A Sober Reminder

A Sober Reminder

Jud 1:3-8 KJV  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.  (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.  (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.  (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.  (7)  Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, 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.  (8)  Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Those who do not learn from the mistakes of history (others) are destined to repeat them.

I. The Necessity of Remembrance

• To understand the present state of apostasy.
• To prevent personal apostasy.

II. The Nature of Apostasy

          Three graphic examples are given that serve as both instruction and warning.

          A. The Destruction of Jews that believed not—Numbers 13-14

          God graciously and miraculously delivered Israel from Egypt. He promised them a rich inheritance in a land flowing with milk and honey (a portrayal of the fruitfulness of the land). Israel, though disobedient at times, went forward toward this promised land for several months. Their expectation was that of inheriting the land.

          But at the edge of Canaan Moses sent 12 men to spy out the land. Their purpose was not to determine whether they could possess the land. It was to get a glimpse of the beauty and fruitfulness that waited. But ten of the spies came back saying, “Yes, the land is wonderful, but there are forces beyond our ability to defeat.” Only two spies said if the Lord delights in us to give the land, we will possess it.

          The people of Israel believed the majority report. They believed it so strongly that they said we should have never left Egypt. They call for the institution of new leaders to lead them back to Egypt. They intend to kill Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua.

          And God judged them.

          Moses intervened on behalf of Israel lest all Israel die then and there. God said every person 20 years and above will wander for 40 years (a year for each day of spying) in this wilderness and die without entering into the land that I have promised.

          God graphically killed those 10 evil spies. He prevented the Israelites from taking the land.

• Israel apostatized in moving from belief to unbelief.

B. The Incarceration of Angels that did not keep their first estate (or stay within their own position of authority)—Genesis 6:1-3? 2 Peter 2:4

          I confess to not having a complete understanding of the incident which is spoken of here. It would seem that this group of angels left their proper sphere of interaction to meddle in realms that they had no business in.

          This is possibly a reference to Genesis 6:1-3. The view of this passage that makes most sense to me is that demons inhabited men for the purpose of raising up a generation that would oppose and possibly annihilate the righteous line of Seth. Maybe even in view with corrupting the whole human race so as to prevent the Seed of Woman (Jesus Christ) from being born.

• The angels apostatized by rejecting proper authority and taking positions or privileges that were not theirs to take.

C. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah —Genesis 18-19 & 2 Peter 2:6-10

          This event is of such significance that it is repeated some 20 times in Scripture. We know of the depravity of these cities from the story of Lot’s visitors, the angels. That a group of men would pound violently upon a door and threaten break open the door in order to have sexual relations with men that they have not yet experienced is beyond thinking.

          But the truth is that the judgment of these cities was set long before the angels came to visit Lot. Abraham had already pleaded with God to spare the city if there were but ten righteous! And it was already known to God that there were not ten righteous men. Why did God rain His judgment down? It was not just about homosexuality!

          They gave themselves over to a life of immorality in heterosexual ways. And they also gave themselves over to a life of immorality in homosexual ways.

• These cities apostatized by rejecting the proper expression of God’s gift of sex, perverting it with abandon in unbridled sexuality, both hetero and homo.

As Jude both reviews and transitions into his next thoughts he mentions that the apostates of his day had apostatized in these ways—

1. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, they defiled their flesh through sexual deviance.
2. Like the angels, they despised proper authority and usurped roles and responsibilities that were not theirs.
3. Like unbelieving Israel, they spoke evil of authority. (Term wider than simply speaking against angels.)

III. The Judgment of Apostasy

          In every case, God’s judgment fell upon the apostates. Jude is reinforcing the fact that he has mentioned earlier—the false teachers faced a certain condemnation. Our God is a consuming fire! He is just!

IV. Application

• Let us be aware of the nature of apostates, so that we may resist their message. * Let us be aware of the nature of apostates, so that we may resist their influence.
• Let us be aware of the end of apostates, so that we may not envy them.
• Let us be aware of the end of apostates, so that we might strive to avoid such an end.