Those Who Keep Themselves in God's Love Can Save Those Who Wander!
Notes
Transcript
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rather interesting in the middle of some controversial points of a recent Classis meeting, to hear Tuesday’s loudthundershakethebuilding, and then later in the midst of come morecontroverythat Amber alert like a fire alarm. Couldn’t help but thinkofthis first of Jude - watch out for false teachers- be able to identifyboth false doctrine, but especially practice in Jude, and even more the results, fruit - really lack of it. But that was not enough for Jude, who didn’t want those who were in the church to miss out like he almost did. So he givs the postive antidote. Like if pandemic ofbubonic plague - not enough to know how it spreads, what the sideffects are, you need to get htis seruum, this vaccine. And remeber we looked at the frist two actions need to be doing:
Remember the faith once delivere, apotoic faithwith its warningings, forefront of mind, not just don’t forget it, but keep it active app in your mind… Scofferes who make light of God’s word, live by ungodly passions..
Keep yourself in the love of God … three ways to do that body building yourselves up in your most holy faiht - exercise trust in doing God’s will, forgiving, and living by thegospel, praying inthe HOly Spirit - both content and manner -realprayer that prays what Holy Spiriti reveasl as proise in the Word, not listneing prayer wihtout content of Scripture - Christ’s will… and then waiting in hope for the final mercy of Christ’s comiong. Not like scoffers so focused st on today, eat drink, tomrorow we die, but the bbig deal is the FinalConnsumation.
Well remember I said this antidote like oxygen mask in airplane, take it yourself, then help others. Weel the third part of the antidoteif we are to fight off false teaching and teachers here: is after keeping yourself to “save others”, and there are three gropus we are to do that with, and then we are given what great assurance if we’re doing this.
A. The Astounding Fact: We can “save” others in Christ’s Mercy
And here we come to an incredibly positive part of Jude’s message. Our great hope even after getting intial and conclusive mercy - justification worked out in time, what God in love has in eternity chosen us for. Well still need that mercy applied in ongoing way, and Christian hope is that - the final state, mercy washes all evei away from us, see Christ and be made like him … new heaven\s and new earth - that mercy yet to be worked out - what we’re longing for and working for and giving ourselves for - the great hope.
Well in the same way we experienced that mercy as undeserving sinners intiailly in our conversion in the past, and in the same way we long for fulness of mercy worked out at Christ return; We’re a people defined by mercy aren’t we, our calling ilke in GEMS
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
love mercy- lvoing kindness undeserved, HESED - you love it foryourself, keep your idenityin that, long for it for the future. But herei s the postiive twist inthe book of Jude, you hate the evil and even the evil teachers - those who teach this and once confronted unrepentant , warn , separate yourselves from like cancer. But interpersonally withthose who are influenced by this - hit a dull spot intheir faith, or really hurting, and get sucked in… happen to any of us - so focused on self , comfort, your pleasure, so easy to justify … well those people we are not to have smug, self-righteousn… serves them right, made their bed lie in it- But the mercy from our past, andthe mercy countingon for the future, is supposed to so fill your hearts for the present that it changes how you wakl beside those struggl\ing with doubt, put you into action to get them outo f spiritual danger anyway you can, - and the astounding claim that Jude makes is that when you have mercy reigningin your heart, and you have kept your selfwith Gods’ Word , and kept yourself in God’slove -then you actually can share in waht God’s greatest work in this world is - saving others.
Now pause, let that sink in. These words that are just reserved for God “save others” how can Jude say we can save others. Only for God? Well, no not when mercy of Christ reigining in your heart, of course we can’t save in the sense of graniting the holy spirit, but for those who have been given the holy spiriti, ordained to undergo this test, trial of their faith, God has ordained that as other christains walk beside backsliders and those in dark doubt, that their actions accompanied by their WORD, God working throughthem with all the energy christ provides, their actions contribute to their returning to chirst. We become a means for God to weork a deliverance of God’s children that are stumbling!
So Let’s unpack the three ways we are called to walk beside those influenced by alse teaching inorder to save them. Three classes:
i. Wavering Doubters need to be shown mercy.
Doubt never seen as a postive trait, but also not sin. Wekaness part of fallen world - We live in a sea of antiChriatin teaching media lies,Satanic deceit about life wihtout God, it is not a surprise that when we don’t keep ourselves inthe love ofChrist, this wahses overus, like Peter on the wves feel so unsure and think we’ll sink. Need that testimonyof the man who brought his deomn possessed son, I belive help myunbelief, Don’t be doubting but believing. Like Thomas,
Some many times when see impossibilities, paradoxes, though spiritual man, not living by faith but merely by sight, judgments not guided by spiritual disdcernment, but just by sight! We’ve got to be familiar with these conditions - can come on believers, not just rank unbelief. Rank unbelief is what the teachers of these errors have at the core, starts with disbelieving, snidely contrdicting God’s word, deliberately like Cain, Satan, saying not true and I will live by my own truth.
But doubt - though it can lead to sins, whatever is not of faith is sin for a belivers. Doubt in itself, is not sin and can be combatted. As you understand the dynamic of doubt - not to push such a person away. So often we don’t want to live with lose ends and cognitive dissoanance, but so much of life is that - might not be able to given answer, not the first thing to do - but with mercy - like Heavenly Father withthe Prodigal - on the look out eager to run towards, .
And what is in your heart as you runs towards them - -that experience of being kept in the love of God in Chirst. Interesting misquote of the powerful end of . Nothing can separate us fromthe love of Christ. NOt what it says. General nonspecific, genreic, blanket way of saying Christ loves everyone and no one in particular - be nice like Jesus - that has zero mercy and zero comfort in it - scratch the surface see not golden at all, but cheap imitation. We don’t go with that false mercy - Jesus is lvoe so doubts don’t matter, nor your life nor sin, nor fears - just smile everyone saved in the end.
No, mercy is not incompatible with justice, with holiness. Why says nothing can separate us from the love of God IN CHRIST! And this is sthe mercy with which we come to struggling brother or sister. IN CHRIST, your God is reconciled, in Christ, do you know him look to him, believe God coming to you, well regardless of the strength of your faith, if faith in Him going to be ok. For every look to self and all your doubts, feeling of failure, or mistrust, take ten looks to Christ, There is where you will find mercy mutliplied. Like Way of the Pilgrim, blind Baritmuasu prayer - loking to Son of David, Messiah able to just cry out -Jesus Son of David have mercy on me : Go to such a person , praying like Paul at beginnign of this letter, may their expereince of this mercy in CHRIST, be multiplied!
So Jude says with this first class, we’ve got to go with compassion and mercy and whether as first private Christains speaking truth in love, or as the church as a whole, elders speaking and visiting on Christ’s behalf - we need to go listen to those doubts, questions. Maybe has to do with doctrine of Bible they are questioning - Creation & Science, or may have to do with the ethics of Christain living - have to seek truth together. Don’t dismiss these people, don’t lose patience with them. Reclaim these with gentleness!
correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
By way of application do you talk to people about doctrine and practice? Do you give other\s permission - you r membership vow did - with each other do what ever it takes to grow with others in Christ, submit yourself to oversight and disciping of those charged by Christ with your growth! Elders and deacons you have said if you come to conclusions othersthan what Bible teaches, what our confessions summarize, and they are not perfect timesneed correction,processo f making your difference knwon, dealing with it - examine it together. IE Doctrine of election, doctrine of hell, - something so good when we are honest iand incommunity and in prayer to living God - say God I don’t understand show me, theywwya, show us. IE Friend with Petnecostal background, married in, household unity - worship and learn together, after yeas of being honest, break through God’s Sovereignty… Will we have that here? Not just distincitive but very basics that the world spirit of antiChrist in it attacks! with GOD’S WORD, BUT EVEN MORE IMOPRTANLTY NOT GET DISTRACTED FROM side-issues but back to basics of the Person and Work of Christ and calling them to make Him central in their lives.
But second class of those affected by the false teaching receive even more emphasis BUT others you’ve got to save by snatching outof the fire. They aren’t just in doubt, they are in the processo f transferring their commitment from Christ’s truth and Christ’s church to the feloship and teaching and activity and lifestyle of the false teachers. Jude 23a
save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
But second class of those affected by the false teaching. They aren’t just in doubt, they
And Jude says, there is no one-size fits all approach to reclaing the wandering children of God!
ii. Decided Joiners of the False-Teachers Need Rescue from the Terrible Fire
Do you know what a joiner is? What described those in the generation of the buidlers, WWII so many institutions, groups, commuity clubs. Do you know someone volunteers for everything, or comittmed to a club - They say so indivudal, private, - very few joiners. But when it comes to false teaching in Christ’s church - sentiment is very very strong - when yo0u are disillusioined by the church, distance yourself from regular fellowship , more onthe fringe, lonelyin society, and you get enamorued by some new teaching, the communal appeal is often very strong. Some in the Messianic Jewish movment - so focused on end times, resettlemnt, some in Reformed movement so focused on God’s Law, not ust moral law, but civic and reliious become law of our land - over board - some in Pentecostal - so focused on extrabibilical revelation - calling people not just to doubt orthodox doctrine, or practice, but to join them - take on their idenitty, fellowship in their group, adopt their lifestyle ethics and sin. Often peo.e inthis category either straddling two communities or have made a break.
What is your attiude to someone like that? Ie Frined from university went to Korea - parto f Church of God cult, even when returned quite concerned. But you feel like what can I do, private concern - or may even feel like that person always a little weird, different view , I amnever going to discuss those, Just cause a fight. Maybe be content to say they are getting what they deserve, I am sure they’ll see the error of theirs ways on their own soner or later. And we wash our hands, of this.
Jude hismelf weas in this position, Jew and even brother of the Messiah who part of a differnt group rejecting Jesus. Maybe through his brother James, maybe his own mother Mary\, even when he who earlier ahd said Jesus is out of his mind, you disciples are wacked, they loved and showed mercy to him, brought himback to true belief in Mesisah.
But Jude says with this group they are so much more committed than mere doubters. They have a smell of smoke onthem. Whiel they are not in the fire yet, they are iwth the false teachers on the edge. You remember the progression of the sin of presumpotion don’t you, unbelief, leads rebellion, leads to WHAT Judgment.
Jude wants us to feel the ehat of their danger. Smell the smoke of the fires of jugment. He’s talking of the warning of the fire and brimstone that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. He is speaking of the many times Jesus called out warning: , ;
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Can you imagine being in Newfoundland on the coast right now. What would it stink of? Slamon parts groun up floating. Now let’s say you left your wallet with 20,000 dollars on the beach the week before just remembered, goiong down to get it. What manner woudl you go down to get that wallet? This is why Jude calls for a different strategy with these joiners of false teachers. They are not like the false teachers themselves, whom vs 4 says have already been designated for condemnation, persistently reject call to repentnance , and by their fruit appear to be reprobate - these joiners, are deceived and back sliding yet some of them are true children of God, that the Holy Spiriit will restore, and that is the assumpion we are to make with all who fall down like this, but have made a credible profession of faith, have born fruit, but are in a season now not only of doubt but rebellion. Isn’t this what so much of the Old Testament is about - and God says got so bad, that like Hosea goign to Gomer, like the man persisting in gross sexaul sin, with step mother in NT Corinth - we are to go and try a different approach of SNATCHING THEM OUT FO THE FIRE.
That word snatch out of the fire. Comes from an OT vision of the prophet Zechariah. There is Joshua the high priest, caught in sin, condemned and feeling helpless. Represented by his dirty clothes with indelible never come out stain of sins of his people. And there is Satan the accuser. Even the angel ofthe LORD says, The LORD rebuke you Satan. But listen to what happens next: You pluck a brand from the edge of the fire, not going to let your hand linger pulling it out. This is the same image used of God saving His people even Lot from the judgment fires of Sodomo and Gomoarrah. cf.
You pluck a brand from the edge of the fire, not going to let your hand linger pulling it out. This is the same image uysed of God saving His people even Lot from the judgment fires of Sodomo and Gomoarrah. cf.
The strategy is much more upfront, urgent, and direct. There is talk of smell of smoke, of God’s final judgment, Real warnings of apostasy. That is tis possible for those who are outwardly members of teh church, to never have been awakened inwardly to embrace Christ and savlation and envlivedn to walk wwith Himin His truth and in holiness. And this is what Jude is saying, deliver hard words, toguht love. Urgent request check and see if your are in the faith. I see this teaching, I see this lifestyle - incopmaratble with gospel of jesus teaching - Are you sure. And as a church mayask you to pray for someone wihtout name frist step of discipline, not just elders but whole church praying for repenantce and real turning back to Christa nd his church. And some times by name -declare walking not in the way of Christ,. not a final judgment of the person eternal stae, but declaration not in way of Christ, can’t pretend all is well, and pleading retunr, open door. But the point is the approach is a bit like an extraction planin the military. Quickly in , don’t waste time , strong message and offer out.
When people entranced by false teachers; God wants to use us as a Church, you as indivdiuals, you as elders, but altogether our approach to rescue that person fromt he future judgment that looms so close to them, and we can be instruments or restoring them to a right relationship with God.
But there is a thrid strategy that needs to be employed for when people are even more influenced by false teachers.
iii. Cautiously Show Mercy to those Deeply Ensnared in Sin
Now we have instruction regarding those who are not only deeply ensnared but teaching others to join them. Breeding division. We are to warn and without repentance such a false teacher is to be treated like an unbeliver, and evenmore we are to have nothing to do with those false prophets truly wolves preying on Christ’ flock! But we are wrong to assume that if some leave us, leave fellowship with Christ’s people and drop off from worship and preaching of God’s word, and get entrenched in false teaching and false practices the sins of that false teachers say - no big deal sensual sexual sin OK, antinomian - God’s law - its all just grace, so don’t worry about Christ’s Lordship, grace means God forgives so it doens’t matter how you live. Now Jude says even when ensnared like that , true child of God, backslidden needs your mercy and mine. Jude 23a Still hope and we should not be deterred because of big their sin seems in our eyes from going to them.
But look at the manner in which mercy is shown to this group: Jude 23b . These are people maybe for a while have been defiled by some pretty public visible sins. And Jude says can’t disdain or abhor these people Go with mercy, but with mercy that is mingled with fear - that doesn’t mean a fear you stir up with threats of hell for them,but a fear in you - that you are walking so close to a besetting sin, a deceptive lie of Satan that could trick you! Thisis an awe - if you are afraid of spiders - one creeping closer, tartula poison in it - come knowing dealing with dangerous stuff. Or to use Jude’s analogy - think of whenthe Bubonic Plague - and a relative comes downwith the fever, sweating away there - you love that person maybe even ignore the common to flee, but there is his garment and it needs to be burned - got the puss from poen sores - defling garment. Those who go to show mercy in these extremem cases, its not a shunning - where we disdain the person, but its so much more of a wary - list4en what you are invovled in - this sexual typoe of sin, this dangergous spiritual teaching, this new but false way of worship - I love you, accept you into my life as a person; but I don’t agree with your error or this sin. This is waht it means to beware of the garment stained by the flesh. The warning if one gets too close even the clothing will defile those attmepting toshow mercy.
. These are people maybe for a while have been defiled by some pretty public visible sins. And Jude says can’t disdain or abhor these people Go with mercy, but with mercy that is mingled with fear - that doesn’t mean a fear you stir up with threats of hell for them,but a fear in you - that you are walking so close to a besetting sin, a deceptive lie of Satan that could trick you! Thisis an awe - if you are afraid of spiders - one creeping closer, tartula poison in it - come knowing dealign with dangerous stuff. Or to use Jude’s analogy - think of whenthe Bubonic Plague - and a relative comes downwith the fever, sweating away there - you love that person maybe even ignore the common to flee, but there is his garment and it needs to be burned - got the puss from poen sores - defling garment. Those who go to show mercy in these extremem cases, its not a shunning - where we disdain the person, but its so much more of a wary - list4en what you are invovled in - this sexual typoe of sin, this dangergous spiritual teaching, this new but false way of worship - I love you, accept you into my life as a person; but I don’t agree with your error or this sin. This is waht it means to beware of the garment stained by the flesh. The warning if one gets too close even the clothing will defile those attmepting toshow mercy.
And if this strikes you as severe it should It should motivate us to go befoer they get this entrenched. It should shocks us to see how deceitful sin and tricky sin is. Jude use the word stained, really filthy. Its the OT word for excrement, inner garment and when that doesn’t get cleaned it pollutes and contaminates. This sis the principle that bad company does corrupt good morals, that the influence can go so quickly inthe wrong direction, insteado f mercy and grace, to we’re all sinners so you continue and I just might be justified in sinning too.
Its true that Jeuss gave the inner meaning of the Jewish purity laws, that he broke the boundries and touched lepeers and that allowed himiself contact with woman with flowo f blood and even adultery. But he was showing that its what is onthe insdie that contamiantes not the outside, and that when He touches the inside of a person, they are made clean from within. Jude is pointing out the oppsoite that uncleannes from the outsideand start to corrupt even those made clean from the outside. make sure when you go into this territory with one who professed Christ but iswalking in uncleanness - that the direction is Christ purifying from within, not being pulled into defilent. Jude is showing that whiel we love a sinner who is being called to repentance we maintian an intense hatred for the corruption brought about by sin.
Well, congregation there is no question this is hard work and ont for the faint of heat to walk with honesty with each other, and I doubt we will be very good in the second and third cases, if we are not practicing the first. And remember the illustration of the airmask in the plane - Jude’s first two positive strategies - have to do with you yourself - remember the most holy faiht, keeping in the forefront of you mind, youself keeping your selfi n the love of God - by building yourself and araying in the spirit. As we do this then we are equipped to go to those straying in our homes, friendships, our church fellowship. Both of these are required to truly contend for the faith - your own and the truth of faith entrusted in\to the church together, and even battling with mercy and hope for the faith of those stumbling!
But Jude wants to leave you with such hope and confidence for this contending and he does so with what for some poeople is the only reason they knwo of this book, the salautation, the parting not prayer, but this parting blessing. Let it soak in because it will give you both the attiude with which you must go about saving the stubmling and the hope that as you share in God’s work here it will be accomplished!
But Jude wants to conclude on the
Listen to the first part of it carefully:
stumbling isn’t little fallings-away, temporary, but final apostatizing, those who turn to Christ guarantee that can never happen, not because of anythingi nthem, but becauseo f God’s love… impossible that lost in irrevocable way, lost forever. Like God speaking of his promise to ethnic Israel …impossible for true believers, elect to stumble so as utterly fall. , The promises is that we will be kept from committing apostasy from abandoning the faith once for all.
spotless - like sacrifical lamb, wihtou blemih = the whole… preseneted before God
spotless - like sacrifical lamb, wihtou blemih = the whole… preseneted before God
Stand = eschatological vindication at God’s throne on the last day. The LORD is able to make you stand … last day before your Maker. Not presumption but confidence in Christ!
warns us not to be cocky and live in our own strength, but to take heed and rely on God’s strength - guaranteeing that we won’t ultiamtely Fall:ITherefore let anyone who thiks that he stands TAKE HEED, lest he fall.
This is what enables us to stand, that kind of abiding in Christ.
,,
KEPT FOR JESUS CHRIST: not a prayer, but a declaration to live our lives with confidence,and dependence on God - not just for our preseervation, as if nervously hanging on by a thread, but confidently to trust in HIs preservation, his preserving power:
Picture that last day as hold to the Word, keep in love (building up faith, praying in the Spirit, waiting for mercy ready to be revealed on the last day), STAND WITH GREAT JOY -