JUDE - The Mega Themes

            Jude wrote of the dangers of false teachers in their midst and a believers duty to fight for God’s truth. He wrote to motivate everyone to take action against such things. True believers need to recognize the dangers of heretical teaching so that they might protect themselves and other believers from falling under their influence. They also have a responsibility to try to win back those souls who had already been deceived by the erroneous teachings. Those teachers of false doctrine were godless men who were saying that Christians could do as they please without fear of God’s judgment. Sadly, many believers today walk a fine line that lies between truth and fiction. They live as though the 1^st Century heretics were correct in their assessment of scripture, living their own personal version of the gospel without proving it out thru study. I assure you; Christ didn’t willingly go thru what he did for us to live whatever way we choose. Our sin debt was paid for, so now we need to adhere to the statutes that Christ put forth. No matter what we think, say, or do, we must LEAD WITH LOVE. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us into a Christ-life existence is essential to our well-being.

 

FALSE TEACHERS - Many of the false teachers were presenting information that directly contradicted God’s Word, such as, the rejection of Christ’s lordship, which can undermine the listeners faith, and thus cause them to fall away from the true faith. All those who distort the meaning of scripture and those who follow them shall be severely punished in the end.

            We must vigorously defend the truth and make sure to avoid those who distort the truth of God. Genuine believers of the faith and servants of God will faithfully portray Christ in their words and behavior.

 

APOSTASY - Jude warns against turning away from Christ. The word ‘apostasy’ is the one used to define this turning. We need to remember that God punishes rebellion against him as seen in his casting out of Lucifer from heaven written about in Isaiah 14:12, Ezekiel 28:16 and Revelation 12:7-17. It is imperative that we do not allow ourselves to drift away from a faithful commitment to Christ. Always remember Peter’s words when asked if he would stop following Jesus ... “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” ^{(John 6:68)}

            Those believers who do not seek to know God’s truth in a deeper way are in danger of becoming apostate. They are those who either rebel against God, fall away from God or are heretical in their understanding of the scriptures. Our guard must be up so that we are not distracted by the teachings of godless men.

            Next we will embark on our trek thru the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Being a heavy book to digest we will slowly work our way thru it unraveling the nuggets of truth that can be found there. Prepare yourself for an exciting ride as it takes us to the 2^nd Coming of Christ and the end of the age. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: The Life Application Study Bible