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“CONTEND EARNESTLY”

Thesis: To teach the hearer of the constant attacks that are being put forth upon the once and for all delivered faith, and how, to effectively repulse such assaults.

Text: Jude 1:1-22

Introduction,
1. This week we are going to be looking into the epistle of Jude, and the strong message put forth therein.

2. The penman is thought by most to be Jude, the fleshly half-brother of Jesus; in Mt 13:55 and Mk 6:3 we learn that Jesus’ half brothers were named James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, and also that he had sisters, who are not specifically named. But we need to realize that Jude is but the penman, for the Holy Spirit is the Revealer (John 16:13), Who drove these men along (2 Pet 1:21), but the Author (the Originator) of all Scripture is God (2 Tim 3:16).

3. The time of the writing considered by most conservative scholars is to be from the mid 60’s to the early 70’s; AD 68 would be an acceptable date, shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem.

4. The epistle is addressed to all Christians in general, all those that have been “called” (ASV), “sanctified” (KJV) by the Gospel (v 1), but with the many illusions to the OT, it is quite possible that the main recipients were of a Jewish background who were aware of the examples brought forth.

5. The purpose of the epistle is spelled out in verses 3-4; certain men had infiltrated the congregations, and they were basically promoting a lifestyle and teachings that were opposed to what the Lord and His apostles taught, therefore in this manner they were actually denying the Father and the Son (v 4).

6. With that in view Jude makes a “call to arms” in verse 3, he exhorted the 1st century Christians to “contend earnestly for the faith” for it was in dire straits, men were attempting to change it before the inspired Jude’s eyes, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

7. What about today? If Jude walked into any of the buildings of those that claim to follow God and Christ today, would he commend them, or would he assert they in like manner are actually denying God Who they claim to love and follow?

8. Therefore with this in mind will break down this lesson into basic 3 sections . . .
1) The call (v 1-4)
2) The charges (v 5-16)
3) The cure (v 17-21)

I. THE CALL (Jude 1-4)

A. (v 1)

Jud 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

Here Jude recognizes the Deity of Jesus, and instead of referring to himself as His brother, he puts forth his servitude, and in like manner ought we declare ourselves slaves to Him Who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18).

1. The epistle is addressed to those that have been “called” by the Gospel (2 Thess 2:14).

2Th 2:14 whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. They have been called out of the sinful ways of the world and and been “sanctified,” ”set apart” to do the Father’s will upon earth.

3. These are beloved in the sight of God and “kept” “preserved” by that same Gospel, walking in the divine precepts of the NT, the light of God’s word, in this manner we are kept, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin as we look forward to the 2nd coming of Christ.

B. (v 2)

Jud 1:2 Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.

God’s mercy brings salvation, which results in reconciliation to God, which results in peace of mind, that degree of peace which surpasses the understanding of those that know not God (Phili 4:7)

1. Countless individuals throughout time have suffered and died for God, Christ, and His Gospel, when people are beheaded or burned alive, and can be saved merely by renouncing their Master, but wont, this is something that most people can’t comprehend.

2. And this degree of peace results in a love of God, and others, that ever grows as one learns of God’s greatness and goodness, and applies His truths to one’s life.

C. (v 3)

Jud 1:3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.

The focus of the epistle was to be the common salvation; Christians are saved the same way, believe the same things, do the same things, and have hope for the same things.

1. And the writer inspired of God sets forth the most important issue, he was “constrained,” he found it “necessary,” these words set forth the idea of an emergency, that they should be exhorted to “contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered unto the saints.”

2. “Contend earnestly” is translated from the Gr word “ep-ag-o-niz-o-mai” it is where we derive our word “agony” and it was used in the 1st century of those that contended in the Grecian games, but is has the prefix “epi” at the beginning which intensifies the word it modifies, therefore it means to “intensely agonize” in the level of this contending, one is to contend to the point that one is in intense pain.

3. And that which is being contended for is “the faith” (Acts 6:7), it refers to the faith system, the Truth, the Gospel, that body of knowledge and instruction which we have revealed in the NT.

4. And it was in Jude’s time “once for all delivered” this word “hapax” rendered “once for all” is the same word used of Jesus’ sacrifice in Heb 7:27; 9:26; it means that it is something done “once for all time” and that it is “complete,” and that it is “all sufficient” it can and is able to do the work that God has purposed it to do.

5. This teaches us that “the faith system” will never changed or amended, and to do so would be sin,

6. That would be the “adding to or taking away” from it, which would bring upon the person that does so plagues, they would lose their part in the holy city, and the tree of life (Rev 22:18-19), they would be accursed for preaching “another Gospel,” which is not another (Gal 1:6-9), they would be those that “goeth onward” concerning the doctrine of Christ, and thereby don’t have God (2 John 9), and they would be those that Jude states must be earnestly contended against.

7. And notice, it wasn’t delivered to the pope, it wasn’t delivered to the patriarchs that run the Greek Orthodox church, it wasn’t delivered to any other manmade system of hierarchy, or religious home-office, but rather to “the saints” to “Christians.”

8. God chose certain men in the 1st century through which His word came from heaven, it was “once and for all time delivered,” it was recorded, and it is that which we call the NT; Christ’s all encompassing authority is contained in and exercised “only” through the NT, and He hasn’t relinquished any of His authority, nor will He ever “for all time” as we know it.

D. (v 4)

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

These certain men are believed to be of one of the “libertine” sects of Gnosticism that infiltrated Christianity then, and also today,

1. Most Gnostic sects were and are “antinomian” which basically means “against law” they considered themselves so spiritual that the precepts of the NT were below them, they did not have to adhere to them, they taught that the grace of God (the Gospel) gave them freedom from all law, permission to do anything that the grace of God might abound, Paul wrote (Rom 6:1b-2a) . . .

Rom 6:1 Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid !

2. This is basically what is seen in most of Christendom today, a total disregard for God, Christ, and His word, concerning salvation, worship, church organization and work, they all teach many ways concerning these things, as if God hasn’t legislated, and they do not even seem to fear God, which is typical of these types, as you will see in this epistle.

3. These men “snuck in the side door” so to speak, preying on weaker saints, those new in the faith, they promised those just starting to come out of the world, and easier route, right back into their old ways, which are the ways of spiritual death, Peter wrote about this same group in his 2nd epistle, saying thus (2 Pet 2:18-19) . . .

2Pe 2:18 For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; 2Pe 2:19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.

4. In doing this they turned the grace of God (the Gospel) into lasciviousness, into lewdness, that which followed one’s desires and fleshly vices, and by doing this, they were in fact denying God and Christ, even though they didn’t believe so.

5. The same is true today, we see prideful performances by bands called worship to God, we see most making merchandise out of Christianity, we see women in leadership roles which God ordained for men, we see head offices over congregations, the Vatican, all usurping Christ’s rule over individual congregations (Eph 1:22-23), and breaking God’s failsafe system of autonomy.

6. We see sinful, unscriptural marriages being accepted, social drinking, sodomites, lesbianism, even child molesters as leaders in man’s self made clergy system, and all acting like it is pleasing to God, but God says different (1Cor 6:9-11) . . .

1Co 6:9 Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, 1Co 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

7. Again those that do such, say with their lips that Jesus is their Lord, but with their actions, they actually deny Him, He Himself stated (Luke 6:46) . . .

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

8. Therefore Jude “calls” the faithful to arms, we also must “call” the faithful to arms, to engage in a spiritual battle against these ungodly individuals who use their freedom for a cloak of maliciousness (1 Pet 2:16), battling them the sword of the Spirit, the word of God (Eph 6:17), and being in earnest prayer concerning these matters.

9. Throughout the ages there has always been a remnant of the faithful unto God, the same is true in the Christian age, and there are records to prove that those that followed Catholicism and Protestantism both had there hands in putting to death those that stood by God’s word as the truth, and they are looked down upon by the same today also.

II. THE CHARGES (Jude 5-16)

A. (v 5) Now Jude puts forth a number of examples to expose the errors of these men, and of a surety that they will meet their demise; God saved His very own people out of Egypt, yet because of unbelief, they murmured and disobeyed, and God saw to it that all the accountable (20 and over) were destroyed in the wilderness, remember these were His chosen people.

B. (v 6) The angels that didn’t want to obey God, but rather they wanted to be like God, they wanted to make their own rules, therefore has God bound in the deepest abyss in Hades until the Day of Judgment.

C. (v 7) Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities of that region were once a well watered paradise, but now because sexual sins, they were destroyed by fire, and that land is desolate. This is an example, as are all of God’s judgments, that He punishes the wicked, He does not change (Mal 3:6; Ja 1:17).

D. (v 8) And these men are likened to these OT examples, these dreamers (those that dream up their own doctrines), they commit and approve of sexual sins, they reject the authority of Christ given through His apostles in the once and for all delivered faith, and they speak evil of them and other persons put in charge of God’s creation, probably referring to leaders of countries, elders of the congregations, husbands, and so on.

1. How can these men even think that they can escape God’s wrath for their unbelief in His word, will those that explain away God’s word today escape His wrath?

E. (v 9) Even Michael the archangel (which means ruling angel), wouldn’t even speak evil against Satan concerning the body of Moses, but rather left the problem in the hands of the Lord . . .

1. “vengeance in Mine” saith the Lord (Rom 12:19), we need to keep our composure and our mouths, and speak as the oracles of God, when problems arise (1 Pet 4:11a) . . .

1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;

D. (v 10) These false teachers speak evil of spiritual things, of which they have no clue, they act like brute beasts, and by following what they “think” is right, what “feels” right, these are the very things that are corrupting, destroying them (Pro 14:12)

Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; But the end thereof are the ways of death.

1. The same is true today, people are speaking of the power of the Holy Spirit claiming modern day miracles, ignoring what the Bible says the purpose was (revealing and confirming the word, Mk 16:20; Acts 14:3; Heb 2:4 which has been completely revealed, delivered since the 1st century) because it feels right, they believe that’s the power of the gospel . . .

2. And the truth is that the power of the Gospel is its ability change the vilest of sinners into a holy person of God, one that abhors sin, one that can spot it a mile off, and stays far clears of it, all the while these are living in sinful marriages, following the dictates of their flesh, jamming to Jesus, instead of imitating His life (1 Cor 11:1; 1 John 2:3-6).

F. (v 11) They went the way of Cain, offering will worship unto God; like Balaam who attempted to prophesy for the highest bidder instead of God; and Korah, who rebelled against God’s authority, and was swallowed up by the earth for his troubles.

1. Will worship, making merchandise of the Gospel, and not submitting to God’s authoritative word are all sins that almost every so called religious body partakes of today, it is written (Col 3:17) . . .

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of (by the authority of) the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

2. And that means “whatsoever”, “everything”, “period!!!!” is to be done by the authority of Christ, the Head over all things to the church, and all creation (Mt 28:18; Eph 1:22-23; 5:23).

3. Woe unto those men of the 1st century, and woe unto those today that follow in their footsteps, it is a very, very sad situation, and it could be easily remedied, as it could have been during the days of Jeremiah (Jer 6:16) . . .

Jer 6:16 Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, We will not walk therein.

G. (v 12-13) These men are like hidden rocks of which can sink your ship unto eternal life, as they promote their false Gospel while they partake in fellowship meals, they are like clouds that promise rain (liberty unto worldly ways), but they can’t deliver, no one can be a friend of the world without being an enemy of God (Ja 4:4).

Jam 4:4 Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.

1. They are likened unto trees, from which one may expect fruit, but they are not only spiritually dead, but twice dead, and pulled out of the ground, to be burned on the brush pile.

2. They are like waves that should be foaming out their own shame, but they don’t, they can’t even blush, because of their conformity to the evils of the world around them, just like we see today.

3. They are like shooting stars that burn out quickly into the outer darkness, where they will spend eternity, without God, where there will be everlasting weeping and gnashing of teeth.

H. (v 14-15)

Jud 1:14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones (KJV; NKJV “saints”), Jud 1:15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Of such as these Enoch prophesied, literally this states “the Lord came with His holy ten thousands” (myriads), this is a reference to the souls of the redeemed that were brought out of the Hadean realm to be reunited with their changed incorruptible bodies, these will come with come with Christ on that Day as also affirmed in 1 Thess 4:14

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

And also the heavenly angels will accompany Him, rendering vengeance in them that “know not God” nor “obey the Gospel of our Lord” (2 Thess 1:7-9) . . .

2Th 1:7 and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, 2Th 1:8 rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: 2Th 1:9 who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

1. These, and all like them, those that do know, and don’t obey, because of sin are eternally doomed, but the grace of God (the Gospel) hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men (Tit 2:14), but most don’t believe, or want to be bothered with such matters, because it is their will be done, not God’s!

I. (v 16)

Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.

These false teachers murmur and complain about the Truth (John 17:17), they tried to remove God’s laws, they didn’t want to be renewed according to God’s will, but rather according to their own lusts, they were proficient public speakers, and would show favor towards those that could help them financially.

1. What about today? The Catholics add to and misinterpret God’s word claiming that they have the authority to do such,

2. And the Protestants attempt to twist the Scriptures into basically the same thing we see in this epistle, faith only, no law, the worldly Gospel, how can they read epistles such as this and possibly come up their conclusions, its almost ridiculous.

3. And money, is # 1 on many of these peoples lists, you mention a million dollars and their eyes light up, even though the bible teaches that they are to be free from the love of money (Heb 13:5), then you mention contending and suffering for one unsubjective Faith (Eph 4:5) to the same group and they change the subject, are these truly God’s people?

4. These are the “charges” that Jude makes, we must make the exact same “charges” today! And they indeed are guilty as “charged”

5. We looked at the “call”, then the “charges”, now let’s look at the “cure”, God’s cure.

III. THE CURE (Jude 17-22)

A. (v 17)

Jud 1:17 But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Here is Jude reminding them, he points to that which the apostles spoke to them, the NT penmen wrote it down, it is the New Testament of Jesus Christ, it is that standard under which all the Lord’s followers can be united as one (John 17:20-21).

B. (v 18)

Jud 1:18 That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.

They spoke and wrote about these mockers, they would mock about the 2nd coming of the Lord, (turn to 2 Pet 3:3-4) . . .

2Pe 3:3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, 2Pe 3:4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

1. Today we see those that deny a universal flood, that attempt to propagate theistic evolution, denying the age of God’s creation in order to be accepted among the unbelieving scholarly, so they don’t seem ignorant in the realm of the wisdom of men.

2. They would act ungodly, following their lusts, instead of God, yet they would claim to follow Him, but because of what they do they are in fact denying God’s true power, that which could change their very characters through the renewal, these would come in the last time, the last days (which started in Acts ch 2; Acts 2:16-17), the Christian dispensation, Paul also wrote of these in 2 Tim 3:1-5 . . .

2Ti 3:1 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. 2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 2Ti 3:3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, 2Ti 3:4 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 2Ti 3:5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.

3. These were those that professed to be Christians, and we see all these types of individuals in Christendom today, in differing degrees, from them we also must turn away

C. (v 19)

Jud 1:19 These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.

There is no definite article with the word “spirit” in this verse, nor in verse 20, therefore I tend to believe it is speaking of that which is spiritual, according to the teaching of the Spirit delivered word of God, instead of the miraculous manifestations of the 1st century, as properly translated in the 1912 Weymouth NT.

Jud 1:19 These are those who cause divisions. They are men of the world, wholly unspiritual.

1. These men would make divisions within the faithful children of God, because of what they taught, and what they did, which was contrary to the word of God, they were “sensual”; this is the same Greek word found in 1 Cor 2:14, where it refers to Paul’s “natural” man who welcomed not the teachings of the Spirit, who received the spirit of the world (1 Cor 2:12).

2. Therefore these men were prophesied of, they were expected, Jude is basically telling them “don’t believe them,” nor can we believe them today, “let God be found true, and every man a liar” (Rom 3:4), “he that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God” (2 John 9), I am so thankful that we have our completed New Testaments which give us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3), we can read it, believe it, and obey it, know the Truth, abide in it, and be made free.

D. (v 20)

Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

Jud 1:20 But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying with a holy spirit; (LONT)

“But ye” beloved, in contrast to those brute beasts that follow the dictates of their will, their mind, their flesh, and not God, “you build yourselves in the most holy faith, praying in a holy spirit (as properly translated in the Living Oracles of 1835), in other words according to the Holy Spirit’s directions, according to the Father’s will, not a sensual, fleshly spirit, praying for one’s own will be done.

1. There is the article (the word “the”) modifying “most holy faith” here, and there is no article modifying “holy spirit” therefore my belief is that would be a proper translation.

2. Even though one’s personal faith is an essential and primary prerequisite to the faith, I don’t believe that is what this is talking about, if it was talking about one’s subjective faith, that would be the same standard that these false teachers were following, and a contrast is being made.

3. Therefore we are to live according to God’s will, and pray according to God's will, it should always be ‘Thy will” not “my will be done”

E. (v 21)

Jud 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

God’s love is manifested in His revealed will, which is His word; Jesus stated in (John 14:21; 15:10) . . .

Joh 14:23 . . . If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

1. When we keep ourselves in God’s word, we keep ourselves in God’s love, then we can know that we posses eternal life in prospect, John wrote (1 John 5:13) . . .

1Jo 5:13 These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

2. Therefore we can read God’s word, and compare our lives to it, and we can know, and we can look forward to receiving mercy at Christ’s second coming in the Judgment, and receive our crowns with all the other faithful, that have loved Christ’s 1st appearing on earth, like Paul, who wrote (2 Tim 4:7-8) . . .

2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: 2Ti 4:8 henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.

3. Concerning loving Christ, Jesus Himself said (John 14:15) . . .

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.

4. And His commandments include “all things” that were taught to His disciples in the 1st century, He stated (Mt 28:20) . . .

Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (age).

5. And their marching orders were this (Mk 16:16) . . .

Mar 16:15 . . . Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Mar 16:16 He that believeth (the one that is believing) and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.

6. They are the same orders we are under today, the one that believeth does the whole of God’s will to the best of their ability, the disbelieving concoct their own doctrines like those in this epistle, this choice is before us all


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