Jude 1-7
Outline:
I. \\#1-2\\ Introduction
A. \\#1\\ Author
B. The Recipients
C. \\#2\\ The Blessing
D. Thoughts
II. \\#3\\ The Purpose
A. First Purpose
B. Second Purpose
III. \\#4\\ The Problem
IV. \\#5-25\\ Jude’s Objectives
A. \\#5,17 \\To REMIND us
B. \\#8-16\\ To WARN us
I. \\#1-2\\ Introduction
Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and
brother of James, to them that are sanctified by
God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ,
and called:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be
multiplied.
A. \\#1\\ Author
1. \\#1\\ Jude is listed as the author of the Book.
2. He called himself the servant of Jesus and identifies
himself as the brother of James.
3. The fact that this is all the identification he gave
indicates he considered it sufficient for the readers to
know him, and hints he was a prominent man in the New
Testament time period..
5. If that is so, our problem is that there are at least two
sets of brothers in the New Testament by the name of
James and Jude.
a. \\#Mark 6:3\\ Jesus’ half-brothers.
Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of
Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here
with us? And they were offended at him.
(1) The names Juda, Judas, and Jude are the same
name.
(2) We know that Jesus’ brothers were saved after His
resurrection.
(a) \\#John 7:5\\ - They did not believe.
John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe
in him.
(b) \\#Acts 1:14\\ - Then they did.
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord
in prayer and supplication, with the women, and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
(c) \\#Gal 1:19\\ - James was called an apostle.
Gal 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none,
save James the Lord’s brother.
(3) Many attribute the books of James and Jude to
being written by the half-brothers of Jesus.
(4) If so, neither men use their relationship to
Jesus as grounds for their authority. They
don’t even mention it.
(5) Jude called himself a SERVANT to the Lord Jesus.
b. \\#Luke 6:16\\ Judas, an apostle and the brother of
James
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto
him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve,
whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew
his brother, James and John, Philip and
Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of
Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas
Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
(1) There were 2 James and 2 Judas in the Apostles.
(a) \\#14\\ James, who was brother to John.
(b) \\#15\\ James, the son of Alphaeus
(c) \\#16\\ Judas, who was James the son of
Alphaeus’ brother.
(d) \\#16\\ Judas Iscariot
(2) We know Judas Iscariot did not write this book,
but some think Judas, the brother of Alphaeus,
might have.
6. Knowing for certain who was the author amounts to very
little, since the book was written under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit.
B. The Recipients: The epistle was not to a specific group of
Christians, but rather to all Christians if they are:
1. Sanctified
a. Sanctified means those who are set apart.
b. Every Christian is to be set apart.
(1) We are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and
in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 7:23 Ye are bought with a price;
be not ye the servants of men.
(2) As God’s, we have been set a part for His use.
i. Some, God will use in a full time, public
ministry. (pastor, missionary, teacher,
evangelist, para-church ministry)
ii. Others, God will use in a part-time, public
ministry.
iii. Most, God will use in a part-time, behind
the scene ministry.
iv. But God equally owns all of us. We have no
more a claim to our time, to our money, or
to our rights than any full-time, public
servant of the Lord.
2. Preserved
a. To be preserved is to be kept in a wholesome state, to
stay or stop the decaying process.
b. Perfect Verb tense - This is action started in the
past but the results are maintained in full force.
c. God has preserved both our relationship with Him and
our eternal soul.
John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which
hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
again at the last day.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand.
3. Called
a. The calling is God’s notification and summons.
b. God issues His summons concerning different events.
(1) The notification and summons to salvation.
2Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by
our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and
High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
(2) The notification and summons to a specific
service in God’s kingdom.
2Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us
with an holy calling, not according to our works,
but according to his own purpose and grace, which
as given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began,
c. All are set apart for His work.
(1) The purpose of being called takes us back to
sanctification.
(2) We may or may not know to what kind of ministry
we are called - to preach, teach, pastor,
evangelize.
(3) But every child of God needs to know we are
called to serve.
(a) Most people say, "I haven’t heard God so I
will do nothing until I do."
(b) What we should say is, "I haven’t heard God
yet so I will do a little of everything
until I do."
(4) Paul spoke to Timothy of their specific calling
to preach the gospel.
C. \\#2\\ The Blessing - Jude’s desire was that some of God’s
gifts would be multiplied (as opposed to being added) to the
believers.
1. Mercy - God holding back what we deserve.
a. We have all received mercy, but we can always use
more!
b. We need mercy because sadly our nature is sinful.
c. The more mercy God gives, the less repercussions we
will feel.
2. Peace
a. God’s removal—not of our problems—but the stress of
the problems.
b. Christians decide how stressed they want to be.
c. God has left us ample peace to cover all the stress
that our problems need ever to cause.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I
give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law.
2Thessalonians 3:16 Now the Lord of peace
himself give you peace always by all means.
The Lord be with you all.
3. Love
a. Jude does not specify what kind of love he means so I
suppose he desires God’s people experience an
abundance of both human and divine love.
b. Love is beyond any simple description; but, like Jude,
I sure hope you get you a good supply of it.
D. Thoughts:
1. We know little else about the history of the book.
a. No time markers are given.
b. No names are mentioned.
c. No events are mentioned.
d. Much like the epistles of 1 John and James, Jude
stands without any personal references, making it
timeless, culture-less, and boundary-less.
2. Jude is very, very similar to 2 Peter, so much so that
some think one copied the other.
a. That might be, but…
b. It is also possible that God spoke so loudly and
distinctly to these men that they both heard the
same words.
II. \\#3\\ The Purpose
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence
to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you
that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints.
A. Jude’s first purpose was to write of the common salvation.
1. The idea of COMMON is not that it is CHEAP in its VALUE
but that it is AVAILABLE to ALL.
a. Rocks are so common that most they have no value.
b. Air is so common, that you can breathe it freely.
c. Jude did not mean that salvation was cheap and
worthless, but he did mean that it was available to
everyone.
2. Jude wanted "diligently" to write concerning the wonders
of God’s salvation which was available to everyone,
but his purpose changed.
B. Second purpose, to write that you might EARNESTLY CONTENT.
1. Jude observed some things taking place in the church which
changed his course.
a. This observation was made from the time he first
purposed to write this letter until he actually sat
down to pen it.
b. You can see how the new purpose stirred him:
(1) "it was needful for me to write unto you"
(2) He needed to exhort them to "earnestly" do
something.
2. Jude’s new purpose in writing was to persuade the
Christians to EARNESTLY CONTEND.
a. In the Greek, "earnestly contend" is one word, but
Jude purposely selected a word that would not only
give the desired action but intensify it as well.
b. CONTEND - "argue, dispute, debate, to fight for (not
necessarily physically).
c. The term that Jude used makes it plain that there is
no room for compromise concerning the issue Jude
wanted defended.
d. It is also obvious that what Jude sought for was
action on the part of those who read his letter.
e. Some sermons are not for edification alone but for
action.
3. What must they contend for? FAITH
a. While Jude does not define faith, he does narrow his
view of it to those beliefs that were originally
given to the saints.
b. FAITH here means the core or the essentials of our
beliefs.
c. There are many things that we hold dear and believe to
be true, but they are not essential to our beliefs.
d. I would define the essentials of our faith as those
beliefs:
(1) Which relate to the nature of God.
(2) Which relate to the nature of salvation.
(3) Which relate to the nature of God’s Word.
e. True believers can debate the coming of the Lord, the
ordinances of the church, the offices of the church,
and many other topics, but some things are not open
to debate.
III. \\#4\\ The Problem
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of
our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only
Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
A. "certain men crept in unawares"
1. Jude had either observed men slip into the church
undetected, or—more likely—he had observed the effects
of some who had slipped into the church.
2. The act that he described was deliberate sabotage, perhaps
not on the part of the individual men who had crept
inside but on the part of their master, the devil.
B. He went on to describe these men:
1. \\#4\\ They have been "ordained" to the judgment of this
act.
a. Ordained means God knew, allowed, and planned for some
things to happen.
b. What is ordained of old?
(1) Was the treacherous ACT of someone slipping
into the church and attempting to deceive it
ordained of old?
(2) Or were the specific PEOPLE ordained of old to
commit this act?
(3) This because essential as Calvinists teach that
God has ordained and predestined the individual
PEOPLE to these works and to the judgment that
follows these works.
c. My belief is that the act was ordained of old, but not
the specific people.
(1) The Bible makes it clear that evil people would
come into the church and, to some extent,
corrupt it.
1Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils;
2Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction.
2Peter 2:3 And through covetousness shall they
with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose
judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and
their damnation slumbereth not.
(2) But the Bible does not say that God "selected the
people" that would commit this act.
d. Even so, I cannot prove my belief—at least not from
this text.
(1) The pronoun WHO refers back to MEN, giving the
sense that the men themselves were ordained for
damnation.
(2) Why do I believe God did not select the specific
men if I cannot prove it from this text?
(a) Because of what other Bible verses say.
(b) Other Bible verses say men have a choice.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record
this day against you, that I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore
choose life, that both thou and thy seed may
live:
20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and
that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou
mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and
the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in
the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I
am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.
e. If that is case, why did the Holy Spirit write it in a
way that could be misunderstood?
(1) Because it was not wrong to say it that way.
I have said several times lately that we know
Christians are going to clash with the
man’s laws and be persecuted for the cause
of Christ, but that does not mean I know
specifically which men to which that will
happen.
(a) I know the event that will happen, a clash
between Christians the authorities that be.
(b) I even know the judgment that will follow,
Christians will be persecuted.
(c) However, I do not know the specific people
that will be part of the clash.
(d) God is omniscient and so knows the specific
people that will creep into the church to
sabotage it, but that does not mean He has
predestined them to do it.
(2) Because a diligent person who wants to know the
truth will dig for it.
(a) We start out believing the Bible is true and
does not contradict itself.
(b) Calvinism conflicts with Scripture so it
cannot be true.
(c) Christians who want to know the Bible must
pray and search the Scriptures to find the
answers.
f. So…
(1) Because I believe in the sovereignty of God, I
believe that both the act and the judgment have
been predetermined by God;
(2) But because I believe in the freewill of men, I
believe the men will have a choice in whether
they will be a part of this act or not.
2. \\#4\\ They are ungodly men.
a. The word "ungodly" means irreverent.
b. They did not respect God, His Word, or His ways
c. Why would anyone in the church follow someone like
that?
3. \\#4\\ They intend to pervert the grace of God into
lasciviousness.
a. Lasciviousness is unbridled and excessive lust.
b. Bill Gothard defined it as the state when the flesh
rules over the spirit.
c. One of the sins of these ungodly men is that they are
abusing grace and turning it into a license to live a
lustful life.
(1) This is the same sin that many church goers are
making today. They think that because they are
saved and under grace, there are very few—if
any—sins they can commit.
(2) These subverters have not understood the nature
of salvation or the grace that saves. To them
grace is permission to do whatever they desire.
(3) \\#Romans 6:1-7, 15\\ Paul dealt with that
sinful thought.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to
sin, live any longer therein?
(a) \\#Romans 6:1\\ Christians should not sin
because grace is available.
(b) \\#Romans 6:2\\ Indeed, Christians cannot
for they are dead and buried with Jesus.
(c) Remember, as Jesus died our death, we are
living His life.
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me.
(d) Christians do have the freedom to choose how
we will live, but we are supposed to choose
to walk in the power and glory of the new
life.
(e) Any behavior that a Christian justifies with
the expression, "We are under grace not the
law…," is likely a behavior which he should
not be engaged.
(f) There are repercussions both now and in
eternity based on the choices we make.
4. \\#4\\ They deny "the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ."
2Peter 2:1 …even denying the Lord that bought
them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction.
a. Anyone who does not comprehend that there is one God
and that His Son is Jesus, does not comprehend
salvation.
b. Jude was saying the infiltrators were lost.
c. Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit and if the
Holy Spirit does His work, some things are going to
be understood and some things are going to happen.
d. The proof of salvation is not what you say you have
done, but in what the Holy Spirit has done within
you.
e. These evil men had missed it and were destined to
"condemnation."
f. Peter used a different word but both mean the same.
2Peter 2:3 …whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not.
IV. \\#5-25\\ Jude’s Objectives
A. \\#5,17 \\To REMIND us
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in
remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that
the Lord, having saved the people out of the land
of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed
not.
Jude 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words
which were spoken before of the apostles of our
Lord Jesus Christ;
1. If we can keep some things in our mind, we are less likely
to be deceived by charlatans.
2Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to
put you always in remembrance of these things,
though ye know them, and be established in the
present truth.
13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this
tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in
remembrance;
15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able
after my decease to have these things always in
remembrance.
2. "though ye once knew this"
a. Jude was not going to tell them anything new.
b. By reminding them, Jude was implying that any church
could forget important truths and be caught up in
these sins.
c. What did Jude want to remind them?
3. That sin leads to destruction.
a. Jude listed seemingly unrelated Bible occurrences that
all have one thing in common.
b. They all demonstrate that sin leads to destruction.
(1) \\#5\\ The children of Israel that came out of
Egypt died because of unbelief.
(a) Hebrews 3 details the sin of these Jews.
(b) They simply would not believe and trust God.
(2) \\#6\\ Some of the demons, who were created to
serve God, have been bound in chains because
they left their own place.
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their
first estate, but left their own habitation, he
hath reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
(a) \\#Rev 12:4\\ describes what many believe to
the origin of demons.
(b) They left their first "habitation" or place.
i. All angels were created to serve God,
but some chose to follow Satan in
rebellion against God.
ii. This verse never names the place where
the fallen are being kept, but many
believe it is the "bottomless pit"
referred to \\#Revelation 9:1-12\\.
iii. The "judgment of the great day"
mentioned there may not be their
judgment but the judgment of the
whole earth.
(3) \\#7\\ Sodom and Gomorrha, suffered destruction
because they gave themselves over to wicked
sexual acts.
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the
cities about them in like manner, giving
themselves over to fornication, and going after
strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
(a) "in like manner" - It was not the two
cities but also the cities around them.
(b) Man was not created to be controlled by
lust, and men were not created to have
relations with other men.
c. In each situation, a decision was made to disobey God;
and in each situation, a destructive judgment
followed.
d. Someone has pointed out that men may choose their
course, but God chooses their reward.
<Verses 8-25
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