Jude 1:4, commentary and pictures

Certain ungodly men secretly creep in among believers and into the church, persisting in evil despite warning, whose condemnation was appointed beforehand of old and is certain, who misuse the grace of God as permission for sensual sin and immoral conduct, and who deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. In the very midst of believers these false teachers keep a form of godliness while giving heed to seducing spirits, presenting doctrines of satanic origin with flattering and deceptive words and skilful misrepresentations to divert minds from defining truth and draw away disciples after themselves. The verse describes the corrupt, boastful, self-willed generation of the last days in rebellion against God's law, denying God and Christ, trampling Christ's blood and despising His atonement, while at His return He ransoms the righteous dead from their graves to glory and the rejecters are separated from Him and consumed. It therefore calls believers to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints by bringing men back from transgression of God's commandments, proclaiming the gospel with zeal, and raising the standard by magnifying the law now trampled by the disloyal. While laboring to save perishing souls they are to come out and be separate from the world's amusements, policies and practices and from those who reject God's warnings, yet even in a time of trouble they are to learn Christ's meekness, guard every word, and weed retaliation and defiance out of their discourses as Michael dared not bring a railing accusation.

Secret Intruders Exposed

Jude 4 belongs to the description in Jude 1-8 of the pollution of the world and Satan's working agencies to corrupt it. With Jude 1-7, 9 and Daniel 10:1-13 it brings to view scenes in the heavenly courts where angels of the highest rank take interest in the affairs of men, with both good and evil angels taking an active part in matters connected with earthly kingdoms. That condition is written for the benefit of believers now and concerns them particularly.

Certain ungodly men creep in unawares and secretly enter among believers and into the church. They persist in evil despite warning and pursue evil designs. They must be recognized and resisted as false teachers, and exposed and thwarted.

Their condemnation was appointed beforehand of old and is certain. They turn the grace of God into lasciviousness by misusing grace as permission for sensual sin and immoral conduct. They deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the very midst of believers these false teachers arise, having a form of godliness but not safe leaders. Giving heed to seducing spirits, they present doctrines and theories of satanic origin. They mingle false theories with every phase of experience and advocate them with satanic earnestness to captivate every mind not rooted and grounded in a full knowledge of the sacred principles of the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. With seductive tact, flattering and deceptive words, and skilful misrepresentations they seek to divert minds from the very defining truth that marks the position that can be occupied with safety and to draw away disciples after themselves.

To deny the only Lord God is to reject the One who bought men with His own blood and who offers an eternal weight of glory for a life of humble obedience.

Last-Day Rebellion Foretold

The verse describes the corrupt generation living at Christ's second coming, a boastful and self-willed people in rebellion against God's law who deny God and Christ, trample Christ's blood underfoot and despise His atonement. That same ungodly character marks the last days, when men rebel against God's law and deny the only Lord God and Jesus Christ. The warning stands set against the return of Christ, when He gives life to the righteous dead and ransoms them from their graves to glory and honor, while those who reject His sacrifice are separated from the Lord and consumed with fire.

This apostasy is a condition to be met in the present day and in the last days, when such ungodly men arise who were of old marked for condemnation, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and Jesus Christ. The danger is to be met by studying the warning earnestly and contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, keeping that truth constantly before the people, making it prominent in preaching, and studying it earnestly. Such people will seek entry into churches and may deceive even the elect, persisting in evil despite warning, so churches are to remain separate from those who reject God's warnings, and if the intruders are truly converted they will give a different testimony.

In the last days false teachers arise actively zealous, men having a form of godliness but not safe leaders, presenting all kinds of theories to divert minds from the very defining truth that marks the position that can be occupied with safety. Their work guards believers against seductive influence, for Satan works with power upon religionists, leading them to make a pretense of being righteous while failing to place themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Contending for the Faith

Jude's warning about ungodly intruders who slip in unnoticed, misuse divine grace as license for sensual sin, deny God and Christ, and stand marked for certain condemnation, is a present-day condition calling believers to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. That contending is a truth to be kept constantly before the people, made prominent in preaching, and studied earnestly as the appointed way to meet the danger facing those living in the last days. The whole book of Jude sounds this warning about corruptions brought into the church through such men, urging separation from the world while still laboring within it to save perishing souls.

To contend in this sense is to bring men back from transgression of God's commandments, to proclaim the gospel of Christ with earnestness and zeal, and to shine light upon commandment-breakers so as to arouse men and women to prepare to meet God. It is to raise the standard of the truth delivered to the saints by magnifying the law and making it honorable, because sin is transgression of the law and that law is being trampled underfoot by the disloyal. While living in the world believers are to come out and be separate, taking no part in its amusements and alluring schemes and adopting none of its policies and practices. This separateness extends to remaining apart from those who reject God's warnings and to keeping institutions such as sanitariums out of the ungodly places found in every city, with the understanding that if such intruders are truly converted they will give a different testimony.

Disregarding spiritual reproof about this secret entrance and evil design exposes and invites apostasy, coldness, backsliding, worldliness, and spiritual darkness, so every mind must be rooted and grounded in a full knowledge of the sacred principles of the Word to guard against seductive influence. False teachers in the very midst of believers give heed to seducing spirits, mingle false theories of satanic origin with every phase of experience, and press them with satanic earnestness, flattering words, skilful misrepresentations, and seductive tact to draw away disciples after themselves. That pollution of the world through Satan's working agencies is written for the benefit of believers now, who face a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Even then they are to learn Christ's meekness and lowliness of heart, guarding every word and weeding retaliation, defiance, and drives against churches and individuals out of their discourses, as Michael when contending with the devil dared not bring a railing accusation but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Denying the only Lord God is rejecting the One who bought men with His own blood and who offers an eternal weight of glory for humble obedience, and such wicked unbelief dishonors God and puts the soul in immediate peril. It leaves a prayerless home where Jesus is not invited as honored guest, though the denier knows not what he is doing. Unless special efforts are made the last ray of light will finally depart, yet he may still be saved by coming to the fountain of light and truth and learning by personal experience the Saviour's power to save to the uttermost all who come to Him.