United By Our Devotion To The Apostles' Teachings #3 - Fight For The Faith & Against False Doctrine

“My dear friends, I was doing my best to write to you about the salvation we share in common, when I felt the need of writing at once to encourage you to fight on for the faith which once & for all God has given to his people. For godless people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, & who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master & Lord.”

Jude 3, 4 (GNT)

Jude Changed His Message To Help Me & The Church Understand:

Those Who DISTORT The Message Are A DANGER

“These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.”

Jude 12, 13 NIV)

How To Recognize Those Who Slip In and Destroy The Message: 

They DISTORT GRACE To Mean FREEDOM To Do As They Wish

“Persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways…” Jude 4a (GNT)

They DISREGARD The LORDSHIP of Jesus

“... and who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord…”

Jude 4b (GNT)

They Have Been SAVED But Do Not CONTINUE To BELIEVE

“I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe…”

Jude 5b (NIV)

They Do Not STICK With God’s INTENDED PURPOSE For Them

“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling…” Jude 6 (GNT)

They Allow Their FLESH To Determine Their DESIRES

“In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion…”

Jude 7 (GNT)

They JEALOUS, BITTER, VENGEFUL and Are Half Hearted In SACRIFICE 

“Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain…”

Jude 11a (NIV)

They Will Harm God’s People For GREED and SELFISH GAIN 

“...they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error…”

Jude 11b (NIV)

They REBEL Against Godly LEADERS and Lead Others ASTRAY 

“... they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.”

Jude 11c (NIV)

They GRUMBLE, Place BLAME, Follow Their DESIRES, BOAST, & FLATTER

“These people are grumblers & faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves & flatter others for their own advantage.”

Jude 16 (NIV)

How I Fight For the Faith & Protect My Church From False Doctrine:

I REMEMBER The Apostles & Jesus WARNED Us This Would Happen

“But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”

Jude 17-19 (NIV)

“Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”

Acts 20:30 (NIV)

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.”

Matthew 7:15–16 (NIV)

I REFUSE to Follow FALSE AUTHORITY

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”

Romans 16:17 (NIV)

I RESTORE Truth By KNOWING God’s Word, PRAYING In The Spirit, & Staying GROUNDED in God’s LOVE

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”

Jude 20, 21 (NIV)

I RESTORE Others Through MERCY, PURPOSE, & CAUTION

“Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”

Jude 22, 23 (NLT)