Tuesday, May 1, 2012

No Surprise to God! (Jude 4 Part 2)



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.
               
THE STUDY:

          These false teachers slipped into the church and hid their true nature and purpose. These certain people are the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” Jesus had warned his disciples about (Matt 7:15). Jude provides a vivid fourfold description of them:

First, the judgment that was written about long ago includes citations from the OT (vv 5–8, 11), Jewish traditions (vv 9, 14–16), and the teaching of the apostles (vv 17–18). The condemnation of the intruders was long established in these various writings.
          Second, Jude describes his opponents as ungodly people (asebeis). Asebeia describes “complete contempt for God and His will.” The word is broad enough to embrace a wide array of sins. For Jude, ungodly best described these lawless and immoral intruders.[1]
         
          Tomorrow we will look at the last two descriptions of these certain people!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

  • We walk away with the understanding that as believers we should not be surprised when it comes to people who demonstrate the same characteristics as these “CERTAIN PEOPLE!” It was no surprise to God! He not only knew this would happen he acknowledged the results of this ungodliness.

CONCLUSION:

           A survey taken of 521 clergy and laymen attending the National Council of Churches’ General Assembly in Miami Beach showed a movement away from traditional belief, as follows:

Little more than half believed Jesus to be divine.
Only one-fourth thought biblical miracles literally happened.
One-third declared the devil “definitely does not exist.”
Only sixty-two percent looked forward with “complete certainty” to a life after death.

          Church, let today be another day were we stand for the biblical principles and teachings of Jesus Christ and not fall to the lies of the evil one. Let us have a desire that respects God and His will and let us be careful of those who don’t. They are in the church as II Peter 2:1 states, 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.

Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod


[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (268). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

No comments:

Post a Comment