Jude - Presented in assembly on Sunday, July 26, 2015
Note that the apostles of Christ keep us mindful of the perpetual plan of God and our part in it as those who were born heirs and called to the priesthood of Christ to learn of Him and grow strong in the fullness of His stature.
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Note that Apostle Jude is writing this letter to those who have already received the baptism of the Spirit and have already had the foundation of truth set within their hearts under the oversight of living apostles. He's not addressing this to whom it may concern.
Also note that Apostle Jude identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, not a servant of Moses. He's making distinction here between the two covenants.
Sanctified: Requires both the power of the Spirit and a recognizable distinction in order to work with that power for separation. Beginning with the seal and going on to receive instruction in the framework of Christ. This framework of knowledge is called Truth. Truth is necessary for discernment. By these things coming together in our hearts we are able to recognize and respect the boundaries established by God for our sanctification.
As Jesus brought out in Matthew 23:17 and 19, it is the temple that sanctifies the gold and it is the altar that sanctifies the gift. Our faith is sanctified by God when our faith abides in Christ (in the temple with the tools.)
Called: To the priesthood of Christ. This is a separation initiated by God. We were illuminated and made aware of our being without Christ. Being called and sanctified speaks of a separation from a separation. We responded to grace for salvation with faith in our hearts and went on to receive the SEAL of the Spirit in expectation of bonding and building with Christ.
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Notice these elements. He's reminding them of their foundation. Nothing can be built to last without a firm foundation.
Mercy: we learn His mercy by attending His altar. The ark of the covenant was covered by the seat of mercy. This speaks of the record (ark) and the witness (mercy seat) coming together to make living our faith (Aaron's rod that budded.) God becomes active in every aspect of our lives when we live by faith.
Peace: This is not a feeling but a power. Peace is a power that accompanies the power of grace when we grant entrance to grace at the gate of the conscience. Peace acts as a buffer to assist us through the transition from darkness to light. This is known as the peace of God. By our choices of faith, we also have peace with God and are free to serve Him in righteousness.
Love: Not an emotion but an expression. We cannot separate the elements from their binary pair. Love is the expression of truth in the heart. When we receive the love of God (expression of Christ) it takes the form of truth (substance of Christ) in the heart. We love God because He first loved us.
Multiplied: Love (Charity) is the distributing factor that brings multiplication. When we steward the grace of God one to another, we are experiencing again and again the feeding of the multitude from a few loaves and a few fish distributed by His apostles. This letter is being written to provide substance for them to strengthen themselves so that they strengthen others.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Beloved: A friend but closer than a friend. Again, this is not being written to strangers.
Diligence: careful and persistent labor. The apostles are set as examples in the faith for us.
Common salvation: Not individualized gospels. We are all called to one priesthood at one altar burning with one fire which is provided by God. And so are we all experiencing the same benefits of mercy, peace, and love being multiplied unto much fruit bearing.
Needful: Stewardship is necessary. Why didn't he just tell them that the Spirit would teach them?
Exhort: putting them in mind of their foundation and responsibility of their calling. Why did you respond to the call of grace with faith? Was it not to be cleansed and to learn how to remain clean in the sight of God?
Earnestly contend: Overcoming with conviction. We aren't learning to cope with contradiction but standing fast in opposition by remaining rooted in Christ.
The faith: The doctrine of our persuasion. Veracity is measured by it's power. We know the doctrine we received is truth because God continually bears witness to it. The ark is covered by the mercy seat. We are called to the service of Jesus Christ.
Once delivered: Calling upon them to reflect on the diligent laying of the foundation in their hearts when they first came into covenant with God after having received the SEAL of His Spirit with tongues.
He's also bringing distinction to the singularity of the gospel of Christ. There are not many versions or flavors of the gospel to suite the preferences and tastes of each group of individuals.
4 For 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.
Apostle Paul wrote of the same thing:
Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
We are working with the same Spirit of God. These are working with other powers which have been set over the children of disobedience.
Ungodly speaks of being without fruit. They are without fruit because they deny entrance to grace and are therefore denying the peace of God and standing in offense to God (because they refuse His gifts.)
Turning grace into lasciviousness: Changing the definition and boundary of this element and removing it from it's binary pair with faith. This is the doctrine of substitutionism. Grace is reduced to being God's unmerited favor and so they can see no need for bonding and building through the tokens of His mercy.
This is a false liberty which stands ignorant of the judgments of God.
Denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ: Denying Him the offspring of His Spirit (fruit of faith.)
They aren't denying the existence of God. They didn't creep in unaware as atheists. They were presenting themselves as men of faith in acknowledgment of Jesus but were refusing to mold with and submit to Christ.
Apostle Paul wrote the same thing:
Colossians 2:18-19
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Not holding the head: no humbled and willful obedience in submission to the headship of Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Therefore: Because of this deception that has entered into your assembly to sow confusion and breed doubt. (Needful for me to write to you.)
Remembrance: giving direction to reflect and set in order their thinking by the record of Christ.
Saved out of Egypt and afterward destroyed: God made a separation for testing and rewarded according to their choices of faith. This is the record of Christ. He continues to do this today within each cycle of our growth.
We are not fruitful because we received the SEAL. We are not fruitful because we received the foundation of truth. We are not fruitful because we are in recognition of stewardship. We are fruitful because we labor with these things daily for our overcoming and for multiplying.
6 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.
Kept not their first estate: Refusing the boundaries set by God. These are those referred to in
Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Apostle Jude is reflecting on the writings of Enoch here which bring out the prisons God made for these fallen watchers who took it upon themselves to fulfill their own destinies. God had promised them children in the 7th week but they saw this as a justification to accelerate the timetable. Even these great and mighty angels could not free themselves to do as they wished without concern for the judgments of God.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, 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.
And the cities about them in like manner: Sodom and Gomorrha weren't the only cities. God used them as examples and a warning to the others.
Giving themselves over to: submitting to these powers. Wisdom calls us into the house of God to mate with Christ. Fornication calls us out.
Fornication speaks of unproductive contact. Seeking pleasure without responsibility.
In contrast, when we remain faithful to our union with Christ our joy is made full by our fellowship with Him. This is our common salvation.
Going after strange flesh: pursuing. Setting affections upon.
In contrast, we are called to set our affections upon those things which are from above and are sanctified by God for our bonding of faith and charity.
We are set free from the Law to serve God in the righteousness of Christ. We are not set free to pursue our own interests and glory in ourselves.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Likewise also: submitting to the same spirit of deception which promised liberty by denying the knowledge and power of God. Willful disobedience. (2 Peter 3:5)
The watchers stood in the counsel of God. They were not uninformed. The children of Israel who were delivered out of Egypt were being instructed by Moses. They were not uninformed. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrha were preached in by Abraham and Melchizedek. They were not uniformed.
Filthy dreamers: consciences defiled by pursuing their projected outcomes. They feel they are breaking through barriers and blazing a new trail which will bring them a form of deliverance they seek over the deliverance offered by God for obedience.
Despise dominion and speak evil of dignities: They take offense and the man and the method of God's selection.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
This is a very interesting contrast Apostle Jude is bringing out here. The children of disobedience think nothing of casting dispersion on the anointed of God but Michael the archangel would not even do so against the enemy of God. He knew it was not his place to speak his own mind.
This always brings to mind the preaching and teaching of Kenneth Copeland who promotes a foolish doctrine of railing accusation upon Satan in a vain attempt to stand in the power of God. Michael was contending on God's authority and still didn't take it upon himself to reach beyond the boundaries God set for him.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Isaiah 5:20-21 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Know not: They are standing outside the house of God and imagining what it's like on the inside. They imagine obedience as being brainwashed and they imagine submission to be weakness under oppression. They imagine that the boundaries set by God are there to prevent them from reaching their true potential and imagine that they can withstand and rival God. This shows the kingdom they are resourcing for knowledge and power.
Know naturally: inclinations of Man. They live by instinct and not by faith.
Those things: The tokens they resource for bonding and building. They are resourcing the wrong kingdom and using the wrong tools. Chief Apostle John referred to these as the Lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Chief Apostle Eric refers to these as Fantasy, finance, and flattery. These come with the pretense of promise but end in destruction.
Corrupt themselves: Corruption of the soul begins with the defilement of the conscience. The soul requires grace in abundance to thrive and being separated from grace causes it to fall into corruption (death).
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Woe: great sorrow and distress. They refuse to suffer the loss of their own principles, aspirations, and imaginations and so they remain without Christ even as they profess to know Him and attempt to get others to see things from their perspective.
Gone in the way of and ran after: Following a well worn path. This is the broad way pursued by grace resisters.
Cain saw his brother as an obstacle standing in the way of pursing his own pleasure. Balaam acknowledged that God had anointed Moses as the steward of His house but refused to build with him. Korah imagined that their deliverance had sanctified them all to go out and act in God's interest without any further need for stewardship. All of these proved to be unfruitful courses of action which ended without honor in the sight of God.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Spots: impurity. The assembly is to be an environment free from the expression of one's own principle, aspiration, and imagination. These were chipping away at the stones of the altar, diluting the wine, and seeking to puff up the bread.
Feast of charity: this is what's taking place in the assembly. The Spirit is feasting upon the ordered knowledge we are ingesting and we are growing strong by it. The Spirit will not feast upon unsanctified knowledge.
Feeding themselves without fear: They feel justified in their deception and expect to find that everybody else shares in their motives which seem perfectly reasonable in their own logic.
Clouds without water: casting shadows of darkness and providing no substance for growth.
Carried about of winds: changing their doctrines to suit their experiences instead of experiencing Christ. They speak of what they know not.
Trees whose fruit withers: not resourcing the nutrients which are necessary for growth. Cut off from the proper environment.
Plucked up by the roots: The Lord takes no pleasure in the fruitless fig tree.
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
Raging waves foaming out shame: As with tidal waves that leave a path of barren destruction.
Wandering stars: not following the due course set by God. Has to do with not functioning with government.
Blackness of darkness forever: eternal separation from the Light of God (which they were denying entrance too.) They prefer darkness to light and God gives them what they wanted.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Again, Apostle Jude is referencing the writings of Enoch. This is from 1 Enoch 1:9. We have recordings and transcripts available from Chief Apostle Eric expounding on these writings.
The Lord comes with 10,000's of His saints: that will be us at the end of the 7th week and the beginning of the millennial kingdom. (Joel 2:11)
To execute judgment: We will establish the policy of Jesus Christ in the earth as kings and priests of God. (Revelation 5:10)
Convince: present evidence. Truth presents evidence that the soul cannot remain in it's present state of corruption and be received back to God. The Spirit of God bears witness to this.
Hard speeches: they find a feeling of authority in the pitch of their voice. Their presentation of knowledge looks very convincing to the intellect yet the Spirit of God doesn't dwell within that. Satan packaged a form of knowledge to Eve which was lifeless but because it confirmed her aspiration she fell into corruption in sin.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Murmurers and complainers: always protesting and never building.
Walking after their own lusts: following their hearts and doing right in their own sight.
Great swelling words: puffed up by the imagination and passionate presentation.
Romans 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Having men's persons in admiration because of advantage: Not examining charity for signs of spiritual growth but using one's own scale to measure value while not recognizing the value God set in Christ.
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Again, wisdom calls us into the house of God. Reflect, rehearse, stand fast, and prophesy. Think on these things which are from above.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Notice again that it was needful for him to write to them. Active and living stewardship was necessary to keep them in mind of the one true foundation and their responsibility to the altar of Christ.
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Mockers: These are scoffers who think their own opinion is more valuable than truth.
Walk after their own lusts: remain confident in themselves walking outside of covenant and seeing no need for spiritual government.
Apostle Peter also warned of these things:
2 Peter 3:16-17 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
See also 2 Peter 3:3
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Separate themselves: unsanctified separation. They are sinners who differentiate themselves from other sinners and remain unwilling to come into covenant with God to be joined to the Body of Christ.
Sensual: discerning by what the eye can see. Looking for open signs and unable to see the concealed sign of Christ which is openly displayed to the faithful who join themselves to Him in humbled obedience to His voice.
Having not the Spirit: They turned their circumcision into uncircumcision by disobedience.
Romans 2:25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Apostle Jude is making distinction between us and them.
Building yourselves up: multiplication of charity. Reflect, rehearse, build, prophesy. Use these things which have been sanctified for your faith at the altar of Christ. Remain cognitively aware of your responsibility as heirs and priests called out by God.
Keep yourselves: Remain in the temple using the spiritual tools of the new covenant of Christ.
Looking for the mercy: Remain alert as a watchman in expectation of the manifestation of Christ.
John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
This is not the expectation of the protester who stands in doubt and is ruled by shame.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Giving hope in truth: Offer a course of remedy for correction.
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Save with fear: to the arrogant be stern. Exhorting them to continue in the truth and not defile themselves with the vain philosophies which the world calls wisdom.
Garment spotted by the flesh: 1st covenant priestly garments sprinkled with blood.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Now: At the time of your hearing. The time is always now when grace is present.
Presently do these commandments in obedience to Christ and God will assist your faith with grace to break Satan's spell over your thinking.
Keep you from falling: Assisting us with grace. Not making our choices for us but making clear our choices by truth and sustaining our choices of faith with grace and peace.
Faultless: Without spot and wrinkle. Nothing of pride or vanity nor aspiration nor principle nor male nor female. Being dead in Him (concealed from view.) His work within us is hid from the carnal mind but seen by those of faith.
Having all offenses removed, we are now the redeemed of the Lord, worthy to enter into the presence of His glory. (Only Light can enter back into Light.)
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
The only wise God our Saviour: This was His plan that sinners did not want. God selected those that love Him by covenant. We will witness His infinite wisdom by which He saved us.
Glory: Ever expanding kingdom.
Majesty: Ever increasing Light (both in brightness and intensity.)
Dominion: by which He rules in righteousness perpetually.
Power: By which He propagates His likeness. Being sanctified by the faith that is of Him.
This plan has been determined by God. It will fulfill His pleasure. It is forever sealed and will never change but will forever be increasing. It will be fulfilled because this is His pleasure and God will not deny Himself His good pleasure.
Psalm 135:6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
