Jude 4-7

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. ⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote, “The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable. But the enemy breached it. Not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers.” The greatest danger that the Church of Jesus Christ faces today is not opposition and persecution from outside the Church, nor is it the errors of the cults or false religions of the world. Instead, the greatest dangers to the Church’s mission are compromise and internal attacks. The Bible is full of warnings about apostates (those who fall away), false prophets, false teachers, and false converts. One of the most notable came from the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16). Jude wrote about the same individuals that Jesus warned about. He described them as “certain men” that “have crept in unawares.” They do not appear to be “wolves” at first. Instead, they blend right in with the sheep, but over time their character, motives, and conduct reveal that they are not “sheep” at all, but something with a more destructive nature.

After calling believers to “earnestly contend for the faith,” Jude described the characteristics of these “certain men.” Last week, we looked at two marks of these false disciples. First, we noted that he points out their subtle hypocrisy. While unnoticed by the church at first, they are “ungodly men” who use God’s grace as a cover for their sin and promotion of sin. This is not just talking about them affirming sin by way of doctrine, but also their own self-deception in using God’s grace to excuse away hypocrisy in their own lives. Second, we noted that Jude identifies the pattern of continual unbelief. Unbelief is not doubt, nor is it the need for learning and growing in maturity in the faith. Unbelief is outright rebellion to the revealed will of God. While these “certain men” may know and “experience” the truth as a part of the Christian community, inwardly they are living in rebellion to it. They are just like the Israelites who experienced all of the blessings of God in being brought out of slavery in Egypt, witnessing the ten plagues, walking through the Red Sea, eating manna from heaven, drinking water from the rock, and following the cloud and fire by day a night, yet never truly surrendering to obey the Word of the Lord and act upon the promises of God to go into the promised land. Instead, they caused the whole congregation to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, murmuring and grumbling against God and His leaders. This week, we will examine two more marks of these false disciples.

The third mark that Jude helps us to identify by way of Old Testament examples is that of blatant rebellion. In this example, Jude speaks about “angels” from the Old Testament who “kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation.” He is describing angels that fell from their original position and purpose in heaven. Of course, we know that this speaking of fallen angels who have rebelled against God. Revelation 12:3 reveals that one third of the angels followed Satan when he fell (Isaiah 14:12-14). These angels, that we often refer to as “fallen angels” or “demons” aid the devil in his world system of deception and ungodliness. They are the “principalities” and “powers” that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 6:10-13. However, Jude seems to focus in on a specific group of fallen angels that are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” 2 Peter 2:4 identifies this place of “everlasting chains” as tartaroo or “Tartarus.” This place was understood by the Jews to be the place where the “sons of God” that rebelled against God and intermarried with the “daughters of men” in the days of Noah (Genesis 6:1-4) are imprisoned. Apparently, these angels that sinned in this specific way were imprisoned for their actions until a future time of judgment. Not all fallen angels are imprisoned there; it is only these that we know of. The point of Jude pulling this example out to describe these “certain men” is the blatant rebellion of their actions. Not only had they fallen, but they had decided to rebel against God to the point of trying to corrupt the entire human race. They led the human race in rebellion against God and His created order. In the same way, these apostates that Jude writes about, not only rebel against God’s ordained authority, but they also lead others to do these same through their infectious attitude and actions.

The final mark that Jude helps us to see in regards to these false disciples is that of deliberate immorality. Perhaps the most known example of immorality in Scripture is that of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. These two famous cities are known specifically for the sin of homosexuality. Their depravity was so great that when God sent two angels to the city to warn Lot and his family to flee, the men of the city desired to “know” them. Despite being blinded, the men of the city did not stop pursuing the angels. The story bears out to us that God’s judgment of raining fire and brimstone on the city was absolutely just. Here, Jude is not saying that the apostates are all homosexuals, or even that their specific sin is sexual immorality, but what he is saying is that the character and lifestyle of these individuals is marked by deliberate immorality. This can be sexual in nature or it could include all forms of immorality such as lying, illegal activities, thievery, gossip, slander, murderous hatred, etc. Jude’s warning to them was that while Sodom and Gomorrah had fire and brimstone rained on them, these individuals look forward to a time of “the vengeance of eternal fire.” Their punishment will be infinitely worse. To live in deliberate immorality is to live “without fear” (Jude 12). They are without the fear of God. Instead, they merely adapt their life to look a certain way so that they may fit in with God’s people. Their immorality may not manifest itself at first, nor may it be readily apparent to the church body. Instead, it will only come out in time, or it may only manifest itself in more subtle or respectable ways. Afterall, their hypocrisy is subtle (Jude 4). Jude warns us about deliberate immorality in our lives and those around us.

By infiltrating the church, apostates, perhaps even unbeknownst to themselves, subtly undermine and cause issues for the body. In the next section of the letter, Jude will identify eight specific deadly patterns that flow out of these four identifying marks. We must heed his warning in verses 4-7 about these marks. But first, as with any passage of Scripture, we must examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). How do we know whether these things are in our lives or in someone’s life around us? As with last week, let us ask ourselves some questions. “Since all authorities are ordained by God, do I have a problem with authority in the church or in society?” “Is my life marked by rebellion and refusal to submit to those authorities in my life that God has ordained?” “Do I continually have to ‘buck the system’ or have it my way?” What about immorality? “Are there things in my life that no one else may know about that I participate in that are clearly sinful?” “Am I able to engage in sinful practices only worrying about getting caught by other people, but not really concerned with what God thinks?” “Do I find myself unable to speak with the people of God about the things I do outside of church because I know they are sinful?” Just as with the questions of application we dealt with last week, these are very personal and penetrating. They are uncomfortable, but they are perhaps some of the most important questions we could answer. It is because we do not ask such questions that many are given over to deception and led down a broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Let us heed the warning and be honest with ourselves. God already knows our hearts.