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²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24–25 (ESV)

Jude concludes his epistle with one of the most poignant doxologies contained in Scripture.  A doxology is an expression of praise to God. “In the Christian church, we often hear them sung or chanted. They are a tradition that has meaning and importance for all Christians. Since the early church, doxologies have been a way for Christians to express their love and thankfulness for what God has done in their lives,” explains one author.   

The are several doxologies contained in the Scriptures. Here is but a brief sampling.

¹⁰ “Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. ¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³ And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29:10–13 (ESV)

³³ “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord, for who has been his counselor?” ³⁵ “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” ³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33–36 (ESV)

²⁰ “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20–21 (ESV)

The concluding verse in Jude’s epistle contains the same theme contained in all doxologies. Jude is filled with an expression of praise to the Lord God Almighty.

Jude wrote, “To the only God.” Jude echoed the theme contained throughout the Scriptures. This is the truth the God of the Bible is the one, true God of heaven and earth. There is none other.

⁶ “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. ⁷ Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. ⁸ Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6–8 (ESV)

“⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, ⁶ that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:5–6 (ESV)

Next, this one, true God is “our Savior.” Savior (σωτῆρι; soteri) means deliver. God delivers sinners from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin by grace alone, through God-given faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

The sinner’s salvation is “through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  How has God chosen to deliver sinners from the ravages sin and hell? God the Father did so through the virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary atonement, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ; the second person of the Trinity. In Christ alone is the believer’s only hope.

Jude’s response was a climax of praise to God. “To the only God…be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Glory (δόξα; doxa) refers to praise and honor. Majesty (μεγαλωσύνη; megalosyne) is greatness. Dominion (κράτος; kratos) is strength and power. Authority (ἐξουσία; exousia) is the liberty and right to exercise strength and power. These attributes of God existed before time began, and will continue to exist for all eternity.

“The doxology offers “glory, majesty, dominion, and authority” to God through Jesus Christ, who as the God-man is our mediator now and forever. Let us then be quick always to offer praises to the Lord of glory through His only begotten Son,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24–25 (ESV)

Jude concludes his epistle with one of the most poignant doxologies contained in Scripture. It echoes Jude’s initial greeting to his recipients.   

¹ “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: ² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.” (Jude 1–2 (ESV)

Jude initially referred to believers in Christ as those whom God has called (by the Spirit), who are beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.  He returned to this theme of perseverance and preservation in his conclusion.

Jude began with the phrase “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling.” The personal pronoun “Him” clearly is a reference for God. God is able (δυναμένῳ;dynameno), or has the capability, to presently, and personally perform a task. The task at hand is to actively and infinitely keep (φυλάξαι; phylaxai) or guard the believer from stumbling (ἀπταίστους; aptaistous) into sinful behavior.

“The person to whom this paean of praise is directed is God our Savior. Although the believers observe the apostasy of heretics, they know that God is able to protect his own and keep their salvation intact. Compare the jubilant statement of Paul, “I … am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (2 Tim. 1:12b),” explains commentator Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker.

“Literally the text reads, “keep you from being tripped.” The reference is not to a sure-footed horse that keeps itself from stumbling. Rather, the text describes believers who are kept by God himself from stumbling into sin and thus from falling away from him.”

“This does not mean God’s people are incapable of committing gross sins. In fact, the examples of David (2 Sam. 11) and Peter (Luke 22:54–62) show us those with faith can fall into heinous sin. While God is certainly able to keep His people from such sins, there is no guarantee He will do so. The promise to keep His people from stumbling simply means all those whom God has chosen He will also bring to repentance (see Rom. 8:30). Though they may sin, they will always return to Him in faith before they die (John 6:35–40),” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“We must never use this promise of preservation to presume upon the kindness of God. When we disobey Him, the fault is our own; we cannot blame Him for not keeping us from sinning (James 1:13–15). We are called to keep ourselves from wickedness (Jude 20–23), and all those whom God preserves will grow more eager over the course of their lives to flee from even the appearance of evil. Still, while we must continue to fight against sin, it is God’s preserving power that keeps us eternally safe. As John Calvin says, this doxology reminds us that “our exhortations and labors can do nothing except through the power of God accompanying them.”

God not only keeps believers in Christ from being tripped, but also “to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.” To present (στῆσαι; stesai) means God actively and infinitely establishes and maintains the believers’ position of justification, redemption and reconciliation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

The Lord presents the believer blameless (ἀμώμους; amomous). This means to be without fault or defect. In Christ, the converted are unblemished (Col. 1:22; Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19). Each believer in Christ is holy, blameless and above reproach. Therefore, God the Father brings each believer into the presence of His glory with great joy and happiness. What a moment that will be.

“We are unable to enter heaven on our own account, but God who is rich in mercy protects us from falling away and causes us to enter heaven’s glory. Through the work of Jesus Christ, God presents us blameless in his glorious presence. Peter uses the words without blemish when he describes Christ as a lamb without defect (1 Peter 1:19). God not only cleanses us from sin, but also grants his people unceasing joy. That is, heaven is filled with the continuous rejoicing of saints and angels (compare Luke 15:5, 10; Rev. 19:7). Because of their redemption, Christians are filled not with terror but with joy when they enter the presence of God,” concludes Dr. Kistemaker.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

²² “And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 22–23 (ESV)

As we near the conclusion this study of Jude’s epistle, there remain several fundamental questions. First, how are believers in Christ to treat apostates?  Do we reject them and cast them aside socially, relationally, and spiritually? If so, what about the questions of evangelism and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20)? This is especially significant if the apostate(s) we have in mind are members of our own family. If we’re not to totally reject them, then how are we to treat and minister to those who have departed from the biblical faith they said they once embraced? Do we treat every apostate the same way?

Today’s text provides us some guidance. However, we must not forget other passages of Scripture regarding church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20; I Cor. 5:1-13; Gal. 6:1-2), and the purity of the church (I Tim. 18-20; 2 Tim.2:14-26). We must always remember a key principle of sound biblical interpretation; Scripture interprets Scripture.

Are there apostates in your life? These are individuals who once made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but have departed from the faith they once possessed. They live a secular life, with little to know recognition of anything biblical or sacred. The Lord is absent from their conversations, thoughts and decisions. They may say they are now atheists. They may even be openly hostile to any biblical behavior within their immediate or extended family. Family gatherings become tension filled encounters with relationships strained to be breaking point.

What does today’s text from Jude say? To begin with, he instructed the church to “have mercy on those who doubt.” To have mercy (ἐλεᾶτε; eleate) means to show kindness and concern for those who are in serious need. This is a present, active command applied to all believers.

This command is for the benefit of those who doubt (διακρινομένους; diakrinomenous). To doubt means to waver and to be uncertain. Within the context, these individuals are those who have presently and personally wavered and are uncertain of biblical truth. They may resemble chaff, which the wind drives away (Psalm 1:4).

“The New English Bible has a lucid and striking translation: “There are some doubting souls who need your pity.” Jude is alerting the readers to the danger some weak Christians face when they are confronted by the apostates (compare 2 Peter 2:18). Whenever these people begin to doubt Christian teachings, reassure them by giving them help and understanding. Avoid any form of criticism, but show mercy and love to those who waver,” explains commentator Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker.

These individuals could be true believers in Christ. However, it is wise to never assume such individuals are truly converted. Better to ere on the side of caution and consider them unconverted, rather than presume they are justified, redeemed and reconciled to God the Father. 

Second, Jude wrote, “save others by snatching them out of the fire;” To save (σῴζετε; sozete) is a present active plural imperative verb. It is an active command the church is to consistently obey. To save means to deliver from danger and to help someone who is in peril, injury or suffering. The danger Jude has in mind, which is the greatest danger a sinner faces, is from the wrath of almighty God.

The phrase snatching them out of the fire (ἁρπάζοντες πυρὸς; harpazontes pryos) is a metaphor. Within the context, it refers to the fire of the Lord’s divine wrath (Rom.  1:18-21).

Third, “to others show mercy with fear.” To show mercy is the same as to have mercy. In this case, it is to do so with fear (φόβῳ; phobo) is a divine caution when dealing with humans. The Apostle Peter expressed a similar sentiment.

“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,” (1 Peter 1:17 (ESV)

The phrase “hating even the garment stained by the flesh,” refers to sin’s contamination. The true believer wants to remain separate from any influence of the apostate’s sinfulness; even as the believer seeks to minister to them

“{The imagery recalls the high priest Joshua, who “was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes’ ” (Zech. 3:3–4). As Joshua’s garments symbolized sin, so clothing that is “stained by corrupted flesh” represents iniquity. In brief, Jude resorts to the use of a metaphor. Jesus also uses this imagery when he addresses the church in Sardis: “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes” (Rev. 3:4),” states Dr. Kistemaker.

“There are several textual variants here that could result in either two or three groups being indicated. They are: 1) sincere doubters who deserve compassion (v. 22); 2) those who are deeper in unbelief and urgently need to be pulled from the fire (v. 23); and 3) those declared disciples of apostasy who still deserve mercy, but are to be handled with much fear (v. 23), lest the would-be rescuer also be spiritually sullied. Given the manuscripts evidence and Jude’s pattern of writing in triads, three groups are the more likely scenario,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

Believers in Christ are to show mercy to the wavering heretic, use boldness with the confirmed heretic and use caution in showing mercy to heretics. Discernment as to what perspective to have with each distinct group is wisdom.

“These victims of the apostate teachers need mercy and patience because they have not yet reached a firm conclusion about Christ and eternal life, and so remain doubters who could possibly be swayed to the truth. Others, who are committed to the errors taught by the apostates, need immediate and forthright attention before they are further entrenched on the road to the fire of hell (cf. v. 7) as a result of embracing deceptive lies. with fear. This third group also needs mercy, even though they are thoroughly polluted by apostate teaching. These people are to be given the true gospel, but with great fear, lest the deliverer be contaminated also. The defiled garment pictures the apostate’s debauched life, which can spread its contagion to the well-meaning evangelist,” concludes Dr. MacArthur.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

^“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”  (Jude 20-21 (ESV)

Jude referred to his beloved audience several times throughout his epistle (vs. 3, 5, 12, 17, 18). He did so again in today’s text. Jude referred to them as beloved (ἀγαπητοί; agapetoi). This is in stark contrast to the heretical apostates.

Jude consistently encouraged his fellow believers in Christ to strive in their responsibility to earnestly contend for the truth of God’s Word; “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (vs. 3). He summarized this challenge to the beloved with three verbs in these two verses; consistent with his “triad” writing style. Those words are building, praying, and waiting.

First, believers in Christ are to be building. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith…” Building (ἐποικοδομοῦντες; epoikodomountes) means to strengthen and make more able. It is to increase one’s potential. Who are believers in Christ to presently, actively and collectively strengthen? Themselves, or as Jude wrote, yourselves (ἑαυτοὺς; heautous). Christians have this fundamental responsibility, not for themselves individually but also themselves collectively. God has given believers this responsibility.

What believers are to build upon is their most holy (ἁγιωτάτῃ; hagiotate) faith (πίστει; pistei). This refers to the pure, set apart, and divine doctrine contained in Scripture. True believers in Christ have a sure foundation of truth (I Cor. 3:11), and a cornerstone (Eph.  2:20), in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The doctrines of the Christian faith are found in the teachings of the prophets and apostles of God; respectively in the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, all believers are to strengthen themselves, and each other, in the Word of God (John 17:17; Acts 20;32; 2 Peter 3:18).

“While the godless men enter the Christian community to bring division, Jude commands the readers to build each other spiritually and thus strengthen the unity of the church. Jude writes an apostolic command, for he puts in his own words Paul’s description of the pastor’s role: “To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph. 4:12; also see Col. 2:7; 1 Thess. 5:11). Jude instructs his readers: “You must continue to build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith.” He illustrates his message with a reference to the building trade: build on a foundation,” explains Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker.

Second, believers in Christ are to be praying. “Praying in the Holy Spirit,” Praying (προσευχόμενοι; proseuchomenoi) means to speak to God in a manner obedient to and consistent with the Holy Scriptures. This is why Jude made mention of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Praying presently, personally and collectively in the Holy Spirit does not consist of an ecstatic speech or language. Rather, prayer should contain a thankful, worshipful, understandable and humble demeanor involving one’s mind, emotions and will. Believers are to pray individually and collectively. Consider the following biblical instructions.

^9 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread, ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13 (ESV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)

“Together Christians must pray continually in the Spirit to show their complete dependence upon God. Jude’s wording is similar to that of Paul, who writes, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18) to oppose the spiritual attacks of Satan. Jude presents the apostolic teaching, known among the early Christians, to pray continually (see 1 Thess. 5:17). He exhorts the believers: “Keep on praying, for you possess the Spirit.” The Spirit takes our feeble prayers and perfects and presents them to God the Father. As Paul tells the church, “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Rom. 8:26),” continues Dr. Kistemaker.

By reading, meditating and studying God’s Word (Psalm 1:1-3; 2. Tim. 2:15) and praying without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17), believers in Christ are able to obey the Lord’s command to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” To keep (τηρήσατε; teresate) is an active command for all believers in Christ. In the context, to keep means to guard, keep watch and to securely have in custody, like a jailer with a prisoner, yourself in God the Father’s love.

“Amid the uncertainties, difficulties, and temptations that surround the believers, Jude admonishes them to keep themselves within the circle of God’s love and literally to stay in that sphere. Christians are recipients of this love when they strive to do God’s will by loving him with heart, soul, and mind and by loving their neighbor as themselves (see Matt. 22:37–39),” states Dr. Kistemaker.

“The phrase the love of God can mean either God’s love for man or man’s love for God. Even though the choice is difficult to make, the context seems to favor God’s love for man. As Jude states in the salutation in verse 1, the readers “are loved by God the Father” (also compare John 15:9–10; 1 John 2:5). God comes to man and surrounds him with divine love; in response man comes to God with human love.”

Finally, believers in Christ are to be waiting. “Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Waiting (προσδεχόμενοι; prosdechomenoi) means to presently, personally and collectively wait for something or someone. In this case, it is both. Christians are not only waiting for the Lord’s mercy (ἔλεος; eleos), which is His compassion, but also eternal life (αἰώνιον ζωὴν; aionion zoen), which is salvation from the presence of sin for eternity. Besides this, we are also waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

⁴ “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— ⁶ even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Corinthians 1:4–7 (ESV)

^“…waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13 (ESV)

¹¹ “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:11–13 (ESV)

“Building ourselves up in the most holy faith provides the content we need to refute falsehoods. Praying in the Spirit gives us the power we need to stand firm. As we keep ourselves in the love of God, our assurance of the truth of God grows and enables us more confidently to proclaim it. Looking forward to the mercy at the last day gives us hope that our faith in Christ will prevail. Find a small group to encourage you to do these things and stand for the truth.” – Dr. R. C. Sproul

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (LUKE 24:1-3)

The following article is by Dr. J. I. Packer. Dr. Packer (1926-2020) was an English-born Canadian evangelical theologian, cleric and writer in the low-church Anglican and Calvinist traditions. Having been considered as one of the most influential evangelicals in North America., Dr. Packer is known for his 1973 best-selling book Knowing God, along with his work as the general editor of the English Standard Version Bible. He was one of the high-profile signers on the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy,

Jesus’ resurrection, which was a divine act involving all three Persons of the Godhead (John 10:17-18; Acts 13:30-35; Rom. 1:4), was not just a resuscitation of the ruined physical frame that was taken down from the cross for burial. It was, rather, a transformation of Jesus’ humanity that enabled him to appear, vanish, and move unseen from one location to another (Luke 24:31, 36). It was the creative renewing of his original body, the body that is now fully glorified and deathless (Phil. 3:21; Heb. 7:16, 24). The Son of God in heaven still lives in and through that body, and will do so forever. In 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, Paul envisages that Christians who are alive on earth at the moment of Christ’s return will undergo a similar transformation, though in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 he shows himself aware that Christians who die before the Second Coming will be “clothed” with their new body (the “eternal house in heaven”) as a distinct event, at or after the time of the old body’s return to dust (Gen. 3:19).

Christianity rests on the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection as a space-time occurrence in history. All four Gospels highlight it, focusing on the empty tomb and resurrection appearances, and Acts insists on it (Acts 1:3; 2:24-35; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30-32; 13:33-37). Paul regarded the Resurrection as indisputable proof that the message about Jesus as Judge and Saviour is true (Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:1-11, 20).

Jesus’ resurrection demonstrated his victory over death (Acts 2:24; 1 Cor. 15:54-57), vindicated him as righteous (John 16:10), and indicated his divine identity (Rom. 1:4). It led on to his ascension and enthronement (Acts 1:9-11; 2:34; Phil. 2:9-11; cf. Isa. 53:10-12) and his present heavenly reign. It guarantees the believer’s present forgiveness and justification (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:17) and is the basis of resurrection life in Christ for the believer here and now (John 11:25-26; Rom. 6; Eph. 1:18-2:10; Col. 2:9-15; 3:1-4).

Have a blessed Resurrection Day. May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.” (Jude 19 (ESV)

“In virtually every era of church history there have been people in the church who are convinced that the best way to win the world is by catering to worldly tastes. Such an approach has always been to the detriment of the gospel message. The church has only made any significant impact on the world when the people of God have stood firm, refused to compromise, and boldly proclaimed the truth despite the world’s hostility,” cautions Dr. John MacArthur.

“When Christians have shrunk away from the task of confronting popular worldly delusions with unpopular biblical truths, the church has invariably lost influence and impotently blended into the world. Both Scripture and history attest to that fact.”  

Apostates, defectors from the biblical gospel, are individuals who create conflict. It is what they love to do. They hate the biblical gospel and seek to influence those within the church to have the same perspective. They silently arrive, they sow and reap discord, and then they leave for another local church where the cycle is repeated.

Jude recognized this pattern in the early church. Apostates cause divisions (ἀποδιορίζοντες; apodiorizontes), which means to presently, actively, and collectively instigate divisions among people. They fracture the church, rather than unite it. They are not peacemakers. They disobey the Scriptures.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1–6 (ESV)

“So, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:1–4 (ESV)

Apostates are also worldly people (ψυχικοί; psychikoi). This means to be unspiritual and unconverted. They embody the Apostle Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 2:14.

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

“Apostate teachers advertise themselves as having the highest spiritual knowledge, but they are attracted to the most debased levels of life. They are soulish, not spiritual,” states Dr. MacArthur.

¹³ “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13–18 (ESV)

Jude then said apostates are devoid of the Spirit (ἔχοντες; echontes). This refers to a present, active and collective disconnection with and from God. False teachers do not possess the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they are unconverted.

⁸ “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:8–9 (ESV)

¹⁹”Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV)

“Some scholars assert that Jude employs key words in Greek that were important within the heretical movement called Gnosticism. The Gnostics of the second century taught that a division existed between the physical and the spiritual realm. The physical was the lower realm and the spiritual the higher. In this higher realm were two categories of people, the psychic and the spiritual. Christians belonged to the psychic class, but Gnostics to the spiritual category. The Gnostics were spirit-filled people who, free from moral obligations, assumed a position far superior to that of the psychic Christians,” explains Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker.

“However, the objection to this explanation is that although we know these key words were employed in second-century Gnostic teaching, we have no evidence that Gnosticism was an issue one hundred years earlier when Jude wrote his epistle. Perhaps we can say that the heretics in Jude’s day were forerunners of the movement which in the second century became known as Gnosticism. “It is safer to interpret Jude’s words in their own context.”

“Jude characterizes the heretics as persons who created divisions in the church. Apparently, they claimed to have the Spirit and to be morally free in respect to their behavior. Most likely they indicated that the Christians lacked this gift. Jude, however, turns the matter around and states that the heretics “follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” These people are apostates. In a few words Jude has put the godless men in their place. They have no part in the church, for they lack the Spirit of God,” concludes Dr. Kistemaker.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

^3 “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ 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.” (Jude 3–4 (ESV)

Today’s text contain the thematic verses of Jude’s epistle to the church. Jude initially wanted to write about our common salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. In other words, the Gospel. At the center, or crux, of the Gospel is the Cross.

“ For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)

2 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1–2 (ESV)

Why the cross? The Apostle Paul summarized the Gospel, and the central focus of the cross, in his Epistle to the Romans.

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21–26 (ESV)

However, Jude saw the need to encourage true believers in Christ to earnestly contend for the essential doctrine of salvation. It was not just important to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also to intensely struggle to guard and maintain its true message.

The true message of the Gospel concerns the virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary atonement and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. While all of these truths are essential, they are meaningless without the centrality of the cross. In other words, Jude sought to maintain the cross, symbolizing the substitutionary atonement by Christ, as the crux of the Gospel.

On this Good Friday, I share an article by Dr. James Montgomery Boice. He served as the pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Boice also served as Chairman of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy for over ten years and was a founding member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He entitled his article The Centrality of the Cross. It is taken from his book Foundations of the Christian Faith.

If the death of Christ on the cross is the true meaning of the Incarnation, then there is no gospel without the cross. Christmas by itself is no gospel. The life of Christ is no gospel. Even the resurrection, important as it is in the total scheme of things, is no gospel by itself. For the good news is not just that God became man, nor that God has spoken to reveal a proper way of life for us, or even that death, the great enemy, is conquered.

Rather, the good news is that sin has been dealt with (of which the resurrection is a proof); that Jesus has suffered its penalty for us as our representative, so that we might never have to suffer it; and that therefore all who believe in him can look forward to heaven.

Emulation of Christ’s life and teaching is possible only to those who enter into a new relationship with God through faith in Jesus as their substitute. The resurrection is not merely a victory over death (though it is that) but a proof that the atonement was a satisfactory atonement in the sight of the Father (Rom 4:25); and that death, the result of sin, is abolished on that basis.

 Any gospel that talks merely of the Christ-event, meaning the Incarnation without the atonement, is a false gospel. Any gospel that talks about the love of God without pointing out that his love led him to pay the ultimate price for sin in the person of his Son on the cross is a false gospel. The only true gospel is of the ‘one mediator’ (1 Tim. 2:5-6), who gave himself for us.

Finally, just as there can be no gospel without the atonement as the reason for the Incarnation, so also there can be no Christian life without it. Without the atonement, the Incarnation theme easily becomes a kind of deification of the human and leads to arrogance and self-advancement. With the atonement the true message of the life of Christ, and therefore also of the life of the Christian man or woman, is humility and self-sacrifice for the obvious needs of others.

The Christian life is not indifference to those who are hungry or sick or suffering from some other lack. It is not contentment with our own abundance, neither the abundance of middle class living with home and cars and clothes and vacations, nor the abundance of education or even the spiritual abundance of good churches, Bibles, Bible teaching or Christian friends and acquaintances.

Rather, it is the awareness that others lack these things and that we must therefore sacrifice many of our own interests in order to identify with them and thus bring them increasingly into the abundance we enjoy… We will live for Christ fully only when we are willing to be impoverished, if necessary, in order that others might be helped.

For the believer in Christ, Good Friday is an opportunity to remember the substitutionary atonement Jesus Christ alone provided and to rejoice in the salvation from the penalty, power, and eventual presence of sin. For the unbeliever, it is another opportunity to reflect upon the substitutionary atonement Jesus Christ alone provided, to repent of sin and to receive Him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12-13).

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed Good Friday in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁷ “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” (Jude 17–18 (ESV)

In Jude 8-16, the writer spent considerable time and length to describe the character and behavior of apostates. Beginning in vs. 17, Jude returned his attention to the believers to whom he was writing. He reminded them how the apostles warned the church of impending apostates and apostasy.

The Apostles Peter and John also contributed to the discussion regarding the reality of apostates within the church. They both reminded believers in Christ the enemy was not just outside in the fallen culture, but also within the believing community.

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Peter 2:1–3 (ESV)

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” (2 Peter 3:1–3 (ESV)

 ¹⁸ “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ²¹ I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.“ (1 John 2:18–23 (ESV)

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” ((1 John 4:1–6 (ESV)

“The early chapters of the book of Acts chronicle the transforming days of the dawning of the church, the morning of the church when the Son of righteousness lit up its sky. The church was filled with truth, filled with faith, filled with love, filled with generosity, filled with passion for the lost, filled with hope. And all of that was influenced by the teaching and the preaching and the writing of the apostles of Jesus Christ and those associated with them,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

“But even in the purity of those infant days when the passion was high and the truth prevailed and people were exhilarated in their new-found life, even in those early days, the apostles were given by the Holy Spirit the privilege of looking into the future; and the not-too-distant future at that. And in looking into the future, the Holy Spirit allowed them to see something frightening, something terrifying, something mystifying, something frankly unbelievable. And what did the Holy Spirit show them, and what did they prophesy? That Jesus would return? Yes. That the world would one day be destroyed? Yes. That the universe would melt in basically an atomic holocaust? Yes. That sinners would finally be judged? Yes. They looked into the future and were given the privilege to see that.”

“But in addition to all of that, there was one rather unthinkable, unimaginable, bizarre, and strange reality that the apostles predicted, and that was that the church would defect from the truth, that it would become perverted in its understanding of Scripture, that it would abandon the gospel and abandon Christ – not all the church, but some – and it would affect whole congregations in the euphoria of those powerful days: days of miracles, days of proclaiming the gospel fearlessly and being persecuted for it, days of martyrdom, days of evangelism, days of turning the world upside-down, days of living in the glow and the glory of transformed lives, days of worship, days of prayer. It must have seemed absolutely bizarre that there was coming a time when people who proclaimed Christ would defect. But it was true,” concludes Dr. MacArthur.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁷ “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” (Jude 17–18 (ESV)

“The slow drift away from the faith once delivered to the saints happens largely because the people of God are too often unprepared to confront the false teachers who come into their midst. In today’s passage, Jude reminds us that the rise of false teaching in the church was predicted by the apostles (vv. 17–19),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“We should not be surprised when falsehood finds its way into our midst, nor should we be dismayed, for God is never caught off guard when teachers pervert His grace. However, because we have been warned by Jude, we have no excuse for being taken by false teaching. Since we know it is coming, we must be prepared to stand firm against falsehood so our churches may not succumb to error.”

Paul’s warnings and instructions to Timothy, who was pastoring the church in Ephesus, apply. He counseled his young protégé in both of his letters.

³ “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, ⁴ nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. ⁵ The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶ Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, ⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:3–7 (ESV)

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, ³ who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1–5 (ESV)

^3 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, ⁴ he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Timothy 6:3–5 (ESV)

¹⁵ “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:15–19 (ESV)

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.” (2 Timothy 3:1–9 (ESV)

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1–4 (ESV)

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁷ “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” (Jude 17–18 (ESV)

“The slow drift away from the faith once delivered to the saints happens largely because the people of God are too often unprepared to confront the false teachers who come into their midst. In today’s passage, Jude reminds us that the rise of false teaching in the church was predicted by the apostles (vv. 17–19),” explains Dr. R. c. Sproul.

“We should not be surprised when falsehood finds its way into our midst, nor should we be dismayed, for God is never caught off guard when teachers pervert His grace. However, because we have been warned by Jude, we have no excuse for being taken by false teaching. Since we know it is coming, we must be prepared to stand firm against falsehood so our churches may not succumb to error.”

Jude commented that the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of the arrival of scoffers who would follow their own ungodly passions. Scoffers (ἐμπαῖκται; empaiktai) are mockers and those who make fun of something or someone. In the context of today’s text, these scoffers mock the Lord God by following (πορευόμενοι; poreumenoi) or behaving according to their ungodly passions (ἀσεβειῶν ἐπιθυμίας; asebeion epithymias). This refers to apostates’ godless and evil desires.  

Paul’s warnings and instructions to Timothy, who was pastoring the church in Ephesus, apply. He counseled his young protégé in both of his letters.

³ “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, ⁴ nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. ⁵ The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶ Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, ⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:3–7 (ESV)

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, ³ who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1–5 (ESV)

^3 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, ⁴ he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Timothy 6:3–5 (ESV)

¹⁵ “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:15–19 (ESV)

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.” (2 Timothy 3:1–9 (ESV)

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1–4 (ESV)

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!