Battles are not won by the famous...nor by high ranking officers...nor by politicians who often decide the fate of those who faithfully serve under them. No...battles are won by an ARMY of SOLDIERS...those willing to stand between the ENEMY and those whom the enemy seeks to destroy. The same is true for the Church. The Church exists to defend TRUTH...to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 1:3) Notice the opening words of Jude as he greets those to whom he is writing: Jude 1:1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Jude let it be known...he was addressing BELIEVERS...those SAVED by grace through their faith in Jesus Christ. Then...in those first words of Verse 3...Jude says that he now finds it necessary to write to this group of believers. Why? Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me note 3 things here: 1. Peter would write in 2 Peter of the FALSE TEACHERS who were to come. 2. Jude writes of the ARRIVAL of those FALSE TEACHERS. 3. Jude...being the last to speak to the Church before we enter into the writing of John...The Revelation of Jesus Christ...is the only book of the Bible to deal EXCLUSIVELY with the confrontation of FALSE TEACHERS...warning the Church of the APOSTASY that has so clearly infiltrated its midst. Significant...to say the least. The flow of Scripture is so powerful in its message...and we see at the BIRTH of the Church a PURE and UNDEFILED Gospel. Yet...in such a short period of time...we discover that FALSE TEACHERS have arisen...all seeking to GAIN ADVANTAGE of the flock by whatever means necessary...allowing them to PROFIT from those who may be weak in the faith. But...these FALSE TEACHERS are much more sinister in their delusions...as they actually attempt to usurp power from God...whether in IGNORANCE or in ARROGANCE. We gain insight through the words of Jude: Jude 1:8-11 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.11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. Note these issues: 1. These false teachers are noted as dreamers. The word used here denotes one who is in a confused state...believing lies and delusions...blind to the truth. We soon learn the impetus for such delusions: Greed. 2. They defile the flesh. Simply put...they are immoral...as their GREED fuels their desire to ADVANCE in their DESIRES and DELUSIONS. 3. They reject authority. Comparing these false teachers to the fallen angels of Verse 6, Jude shows us that these false teachers seek AUTHORITY...yet they do so by claiming POWER which ONLY belongs to God. 4. They speak evil of dignitaries. This refers to HEAVENLY power...as God has given POWER to His Angels to work in the realm of Earth. It is Gods Angels who WAR with principalities and powers which seek to wreak havoc on the world through DECEPTION and other insidious devices. This seems clear...as Jude immediately refers to Michael...the archangel...as he opposed the devil. It is here that Jude brings these first 4 points together...as Jude states that even Michael did NOT have the spiritual authority to rebuke the devil...instead saying: The Lord rebuke you! Jude then gives more insight into these false teachers. 5. They speak evil of whatever they do not know. With their supposed power...power they have sought to usurp from God...these false teachers have a BOLDNESS rooted in their OWN self-worth and delusions of POWER...and they RIDICULE those who refuse to buy in to their false teachings. You see...TRUTH declares that ALL POWER in Heaven and in Earth belongs to God...and God alone! Satan does not flee because I COMMAND him to flee! Satan simply flees because I RESIST him...thus allowing GOD to easily dispel the serpent! God calls us to FIGHT...to contend earnestly for the faith. But all POWER and AUTHORITY remains in GOD! There is a HUGE difference in the authority of the believer and the AUTHORITY of God! I am only called to RESIST the devil. It is God who REBUKES and DEFEATS the devil! If you doubt that truth...then ask yourself this question: If BELIEVERS could REBUKE and/or DEFEAT the devil...why is he still LOSE...and why is he still DECEIVING...and why is he still DESTROYING?? Be sure...Scripture shows us that MAN is NOT God...and that Gods power is FAR above our own power. But HOW do these false teachers get so off base? 6. They base their teachings on what they know naturally. This means they are SUPERFICIAL in their RENDERINGS of Scripture...as they have no real SPIRITUAL INSIGHT into TRUTH. In essence...they are led CARNALLY and not SPIRITUALLY. Then...note this VERY revealing truth: 7. They have run greedily in the error of Balaam. Balaams error? He devised a plan in which Balak would draw Israel into COMPROMISE...doing so for a hefty reward! Balaam would sell out Israel...leading them into COMPROMISE...all for the sake of WEALTH and RICHES! Does that sound like something familiar today??? Christian Television networks? Famous Televangelists? The Prosperity gospel? The list can go on and on. 8. Their end is as the rebellion of Korah. Korah rejected the authority which was established in TRUTH...and, instead, sought to make Gods will subject to his OWN will. Again...does this sound familiar? Many false teachers today now claim that God is subject to OUR will...as they declare that God CANNOT move....or work...or intercede...in the affairs of man unless WE allow Him to! In this realm of FALSE TEACHING...God is now SUBJECT to the authority of MAN...and MAN now is in control of God...and not vice versa! The list of those who teach such APOSTASY is long...but here are a few: Kenneth Copeland Jesse Duplantis Joyce Meyer Bill Winston Creflo Dollar Benny Hinn Kenneth Hagin The list goes on and on...with TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) and Daystar Television PARTNERING with these false teachers daily. The HUGE amount of FALSE DOCTRINES being espoused by these and others are beyond belief. Their motives? 9. They are walking according to their own lusts. Jude 1:16(a) These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; How do they ACCOMPLISH their GREEDY schemes? 10. They mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. Will you hear sermons on FALSE TEACHING...or on SIN...or on JUDGMENT...from these false teachers? Seldom...if ever. And if they DO speak on such things...they do so by declaring that they are being attacked by heresy hunters amd the like. I often laugh at those accusations...as these false teachers make heresy hunting as easy as the proverbial shooting fish in a barrel. I am one who has never gotten into the sport of HUNTING...in any form or fashion. I would be considered UNSKILLED in that arena...although in High School I was first in my class when it came to target shooting with a bow amd arrow. (In Dyersburg, TN...we were required to take a Hunters Safety course.) But...even the most UNSKILLED hunter does not have to SEEK OUT heretical and apostate teachings in the Church today!!! They HIDE in PLAIN SIGHT! The requirements to OVERLOOK false teaching in the Church today? Biblical illiteracy and lack of discernment. Now...back to Jude. Jude then reminds those to whom he is writing that they must remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude was saying: Stick to the TRUTH...those things already ESTABLISHED as TRUE. Today...that is the Word of God. Jude then gives 2 final revelations regarding these false teachers: 11. They are mockers who are driven by their own ungodly lusts. Is their TRUE motivation TRUTH? No. They are driven by LUST...as, in their GREED, they teach COVETOUSNESS as some great spiritual attribute! In essence...they prey on the WEAK (those IGNORANT of the TRUTH of the Word of God) by APPEALING to their DESIRE to be RICH! Oh...how familiar that sounds when viewing Christian Television today...doesnt it?!? Then...finally...Jude shows us this: 12. They are sensual persons who cause divisions. So...what does the Bible tell us about those who cause divisions in the Church? Romans 16:17-18 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. Notice Paul speaks in an almost IDENTICAL fashion as Jude...as Paul denotes those who bring divisions as those who use smooth words and flattering speech...as they deceive the hearts of the simple. But...what DOCTRINE do they teach? They preach doctrines that are contrary to the doctrine which you learned. Be sure...the doctrines of Christ as taught by His apostles were NEVER devised by plucking Scriptures from throughout the Word of God and then UNITING them into some DOCTRINE proclaiming Principles of the Prosperity gospel...nor to proclaim the modern distortion of GRACE that we are now witnessing in the Church today. My desire today? To point to this reality...to this TRUTH: Before the final chapter was written (The Book of Revelation...its actual title The Revealtion of Jesus Christ)...God had a man named Jude to WARN the Church of NOT what was to COME...but of what had ALREADY come. False teachers had ARRIVED...and God thought it to be SO IMPORTANT that He led Jude to write what would be the ONLY Book of the Bible which is EXCLUSIVELY focused on WARNING the Church of the DANGER within! Can we sit SILENT as we now live in the last days...as we OURSELVES see the FULFILLMENT of prophecy...as we now AWAIT the IMMINENT reality as noted in the very last Book of the Bible...and the soon return of Jesus Christ?!? Thus...my reminder from the outset of this writing...as we must recognize that we cannot be swayed...we cannot be deterred...by those who oppose TRUTH...whether INTENTIONALLY or UNINTENTIONALLY. We ARE called to CONTEND EARNESTLY for the FAITH! And...we must be willing to DIE on that BATTLEFIELD if we must.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 17:02:43 +0000
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