How to Keep Others in the Love of God Jude 22-23

ow to Keep Others in the Love of God

Context

Context

There are 3 groups identified:

There is a concern for the church

Jude 3 NKJV

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

2 Peter 3:3 NKJV

knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,

2 Peter 1:12–14 NKJV

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

Jude 21 NKJV

keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude 21 NKJV

keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Those who doubt (the confused)

Those who doubt are those who have come across the apostates and are now confused.

Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

Those who doubt are typically weak in the faith.

And it does not matter how long a person has been in the church they can be weak in the faith.

Some long time members had their faith damaged long ago by spiritual terrorists and get justified by other terrorists.

They question what is taught or don’t believe some or a lot of what is taught.

Apostates go after those weak in the faith or those who caught up in sins. Those who have a form of Godliness.

2 Timothy 3:1–6 NKJV

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

We have to have mercy on our weak and protect them when possible.

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 NKJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Those who are open to truth are open to error.

People doubt truth and say they have an open mind.

Luke 11:28 NKJV

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Acts 20:28 NKJV

Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Those who are in the fire (the convinced)

Jude 23 NKJV

but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

This group is harder to convince because they are in the fire.

When we attempt to save we gone beyond mercy and into rescue mode.

We can’t actually save because only God can do that through Christ.

But we can be the means that God uses.

James 5:19–20 NKJV

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

James is not saying we are the primary cause but the means that God uses.

God uses us to save people

SNATCH!

Snatch gives the implication they are already in the fire!

They have already been convinced by the false teaching.

They have bought into the lie of liberal theology.

They buy into every doctrine and blowed by every wind of doctrine.

Joshua the high priest is saved from the fire Zech. 3:1-5

Zechariah 3:1–5 NKJV

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

Those who are involved in the sins of the teacher (the committed and cunning)

Jude 23 NKJV

but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

With fear we have to take heads to ourselves so we are not burned up trying to them out of the fire.

The garment is polluted by the flesh and so when we snatch them we may get burned.

We can get corrupted by their evil.

This means they are convicted and highly skilled at telling and convincing others of what they believe.

They are stained like under and outer garments.

Paul did not want the Christians in Rome to get burned!

Romans 16:7 NKJV

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Jude 22 Exegetical questions

Point 1: We Keep Others in The Love of God By Having Compassion on Them.

What Jude mean by and on some have compassion?

Since they were looking to the result of their repentance and mercy they should give mercy.

What did Jude mean by making a distinction?

Distinction refers to those who were waivering and doubting what they had been taught.

Word Study: Compassion

Unearned Mercy

Word Study: Distinction

Waiver or doubt.

Jude 23 Exegetical questions

Point 2: We Keep Others in the Love of God By Having a Fear of God

What did Jude mean by “others save with fear?”

Jude was saying with fear meaning to heed so that you will not get burned.

Jude was saying be careful that you do not hear their false doctrine and be swept away.

What did Jude mean by pulling them out of the fire?

Jude meant they were in the fire and convinced by false doctrine. They had to be snatched or pulled out.

What did Jude mean by “hating even the garment defiled by the flesh?

Their garments were soiled and so you didn’t want to be soiled touching what is soiled.

Word Study: Defiled

Made unclean.