COMMENTARY OF THE BOOK OF JUDE -- verses 1 - 6
All right, this book will begin a commentary or teaching
found in the Book of Jude. Now, the Book of Jude is one of the
smaller books that is found in the New Testament, but, because of
its length in size, we know that has nothing to do with the
importance of a book. Every book that is found in the New
Testament, or every book that is found in the Bible, is of
importance to God, or He would not have put the things that are
found in these Books.
Now the Book of Jude is a book that appears right before the
Book of the Revelation, and a Book that appears, what you might
say, near the end of the New Testament--near the completion of
the New Testament. It itself, in the size of the epistle, of
course, has only one chapter. It has twenty-five verses. It is
peculiar that the only two Books in the New Testament--well,
Philemon itself has twenty-five verses in it, and then the
Epistle of 3 John has fourteen verses in it, and the Epistle of 2
John has thirteen verses that are found in it.
So we find that this is one of the four Books in the New
Testament which contains only one chapter, or one section of
working involved in it. And the Epistle of Jude, the General
Epistle of Jude, is sometimes referred to as the Acts of the
Apostates. And the Epistle of Jude is written approximately 70 to
80 A.D.
Now there is variance about this writing greatly among
commentaries. The variance of when it was written is so much
different that you wouldn't believe it. Bullinger has the date of
the writing of the Book of Jude approximately 41 to 46--which
would place it nearly forty years prior to this time. And other
men have the writing at approximately 66, and other men have the
writing at 70 to 80 A.D.
Now, the main reason for placing the writing of Jude before
70 A.D. is merely this--that the men who commentated or the men
who related on this fact said that, since the destruction of
Jerusalem took place in 70 A.D., that surely a fact like this
would be recorded in the Epistle of Jude. And, since that would
be true, then they placed it before 70 A.D.
Now, although that sounds very good, it doesn't bear up very
much doctrinal emphasis, or it doesn't bear up very much
doctrinal belief. Because, you find in no place in the New
Testament is the destruction of Jerusalem or the destruction of
the land there recorded. Even in the Revelation, nothing is
mentioned of it. And, of course, the Revelation being the final
Book. But none of the other writings which, some of them had the
chance to have been written after the desctruction of Jerusalem,
appear. So that theory there doesn't hold much water.
But the Epistle of Jude is written, I believe, around 70 to
80 A.D.--somewhere in there. Some have it 66. But most of the
writers seem to agree on that date.
And it has twenty-five verses, as I mentioned before. And it
has 613 words. Now, the author of this Book is Jude--or Judas.
And this Judas is a Greek word. The word "Judas" itself, you see,
is from the Old Testament word of "Judah"--connecting him that
way. And this Judas who writes the General Epistle of the Book of
Jude is the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he's whatever
you want to call him--a half-brother, or whatever it may be. But
nonetheless he is a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we'll
get into that just a little bit farther and little bit more so as
we go on in the study of the Epistle of Jude.
But this Epistle is called "The Acts of the Apostates," the
main reason being this: That Jude, in writing this Epistle,
attacks the apostates, or attacks the false teachers who are
found in his time and also prior to the Second Coming of the Lord
Jesus. Jude, you might say, is kind of an Epistle that sets the
way for the Book of Revelation and the apostasy that will be
found in the last days.
The Book of Jude itself refers to that term "the last time,"
and refers to "the last days" being involved in it. So the
Epistle of Jude is a book written to attack apostasy, false
doctrine, and things that are found in there. This Book has much
spiritual truth in it for the day in which we live.
Now this commentary which I am going to teach may be a
little bit different from any other commentary which you have
ever picked up before. Now I am by no means claiming this to be a
final authority in all things, and I am by no means claiming this
to be the last word on any of the things that are found in the
Book of Jude. But this commentary is going to be different from
any commentary I have ever picked up upon this portion of
Scripture for this fact: That is, this commentary will be
presented with the Authorized King James Version to be infallible
and not need any correcting at all. What I'm saying is this: This
commentary will be presented, and the word of God will not one
time be attacked, and the word of God will not one time be in
doubt, and the word of God will not one time be changed.
Now, I have never read every commentary on the Book of Jude.
No doubt, there are many books out, many portions of things that
by any means could be found. But, of all the commentaries that I
have read, starting with Bullinger, Dummelow, Matthew Henry,
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Wycliffe's New Testament Commentary,
the Treasure of Scriptural Knowledge as published by Revell,
Jude: The Acts of the Apostates by a man named Coder, The
Epistles of Jude and John, a book by Rodel Ward--I have not yet
to pick up one commentary in which they did not change the Bible.
Now, this commentary will not do that. I believe God said
what He wanted to say in the way He wanted to say it. I believe
He inspired the original writers in a perfect form, and I believe
that this is preserved in a perfect form for you and me. My
belief is not based on what I know, but on the promises of the
word of God. God has promised to preserve His word forever. He
didn't promise to preserve the thoughts of it; He didn't promise
to preserve the message of it, although that is preserved in the
words. But the Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And, of course
since God needs no changing, since He needs no correcting, and
since He is without error, this commentary will present the Book
of Jude in such a way. This commentary is not made to throw any
light on the Greek, or give you any light on the LXX or the
Septuagint, as so-called by a lot of the commentaries. It's not a
book to help you more understand The Book of Enoch, or The
Assumptions of Moses. But this book is to give you a clear
understanding, and to try to help you to understand the Book of
Jude and get some practical things out of it that might be of
help to you.
No doctrine at all is of any good unless it practically
helps you. That's why all Bible doctrines are practical. And any
doctrine that someone tries to teach to you that doesn't have a
practical aspect is of no value at all.
All right, so with that introduction and the understanding
of how this will be presented, I hope that the Lord blesses this.
I give all honor and glory to the name of my Saviour, Jesus
Christ for anything that you learn from this tape. Don't ever say
that you learned it from Jim McGaughey. If there's anything good
that you got from it, then the Lord showed it to you. The only
One who can teach us this word is the Holy Spirit. And let's go
to Him in prayer now as we begin this study:
Our Father, we come to you, thanking you for another day
which you've let us live, thanking you for another opportunity
which you have given us to speak for thee. We thank you, Lord,
for the living word of God. We thank you we don't have to go to
any man, we don't have to go to any school, any fellowship, any
convention, or any group of people. But we can come right to the
word of God and find out what you have to say in it. May our
hearts be open, may our minds be illuminated, may we truly be
receptive to the message of the word of God. I know that I'm
flesh, and I know that I'm human as any other person. I pray that
in this hour the Holy Spirit of God will undertake and begin to
preach the message, or teach the word that needs to be put forth.
Bless each reader of this book, that they might receive something
from it, that they might better understand the Book of Jude. And,
Lord, that they might better love this Book and they might
receive something from it that would make them a better Christian
and love the word more. Help us, now, we pray, because we look to
you for all wisdom, for all knowledge, for all guidance, for all
truth. You said that you'll guide us into all truth. And we pray
that as we start this study on the Book of Jude, that you'll
guide is into all truth. In Jesus' name I do pray with
thanksgiving, Amen.
All right, Jude, verse 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Now verses 1 and 2 are a means or a form of introduction
that Jude writes, and a means of greeting from Jude. Notice the
words, "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ." And notice he puts
the fact that he is the servant of Jesus Christ before the fact
that he is the brother of James.
And, of course, our spiritual relationship with the Lord is
more important than any physical relationship upon this earth.
And Jude places it first. He says, "Jude, the servant of Jesus
Christ." "The servant" of Jesus Christ, "the slave" of Jesus
Christ--but "the servant," showing that he has given his life in
service to the Lord. That is what every true Christian should
also do.
And notice that he says this: "And brother of James." And,
as he says this, he associates himself with the brother of James.
Now this James is found in the Book of Acts. If you have your
Bible, I want you to turn with me. And, as you read this
commentary, I hope that you either turn to the verses, or, if you
don't have time to turn to them, I do hope that you mark them
down and that you look them up for future reference. In the way
this commentary will be presented is a verse-by-verse study
comparing Scripture with Scripture, that our eyes might be opened
to the truth of God's word.
In Acts chapter 12, this James is mentioned. Acts chapter
12, verse 17: "But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold
their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out
of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and
to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place."
And, of course, Peter is the one telling about the story that has
happened. But notice the word "James": "Shew these things unto
James, and to the brethren." James being put forth with more
meaning and kind of being set out by himself.
In Acts chapter 15 the same thing is done. In Acts chapter
15, of course, this is the council or the meeting at Jerusalem.
And, in Acts chapter 15, it seems to be that James, of course, is
the chief apostle, or, as some have called him, the presiding
elder in this council at Jerusalem. Acts chapter 15, verse 13:
"And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men
and brethren, hearken unto me."
Now, James is the chief apostle in this thing. And the
reference here in Acts chapter 15 is clearly not a reference to
James, the son of Zebedee, but is clearly a reference to James,
the Lord's brother. And the reason you know that is because James
the son of Zebedee is killed in Acts chapter 12, and is beheaded
in that portion of Scripture. Acts chapter 12, verse 2: "And he
killed James the brother of John with the sword." And, of course,
James and John are brothers; they are the sons of Zebedee and are
of the twelve apostles.
So, you see that "the brother of James" is a reference to
James, who is the Lord's brother.
Now, take your Bible again and turn to Matthew chapter 13.
We want to show you that Judas was this brother of them, that he
was one of the family that was of fleshly relationship to the
Lord. Now, you might call him a "half" brother in the sense that
his relationship to the Lord was not exactly blood, because the
Lord's Father was God the Father, we know. And the "half" brother
is in that they both have the same mother, and that same mother
was Mary. Mary had other children following Jesus. She had other
babies in this life, other children. Matthew chapter 13, and look
in verse 55: "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother
called Mary? and his brethren, James"--watch it!--"and Joses, and
Simon, and Judas?" So you see that the Lord clearly had four
brothers, and verse 56, "And his sisters, are they not all with
us?" So James is one of the Lord's brothers, and then in verse 55
you see "Judas," who is one of the other brothers of the Lord.
Now in Galatians chapter 1, you find another reference to
the fact that James is the Lord's brother. Just write this down
if you want. Galatians chapter 1, verse 19: "But other of the
apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother."
So when Jude here says "the servant of Jesus, and the
brother of James," he's clearly identifying himself that he was
one of the earthly relationships of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
this is "Judas," or Jude, but the Bible clearly wants you to know
that it is not Judas Iscariot. This is one who is different from
that, and of course the Bible shows us that in John chapter 14,
verse 22: "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it
that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?"
So, this Jude, or "Judas," who is the writer of this Book--he'll
be referred to as "Jude" for the sake of fully understanding
it--is the servant of Jesus Christ. He's been saved and evidently
born again.
And not only is he a servant of Jesus Christ, but he is the
brother of James. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, this is the
brother of James, the Lord's brother. James the son of Zebedee
only had one brother, and his name was John. So he's the brother
of him. And, in fleshly relationship, he's not Judas Iscariot,
but he's the half-brother, or a brother, of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Now, I've taken the time to show you those references and to
go into those things for one reason, and that is this: There is a
false theory, or a false doctrine, teaching that Mary only had
one son, and that son was Jesus Christ. And, from that time
forth, she was a "perpetual virgin"--that is, continually, she
was a virgin. She didn't know Joseph, and she didn't have any
other children.
And that is a lie that is put forth, of course, by the Roman
Catholic Church. And the Roman Catholic Church puts this lie
forth in order to make you believe that Mary was a special woman.
And, of course, the Catholic Church takes it, and since she was a
"perpetual virgin," then she had no other children. And they even
run it to the point that she was herself "immaculately
conceived," and so forth and so on. But this doctrine has no
Scriptural basis at all. As you can clearly see from Matthew,
where we read in chapter 13, verse 55, that the sons are named,
and they're clearly given out in distinction. And, if that
weren't enough, Galatians chapter 1 and verse 19 says, "James the
Lord's brother"--more than a spiritual relationship, but a
physical relationship involved.
And, if that were not enough, you can compare Scripture with
Scripture. In John chapter 2, you have a passage that is written,
verses 16-17, and it says this: "And said unto them that sold
doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an
house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was
written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." Now, in John
chapter 2, "the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up" is a
reference to a passage back in the Old Testament, Psalm 69:9:
"For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches
of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." But let's go
back up and read the context of this again. See, the reference is
to the Lord Jesus Christ speaking and talking in that passage.
Verse 6: "Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be
ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded
for my sake, O God of Israel." Of course, the Psalmist in this
passage, David, is not wanting to be a stumbling block to other
people.
It says in verse 7, "Because for thy sake I have borne
reproach." And, of course, David himself is typifying or becoming
a type of Christ here. "Shame hath covered my face. I am become a
stranger unto my brethren." And, of course, this passage is a
reference to the Lord Jesus Christ; those of His own household
didn't even know Him. "And an alien unto"--underline it!--"my
mother's children. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
So Mary did have other children. There's no doubt about
that. And the fact that she had other children is a Scriptural
certainty. And a lot of commentators like to bring forth the
fact, and not call them "brothers," but call them, rather,
"cousins." That's really convenient. No doubt the Catholic Church
would like that real well! Because a "cousin" constitutes the
fact that the baby was had by a sister or a brother of the person
involved.
Needless to say, although Mary was a good woman, although
she was chosen of God, she was not a "perpetual virgin." She was
not a virgin all of her life. She had other children. And, if you
don't like that, then you need to get on your knees and pray. You
need to ask God to show you the Scripture, and you need to
believe the Scripture once you've seen it.
That's what's wrong with a lot of the people in America
today. They've seen the Scripture, and they've seen the word of
God, and yet, because of ignorance, they fail in unbelief. They
fail to really see what the Scripture has to say. And, if any
person will open their eyes to the Bible, they can learn a lot of
things. And, if they'll begin to take the Scripture and believe
what it says instead of just reading it, then they'd be far
better off than they are.
So Jude begins, and he says, "Jude, the servant of Jesus,
and brother of James." And of course James is the Lord's brother.
"To them." He addresses whom this thing is going to be
written to. "To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and
preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." Now notice here in verse
that this is written to us as saved people.
And notice that in this we have three blessings of the saved
people. Number one, "To them that are santified by God the
Father." Number two, "Preserved in Jesus Christ." And number 3,
"and called."
The Bible clearly states in Romans chapter 8, verses 29-30,
that whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate, and whom He
presdestinated, them He also called, and whoever He called, them
He justified--and then He shall also glorify--so that a saved
child of God has been "called." Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I
will call all men unto me."
But those who are saved are "sanctified." Notice who it says
we're sanctified by: "God the Father." That is, the idea of
complete sanctification, or the idea of living above sin within
your own means, is a lie. Our sanctification, our setting apart,
our cleansing of our daily living, is by God the Father. And, of
course, there's no way in this world any person could ever live
in this life for any period of time without sin in their life.
The idea of a person living above sin is an idea that's not
Scripturally oriented, and, of course, an idea that is not very
practical, needless to say.
"To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and
preserved in Jesus Christ." You know what the word "preserve"
means; when you preserve something, you want to keep it. You make
preserves, you make things that you put up; you preserve them so
that they'll last. And, of course, we're not only sanctified by
God the Father, but we're preserved in Christ Jesus. Once we're
saved, and once we get in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we're
preserved in Him. Once we're in Him, then we're kept forever, or
we're preserved for Heaven, because of the fact that we're in the
Lord Jesus Christ.
In John chapter 17, verse 9: "I pray for them"--those who
are saved--"I pray not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and
all thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no
more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to
thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou
hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." That is, just as
in fact Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, and they are One, Jesus
prays also that we, too, might be one, even as He and the Father
are One.
Let's read on; verse 12: "While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have
kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that
the scripture might be fulfilled." And, of course, notice that
the only one who is lost is Judas Iscariot. And the reason he is
lost is because he chose to be lost.
Verse 15: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of
the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." And,
of course, once we're in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are preserved
in Him, and we're kept by the power of God. We're sanctified by
God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called. May I
add that we're called by the Holy Spirit. I believe this to be
backed up by Scripture. "Sanctified by God the Father, preserved
in Jesus Christ, and called by the Holy Spirit of God."
And, of course, God's means of calling sinner to Him today
is through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. God left the
Holy Spirit behind to be a comforter, but, not only that, but the
Holy Spirit was to reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and
judgment to come. So, the Holy Spirit is the means through which
we're called to the Lord.
So, he has those three verses, and then in verse 2, the
second part of the introduction, you might say: "Mercy unto you,
and peace, and love, be multiplied." And, again, I want you to
notice the means of the Trinity or the threeness which appears in
here. "Mercy unto you." The mercy clearly being connected with
Jesus Christ. In verse 21 of this same epistle, it says, "Looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
"Mercy unto you, and peace." And, of course, peace is always
associated with the Holy Spirit, and the fact that the Holy
Spirit descended like a dove. And, of course, people have taken
the dove and made it the peace bird in the world today.
"And love." Love being associated with God. The Bible says,
"God is love." Of course, He is love; we know that.
"Be multiplied." Notice that he not only asks that these
things just be given to you, but they may be multiplied--you
know, continually, over and over again, kind of an endless thing
where they are continually unto you.
"Mercy unto you." And, of course, that's what everybody
needs--mercy. And whether you're saved or whether you're lost,
you need mercy. If you're reading this book and you've never been
saved, you don't need justice. You need mercy. If we all got
justly what we deserved, then we'd all die and go to hell,
because we're all sinners. By nature, we're sinners, and we've
all sinned and come short of the glory of God. But, thanks to the
mercy of God, and thanks to His long-suffering, we don't get
that. That's why it says, "Mercy unto you."
And, of course, even after you're saved, you need mercy.
Even after you're saved, it wouldn't always be good for you to
get what you justly deserve. But, "Mercy."
"Mercy unto you, and peace." And, of course, as the world
looks on and the world gropes on and searches for peace, we have
our peace. And of course our peace is found in the Lord Jesus
Christ and through Him.
"And love." And, of course, here he's talking about real
love. He's not talking about some filthy thing out of Hollywood.
He's not talking about some sensual love; He's not talking about
something that is only associated with the physical relationship.
But he's talking about real, undefiled, clean love. And he says,
"I pray that it be multiplied unto you. I pray that this be
multiplied, and over and over again these things be given unto
you."
Verse 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." Now Jude begins
to get into the meat of this text, and he begins to get into the
reason for his writing.
And he says, "Beloved." And, of course, knowing the fact
that not only he loves them, but that God loves them, he says,
"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation." And notice the words "all diligence." It was
something he had thought about urgently, and that he had prayed
about, and something that he felt that he should earnestly do.
And he said, "I gave all diligence."
In 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 5, Peter says the same thing.
And he says, "And beside this..." the things that are found in
the first few verses, "giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge..." and so forth and so forth.
And so, "all diligence"--he has diligently considered the
matter and thought about it.
"When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation." Now, when he uses the words "common salvation" here,
the word "common," as you know, could have several different
meanings, or several different things involved in it. But the
word "common" here means common in the fact that this salvation
is beneficial to anybody who will receive it. It's common in the
fact that it comes from but one source, and that source is God.
And it's common in the fact that it's not only for all, but that
it's good for everybody, that it'll benefit anyone who will trust
it. So, he says, I write unto you of the common salvation.
In the Book of Titus, Titus speaks of the "common faith." In
Titus chapter 1, Paul writing there, in verse 4: "To Titus, mine
own son after the common faith." And of course the common faith
again is talking about the fact that it's common to those who are
saved, the fact that we know about; and it's common in its
source, that it comes from God; and it's common that, for all who
will take it, it'll work. And, of course, I wish people would
realize that and see it. But, nonetheless, a lot of them don't.
But it's true.
He said, "I thought to write unto you, gave all diligence,
of the common salvation." Evidently he thought of writing to them
and talking to them just about salvation, their need for
salvation, probably their need for growing in grace.
And then it looks like right here he begins to change. It
looks like, in verse 3, he may have thought about writing about
something else. But then, as he thought about it more, he kind of
went the other way. And he says, "When I gave all diligence to
write unto you of the common salvation..." He had thought of
writing to them in regards to that. "It was needful for me to
write unto you, and exhort you." He says, "When I thought about
it, it became needful for me, not only to write about this
salvation, but to write you and exhort you "...that ye should
earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints." And, of course, the word "once" there refers to the fact
that once and for all this faith is delivered--and that, of
course, is the faith. And Jesus is found to have a sacrifice
"once and for all for sins forever" in the Book of Hebrews.
So Jude says, "I thought to write to you of the common
salvation. And then it was needful for me to write to you to
exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith." That
is, they should earnestly, sincerely get out there and earnestly
contend for this faith. In the same epistle, in verse 20 it's
called the "holy faith." And yet we as Christians are to contend
for this faith; we're to fight for it, we're to stand up for it,
and we're to defend it as God's people in every essence and in
every form and in every opportunity we have.
Now, a lot of people run around the world. And, of course,
they're talking about "contending for the faith once delivered
unto the saints," talking about the "faith which was once given
unto them." They don't even know what the one true faith is. And
they don't even know what "the faith" is actually involved in.
"The faith," the center of our faith, is the Lord Jesus Christ;
there's no doubt about that. And the center of our faith rests in
the Lord Jesus Christ and the word of God, and, not only that,
but in the doctrines and the truth that is found in the word of
God.
And we as Christian people are to fight, or earnestly
contend, for the doctrines or for Jesus Christ, and for that
faith. And, Christian, whether we realize it or not, the
Christian life is not just a life lived every day, but it is a
constant battle, and it is a constant warfare, that you and I go
on in this life. And we as Christian people need to know that
we're not just out there to play, and it's not a game, but that
we're in a warfare, and we're in a battle. And, as we do that,
we're to contend for the faith. We're to be fighting for the
faith that was once delivered to the saints. And, of course,
we're to fight, we're to preach, and we're to teach.
Now look in the Book of Ephesians, and get a little bit more
dealing with this faith. Now, this faith is called "the faith"
here in Jude, and it's called the "holy faith." And, as we turn
to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 4: "There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One
Lord, one faith, one baptism." Notice the emphasis there on "one
faith, one Lord, one baptism." Now we know that there is more
than one Lord. There's only one true Lord, but the Bible says
that there would be many "lords." We know that there is more than
one God, in the sense of the word "god." There's only one true
God. We know there's more than one baptism, but there's only one
true baptism. And, bless your heart, it isn't water--it's
spiritual.
So this is talking about the one true faith that was
delivered to you and me through the word of God. In Ephesians 4,
verse 13: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith." Notice
the emphasis is on the holy faith, "the faith," "the
faith"--showing us that the one true faith in there is centered
on the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, but it's centered in an
absolute belief as the Bible being the final authority for all
things in this life. And we as Christian people are to fight, we
are to contend for that.
Now in Ephesians chapter 6 we find more of this contending,
or more of this fighting for the true faith. Ephesians chapter 6,
verse 10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of his might." Notice it's not in our power, but the
Lord. Not our might, but His might. "Put on the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil." So there you find one of your enemies, and one of your
big enemies, and that's the devil and his wiles. "For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood." So the battle we're in is not a
battle where you walk up to somebody and punch him in the nose or
shoot him. Our battle is a spiritual warfare, a spiritual
contention. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places."
"Wherefore..." in view of this "...take unto you the whole
armour of God, the ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand."
"Stand therefore." Now watch the armour that we have:
"having your loins girt about with truth." And, of course, no
doubt what the truth is: "Sanctify them through thy word; thy
word is truth." "Having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Notice these things
have absolutely nothing to do with the physical or spiritual
battle or warfare. And yet, to contend for the faith once
delivered unto saints, and to earnestly contend for it or to
fight for this faith, this is the armour that we are to wear.
"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." And "Faith is the
victory," as the song says, "that even overcometh the world."
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and
supplication int he Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that
utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an
ambassador in bounds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought
to speak."
Notice Paul, in relating that whole chapter, lays this
warfare out for you in Ephesians 6. And he says, "Our warfare,
first of all, is not fleshly. It's not carnal, but's spiritual."
And then he tells you that in this warfare, we are to take a
stand for what we believe, and once we've done that, we're to
stand firm on our ground. Then he gives you the equipment that
you're to wear, what you're to put on. And then he tells you once
you get it on, you're to pray. And you're to pray for the
supplication, you're to pray for the strength, you're to pray
that the Lord would be with you, and that He'd watch over you.
Praying.
And then he says, "Pray for me, that boldness would be given
to me, that when the door is opened, I might have opportunity to
speak." And, of course, as he's talking there, he's talking about
preaching the word of God, and he's talking about witnessing and
telling others. And, of course, one of the best ways that we can
earnestly contend for the faith is through preachers and local
churches and evangelists that stand up for the true faith. And we
are to contend for this faith.
And this is not only a contention or a fighting that is done
by preachers and evangelists and missionaries, but it's done by
Christian people--to stand up for this faith, and to contend for
it.
So Jude said, "I was going to write you about the common
salvation. I was thinking about it." But, he says, "It was
needful for me to write, and as I write, I wanted to exhort you."
And he wanted to really let them know that they should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Now, as I began this study of the epistle of Jude, you'll
notice I said that it was sometimes called "The Acts of the
Apostates." I believe it set the way for the Book of Revelation.
And as it sets the way, it speaks of things that are found in the
last days of the end times. And, as we live, bless your heart, we
live in the last days of the end times prior to the coming of
Jesus Christ. I believe His coming is drawing very near. In fact,
I believe He could come, and I wish He would come, before I get
done with this book.
And as he does this, this admonition is an admonition that
we should really take hard. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and
verse 15, he says, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the
traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or
epistle." Hold them fast. Contend for them. Fight for them. Stand
up for them. And, if need be, die for them.
And earnestly contending for the faith is something that we
should worry about, because never have we lived in a day, never
have lived probably in a time when "the faith," or the true
faith, was under more severe attack than it is now. The things
that are basic with the faith, and things that are basic in the
Bible. The deity of Jesus Christ--never has it been more
belittled openly, and never has it been more mocked and laughed
at by writers than it is now. Men filling the pulpits around
America today who call themselves "ministers" and "pastors" deny
the deity of Jesus Christ.
What should we do? Take a stand for it! Let people know we
believe in it. Don't be ashamed of it. As preachers, preach about
it. As teachers, teach about it. As Christians, tell about it.
And earnestly contend for the faith.
Not going out there and grabbing a fellow and hitting in him
the nose, because he doesn't believe. And not kicking him in the
seat of the britches, although we may feel like doing it. We
don't do it. But our warfare is one that is spiritual. And we
pray that the Lord would give us boldness, that, when opportunity
comes to contend for the faith, we might be able to do it.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is belittled in the day we
live. People say, "Well, they've been talking about it and
talking about it and talking about it." Just as they did in the
parable there, they said, "The Lord's delaying His coming; He
won't be coming." We should contend for it. We should take our
stand on premillennialism, and stay there, and know that it is
the only practical thing that'll work, and the only practical
doctrine that'll fit the Bible and will come true. The deity of
Jesus Christ is under attack. The fact that He was God in the
flesh is under attack. The second coming of Jesus Christ is under
attack.
And not only that, but the Bible says, "Earnestly contend
for the faith." Now, the foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ.
The Bible says, "Other foundation can no man lay than that which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." The Bible says He is a Rock. You
know why? Because that's the most solid foundation you can
get--just solid rock.
Now, if He is the foundation work of our faith--which He
is--and if He is the foundation work of what we believe, the only
way we can really contend for the faith is knowing that what
we're believing is true. And the only way we can know that is if
we have an authority which we can trust--which is the Bible and
which is the word of God.
When you talk about "contending for the faith," I don't see
how you can separate standing for Jesus Christ and standing for
the word of God. Jesus Christ, of course, was the Word in the
flesh, and this Book is the word in writing. And to me, as I read
the Bible, there is very little difference made in these two. And
if we earnestly contend for the faith, it's not only standing up
for Jesus Christ and saying we believe in Him, that He was the
Son of God, that He was buried and that He rose again; but it's
standing up and defending the word of God.
And, needless to say, never has the word of God been under
attack as much as it is now. Never have we had more
"translations"--I don't know whether to say of the Bible, or what
to say--on the market than we do now. I believe there are
probably nearly 60 different translations of the Bible on the
market. Every new year, one comes out. The Living Bible, The
Common Bible, The International Bible, The New Way
Bible--anything and everything! If you don't have a "bible" you
like, just sit around; there'll be one on the market pretty soon.
These bibles distort and tear apart the word of God. They change
the Bible, they take away from it, they add to it, they raise
doubts as to whether it is an authority or not, and raise doubts
to whether we really have something that we can trust today.
And, if you're reading this book, you hear me well, and you
hear me good. You can trust the Authorized King James Version of
1611--and you can't trust anything else! And any person who is
busily not tearing this Bible down, anyone who is busy just
standing up for the word, in my estimation is a person who is
trying to contend for the faith. Now, I'm not saying that I'm one
of the elect, or I'm not saying that I'm a special God-gifted,
breathed, or anything. But to me, if a person is going to contend
for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints, that
person is going to have to stand for the foundation of our faith,
and the authority of our faith--and that authority is the word of
God, as found in that King James Bible.
And a person who is busily tearing it apart to me is not
contending for the faith the way they should. We should remember
that as we study.
And he said, "It was urgent for me to write." He said, "It
was needful that I should write and exhort you..." "...that ye
should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints."
Verse 4: "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who
were before of old ordained to this condemnation." That is, they
were set up of old that this would be. "Ungodly men, turning the
grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
And as we come here to verse 4, notice he says, "For there
are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation." Notice this verse has a familiar
ring. Of course, that familiar ring is to the Second Epistle of
Peter, chapter 2. And from now on, as we study the Epistle of
Jude, you'll want to keep 2 Peter chapter 2--the whole
chapter--in view.
Now, let's read Jude verse 4 again: "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."
Now notice 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 1: "But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily..." They kind of "sneak" in,
creeping in unawares "...shall bring in damnable heresies..."
false doctrines "...even denying the Lord that bought them." And,
of course, what we've read in Jude 4, says, "Denying the only
Lord God." And, "...bringing upon themselves swift destruction."
Now these people were evident in the day of Paul, and they are
evident even in the day that we're living in today. And these men
are in the world today.
In Galatians Paul speaks and mentions something about this.
Galatians chapter 2, verse 4: "And that because of false brethren
unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty
which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into
bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an
hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." So,
see, all these verses tie in. He said, "I wanted to write to you
of the common salvation." But he said, "It was needful for me to
write to you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for
the faith."
Why is it so important that we begin to contend for the
faith? Because, verse 4, "certain men crept in unawares." Notice
the wording in that. Makes them look kind of creepy, kind of
slimy, kind of "snaky," and kind of cat-like as they come in.
"For there are certain men crept in unawares." Kind of sneakily
do they come in, kind of like a snake or something that just kind
of creeps in. The Bible says they creep in "unawares." And
Galatians 2 says these "brethren unawares" were "brought in."
They "came in privately."
And it says, "...who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation." And, of course, 2 Peter chapter 2 just mentions
the fact that these people were of the past. There were false
prophets back then.
"Before of old ordained to this condemnation." That is, they
were going to be coming in this life, and it was ordained that
way, that they were coming as false prophets and false teachers.
And, of course, the prophesies were telling us that they would
have them.
Notice it says, "ungodly men." "Ungodly men." And these
pretty well pointed out and pretty well fingered in the
Scripture.
Now, to give you a description of them, how they came in,
"crept in unawares," "before of old ordained," "ungodly men," and
they come in "privily" to spy out the things that are there.
Second Peter says they come in to bring in "damnable heresies."
And the damnable heresies are found in these three heresies
in verse 4: Number one, "turning the grace of God into
lasciviousness." That is, taking God's grace and turning it into
lasciviousness--a fleshly attraction or a fleshly thing more
wicked or sinful in that sense. They turn the grace of God into
something that is filthy, or into something that is dirty. Now,
it seems hard for us to realize this, but they do it.
This lasciviousness is more than just a fleshly, physical
kind of lustful dirtiness; it's a deeper thing than that; it's a
deep wickedness, a deep filthiness, a deep uncleanness. They turn
the grace of God into lasciviousness. Now, how do they do that?
I'll tell you how they do that. They take the grace of God and
change it by denying the supernatural part that is involved in it
and say that Jesus Christ was no more than a good man. And when
they do that, when they make Him no more than a good man, and
they make Him a man like you and I, then they change the grace of
God into lasciviousness--or something that is filthy. Because, if
Jesus Christ was not God in the flesh, then He was an impostor. I
say it very reverently, and I say it knowing that He was God in
the flesh. But they turn this grace into that. They deny that He
was supernaturally God in the flesh. They deny the fact that He
was born of a virgin. And when they do this, they make Him a good
man like you and I, a good teacher. And when they do that, they
turn it into the filthiest lowdown stuff.
And from that, a lot of people thought that He was a
homosexual, had homosexual tendencies and different things like
that. And that's what turning the grace of God into
lasciviousness is. And, of course, when any man stands and says,
as I've read articles, that Jesus Christ had homosexual
tendencies and was a homosexual to a certain extent, they've done
more than turn the grace of God into something that's wicked or
evil. They've gone farther than that. And that's what it says.
"Turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness"--something
more wicked or spiteful than anything you could ever think. And,
of course, when these men do it, that's exactly what they do.
"And denying the only Lord God." Of course, they deny Him.
They deny the fact that He was God in the flesh. They deny the
fact that He is the Saviour, and they deny things about Him that
prove it. In 1 John chapter 2, verse 22, lays the hammer right on
the nail's head and lets them know what they are: "Who is a liar
but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist,
that denieth the Father and the Son." And the Bible says he's a
liar.
"And denything the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ." Not only did they deny the Lord God, but they deny our
Lord Jesus Christ, attacking His deity again.
So, Jude says, "This is why it's needful for me to write to
you." He said, "I don't want you to be ignorant of the devil's
devices." And he said, "I want you to know, and I want you to
contend for the faith. Because there are men who have crept in
unawares, men who have come in privately; and they have come in,
and they are ungodly men, and they are going to try, if they can,
to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, and deny the only
Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
And he says, "This is why I wrote to you." And he says,
"This is why it's important that you contend for the faith, and
you be ready to stand up and fight for the Lord Jesus Christ,
because these men are crept in."
As we clearly find out, Jude is giving a clear warning of
apostasy and wickedness and sinfulness, which go on in the last
days. As I said before, this book is known as "The Acts of the
Apostates." And, of course, the reason being that this book
precedes the Book of Revelation, and contains a lot of things
that will be found prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ.
And so this Book is very important for the Bible student, and
it's very important for anybody to know, because in the last
days, there will be much apostasy.
And this apostasy, and the false teaching and sinfulness and
wickedness will not only just be found within or among the lost
people, but it will also be found in the professing church of
Christ, and in the professing Bible believers, and in professing
fundamentalists, as even we might say. So, as we close out verse
4, it says this, and we'll get this: Jude has started out with
his introduction, and has said that he wanted to write them. And
then he told them to beware of false prophets and false teachers,
as we compared Scripture with Scripture in 2 Peter chapter 2.
As we begin, you want to keep 2 Peter chapter 2 in hand,
because we noted earlier that Jude and 2 Peter 2 have quite a bit
in common; we'll be referring to that as we go on.
But, as he finishes verse 4, he says, "For there are certain
men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men." That is, these men were set up
according to the foreknowledge of God, to be men who would come
in and corrupt the church and try to bring false doctrine in.
And they would do three things: (1) "turn the grace of our
God into lasciviousness." I commented earlier how, in the world,
"lascivious" means "exceeding lustful," or "exceedingly wicked."
And, of course, the way they turn the grace of God into
lasciviousness is by denying that Jesus Christ, of course, was
God in the flesh. And when they do this, they make Him no more
than a human man, no man than the flesh, and they do it when they
turn the wonderful grace of God, or Christ, into just a human
man. And, of course, we commented on that earlier, and how many
people claim Jesus Christ to be a homosexual or have homosexual
tendencies, and noted the damnables connected with this heresy.
So they turned the grace of God into lasciviousness.
And then, (2) "denying the only Lord God." That is, they
deny Him, and they deny that He is God.
And then, not only that, but (3) they also deny the Lord
Jesus Christ. They attack His deity.
All right, as he begins verse 5, he is going into this
apostasy. And, beginning in verse 5, he begins to warn them very
harshly, and begins to give them a very sober warning of the
things that are going to come. And he does this by recounting
some of the things in the Old Testament. And, in doing this, he
is bringing in the angle that sin is always judged, irregardless
of the age, the time, the dispensation, or the working. And, of
course, he has given then full warning that if these people
before were not spared, neither will the people living today be
spared.
Verse 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."
Now notice, as he begins verse 5 he says, "I will therefore put
you in remembrance, though ye once knew this." And you'll find
that as a preacher, or as a minister of the word of God, and even
as a teacher, that one of the biggest jobs we have to do is just
continually remind people of the things they already know.
For instance, if we were to preach a message on
soul-winning, those people know they ought to be soul-winning. If
a person has been saved very long as all, they know they ought to
be trying to win other people to the Lord. And yet, the
minister's job is to put them in remembrance of their
obligations, their duties, the jobs that they should be doing for
the Lord. And, a lot of our preaching is just simply that. Most
of the Christians who sit underneath our ministry who have been
saved very long know what they ought to be doing. But, of course,
our job is to constantly remind them, to try to stir them up, to
exhort them, to rebuke them, and to encourage them to do the
things they already know.
So Jude says this. He says, "I will therefore put you in
remembrance though ye once knew this." He says, "You know it, but
I want to remind you of it again." And, of course the warning is
coming along the lines of the apostasy, the wicked men who are
coming in the churches and professing to be teachers and
prophets--although they're false prophets. He says, "I want to
put you in remembrance of something, in view of the fact that
this apostasy and this wickedness is coming." "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." Now the reference here, of
course, is to the Old Testament.
Take your Bible and turn to Numbers chapter 14. And the
reference here is this--that the nation of Israel, as we know,
was in the land of Egypt, in captivity to Pharaoh. Well, the Lord
sent a deliverer, raised up a man named Moses. And, through
Moses, he went down to that land and delivered the people who
were given to captivity in that land. The Lord delivered them by
His strong arm, by the many plagues and the things He did. They
came forth from the land of Egypt. They were brought out. They
confronted the Red Sea. Moses stood there; the Red Sea, with a
wall of water on each side. And the nation of Israel walked
through on dry ground. God provided food for them. God fed them
with quails. He provided manna to fall every day from heaven,
that they might eat. He miraculously brought them out of Egypt,
and by His hand He saved them.
But now I want you to notice something here. Even though God
did a wonderful work for them and did a wonderful thing, after He
saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward He
"destroyed them that believed not." He destroyed them.
Numbers chapter 14 verse 26: "And the Lord spake unto Moses
and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil
congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the
murmurings of the children of Israael, which they murmur against
me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye
have spoken in mine earrs, so will I do to you: Your carcases
shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you,
according to your whole number, from twenty years old and
upward..." That is, from those that are 20 years old and upward
"...which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come
into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell
therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of
Nun." And of course Caleb and Joshua are the only two people who
went in to spy the land who later said, "We can go in and take
it."
Verse 31: "But your little ones, which ye said should be a
prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye
have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in
this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness
forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be
wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which
ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall
ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my
breach of promise."
So Jude refers to that, and he said, "I want you to remember
that." He said, "Now, you already know that's true. And you
already know of that portion of Scripture, and you're familiar
with it. But," he said, "I want you to remember that." Why?
Because Jude is showing that, even though God had saved them, and
even though God had done a wonderful work for those people, some
of them did not believe on Him.
And notice the occurrance of, "they murmur against me."
"They complain against me." And when they did that, God said,
"You're going to be destroyed. You're going to be killed. You're
going to die. You're going to be judged for what you've done."
And this is the same thing that these false teachers and
false prophets are doing. It was clear by the end of verse 4.
They turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, denying the
Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The things they are doing
consist of attacking the Lord and attacking the One who loved
them and the One who died for them.
And of course it's clear that the Lord's blood, when it was
shed, was shed for every human being. There's no such thing as
limited atonement in the Bible--not at all. But God's blood even
bought those false prophets and teachers. But, because they had
murmured against Him, because they have rejected Him as their
Saviour, and even some of them who are false prophets and false
teachers have begun to teach things that are damnable and teach
things that are contrary to them, the Lord said, "Don't you
worry; judgment is going to come on them."
I like this, when he goes to the Old Testament, because a
lot of people who live today just kind of think that the New
Testament is all that is important. But the Bible says all
Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. Every
bit of it will profit you and me.
And so we find that in the Old Testament, God says, "You
look there. Those people murmured and complained against me. They
didn't believe what I told them, and I destroyed them." And He
said, "You know what? It'll be no different for these people
today. They don't believe the Bible. They are corrupting the
Bible. They don't believe in Jesus Christ. They are murmuring,
complaining against me." And He says, "You know what? I am going
to destroy them."
Now, look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, and find that God
says this definitely--unless you doubt what I'm saying. That God
leaves this as an example, that we might know it. And the Old
Testament Scripture is not a dead Book; it is a live Book. In
fact, you'll find a lot of the Old Testament Scripture deals with
the second coming, and future prophecy yet to come. You remember
all those plagues that were given to the nation of Israel that
were effective upon Egypt while they were in Egypt? Well, you
find all those plagues recurring again in the Book of Revelation
during the Tribulation. So, you put that together, and you learn
that Pharaoh is a type of the Antichrist. And you can learn some
things about the Antichrist through Pharaoh. You can learn some
things about the plagues through what's found in the Book of
Exodus. And you can learn something about the Lord taking His
144,000 out of the Tribulation, when He takes them out through
Moses, a deliverer. But, of course the Deliverer who will take
those out this time won't be Moses, but He'll be that Prophet,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you can notice that they went through the Red Sea, a
type of the water which is before the third Heaven. So, that Old
Testament is not a dead Book. It's alive. There's a lot you can
learn, if you read it and believe that every bit of it is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction. First
Corinthians chapter 10, verse 1: "Moreover, brethren, I would not
that ye should be ignorant." Now, the reason Paul says that is
because a lot of people are ignorant. I'm ignorant; you're
ignorant. We all need to learn.
"How that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea." Coming out, going through the Red Sea.
"And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea."
Well, that's funny! It says they're baptized; and, yet, the water
is on both sides, and they walk through on dry ground. So, you
found out that every time you find the word "baptize," it doesn't
mean water. It means far from it, and can mean a lot of different
things.
Verse 3, "And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did
all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drnak of that
spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But
with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were
overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples,
to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also
lusted."
They said, "Would to God we were back in the nation of
Egypt. Would to God we were back in the land where we had leeches
and onions and garlics and those things to eat."
"Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is
written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to
play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them
committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand." That's
from Numbers 25. "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them
also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye,
as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the
destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples"
for you and me; "and they are written for our admonition upon
whom the ends of the world are come."
So, you see that. They're written for our example. They're
written for our learning, that we might learn from it. And Jude
says, "I want you to remember that." He says, "You remember that
whenever a nation, or whenever a group, of individuals or people
get in the place where they do not believe God, and they work
contrary to that, and they deny God, and they turn His grace into
something that is filthy, judgment is going to come"--just as
sure as it did.
You know what he's showing them? He's showing them that
"even though Israel was my one nation that I picked, even when
they sinned, I didn't spare them, but I killed them." And, if you
think you're going to get away with something, when His chosen
people couldn't get away with it, you are a fool--and you won't
do it.
Jude verse 5: "I will therefore put you in remembrance,
though ye once knew this." He said, "You knew it, but maybe now
you've forgotten it." "How that the Lord, having saved the people
out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed
not." So he said these false prophets and these ungodly men are
going to be destroyed, too. He said, "Don't think they won't!"
All right, in verse 6 he gives us something again: "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." Now in verse 6 there is more
in that verse than we could ever cover in a book. Because, once
you pick up the words "fallen angels," then you've picked up
something that is covered a lot in your Scripture and in your
Bible. But we will very quickly run some references on it, to
show you how these fallen angels fell, how they came to the
earth, and how they will probably be coming to the earth one day
again, dealing with the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Now, he says, "And the angels which kept not their first
estate." Now, "first estate," of course, means the place where
they were first at. "Angels" refers to the fact that they were
not anything that was of a spirit nature, but an "angel." An
"angel" in the Bible is always of a masculine sex, and the angels
that appear are something that can be seen with the human eye.
"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left
their own habitation." All right, now we know something. These
angels left their first estate. They left what, you might say,
their first principality, or the first place where they were at.
They left their own habitation; so they had a place where they
should have been, and where they were--but they left it.
Now, let's turn over to 2 Peter chapter 2, and see if we can
find some more about them. And they're mentioned again. Second
Peter chapter 2, verse 4: "For if God spared not the angels that
sinned." All right, so we see that evidently these angels were
once connected in a good sense, and yet these angels sinned. "But
cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness to be reserved unto judgment." So these angels have been
cast down; they've left their first habitation, and they've left
their first estate. And we notice that "he hath reserved in
everlasting chains unto darkness," unto the judgment of the day.
So these angels were someplace, and they sinned, and they
were cast down to hell, that is, "to be reserved" unto that
place.
All right, now let's take our Bibles and go to Isaiah
chapter 14. We'll try to get some references on these, and try to
get some of these things together, and note some of the things
that are found in dealing with these fallen angels. Now, these
fallen angels, we know, were things that were cast down, they
left their habitation, their first estate, and they were cast
down to the earth for sin. Now, exactly why they were cast down,
nobody can ever say. Exactly the reason for them being cast out,
you can't know, except for the fact that they sinned. But, as we
read more in the Bible, we'll find out that these fallen angels
are connected with Satan. And, it could very well be that at the
time he was cast out, these fallen angels were a group that had
plotted with him, and were cast out for the same pride or the
same reason that he was cast out.
Isaiah chapter 14 now. This is dealing with Lucifer being
cast out. Isaiah 14:12: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God: I will set also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north." Notice the "I will
ascend," the "I will exalt," the "I will sit."
Verse 14: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I
will be like the most High" God. "Yet thou shalt be brought down
to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall
narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the
man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That
made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;
that opened not the house of his prisoners?"
So notice this, that, when Lucifer is cast out of heaven,
that he is cast down and evidently he comes out of the third
heaven where he's at, and when he does, he comes down to this
earth. And, when he does, evidently some of these angels are cast
out with him.
Now, for another reference dealing with Lucifer and what he
was before that, write down Ezekiel chapter 28, verses 11-19.
Now, we don't have time to read that, but it says there again in
verse 17, that "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty,
thou hast corrupted thy wisdom...I will cast thee to the ground,
I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."
So Lucifer clearly was cast out of heaven, and was cast out
of the place where he was. And evidently these angels were angels
who accompanied him or were there with him, and they sinned, and
were also cast out of heaven. Now, in the Gospel of Matthew, we
find another thing dealing with Lucifer, or Satan, and his
angels, and connecting them up again. Matthew chapter 25, verse
41: "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels."
So notice these fallen angels are connected with Satan.
They're connected with Lucifer and the devil, and they're called
"his angels." And, just as the Lord has His spirits, the devil
has his. Just as the Lord has His angels, the devil has his.
Now, lest you doubt that, Revelation chapter 12 has more to
say about it. Revelation chapter 12, verse 7: "And there was war
in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon."
Now, looking at verse 9, we know who that was: And the great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent,...which deceiveth the
whole world."
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon--that's the
devil. "And the dragon and his angels." The dragon fought and his
angels. "They prevailed not; neither was their place found any
more in heaven." So evidently there's another battle that will
yet take place in the period of Revelation, and these angels will
be cast out.
But, nonetheless, I want you to notice that these fallen
angels that are connected with Lucifer, that they are--him and
his angels--cast out, and they have been reserved in everlasting
chains under darkness unto the day of judgment. That is, they
have been reserved unto the judgment which is to come. And
evidently those angels--or a part of them--at that time were cast
into hell, and those angels are there, bound in chains for that.
All right, now, we've got that far. Notice the fallen
angels, how they were cast out of heaven because of sin.
Now, we know that the devil and his angels now are now all
in hell, because the Bible said he is the "prince of the power of
the air that now worketh in the children of disobedience." So, he
is in this air; he's in the earth that we're in. The Bible says,
"Our adversary walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he
may devour." So the devil and his angels were at one time
intended to be in heaven with God. That was their first estate;
that was their habitation. They sinned. And when they sinned,
they were cast out of heaven, and some of them were cast
evidently to hell. And yet, some of them were just cast out of
heaven. And, of course, that gave them free rein upon the earth
and the atmosphere around the earth.
Now, notice this--that they were kept out. And they left
that. And notice also that in 2 Peter chapter 2, that the
connotation, when these were cast out, in verse 4 there's a
semicolon; then in verse 5, "And spared not the old world, but
saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness." The
context of this, and the context of Jude, is dealing with the
Book of Genesis. So these things were cast down and came to the
earth, and we find them appearing in Genesis chapter 6 in the
form of what's known as the "sons of God." And these "sons of
God" are the fallen sons of God, and evidently are the fallen
angels that are also in the Bible. So these were once with God.
These were once closely related with God, but, now that they've
been cast out of heaven, they've become fallen angels, and come
to this earth.
Now, in Genesis chapter 6, you find this before. In Genesis
chapter 6, verse 1: "And it came to pass, when men began to
multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto
them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they
were fair." Now, how do you know the sons of God are connected
with the devil? Because of Job 1, verse 6; because of Job 2,
verse 1. There was a day when Satan came, and the "sons of God"
with him. These are his angels; these are the fallen angels that
fell when he fell.
So they came and saw the daughters of men, that they were
fair, "and took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord
said, My spirit shall not always strive with men, for that he
also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days." Now, those giants
are not just completely kept to the flood, but the giants appear
later on throughout the Bible in different places. Second Samuel
21, 1 Chronicles 20, Joshua 17, and Numbers 13. So these giants
are something that is there.
But notice what I'm saying: "and also after that, when the
sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare
children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old,
men of renown." Now this is a reference to the fallen angels,
these sons of God in the days of Noah. So these angels left their
first estate--heaven--and their own habitation, and came to
earth. And, when they did that, they committed fornication with
the daughters and sons of men. And, because of that, God has
reserved them unto that. And every place you find this reference,
it of course is always connected with that, and connected with
those things.
So we see these fallen angels did come. In Daniel chapter 2,
they're connected with the "iron" men, the "steel" men that are
found there, and also found in different places throughout the
Bible. Notice that these angels were the fallen angels that fell,
came to the earth, and they came in the forms of "sons of God."
So, in the beginning God was there with Jesus and the Holy
Spirit. And Satan was there--Lucifer--and these angels were
there, or the "sons of God." Now, they fell. And when they fell,
they came to the earth as these fallen angels, and as the "sons
of God," and they came with Lucifer. And they came to the earth.
All right now, they came, they committed fornication with the
daughters of men and committed that sin, and there were giants on
the face of the earth.
Now, we also notice in Revelation chapter 12 that there's
another battle that goes on during the Tribulation. And, at that
time, Satan and his angels are cast out again. And evidently
these giants, or these men, will show up on the earth again at
that time.
Now you say, "Preacher, now you're getting into just a
little bit more than what you know." Well, that may be so; that
may be true; and that may be something that you say. But, clearly
from the Bible, we find out, "As it was in the days of Noah, so
shall it be in the days of the Son of man." As it was! "As it was
in the days of Lot." Why just those two men? Why not somebody
else? Or some other men? Because, in those days, that's when
those fallen angels visited the earth. And they will visit it
again as men from outer space at the time of the second coming of
Jesus Christ.
And what better way for the Antichrist to push himself off
as Christ than to come from outer space? So these angels are the
fallen angels and the fallen "sons of God." And one of these
days, beloved, God's program is going to work. And you and I as
redeemed children of God are going to fulfill the plan that God
had--and that was to inhabit the earth and outer space with the
race called "the sons of God," and we'll take over, and take
their place where they fell.
So, see that these angels "kept not their first estate, but
left their own habitation." They left during that day, comparing
Scripture with Scripture, I believe we can carefully say that
these will visit the earth. "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." Of
course, these fallen angels, fallen spirits, and the devil
himself, are working today. We're given clear admonition in
Colossians 1, Colossians 2, and Ephesians 1, Ephesians 3, and
Ephesians 6, that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, and powers, and wickedness in high
places."
And that's our warfare.
So, these angels fell. And these are the fallen "sons of
God" in Genesis 6.
Now, I know Scofield says that that was just the godly line
of Seth and Cain separating--but that's not true; that won't
work. That's where they visited the earth; that's when they left
their first habitation, and came to the earth. And, comparing
Scripture with Scripture, they will be coming back again. And,
lest you doubt that, just open your eyes and pick up the
newspapers, and read all the things concerning "U.F.O.s" and
"flying saucers" and "flying objects." People are not alarmed at
it any more; they're not as shocked as they used to be.
A man named Bill Rettig has a message in which he interviews
two men who were picked up in Pascacoula and were with that thing
for a couple of days.
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