Why Would He? Great Question!

The Urgent Message of Jude for the Great Basin Region

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” - Jude 1:3

My Analysis of Jude

Let me remind you that Jude is the last epistle in the Bible before Revelation. Jude is not an afterthought, no, far from it. Jude is the last warning to the pre-Harpazo church and the world we live in–last call, last warning, meant for the followers of Christ living on the Earth today, right now..

"Appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith"

"Appealing" (Greek: parakaleo) means to strongly urge, exhort, or beseech. Throughout Scripture, this word carries the sense of earnest entreaty - as seen in 2 Corinthians 5:20 where Paul says "we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

"Contend earnestly" (Greek: epagonizomai) is an intensive form meaning to struggle or fight vigorously for something. The root connects to athletic competition - striving with all one's strength. Paul uses similar language in 1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith."

"The faith" refers not to personal belief, but to the objective body of Christian doctrine - "the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3), the BIBLE–the WORD OF GOD. This is the complete revelation of truth delivered through Christ and the apostles, as referenced in Ephesians 4:5 ("one faith") and 1 Timothy 3:9 ("the mystery of the faith").

The Called and Those "Kept" for Jesus Christ

"The called" are those whom God has effectively summoned to salvation. Romans 8:30 explains: "whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified." This calling is irresistible and results in salvation (Romans 1:6-7).

"Kept for Jesus Christ" indicates divine preservation and protection. The Greek word (tereo) means to guard or watch over. Jesus speaks of this in John 17:12: "While I was with them, I kept them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them." This keeping ensures believers will be presented to Christ at His return.

The Saints

Saints are the "holy ones" - all true believers who have been set apart BY GOD. In Scripture, sainthood isn't earned through works but is a positional reality for all Christians (1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1). They are characterized by:

Being called by God (Romans 1:7)

Having received "the faith once for all handed down" (Jude 3)

Being "beloved in God the Father" (Jude 1)

Demonstrating the fruit of genuine faith (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Ungodly - Their Character and Actions

Jude provides extensive description of the ungodly who have "crept in unnoticed" (verse 4):

Their Core Nature:

"Ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness" (v.4)

They "deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (v.4)

They are "dreamers" who "defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile angelic majesties" (v.8)

Their Behavioral Patterns:

Sexual immorality and perversion - like Sodom and Gomorrah, they "indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh" (v.7)

Rejection of divine authority and blasphemy against spiritual powers (v.8)

Following their own lusts and speaking arrogantly for personal gain (v.16)

Creating divisions while being "worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit" (v.19)

Their Spiritual Condition:

"Clouds without water, carried along by winds" - promising refreshment but delivering nothing (v.12)

"Autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted" - appearing to have life but spiritually barren (v.12)

"Wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam" - publicly displaying their moral corruption (v.13)

"Wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever" - destined for eternal judgment (v.13)

Their Methods:

They infiltrate subtly, appearing as believers while teaching destructive heresies.

They exploit grace as license for sin.

They flatter people for personal advantage (v.16).

They cause divisions within the church (v.19).

Why Recognizing the Ungodly Matters

Understanding these characteristics is crucial because:

Protection of the Church: These false teachers work from within, making discernment essential (Matthew 7:15).

Preservation of Truth: They specifically target and corrupt the gospel message.

Pastoral Responsibility: Church leaders must be able to identify and address false teaching (Titus 1:9).

Personal Vigilance: Believers must test all teaching against Scripture (1 John 4:1).

Jude's Positive Message for Faithful Believers

Despite the sobering warnings, Jude concludes with tremendous encouragement for true believers:

Present Responsibilities (vv.20-23):

"Building yourselves up on your most holy faith" - growing in doctrinal understanding and spiritual maturity.

"Praying in the Holy Spirit" - maintaining intimate communion with God.

"Keep yourselves in the love of God" - remaining in fellowship and obedience.

"Waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life" - maintaining hope in Christ's return.

Ministry to Others:

"Have mercy on some, who are doubting" - gently restore those struggling with faith.

"Save others, snatching them out of the fire" - urgently rescue those in spiritual danger.

Show mercy with discernment, "hating even the garment polluted by the flesh" - help others while avoiding contamination by their sin.

Ultimate Assurance (vv.24-25): The epistle concludes with one of Scripture's greatest doxologies, emphasizing God's power to:

"Keep you from stumbling" - preserve believers from falling into apostasy.

"Make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy by His Grace" - present believers perfect before God.

This brings "glory, majesty, dominion and authority" to God "before all time and now and forever".

Jude's message balances sobering warning with glorious hope - while false teachers will face judgment, true believers are eternally secure in Christ's keeping power and destined for joyful presentation before God's throne.

The Ungodly in Contemporary Terms

Based on Jude's description, here's what these individuals look like in modern context:

In Religious Settings: They appear as charismatic pastors, teachers, or influential church leaders who subtly redefine biblical terms. They preach "grace" but neglect sin. They promote "love" while rejecting biblical standards like forgiveness and holiness. They speak of "freedom in Christ" while encouraging bondage to fleshly desires like economic wealth and prosperity. They use religious language but hollow out its meaning - talking about Jesus while denying His lordship over moral behavior.

Their Sexual Ethics: They normalize and even celebrate sexual behaviors that Scripture condemns. They redefine marriage, promote sexual experimentation, and treat the body as merely physical rather than sacred. They mock biblical sexual ethics as "outdated" and encourage others to "follow their hearts" rather than God's design.

Their Attitude Toward Authority: They reject biblical authority structures - whether in family, church, or society. They encourage rebellion against parents, spouses, church leadership, and government when these conflict with personal desires. They despise those in authority and publicly mock them, showing no respect for God-ordained positions.

Their Methods: They use sophisticated communication - social media, podcasts, books, conferences - to spread their influence. They present themselves as intellectually superior, mocking "simple faith" and "literalist interpretations." They attract followers through flattery and by telling people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.

Their Financial Practices: They exploit others for personal gain, whether through prosperity theology, expensive conferences, or manipulative fundraising. They live lavishly while their followers sacrifice, using spiritual language to justify their greed.

Their Divisive Nature: They create factions within churches and Christian communities, positioning themselves as enlightened leaders against "fundamentalists." They sow discord by emphasizing secondary issues while undermining primary gospel truths.

Regarding Their Nature - Are They Fully Human?

Based on Scripture alone, using the Bible to interpret itself, here's what we can determine:

They Are Fully Human: The biblical evidence strongly indicates these individuals are completely human:

Jude's Language: Jude describes them with typical human characteristics - they "crept in," they "speak," they "flatter," they experience human lusts and desires. Nothing in the text suggests non-human nature.

Biblical Pattern: Throughout Scripture, the greatest enemies of God's people are consistently described as fully human - from Pharaoh to Judas Iscariot. Even the Antichrist is described as "the man of lawlessness" (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

The Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30): When Jesus explains this parable, He identifies the tares as "sons of the evil one" (v.38), but this refers to spiritual allegiance, not biological nature. They are humans who belong to Satan's kingdom rather than God's.

Spiritual, Not Physical Battle: Ephesians 6:12 clarifies our struggle is "not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness." The human agents are just that - human.

The Source of Their Evil: Scripture attributes their corruption to:

Spiritual blindness: "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Demonic influence: They may be influenced or even possessed by demonic forces, but they remain human.

Fallen nature: They operate according to their unregenerate human nature, "walking according to the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2).

Why This Matters: Recognizing their full humanity is crucial because:

It maintains biblical accuracy.

It keeps us focused on the spiritual battle rather than creating elaborate theories.

It reminds us they are still candidates for redemption through the gospel.

It prevents us from treating them as something other than image-bearers of God who need salvation.

The Real Danger: Their danger lies not in being non-human entities, but in being humans fully given over to serving Satan's purposes while appearing to serve God. This makes them extraordinarily deceptive - they look, sound, and act like genuine believers while leading others into spiritual destruction.

The most frightening aspect of Jude's warning is that these are people who can infiltrate churches undetected precisely because they appear completely normal and even spiritual. Their humanity makes them more dangerous, not less, because it allows them to relate to and deceive other humans so effectively.

The Modern-Day Pharisee Connection

There are striking parallels between Jude's “ungodly” and the Pharisees Jesus confronted and they exist today:

Shared Characteristics:

Religious appearance with corrupt hearts: Both groups maintain external religiosity while inwardly rejecting God's truth.

Authority rejection: Both refuse to submit to God's actual authority while claiming to represent Him.

Leading others astray: Both groups prevent others from entering God's kingdom (Matthew 23:13).

Hypocrisy: Both say one thing and do another, using religion for personal gain.

Blasphemy: Both ultimately oppose the true work of God while claiming to serve Him.

Jesus's Statement: "You are of your father, the devil" (John 8:44)

Let's examine this carefully using Scripture to interpret Scripture:

The Context (John 8:42-47): Jesus is speaking to Jews who claimed to be Abraham's children but were seeking to kill Him. His statement about their "father the devil" comes in response to their spiritual condition, not their physical genealogy.

What Jesus Meant: The passage indicates Jesus was speaking about spiritual paternity, not biological/genetic lineage:

Spiritual Family Lines: Jesus contrasts two spiritual families - children of God versus children of the devil. This is about spiritual allegiance and moral character, not DNA.

Behavioral Evidence: Jesus says, "You are doing the deeds of your father" (v.41). He identifies them by their actions - lying, murdering, rejecting truth - which mirror Satan's character.

The Nature of Spiritual Birth: Earlier in John 3, Jesus explains that people must be "born again" - this spiritual birth creates new spiritual paternity. Those not born again remain in their natural state as children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

Biblical Support for Spiritual, Not Physical, Interpretation:

1 John 3:8-10 clarifies this concept: "The one who practices sin is of the devil... By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God"

Ephesians 2:1-3 describes all unregenerate humans as "sons of disobedience" who "walk according to the prince of the power of the air."

The Two Seeds in Genesis 3:15: When God speaks of enmity between the serpent's seed and the woman's seed, this establishes two spiritual lineages that run through human history - not separate species.

The Real Horror

The truly sobering reality is that modern day Pharisees are fully human, and we are to loe them - meaning:
Any human can become like them through persistent rejection of God's truth.

They were created in God's image but have become completely corrupted spiritually.

They demonstrate humanity's capacity for evil when given over to sin completely.

Romans 1:28 describes this process: "God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."

Why This Matters Doctrinally

Understanding their full humanity is crucial because:

It maintains human responsibility: They are accountable for their choices.

It preserves the possibility of redemption: Until death, even the worst can potentially be saved.

It warns us: Any believer who persistently hardens their heart against God's truth could theoretically reach this state.

It focuses on the real battle: The issue is spiritual rebellion, not biological corruption.

The Most Disturbing Truth: These aren't monsters or aliens - they're humans who have become so spiritually darkened that they serve Satan's purposes while believing they serve God. This makes them far more dangerous than any non-human entity because they can perfectly mimic genuine faith while leading others to destruction.

Their horror lies not in altered DNA, but in altered hearts that have become completely aligned with Satan's agenda while maintaining human appearance and capabilities.

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