Jude 4<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about\u00a0long ago have secretly slipped in among you.\u00a0They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.<\/i><\/p>\n
Remembering that in\u00a0V3<\/b>\u00a0Jude had intended to write a letter to encourage and uplift the saints, but instead, the Lord directed him to write a letter of correction against heretical lies against the doctrines of our faith.\u00a0 So Jude, desiring to please God above pleasing men, followed where the Spirit led.<\/p>\n
He writes about certain people who long ago, since before time and creation, were known by God as those who would come to desecrate the grace of God through Jesus our Lord.\u00a0\u00a0God knew these people would come then, as they had before, and as they do now.\u00a0\u00a0Hasn\u2019t the Lord always known of those who would reject or pervert the grace He so freely gives to those who will come?\u00a0\u00a0And hasn\u2019t God always known who will come? (Romans 8:29, 11:12, 1 Peter 1:2<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Throughout history God has known those who are used by the enemy to introduce heresies and He has never been surprised by these people, and He has never already had the condemnation of them not already prepared.\u00a0\u00a0God is always ready as He has had men such as Jude prepared to give His response for lies that always arise like weeds among the vegetables.<\/p>\n
The condemnation that Jude writes of is something that comes after a deed.\u00a0\u00a0It is judgement for deeds done.\u00a0\u00a0As the Lord gives rewards for those who do His good will, so He likewise judges those who do evil and gives them the due consequences of their actions.\u00a0\u00a0(Galatians 6:7-8<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0God had declared that those who violate, who desecrate His ways, will be those who will be condemned.\u00a0\u00a0It is not as if these men hadn\u2019t and haven\u2019t been warned, it is not as if they hadn\u2019t had a choice.\u00a0\u00a0Instead, these men were warned, as Adam was warned, that consequences follow disobedience.\u00a0\u00a0They purposely disobeyed and therefore had chosen their future.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0All who purposely sin know that punishment follows.\u00a0\u00a0Law breakers know the risk, sinners know the risk.\u00a0\u00a0So the promise of punishment for doing evil follows their choice to do so.\u00a0\u00a0Only by knowing Jesus as both Savior and Lord can the punishment for sin be taken away.\u00a0\u00a0Obedience to God manifests the love of God and of being a member of the family of God. Those who disdain His grace, those who purposely dishonor it, are no recipients of it.<\/p>\n
Today, as during all times since Jesus ascended, selfish people who wish only themselves well at the harm of the fold, have snuck in amongst us.\u00a0\u00a0Many call themselves pastors or other lofty titles while they are indeed wolves in among the sheep.\u00a0\u00a0(Matthew 7:15<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Jesus has called to be aware and discerning.<\/p>\n
Jude does not mix his words.\u00a0\u00a0He knows the truth and stands strongly upon it.\u00a0\u00a0Those who alter, take away from or add to the Word of God are headed on a path to hell.\u00a0\u00a0(Revelation 22:18-19, Proverbs 30-5-6, Deuteronomy 12:32<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0These are those who come and disgrace the work of Christ by saying that obedience is not necessary because grace through Jesus has paid the full price (antinomianism).\u00a0\u00a0They ignore that Jesus said that those who love Him will obey Him (John 14:15<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0The Apostle Paul wrote\u00a0\u201cIf we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,\u00a027<\/a>\u00a0but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0(Hebrews 10:26-27<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0It certainly is true that Christ died for all of our sins.\u00a0\u00a0It is also true that those who don\u2019t appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus and so willfully reject His holy ways, His way of holiness and love, do not love Him and so do not belong to Him (1 John 4:19-21<\/b>).<\/p>\n If we love Jesus, we obey Him.\u00a0\u00a0If we obey Him, it is because He lives within us and His love is what determines all our actions, words and attitudes.\u00a0\u00a0More of Jesus means more of love and less of sin.\u00a0\u00a0Less of Jesus means less love and more sin.\u00a0\u00a0It is what is in our hearts that shows who we belong to.\u00a0\u00a0If the world rules, than our lives will reflect that.\u00a0\u00a0If the Lord shines through, then it is Jesus who sits on the throne within us. So let us cling to the pure truth of the Word of God as led by the Spirit.\u00a0\u00a0It is in God alone we trust and whom we follow.\u00a0\u00a0Our reward is sure, and Family, our reward is increasingly soon. Stay strong and always praise God!<\/p>\n Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/p>\n Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.<\/p>\n Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/p>\n Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jude 4\u00a0–\u00a0For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about\u00a0long ago have secretly slipped in among you.\u00a0They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Remembering that in\u00a0V3\u00a0Jude had intended to write a letter to encourage and uplift the saints,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[2518,1969,104,100,2188,101,94,1874,90,88,17,711,10],"class_list":["post-2341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-corinthians-luke-deuteronomy","tag-galatians","tag-hebrews","tag-john","tag-jude","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-peter","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm","tag-revelation","tag-romans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2341"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2342,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions\/2342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}