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“ Summary, Part 5 (final) ” CONCLUDING APPLICATIONS [54:36]. What does God expect of His people regarding the presence of false teachers in the church? 1. A growing knowledge of apostolic doctrine that will enable you to identify their typical errors and characteristic sins (v. 3. Cf. 2 Pet 3:17-18). 2. An ever-present awareness of their sly presence in (and terrible damage to) the church, that leads to a careful avoidance of their ungodly example and licentious teaching (v. 4). 3. A sufficient knowledge of Bible history to identify the character, teaching, and impact of apostates in the church today (vv. 5-19). 4. A continual commitment to keep yourself in the love of God by increasing your knowledge of Biblical truth, by spiritual prayer, and by a holy life prepared to meet the Lord (vv. 20-21). 5. To prayerfully and carefully do what you can to deliver those who have been influenced by false teachers and their lies (vv. 22-23).
Ian Migala (7/27/2015)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 4 ” C. CAUTIOUSLY WARN THE CARNAL (v. 23b) [49:22]. Note the allusion to the lepers. This third group would include the apostates themselves and those fully given to their error and sins. A Christian’s hate for these sins should make him exceedingly careful when witnessing or trying to reclaim someone that has fallen into such soul-defiling error. This kind of admonishment is not for all Christians. One must be mature in his own faith. He is entering Satan’s domain, and Satan is more powerful than him. Only love for Christ and His truth, love for the sinner, and hatred of his sin and error will move us to rescue those held captive by the devil’s lies and their love of wickedness. Do not contract their deadly disease in the process.
Ian Migala (7/27/2015)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 3 ” A. SHOW KINDNESS AND CONSIDERATION TO DOUBTERS (v. 22) [41:29]. These people are characterized by “sincere doubt”. They are open, but have not yet established a standard of truth. So they may come to faith, but they may also embrace error. They are trying to make a distinction or a difference between the falsehood they’ve been taught and the truth as it is in Christ. We must be as firm as we are compassionate, kindly but aggressively exposing error with the light of the truth as it is in Jesus. We must spend time with them over an open Bible and even share our own testimony with them. Such people, at best, may be weak believers. Some may be argumentative. Mercy sometimes demands stern measures. They must be shown the errors of their ways and where they lead. B. FIRMLY ADMONISH SCOFFERS (v. 23a) [46:28]. This second class of person is seriously committed to false teaching and is in immediate danger of hellfire. We don’t rescue someone from a fire by sitting down and talking with him about its danger: we grab him and pull him out. His error is to be exposed to him. Desperate means call for desperate measures.
Ian Migala (7/27/2015)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 2 ” B. YOU KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LOVE OF GOD BY PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT (v. 20) [25:52]. The Holy Spirit prays for us, and we must be regular in prayer. It is the breath of spiritual life. We face resistance from indwelling sin, a distracting devil, and the attractive world that vies for our attention and seeks to mold us. It is only in the power of the Spirit that we truly pray. C. YOU KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LOVE OF GOD BY WAITING FOR CHRIST (v. 21) [32:11]. Notice that those who would keep themselves in the love of God should keep a blessed hope of Christ’s return before their eyes (Heb 9:28). Are we eager for Christ’s return? His return is our blessed hope. There is a final dimension of Christ’s mercy yet to be realized by His people at His return: eternal life in all its fullness. Notice then how these three means of grace work together to keep us in the love of God. You cannot use them and not grow in His love. II. IF YOU WOULD RESCUE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DECEIVED BY FALSE TEACHERS, YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO VARIOUS PERSONS (vv. 22-23) [39:52]. As we have received mercy, we have a duty to show mercy to all three types.
Ian Migala (7/27/2015)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 1 ” Jude describes false teachers so that the Christian can identify them. But he also exhorts us to avoid them. There are many in this day. I. IF YOU WOULD AVOID THE INFLUENCE OF FALSE TEACHERS, YOU MUST KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LOVE OF GOD (vv. 20-21) [starting at 9:11 of the audio]. The verse offers the threefold way to do this, but does it mean that we keep in our love for God or in His love for us? We should assume the latter (cf. vv. 1, 21), knowing that God’s love is our strongest protectors against false teachers. We are also kept amid the strength of the numbers of the brethren. A. YOU KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LOVE OF GOD BY GROWING IN THE FAITH (v. 20) [16:55]. Apostates divide the body, so we are to be united in the truth. Lone Christians place themselves in mortal danger (cf. Eph 4:16, 1 Thes 5:11, Acts 9:31]. Notice that the faith on which we are to build ourselves is equivalent to Christ. He must be in control of our doctrine, as He embodies it. The church’s influence is holy because it has a consecrating effect. Holy truth produces holy believers (cf. Col 1:22-23).
