JUDE 4 and 5
Recap: So Jude began a letter to his brethren, and God interrupted him, telling Jude to pen a warning to future believers—to US.
But first God wanted His beloved to know that He is here. He is with us. He will not forsake us. He will provide mercy, peace, and love. All we have to do is keep our eyes glued on Him.
He reminds us we are filled with Holy Spirit, His personal helper whom He gifted to each believer when we prayed for forgiveness of our sins—when we committed our lives to His Son, who came and died for us.
He reminds us we are His ‘Called’ and therefore our obedience is imperative.
He reminds us that as His Called, as His beloved, NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIM. Therefore our lives are in His hands and no one can alter His timing. His Called will live eternally with Him REGARDLESS of what happens here on earth. Oh what a promise!
So what is God’s warning?
JUDE Verse 4: For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
A certain group of evil men slithered in. They moved slowly, steadily, and purposefully, in such a way that was impossible to stop. And these men have gone unnoticed. At some earlier date they were identified, singled out, MARKED for this condemnation.
Definition of ‘marked’ is interesting:
- Having a visible mark, distinguished by a particular feature.
- Clearly noticeable, evident.
Therefore, God is warning the observant—these men have (or do) something, that is distinguishable and noticeable—something He will condemn.
What is it?
According to verse 4 it is a BLATANT action or behavior that refuses God’s grace (His desire to bless) and twists His goodness into lewdness—a crude and offensive sexual act. These men commit these acts in full denial of the one true God and His Son’s sacrificial death for our sins.
Remember! If someone refuses God, there is only one other choice—Satan.
And DO NOT BE DECEIVED! There is no middle ground. If one chooses not to choose, they have chosen Satan, because they have chosen to remain the same. God’s Son was sent as a personal sacrifice for everyone. He alone is the bridge back to God. A non-choice is an incorrect choice.
Now look closely @ verse 5 here! Before continuing with His warning, God AGAIN interrupts Jude to remind current-day believers about something He did long ago…
Verse 5: Now I want to remind you, even though you have been fully informed of these facts once and for all, that Jesus, having saved the people out of Egypt, later destroyed those who did not believe.
WHOA!!! Why did God stop Jude mid-letter? Because God’s current global believers need to be reminded that after Jesus freed the enslaved Jews from Pharaoh, He DESTROYED all of the Jews who refused to believe in Him.
Jesus is fully capable of saving, and Jesus is fully capable of destroying those who refuse to believe. Throughout His Word, Jesus provides evidence of Who He Is—miracles and wonders, patience and kindnesses, healings, and even bringing people back from the dead. What possible additional evidence do the unbelieving need? Why choose to side oneself with these evil men Jesus will destroy? Yes, they have crept in—yes, they will be destroyed.
And still God doesn’t let up, in verses 6 and 7 He is insistent in His desire that we fully understand what is occurring with these evil men…
Those verses tomorrow…