All right, turn back with me
to the book of Jude. Jude chapter 1, I'd like to look
at verses 4 to 8. Jude exhorted, contend for the
faith that was once delivered unto the saints. Fight that good
fight. Lay hold on eternal life. The
Lord has declared it. Preach it. Believe it. Then the Apostle Jude says why. He said, this is the reason why
that I'm exhorting you to contend for the faith. Obviously, like
then and now, we're warned warned against something. What was the
reason, Jude 4 verse 4, 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. This is the reason. He said,
men, by God's good pleasure. Now we have to understand something. All things work together for
good to them that love God. All things. He worketh all things
after the counsel. So these men that are crept in
unawares, that have actually come in while believers are lax,
they're sleeping spiritually. While men slept, that's what
the scripture says the sower of the tares did, while men slept,
while we're unaware, while we're not watching. This is why Jude
said, I'm earnestly, you know, Contend for the faith. They come
in certain men, they try to capitalize on a believer's unwatchfulness. But remember where the source
of that thought is. This is tactics of Satan. Satan using men, pawns, to accomplish
or try to accomplish his purpose. He said, these men that crept
in, unawares, false prophets coming, they're in sheep's clothing. But inwardly, they're ravening
wolves. They come in unawares. That's what Jude says, unawares. They lodged in the midst of God's
people stealthily. under stealth, not noticed at
first by God's people, but God knew them. Almighty God, these
were men, the scripture says, who were before of old ordained
to this condemnation. before of old ordained such forth
that it was announced before. God Almighty announced it. God Almighty, nothing happens,
remember, outside of the Lord's good pleasure. He purposes allowing
these things to prove His people, to prove them who are His. The Scripture says in 1 Corinthians
11, 19, For there must be also heresies among you, that they
which are approved may be made manifest among them. So these
intruders is what they are. They've always been here. Jude is writing about them in
the time just after our Lord's ascension into heaven. It started
then and it never Fails. There must be. There's always
in the midst. Tears. God allows them to be
there. And Jude is saying, I'm warning
you about them. Be watchful about them. You know,
whenever Pharaoh refused to let God's people go. He refused. Pharaoh refused to
let the people of God go at first. You know what the scripture says
about His refusal? Now listen to this, Romans 9,
17. You know what set forth the glorious power of Almighty God
when the children of Israel left Egypt? Pharaoh stood and raised his
little impotent hand against God and said, I will not let
the people go. Who is God that I should serve
Him? Well, I'll tell you who He is.
He's the God that's going to put you in the middle of the
Red Sea and drown you. That's who He is. So you just go ahead
and raise your hand all you want to. And you just talk about how
powerful you are. And we'll see. Jude said these
certain men crept in under stealth. But they were ordained, before
of old, ordained to this condiment, ungodly men, turning the grace
of our God into lasciviousness, lewd, lustful, indecent behavior. That, humanly speaking, is talking
about adultery. That's lasciviousness. That's
what that means. But spiritual adultery is the
issue here. Spiritual attempting to cause
God's people to be unfaithful to God. That's the ultimate goal
of Satan's using these ungodly men to move. I told you about a an acquaintance
that I had when I was living in Tennessee. And a man just
absolutely most heinous, disrespectful thing could be done. Sat under
the gospel, claimed for a while to believe the gospel of God's
free grace. Five-point Calvinist. Knew all
the points. All of that. All of that. And
went on for years. And then before you know it,
I said, What are you doing? Well, I'm just a sinner. I'm
just a sinner. Saved by grace. I mean, you know,
God saved me by grace. I mean, I can't help it. I'm
a sinner. So, there's something wrong. Whenever
you excuse it, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into that
which insinuates that spiritual adultery is okay. Or physical
adultery is okay, but spiritual, and denying the only Lord God
and our Lord Jesus Christ, claiming to believe that grace, that grace
is shown more greatly whenever we sin. What? Paul said, shall
we sin that grace may abound? Grace that delivers? What? Denying
that which the Lord God of all grace has declared to be the
evidence of life. That's what he's saying. They're
denying the only Lord God. Not that they're denying that
there is a Lord God. They know that. But denying that
we've been called with a holy calling. Denying that we're called
to a life to walk that adorns the gospel that we believe. Denying
that. What they're saying is, it's
okay. if we're disobedient. It's okay. That's what he's saying. Denying
the Lord. Listen to what the Lord said. John 10, 27. My sheep hear my voice. Now you that believe, you know
the voice of the Lord when you hear it in the gospel. You know
it. If I'm standing up here and I'm
preaching that man has a free will, you're thinking that's
not the voice of the Lord. Because the voice of the Lord
says in John 1.13, not by the will of man. That's what the
voice of the Lord says. My sheep hear my voice. He said,
I know them. I know them. He knows everybody,
but I know them in grace. I know those that thou hast given
me. I know who they are. That's what
he told the Pharisees. They said, won't you tell us
the truth? He said, I told you the truth. And you don't believe
me. This is John 10, verse 25, I think. Let me confirm that. He said, I told you the truth,
and you don't believe. Why? John 10, 10-24, Then came the
Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou
make us to doubt, if thou be the Christ? Tell us plainly,
Jesus answered them, I told you and you believe not the works
that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me, but
you believe not because you're not of my sheep. You're not of
my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. That's
what he said. I mean, he just flat out told
them, he said, you're not my sheep. I lay down my life for
the sheep, you're not them. Boy, that should have just, I
mean, that would have scared me to death. Can you imagine? They
deny the only Lord God. They deny that there is a walk
of faith. Does that mean that a sinner
is without error? No, sir. But they know it. And
they strive after faithfulness toward Him. They follow Me. John said in 1 John 3.10, In
this, the children of God are manifest, and the children of
the devil. Whosoever doeth not righteousness. Whosoever doeth not righteousness. I got this from Brother Henry's
commentary. This definition right here. I
looked at that and I thought, Whosoever doeth not righteousness. This is what Brother Henry made
him. He said, Whosoever is found to be not seeking to conform. Whosoever is found not desiring
to walk after. Whosoever is found not resisting
himself and the natural tendencies to sin. Whosoever doeth not righteousness. A believer is seeking to conform. Am I ever going to walk perfectly
in this life? No, sir. No, sir. Am I ever going
to quit resisting myself? No, I'll never do it. But I want
to. I want to walk consistently. I want to walk faithfully. To
will, Paul says, is present with me. I want that. Whosoever doeth
not righteousness. attitude of desire for conformity
to faithfulness. Whoever doeth not righteousness
is not of God. Neither he that loveth not his
brother is not of God. So Judas saying these certain
men decrypted, unaware, who were before of old ordained to this
kind of condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our
God into nothing more than spiritual adultery. You say it's okay.
It's okay. Titus says 1 16, they profess
that they know God. They make claim with their mouth
that they know and love and believe the Lord, but in works, in acts,
they deny Him. Being abominable, disobedient,
and unto every good work, reprobate, that is void of judgment. Verse
5 through 7, I will therefore put you in remembrance, though
you once knew this, how that the Lord having saved the people
out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed
not. 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. Even as Sodom
and Gomorrah 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."
Jude here proclaims. He said, I want to remind you
of something, though you've been fully informed and taught. He
said, I want to say, you know, trifling with the grace of God. Just acting as though that it's
okay. It's okay to act in a way that
is contrary. Not resisting, not striving after,
contending for the faith. trifling with the grace of God
is dangerous. Can I say it like that? It's
dangerous. It's dangerous. Contempt for God's mercy and
long-suffering is unsafe. It's not safe. It's serious. It's severe. It's life-threatening. And he gave these examples. He said, remember something.
The nation of Israel, a type of the church, God's chosen,
God's people. That whole nation was marvelously
delivered out of Egypt. But, before any of them crossed
into the promised land, that wilderness was strewn with carcasses. Why? Because they didn't believe
God. How did you know those that didn't
believe God? They died in the wilderness. That's how you know. He said, those angels, those
angels that fell, do you know that they once enjoyed the light
and the presence of God? There was a time when they were
there. And the Scripture says they deserted their first place
of honor. Why? Unwilling to subject themselves
to the God of heaven, they were cast out and now they're being
held in reserve, according to the Scriptures, in everlasting
chains or bonds of darkness. Reserved. Right there. What's
coming? What's coming? Day of Judgment.
What's going to happen? They're going to be cast into
the lake of fire. And they know it. They know it. Paul, I mean
a Jew, is saying like Sodom and Gomorrah. He said this was an
example. He said, God gave an example.
That's what he said. He said, even Sodom and Gomorrah
and the cities round about them in like manner, giving themselves
over to fornication, going after strange flesh, are set forth
for an example. suffering the vengeance of eternal
fire, because they gave themselves over to that which was forbidden,
unnatural, impure, perversion. Judah is saying that's what's
happening. These certain men that have crept in, they were
before ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace
of God into lasciviousness, unchecked. Just leave it alone. Just press,
press, press, pressing God's people. It's unsafe. It's what
Judas said. I'm warning you, I'm warning
you. Last verse. Likewise, also these filthy dreamers
defile the flesh. They despise dominion and speak
evil of dignity. Notwithstanding all of the judgments. That's what Judas said. that
are set forth in the Holy Scriptures. He calls them filthy dreamers. Those certain men crept in unawares
who have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness. Those who walk as though there's
no bounds of godliness. I'm saved by grace and it don't
matter. These filthy dreamers whose minds
are overcome with sensual pleasures. Because they say and they do
that which is not consistent with the Scriptures. Jeremiah, this will be the last
one I'll look. Jeremiah 23, I'll read this to
you. Jeremiah 23, verse 25 to 28. I've heard what the prophets say. that prophesy lies in my name,
saying, I've dreamed, I've dreamed, I've dreamed. How long shall
this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? Yea, they
are prophets of deceit, of their own heart, which think to cause
my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell
every man to his neighbor as their fathers have forgotten
my name for Baal. The prophet that hath a dream,
let him dream a dream. He that hath my word, Let him
speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat,
saith the Lord? What does straw have in common
with wheat when it comes to nourishment? That's what he said. Sheep want
to be fed the bread of heaven. You tell me the truth. Just tell
me the truth. I don't want to argue. I don't want to hear.
Just tell me the truth. That's all I need. Jude says they defile the flesh. The Lord knoweth how to deliver
out of the day of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment, to be punished. But chiefly them that walk after
the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, they despise government. Presumptuous
are they, self-willed, not afraid to speak evil of dignities. That Jude was saying in that
latter part of that last verse. Likewise, these filthy dreamers,
they defile the flesh, they despise dominion, they defile
themselves and God's dominion, and they speak evil of dignities. They speak evil of that which
God has set forth to proclaim the gospel. They speak evil of
God's preachers. That's what they do. So in conclusion,
we know that the presence of sin is in every believer. We
know that. We know that the battle rages within. But within that
battle, there is a distinct resistance within that believer for the
glory of God. There's a resistance to that.
They see it. They know it's there. They know
that which is not consistent with God's honor. So we who believe,
we've been called to walk a walk that adorns the gospel that we
believe. Paul exhorted Timothy, let no
man, 1 Timothy 4.12, despise thy youth, but be thou an example. He said, Timothy, be a pattern. Be a pattern. I tell you, whatever
believer wants to be in this room this morning, they want
to be a pattern. They do. They do. I want to walk. I want to walk before you. I'm
a sinner. I am a sinner saved by the grace
of God. That's all I am. I'm a sinner. Okay, I'll go ahead and admit
it. But I want to walk as a pattern of a sinner that's been saved
by the grace of God. I want to walk." He said, let
no man dis... Be thou an example of the believers. An unbeliever is not... I mean,
an unbeliever is going to wear you out anyway, so just don't
worry about it. You ain't going to change it. But be an example
of the believers. An example in word, public and
private. Lord, help me from saying anything
privately that I wouldn't say publicly. If I'm not going to
tell you to your face, then don't say it in private. In word, in
conversation, in my walk, in my behavior, I want to be a pattern
of walk. In charity, in love. Love suffereth
long. I want to be a pattern of long
suffering. And in spirit, that is in disposition. I want to be a pattern in faith,
that is in faithfulness. and in purity, in my motive,
in all things, showing thyself a pattern of good works in doctrine,
in uncorruptness, in gravity, that is, in sincerity for the
truth, and sincerity, genuineness." Jude said, I wanted to write
to you about the gospel, the common gospel, but it was needful. It was needful. that exhorts
you to earnestly contend, earnestly contend for the faith that was
once delivered unto the saints. May the Lord help us all. Help
us all. We're brethren. Help us all. May we walk as brethren before
God and others for Christ's sake and our good. Amen.