Acts of the Apostates

Introduction

-{Jude}

-Last week I looked at the first 4 verses of Jude where he pleads with his fellow Christians to contend earnestly for the faith—that is, the body of beliefs that have been handed down to us and recorded in Scripture.

-He gives this warning on the one hand because there were enemies to the faith on the outside. Jude had to contend with a pagan government, pagan religions, and hostile Jews. We have to contend with radical atheists, Darwinists, Islam, hostile culture and government, etc.

~But he mostly gave the warning because there were enemies on the inside of the faith (so to speak). There were those who either once were Christians and left the faith and disparaged the faith, or there were those who made the claim that they were Christians but twisted and perverted the faith in some way.

~Jude warned about these people, saying they have snuck in stealthily and are turning the grace of God into immoral living and denying the sovereignty and lordship of Jesus Christ.

-For these types of false teachers/prophets, we often use the label apostate. You might also hear the word heretic used. There actually is a very thin line of difference between heresy and apostasy, between heretics and apostates.

~You might say that heresy is a doctrine held by a member of a religion that is at variance with established Christian beliefs. So, for example, Islam teaches that Jesus is not God, was not born of a virgin, and was not raised from the dead. That would be heresy.

~Apostasy, on the other hand, might be described as the deliberate act of a professing Christian who knowingly and deliberately rejects orthodox doctrines and twists them to mean something else.

-Maybe another way of looking at it is that a heretic is someone who does not claim to be Christian and teaches things at variance with Christian doctrine. Apostates are persons who proclaim the faith but aren’t really of the faith.

-So, for example, Rob Bell planted and pastored Mars Hill Church in Michigan. At the time, he seemed to teach normal Christian truths. In 2011 Bell resigned from the church to do talk shows and write books.

~In his talks and in his books he denied a literal hell (instead, opting for the idea that hell was wherever people were not treated as fully humans). He teaches universalism, meaning that everyone is saved because God’s love wins out (people even being able to say “yes” to God after death). He denies the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ (because God would never have to actually save people from His wrath). Etc.

-That would be apostasy—claiming to be Christian, but not really. And Jude warns us against such people and calls us to contend for the faith against such people.

-And Jude doesn’t want the people reading his epistle to be ignorant of how these people operate, so they can push back against their teachings. And that’s what we need in our day and age—Christians that are not ignorant of the devices of apostates and are able to contend for the true faith.

-So, lets leave here today armed and ready and willing to hold fast to the faith and contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

-{as we take our passage section by section}

1) They carry on a wicked heritage

{READ Jude 5-7}

Jude 5–7 ESV

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. 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— 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.

-When you were a kid, there may have been certain other kids that your mom or dad would tell you to stay away from because they’re troublemakers. And when you inquire a little bit further, your parents might say that those kids are just like their parents or other family members who were also troublemakers.

~Or as the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So, they might say something to the effect: Oh, those Johnson boys are just like their daddy. Or, that Huey is just like his big brother Bob…

-The apostates that Jude says creep quietly into the churches, and the apostates that we deal with in our day and age, are not new. It’s not like in the span of human history there haven’t been apostates except in the 1st century and the 21st century.

~The apostates that Jude dealt with and the apostates that we deal with act just like the other apostates ever since the fall. They are carrying on the wicked heritage of their spiritual ancestors—and Jude gives a few examples from biblical history that demonstrate how the apostates of his day and our day follow the same patterns.

-First, in v. 5, he mentions the Israelites who did not believe:

~Moses had led the people out of Egypt and to the edge of the Promised Land. Before they were to enter the Promised Land, Moses sent 12 spies to check the land, see what they were up against, and see how bountiful the land truly was.

~When they returned 10 of the spies were faithless, spineless, and heartless, and told the people that it would be impossible to take the land. 2 of the spies were faithful and reminded the people about the promises of God. But the people heeded the words of the 10 faithless spies.

~Because they didn’t believe God’s Word or promises, that generation was refused entry into what God had promised their ancestors, and they died in the wilderness.

-The apostates of Jude’s day and our day do not believe God’s Word either. It’s not necessarily that they don’t know God’s Word, but they don’t believe it actually means what it says. Because if they were to believe it actually means what is says, they’d have to conform to it, and they don’t want to do that.

~So, instead of just taking God at His Word, they abandon the true meaning, thereby abandoning the promises, and teach others to do the same. They are faithless themselves and they cast doubt in people’s minds, and lead people away from God instead of leading them to Him.

-Also, according to v. 6, they carry on the heritage of fallen angels—the demons {as we might call them}. These spiritual beings didn’t like their lot in life, maybe they didn’t like the way God was running things and thought they could do better, so they rebelled against their Creator and in their pride would try to take over the rule of some (if not all) of His domain. Pride was found in their leader Satan, and pride was found in them all, and it led them to leave the glories that they had within the domain that God gave them and seek to rule in His place.

~These apostates are like their spiritual father (the devil) in that they think they know better, they don’t want God for who He is, so in their pride they go off on their own, leaving the domain of the Bible, and create a theology that rivals God’s truth.

-But they are also in v. 7 like Sodom and Gomorrah in that how they act and what they teach go against the clear moral teachings of God’s Word—they in fact do the exact opposite of what God’s Word says and teach others to do the same

-You see a progression. They are faithless toward God and deny His Word, instead they desire to rule over themselves and others, so they set up their own moral code. They in turn teach these things to others. They teach others to be faithless to the Word of God just like the spies convinced the rest of Israel to deny God’s promises. They teach others to leave out from under God’s domain and set up a domain for themselves where they make the rules. They teach others that God’s morality is too restrictive, and so they can determine for themselves what is right and wrong.

-No matter the time in history, past, present, or future, apostates are all the same. You can know them and mark them and avoid them and make sure you don’t become one of them----but Jude doesn’t stop there, he also tells us that:

2) Their conduct conforms to their nature

{READ Jude 8-13}

Jude 8–13 ESV

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 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.” But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

-When someone is saved by Jesus Christ, they are regenerated, made new, and given new spiritual life. That, then, is the beginning of their sanctification—their journey of holiness and Christlikeness. When someone comes to faith in Christ, they have a new nature...

-Jude reminds us that no matter what people may claim with their lips about knowing Christ, it boils down to the fruit of their actions—and the apostates by their actions show that their nature has never been transformed by Christ

-How does Jude describe their conduct and what does it show about their nature:

~in v. 8 Jude says they defile the flesh, and then v. 10 tells us that they corrupt themselves by giving themselves over to animal instincts—they pollute their bodies, and teach others to do so, with physical sins (be they sexual or otherwise)

-Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV)----there are parameters that God has set up for the body, and to go against those parameters is to sin against God and to defile ourselves, yet the apostates with joy teach that it is OK to just go ahead and do what feels good (it’s your body...)

-Then, in middle of v. 8, it says they reject authority—they rebel against the heavenly authority placed over them

~What does that mean they reject authority?—They do not recognize anyone other than themselves in placing borders and boundaries on their lifestyle==they make the rules for themselves; they set the standard for themselves==they do not think God, Jesus or the Bible has any say over their life, and teach others the same thing

-Even though they claim Christ, they do not submit to the Lordship of Christ, showing they have never truly known Christ to begin with----and that is why Jesus asked this very pointed question== “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46 ESV)

-According to v. 12 they are selfish hypocrites who come into the congregation of a Christian church, and become a blemish to that church because all they do is serve themselves====apostates are all about ME, ME, ME instead of Christ

-It goes on in v. 12 to say that these apostates are fruitless—they do not bear any Holy Spirit-filled good works==they’re likened to clouds without water; waterless clouds produce nothing----they’re also likened to trees without fruit, they promise much, they may make great Christian boasts, but nothing of spiritual value ever comes from them

-the end of v. 13 tells us that these apostates try to mislead people—Jude likens them to wandering stars=back in the 1st century they didn’t have radars or GPS or smart phones or any sort of technology to tell travelers where they were or where they were going, and so they would follow the stars because during each season of the year certain stars were reliably in the same place so they could get their bearings

-but apostates are like wandering stars, useless in determining your position or destination—all they do is bring confusion and try to get sincere believers off course

-Later on, v. 16 tells us that their speech reflects their heart—they are grumblers, complainers, and they try to flatter people to manipulate them for their own advantage

-Do you know people who always try to find fault==they always try to find something to complain about?====or maybe you know someone who can talk so harsh about people behind their backs, but then when someone of leadership or importance comes around their demeanor completely changes and they start talking so sweet to the person just to try to manipulate them to get their own way?

-These are the works of apostates because these are the natural fruits of their nature—Jesus said:

“So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:17–20 ESV)…

-But Jude has one more things to say about apostates:

3) Their condemnation is certain

{READ Jude 14-16}

-I spoke earlier about those kids that mom or dad would warn you about. They would warn you that if you hung out with those kids you’re going to end up in jail, or worse—because parents know that people will reap what they sow, and if they act wickedly, they will get for themselves the consequences of their actions

-Jude tells us the same in vv. 14-15==He reminds us that there will be a day when Jesus returns with His holy angels and believing saints, which will be a day of great rejoicing for believers==but for the apostates it will be a day of horror

-They will be judged as wicked people, for their wicked deeds and all their wicked words—but what is sad is that they will cause many to be caught up in the wake of their judgment

-True believers can never lose their salvation, but their reward may be minimal if they fell for the lies that these were teaching----but there are many in the church today who have never truly been regenerated or born again, and they will go with the flow of the current of the apostates until it will be too late

-That is why it is so important to recognize, mark, avoid and fight against the influence of the apostates==the consequences are of eternal significance

-The apostates can deny hell and God’s wrath all they want, but that doesn’t change reality.

~I can jump off the Empire State Building denying and denouncing the law of gravity. But the second I step off that top, the reality of things will become quite clear and evident.

-Hell is real. God’s wrath is real. Don’t let anyone tell you different. But thankfully, God’s love is also real. And Jesus’ death and resurrection are real. And don’t let anyone tell you any different from that either.

Conclusion

-Unfortunately, though, apostates are real and if they don’t denounce the faith, then they try and offer a counterfeit. But think of the counterfeits this way:

~Counterfeit money is lacking in authority—-it does not have the backing of the federal government. A good counterfeiter can dupe some people into accepting his copywork as legitimate currency. But eventually, when the fake money is brought before the authorities, it will be found false and sentenced to destruction.

Likewise, a false doctrine or false faith lacks something very important: the authority of Christ. The apostate may believe it and persuade (others) to accept its message. Nevertheless, in the final analysis, there is no salvation or hope or peace in his false teaching.

-Maybe you know someone who has been caught up in the lies of an apostate…or maybe you know an apostate, and you want to come to the altar and pray that God would grab hold of them, please do so.

-Maybe you yourself have followed a lie—maybe you have believed the truth that you can live however you want and still call yourself a Christian. You have to decide who or what is going to be your ultimate authority—you or God—maybe you want to come pray about that

-Or maybe you have walked away from the faith—God is waiting with open arms of love for you to return. God always welcomes home a prodigal, He never turns them away.

-But maybe you have never come to faith. There is only one gospel==Jesus, God the Son, died for you, and rose again so that you could be made new and have true life. He also waiting for you to come to Him….