A Lesson from Jude’s Epistle
Theme verse: Jude 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.”
Will you still be standing in the faith when the fight is over? Will you still be found faithful? You can be if you follow Jude’s four fold plan to contend for the faith.
Christ built His church with one thing in mind: making disciples in the world. He told us to go, teach, baptize, and teach. To fulfill this great commission requires that we be disciples and engaged in making disciples. But such a process will not and does come without contention.
Satan is doing everything in his power to confound and prevent the making of disciples for Christ. He hates Christ, he despises Christ, and he curses Christ. He will do whatever it takes to destroy Christ and everything that belongs to Him, namely His saints and especially His church.
One of the tactics Satan uses to destroy the church is to infiltrate congregations with unbelievers. Jude refers to these as certain men who creep in unawares (4). I will call them creepers. These creepers are found in most if not all congregations. In order to contend with creepers, we must know what they look like.
What makes them creepy? Jude 8-11 tells us they: Despise dignities (those worthy of honor), are carnally driven, jealous, murderers, greedy, and rebellious. They do not believe God is in control, they accuse God’s leaders and question their motives, they divide and alienate brethren. Their presence weakens the church and take the spark and fire out of ministries. Like Cain, they are jealous of the brother who is serving God and being blessed. Like Balaam, they choose to serve God when it is profitable to them, thus they are easily influenced and given to false representation of God’s will. Like Korah, they stand against God’s men and incite rebellion among the ignorant. For these reasons, there is contention with God’s leaders.
These men are called creepers because they enter into the congregation unawares. They are not recognized at first. This tells us they represent themselves as saints, called of God, and earnest in serving Christ. This tells us that they come disguised as being Christian but in fact they are unchristian. This also tells us that they can exist among us as one of us but all the while poisoning the environment and subtly sowing seeds of dissention and rebellion. Creepers are dangerous! They destroy the faith of others. For this reason, there is great need for God’s men to rise up and contend for the faith.
Jude 16 tells us that creepers murmur and complain. There is always something wrong with the church and its ministry. Rather than seek solutions to problems, they talk about problems. Rather than offer help and assistance to share in the labor of ministry, they accuse those who do with incompetence and questionable motives. Walking after their own lusts, they avoid unpleasant service in the church and do things that bring them pleasure and ease and personal advantage. They are talkers, not workers: talking of great things and great plans they can do, but they are not found engaged in working to make it happen? Why? They are people of lust. They follow pleasure and avoid work.
Not having the Spirit of God, they are carnally minded. They follow carnal impulses and carnal reasoning. Of course, all of this is done in the name of the Lord, because they are creepers- men crept in unawares. They deny the Lord Jesus in their actions. They talk of Christ but do not live in Him. They mock God’s people and God’s ministry- subtly of course until they grow in boldness and bitterness of spirit and reveal increasingly their true feelings.
These creepers are spots in the midst of well doing and godliness. They are found in the congregation of the saints like angles in their first estate, Like the unbelievers whom God killed during the forty years in the wilderness, and in some cases like Sodom and Gomorrah creepers outnumber the righteous. They are clouds without the refreshment of water; trees without the nurturing blessing of fruit, or offering only rotten fruit. They are raging waves crashing and pounding out their anger and discontent in their minds if not in their public speech (foaming with shameful talk and behavior). They are wandering stars in the black sky separated from God and God’s people.
The presence and influence of creepers is a threat to the work of God and the people of God. They are an evil presence in the congregation of the saints. They are poison in the pot of enriching, spiritual food. They must be dealt with. Their complaints and accusations must be addressed. They must be contended with! But how? They are subtle, they are influential, they are fearless.
Considering the significance of the problem, Jude’s instruction on how to contend for the faith in verses 20-23 is of great significance. This instruction gives us two important insights: 1) to contend for the faith, you must be fit to fight, suggesting that you could fall victim; and 2) to contend for the faith, you need the wisdom that comes from God. Verses 20-21 show that first there must be self contention and spiritual fortification by keeping ourselves in the love of God. We must be close to God and in fellowship with Him to protect ourselves from evil influence (Matthew 22:36-40). Loving god is the first command to keep above all else. Further, Jude exhorts that we keep or guard our love for God by: 1) building on our most holy faith (1Cor 3:11-15), 2) praying in Holy Ghost (Romans 8:26), and 3) looking (waiting) for mercy (promise of eternal life) of Lord (Romans 5:2).
Second, verses 21 and 23 instruct us how to contend with the creepers. Not all should be dealt with the same way. Some are to be rebuked sternly (Titus 3:10; 1Tim 5:20); but others need to be shown compassion and mercy in a gentle manner; while yet others should be dealt with fear (warning them of dire consequences), all the while taking caution to hate everything that is carnal and polluted with sin. The goal is to save souls not to destroy souls. Thus, even while we contend for the faith and fight sin and heresy, we must always keep in mind that we are sent to save souls (2Tim 2:24-26).
Jude’s letter is harsh and strong because the sin is harsh and ruthless. Creepers are dangerous. And worse yet, they are in our midst unawares. They infiltrate congregations representing themselves as believers. They must be recognized and neutralized to minimize if not prevent their destructive influence.
Nonetheless, we must be wise, cautious, and compassionate. We are called to win the lost to Christ. But the lost act like they are lost. These descriptions of creepers are descriptions of lost people. Care should be taken not to shun and push away those who need Christ. We need to receive them and love them. We need to show them the power of Christ and endure their ungodliness showing them compassion. Though you might hate getting dirty, you will get dirty working with the lost. It is a part of the job. Contending for the faith is a dirty business but it must be done. Failure to contend for the faith, will result in your spiritual down fall and that of others in the congregation. As leaders we have a responsibility to God to contend for the faith hating sin but all the while loving the sinner.
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