“The Just Shall Live By Faith”
New King James Version Written by: David Hicks
Romans 1:17 “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Galatians 3:11 “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
“Articles of Faith”
(A Study in Jude)
Lesson 3- Three Examples of Community Sin:
The battle lines have been drawn. Jude is aware of the danger and he is now enlisting the soldiers of Christ in an effort to expel this threat to the church. This becomes the theme for the rest of the letter. Jude will work diligently to expose these ungodly men that claim that they have the interests of the children of God at heart, yet adulterate the truth with lies and lead many to destruction.
This battle is just as important to fight today, as these ungodly men still exist. Rather than teach the truth exclusively, they inject human wisdom, preying on the weak and on those who have not developed a love for the truth.
In this lesson we are going to explore three examples of the results of unchecked apostasy. Additionally, it is important to explore reminders as indicated in the text. These brethren would know the history of all the examples being used in the text; it would then emphasize that it is not enough to start serving the Lord, it must continue or He will judge His people unworthy .
Example #1:
Jude 5 “But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
Just as Peter sought to remind them of things that they knew (at least at the present time – II Peter 1:12 ); here Jude likewise reminds these brethren of an illustration close to them.
The children of Israel were rescued from the bondage of Egypt at the mighty hand of God; however, at every turn during their journey towards the Promised Land, they doubted the power of God to save them and in turn disobeyed His commands. This resulted in their ultimate demise, as an entire generation died without ever seeing the Promised Land!
This example was so powerful, that New Testament writers used it for the benefit of Christians several times (see: I Corinthians 10:1-13 ; Hebrews 3:7-19 ).
Example #2:
Jude 6 “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;”
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Comparison:
2 Peter 2:4 : For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;”
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Verse six of Jude has the same intent as in verse five . These angels had a favorable estate at first, but left their own domain (or proper domain). They are now reserved in chains in the depths of Hades, until they are judged in the last days.
This in no way describes a continuous war among the heavenly servants of God. If language means anything, we have to recognize that this was a single occurrence and there is not a continual rebellion. This would also take away from the point being made; God has the power to judge the disobedient and faithless, regardless of where they dwell!
Example #3:
Jude 7 “as Sodom and Gomorrah , and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
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Comparison:
2 Peter 2:6-8 “and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)”
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To those of us who live in this present day and age, this illustration is truly visible as the ultimate depravity of those who will not adhere to the righteousness of God. Just as it is today, the depraved immoderations of man where the norm of the day within these cities, and just as it will be in the end, those who practice such things will taste the vengeance of eternal fire (although the cities realized immediate retribution, the citizens also realized everlasting retribution).
Likewise, just as Peter described the tortured state of Lot ; we the servants of the Lord should be tortured by the evil that surrounds us. This demands that our production of righteousness in the face of this immorality and those who would teach tolerance of such, be more visible than ever!
Text #4:
Jude 8-10 “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.”
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Comparison:
2 Peter 2:9-12 “then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,”
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Likewise: Here both Peter and Jude draw back from the illustrations to those whom it has application. The “ these ” mentioned here are the certain men who have crept in unnoticed ( Vs. 4 ).
Dreamers ( “Filthy Dreamers” – King James ): This statement is not describing that dreams are wrong and that we should not aspire to achieve all we can. However, the context and the term, ‘filthy' as included in the King James translation denotes that these dreamers were actively engaged in seeking the depraved indulgences which defile both the soul and the flesh.
Note the charges:
• “defile the flesh” - satisfying the lusts of the flesh.
• “reject authority” - specifically God!
• “speak evil of dignitaries” - Christ and His Apostles.
These charges become the context of verses 8-9 and make them easier to understand. Peter would denote that these men are both pompous and self-willed. This would denote that the true servant of God must deny his self-sought desires and instead train them to be aligned with those described by God through the word! Remember, this is a battle between those who would “earnestly contend for the faith” and those who would “turn the grace of our God into licentiousness” .
Michael and the Devil: The reference to Michael is purely for the sake of contrast to the very same principle as quoted by Peter in II Peter 2:10 (see above). All we know of the dispute concerning the body of Moses is simply described here in the text (however, in Deuteronomy 34:6 , we learn that no one knew where the body of Moses was buried, it did not mean that the devil and the angels did not know).
We are not described the point of the contention and that would take away from the contrast being made anyway. Here Jude is describing the mildness of Michael in contrast to the false teachers (a characteristic that Christians are also taught that they must posses in contending for the faith – see: II Timothy 2:24-26 ).
Brute Beasts: We have worked with this designation before in our study of II Peter . In both cases it describes these false teachers acting as, ‘natural irrational animals'! It is being described that their behavior is surprisingly foolish in the face of the true knowledge of salvation and that these humans would have no better than the creatures that they share these characteristics with (to be taken and slain). Since they speak evil of what they do not truly know, they certainly show no better intellect than the brute beasts.
False teachers and the principles that they establish their false religions to this day, likewise take a form of godliness and develop it to their own purpose (see: II Timothy 3:5 ). This they do to their own destruction and those whom they lead away from the truth.
Israel was saved from slavery by the mighty hand of God, fed daily by the power of God, led by His great fire, but even in the face of such evidence and might, they reverted back to the base practices they had developed in their captivity. This caused God to judge them unworthy !
The angels of God, who dwelt in the presence of the Almighty Himself, found discontent with their domain and place. This caused them to be judged unworthy !
The citizens of the cities of the plain rejected the righteousness of God to the point of the worst perversions of the flesh. This caused them to be judged unworthy and to be an example to all men to come after them!
To those of us who have become partakers of the divine nature ( “called sanctified” and “preserved in Jesus Christ” – Vs. 1 ), having been found worthy, through obedience, of our common salvation in the faith that was once delivered ( Vs. 3 ), must be all the more diligent to not be judged unworthy as the illustrations given. In humility correcting those who would be at opposition and in the end endure sound doctrine over all else.
You cannot contend for something which you do not have an adequate understanding of! Perversions will exist and you will be led to destruction, unless you develop a love for the truth which you would do well to heed, note:
2 Peter 1:19-21 “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth .”
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord , knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Next: “ Condemnation of Wicked Men ”