"Certain People"

July 17, 2014

“Certain People”

Blessings folk!

Jude is a very short letter.
He wanted to write about one thing - our common salvation.
But, he felt the necessity to exhort us to contend for the faith.

Why?

He succinctly tells us in a single verse.

Jude 1:4
For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.


There is a problem from within.

Certain People.

Note that these people can be determined… “certain people”.
We are not powerless.
The Spirit releases the gift of discerning of spirits as He desires.
We can know who they are.
We will know them by their fruit.

We learn much in this verse about these certain people…

  • crept in unnoticed. This reveals an intentionality from the beginning to cause harm to the Body. This tells us that they have no intention of being true Believers.
  • long ago designated for this condemnation. God knew about them from the foundations of creation. Why does He not “do something”? He did. All that we have experienced to this point is God “doing something”. We can be assured that their condemnation is certain. God knows what they are doing. Why does He allow it? Why did/does God allow sin? His ways are not our ways. His timing is not our timing. He will deal with it all.
  • ungodly people. Well, there you are. Clear. They are ungodly, yet they gather with the Godly. Tares among the wheat.
  • they pervert the grace of our God into sensuality. This is happening boldly within the organizational church today. Leadership perverts the grace of God. They say that varied sins are “ok, God’s grace is there”. Perverted grace of many types is abundant today. Seek and know True Grace.
  • they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Again, seen often today, especially among “higher” levels of church leadership and religious academia. Folk are often amazed at how many who arrogantly carry the title of “...To Be Revered” (Reverend) do not believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life.

We must contend against such.
Through the Word. We must know the Truth of the Word.
Through the Spirit. We must be filled and live in the power of the Spirit.
Through the Body. We must function as the Body in the manner that the Lord has designed.

Have eyes to see.
Have ears to hear.

Many who read this will hear smooth, subtle elements of each of these characteristics of “certain people” this coming Lord’s day.
It will appear in a Sunday School lesson.
It will appear in the passing comment of someone.
It will appear from the pulpit.

Fall not for the lie.

Stand firm
Contend for the faith.
See to it that no on deceives you.