Jude 1:3-4 (ESV) 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 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.

Jude wrote an amazing discourse about warning Christians to contend for their faith because of godless teachers that crept into the church in the disguise of savvy teachers. Jude says these guys have crept in unnoticed (v3-4). This is big. They didn’t come in through the front door with big signs, “False teachers”. No, they have crept in. My question is how did they creep in? They have to be almost like us to be able to do that. I mean they can’t come as wolves, but they come as wolves with sheep skin so to speak. But how? Look at what they have done? They pervert the grace of our God into sensuality (v4) and deny our Lord Jesus Christ. How? These are huge major strike at Christianity. No Mickey Mouse stuff! If we look at v7

Jude 1: 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

This is not light, its eternal fire punishment, a fire that will never extinguish, a very severe judgement of God, a torment of soul. That’s how they turn the grace of our God into sensuality which is defined as the enjoyment, expression, or pursuit of physical, especially sexual, pleasure, or Dictionary defines as the enjoyment, expression, or pursuit of physical, especially sexual, pleasure. That ties in v7 that talks about the sexual immorality and unnatural desire. So if you look around the churches today, just how many of them have degraded into accepting gay marriage and homosexuality? From PCA to Anglicans, United Methodists, and even Baptists and the list goes on long, but may I add that the Pentecostal churches seem to be able rise above this sensuality, amazingly, this does tell you something about the Holy Spirit gifts emphasis kind of churches over theology heavy churches.

How do they do it? In here I would just say that this takes theology debate, smooth talks, and these godless folks that crept into churches unnoticed are theologians that produces books, preach on pulpits, argue from hermeneutics, and mixing with social justice. Its always a mixed bag, mixing some form of good with the evil. (Thats how Satan did it with Eve in Genesis ). They teach that you don’t hate the sins, but hate the system, referring to the social injustice that’s such a big topic these days. Everyone is wooed and awed by their compassion for the poor, marginalized, and the minorities, that they creep right into our doctrines, even to the extent of denying our only Master & Lord Jesus Christ. How do they defy Christ? By calling him to be an exceptionally good guru, but not the Son of God, a skill tactic that’s widely used by the progressive theologians in the name of science and and reality. Many non-scholars but nonetheless preachers are catching on fast, I mean real fast, to the detriment and destruction of these liberal revisionist bible kind of churches, in a way that we are all afraid to call out, what Jude calls “blaspheming the glorious one”. People think you blaspheme with only foul language and curse at the Mighty One, which is already happening rampantly among Americans by cursing by the name of Jesus, innocently or conveniently even among Christians and definitely traditional churches. (A sad saga that causes every Christ lover, Christ beloved ones to well up in tears. But this beyond that simplicity. This is denying Christ as the Son of God, a good man like Buddha or other gurus, who exemplify kindness and love.) But no, it more subtle and dangerous that cursing which is upfront, but a relabelling, and a revision of who Jesus is. Calling gay marriage right, cohabitation and formication right, any way thats suitable and convenient to them.

Jude v12-13 (ESV) 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

The description of these ones as hidden reefs at love feasts, shepherds feeding themselves, waterless cloud, fruitless trees, twice dead, uprooted, wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame, wondering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness been reserved forever (v12-13). With such dire dark warnings by Jude, no Christian should ever miss reading the book of Jude as it speaks directly to the soul of modern western churches in particular, and in Asia, Europe, Africa, S America too. We are right in the midst of it, and the saddest thing is many Christians are unaware but being deceived and formed by them in the way culture defines the church, rather than the other way around often times in many churches.

With all these, Jude exhorts all the beloved in Christ to build ourselves up in the most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesu Christ that leads to eternal life. Have mercy on those who doubt and save them by snatching them out of the fire; and show mercy to others with fear, hating even the garments disdained by the flesh. That means we are to evangelize, snatch them for hell fire, show them mercy with fear, because they can too stain us if we don’t watch out. Also, hating even the garment stained by the flesh which means hate their sins, don’t tolerate them and sit quiet because of the cultural forces that tame you and shuts you down. (v20-23).

Jude 1:20-23 (ESV) 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Contend for your faith in Christ.

Jude 1:3 (ESV) 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.