumption!
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
For Micahel to directly curse Satan woud be to presume int he place of God. Maaicahel also speak s against an acucsing Satan, but never wihtout restraint theat he is a mere human, and would not take up opwers that belongonly to God to judge, to damn.
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?”
And just as Micahel said that about Joshua the hgihpirest with dirty clothes, who found forvbniess and refused to livein the sin of presumption, so it can be said of you and me, if we with revernce, living by trust and bodeince, having mecy, peace and love multipoled from God to us
We don’t need to fear that we’re awaiing a terrible judgment before God.
We who flee to Jesus are safe
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
We are kept safe in this life, fleeing presumption and those who live presumptuously and influence others too. we don’t await judgment but the very fullness of divine mercies.