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the book of Jude, the second 
to the last book in the New Testament. passage that we have looked at 
in the past, and one that I thought would go well with last Sunday 
night's message in terms of the ministry of the word. Tonight, 
we'll consider the defense of the faith from Jude 3, but I 
do want to read the book, beginning in verse 1. Jude, a bondservant 
of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, 
sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, 
mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was 
very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, 
I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to contend 
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to 
the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long 
ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men who 
turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord 
God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though 
you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people 
out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 
And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left 
their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness 
for the judgment of the great day. As Sodom and Gomorrah and 
the cities around them, in a similar manner to these, having given 
themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, 
are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal 
fire. Likewise also, these dreamers 
defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when 
he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against 
him a reviling accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke you. But 
these speak evil of whatever they do not know, and whatever 
they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they 
corrupt themselves. Woe to them, for they have gone 
in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam 
for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are 
spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, 
serving only themselves. They're clouds without water, 
carried about by the winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice 
dead, pulled up by the roots, raging waves of the sea, foaming 
up their own shame, wandering stars, for whom is reserved the 
blackness of darkness forever. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, 
prophesied about these men, also saying, Behold, the Lord comes 
with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment on all, to 
convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, 
which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the 
harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These 
are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, 
and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain 
advantage. But you, beloved, remember the 
words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, how they told you that there would be mockers in the 
last time, who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These 
are sensual persons who cause divisions, not having the spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves 
up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves 
in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ 
unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, 
making a distinction, but others save with fear, pulling them 
out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present 
you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior, who alone 
is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and forever. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, thank you for the written word of the living and true God. 
Thank you for this brief epistle of Jude, but the great content 
that it has for us in the church today. Will you provide for us 
the Holy Spirit now? Would you guide us as we consider 
this text? And may you encourage and strengthen 
each of our hearts and cause us to contend earnestly for this 
faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints. And 
we ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, 
there was a theologian in the early part of the 20th century. 
His name was John Gresham Machet, and he made this observation 
concerning the church. He said, in the first place, 
a true Christian church now, as always, will be radically 
doctrinal. It will never say that doctrine 
is the expression of experience. It will never confuse the useful 
with the true, but will place truth at the basis of all its 
striving and all its life. Into the welter, and that simply 
means confusion or turmoil, into the welter of changing human 
opinion, into the modern despair with regard to any knowledge 
of the meaning of life, it will come with a clear and imperious 
message. that message it will find in 
the Bible, which it will hold to contain, not a record of man's 
religious experience, but a record of a revelation from God. And 
he was, in fact, an earnest contender for the faith, and he did great 
service to the church of the living God. Well, as we look 
at verse three, I wanna consider not just verse three, but several 
verses here in the book of Jude. We'll notice in the first place, 
the exhortation to contend for the faith in verse three. Secondly, 
the reason given to contend for the faith in verse four. And 
then finally, the preparedness of those who contend for the 
faith in verses 17, 20, 21, and then 24 and 25. I'll review that as we move through 
the exposition. But notice in the first place 
the exhortation to contend for the faith in verse 3. Notice 
the adgressees. Verse 1, Jude, a bondservant 
of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, 
sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ. 
How do we typically describe or define, or how do we typically 
understand people that are described as called, sanctified by God 
the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ? We call them Christians. We call them believers. we might 
also call them saints, not in the Roman Catholic sense, but 
in the biblical sense. A saint is a sanctified one set 
apart by God for holy purpose and holy use. In other words, 
Jude is addressing the people of God. He is not simply addressing 
pastors. He is not simply addressing seminary 
professors. He's not simply addressing the 
men in the church who like to read theology. When he says in 
verse three, beloved, He means every single Christian. He means 
every single one baptized, every single one that owns Christ as 
Lord and Savior. Turn back for just a moment to 
1 Peter 3. You see a similar emphasis in 
Peter's first epistle. The same thing is true in this 
passage. It has to do with a defense of 
the faith. As well, it's addressed not to 
just the professors, not to just the pastors, but to every Christian. If you notice in 1 Peter 3.15, 
but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. He's not now saying, 
I don't want the rest of the church to listen. Now I'm just 
going to speak to the bishops. I'm just going to address the 
pastors. I'm just going to address the elders. No, he's still addressing 
those he identifies in 1 Peter 1 at verse 1. to the pilgrims 
of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and 
Bithynia. Elect according to the foreknowledge 
of God the Father in sanctification of the spirit for obedience and 
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." So back to 315, he says, 
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to 
give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope 
that is in you with meekness and fear. So going back to Jude, 
we see a similar emphasis. This isn't just the task of gospel 
ministry. This is the task of everybody 
who is in the church of Christ. Now, certainly in terms of God's 
provision of gift, of grace and those sorts of things, there 
will be others perhaps that are a bit more equipped to do this. 
But the idea being is that every believer must at all times be 
ready to give a reason for the hope that is within him. And 
in the language of Jude, we are to be able to contend earnestly 
for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 
So the addressees concern all of us, not just the ministry. And then notice the exhortation 
proper. Jude sets off to write them a 
letter concerning their common salvation. He says that in verse 
three at the very beginning, while I was very diligent to 
write to you concerning our common salvation. I wanted to write 
concerning God. I wanted to write concerning 
the depravity of man. I wanted to write concerning 
the doctrine of justification by faith alone. I wanted to deal 
and traffic in those things most surely believed among us. I wanted 
to celebrate redemptive grace and all of its facets in the 
lives of God's people. He wanted to do that, but necessity 
drove him in a different direction. And we see that emphasis there 
in verse 3. While I was very diligent to 
write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary. In other words, there is a threat 
looming on the horizon. It's an imminent threat, as we'll 
learn later in verse 4. Because of the threat that exists, 
I'm not going to wax eloquent on the doctrine of salvation 
in general. Rather, I'm going to give you 
this specific exhortation. I found it necessary to write 
to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which 
was once for all delivered to the saints. Now, in terms of 
the responsibility of the believer, in the first place, he must contend 
earnestly. And I've said it applies to all. So it's not just he, but he there 
is inclusive, ladies. It is a he and a she. So the 
believer must contend earnestly. One common dictionary defines 
it this way. to exert intense effort on behalf 
of something, to contend. It's a good English translation. 
John Gill says it denotes a conflict, a combat, or a fighting for it, 
a striving even to an agony. Turn back to 1 Timothy 1. You 
see a similar emphasis from Paul there to Timothy in verse 18. He says, this charge I command 
to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously 
made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. So it's not simply an exchange 
of ideas. It's not simply a dialogue. It's 
not simply a fireside chat, but rather you're to contend earnestly. But then notice what Jude goes 
on to say. The believer must not only contend 
earnestly, but he must contend earnestly for the faith. Now, 
in this context, for the faith doesn't mean the believer's subjective 
hold on Christ. It doesn't mean my belief that 
Jesus is, in fact, the Lord and Savior. So I'm going to contend 
earnestly for that. No, in this context, especially 
since the article is there, it indicates that it's the objective 
faith. In other words, it is the content 
of Christian revelation. It is the 31,000-plus propositions 
that we find in the Old and New Testament that the believer must 
contend earnestly for. Faith is taken for sound doctrine, 
Thomas Manton writes, such as is necessary to be owned and 
believed unto salvation, which he presseth them to contend for, 
that they might preserve it safe and sound to future ages. So when you ponder Manton's quote, 
and when you contemplate the context, and when you see what 
Jude is emphasizing, along with 1 Peter 3, and along with the 
Apostle Paul, and along with the rest of the apostles, and 
along with the Lord Jesus himself, you see that there is an inherent 
necessity on the part of the people of God to preserve what 
they have so they can multiply it and pass it down to a future 
generation. And Gordon Clark makes the observation 
that Christianity is not a romantic religion where feeling and emotion 
suffice, nor is it an aesthetic religion where faith and sermons 
are unnecessary. Christianity is a definite faith. It includes the doctrines of 
the atonement and the resurrection, and it requires a knowledge of 
these doctrines and intellectual assent to them, a faith that 
can and must be preached. So Jude wants his hearers, he 
wants his readers, he wants his addressees, and by extension, 
he wants each and every one of us to contend earnestly for the 
faith. Again, not my hold on Jesus, 
but rather what the Bible says concerning the system of truth 
that we call Christianity. Notice as well, the believer 
must contend earnestly for the faith, he goes on to say, which 
was once for all delivered to the saints. It was once for all 
delivered to the saints. Another argument here for what 
is called cessationism. We don't look for new revelation. 
Now that the canon of scripture is closed, we don't need private 
revelations. We don't need tongue speakers 
in the church. We don't need prophets in the understanding 
that they are receiving a direct word from the Lord. No, this 
faith was delivered once for all to the saints. And when the 
language or what the language suggests is that it's a rich 
deposit given to the people of God and it demands our guarding 
of it. Go back to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2, a similar emphasis 
there by Paul to his protege. 2 Timothy 2, specifically at 
verse 13. I'm sorry, 2 Timothy 1, verse 
13. Hold fast the pattern of sound 
words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are 
in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed 
to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. You see the 
emphasis. by the apostle, I have passed 
this on to you, not so you can squander it, not so you can abuse 
it, not so you can change it, not so you can be innovative, 
but rather so that you can hold fast, rather so that you can 
guard it, rather so that you can keep the deposit that has 
been entrusted to you. Drop down to chapter 2 at verse 
1. You therefore, my son, be strong 
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you 
have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful 
men who will be able to teach others also. The idea ought to 
be very clear. The idea ought to be very evident. The church was not to cease in 
the first century. The church was to continue on 
throughout the centuries until Christ returns again in glory. 
So Jude says, contend earnestly for the faith which was once 
for all delivered to the saints. Again, listen to Thomas Minton. 
He says, it is given to be kept. It is not a thing invented, but 
given, not found out by us, but delivered by God himself, and 
delivered to our custody that we may keep it for posterity." 
In other words, we want our children and our children's children, 
and our children's children's children, and you get the idea, 
going down the generational path to have this faith that was once 
for all delivered to the saints. It is a resource, a treasure, 
a great gift given by God to the church. And it is our responsibility, 
not only to own it, not only to rejoice in it, not only to 
benefit from it, but to guard and to retain and to pass on 
in all of its beauty. John Gill says, by them, the 
apostles, it was delivered to the church, both by word and 
writing. And this delivery of it supposes 
that it is not an invention of men. that it is of God and a 
gift of His and given in trust in order to be kept, held forth, 
and held fast. There is no alteration to be 
made in it or addition to it. No new revelations are to be 
expected. That is accurate. That is faithful 
exposition. That is faithful guarding of 
the truth and contending earnestly for it. It's a rich resource 
given by God to the church that we're not to waste. And with 
reference to this, very practically, the believer must know the faith 
in order to be able to condemn earnestly for it. In other words, 
laziness in the Christian church is not an option. This idea, 
well, the pastor and the guys who like to read theology and 
those other people that are really spiritual, they'll go ahead and 
they'll contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all 
delivered to the saints. Remember Jude's addressees. Beloved, 
those who are saved, those who have been blessed, those who 
have been called out of darkness into marvelous light, to proclaim 
His excellencies and to contend earnestly for the faith which 
was once for all delivered to the saints. You must know that 
faith in order to contend for it. Go back again to 2 Peter, 
chapter 3 this time. 2 Peter chapter 3. Verse 17, you 
therefore beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware 
lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led 
away with the error of the wicked, but grow in the grace and knowledge 
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both 
now and forever, amen. Grow in the grace and in the 
knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. One of the imperatives 
relative to the first and foremost command is to love God with the 
mind. How do we love God with our mind? 
It's by taking the mind and bringing it to the scripture and getting 
instruction. It is by knowing the truths of 
Christianity. It is by identifying properly 
good exegesis, good hermeneutics, applying that to scripture, and 
uncovering the meaning of the text that the Holy Spirit put 
in there, such that we not only benefit from it salvifically, 
but we also contend earnestly for it as those who have been 
blessed by God and put into a position of great joy, And it is our great 
joy to be able to contend earnestly for that faith. And then one 
final observation concerning the believer's responsibility. 
The believer must, and this is a quote from Manton, own the 
profession of the truth, whatever it costs them. The believer must 
own the profession of the truth, whatever it costs them. In other 
words, this is so valuable. It is so excellent. It is so 
wonderful. We're not to renege on it. We're 
not to be willing to give it up. We're not to be willing to 
say, well, it's not that big of a deal. if we don't have an 
accurate doctrine of God. It's not that big of a deal if 
we add a few works to the scheme of justification. It's not that 
big of a... No, it's always a big deal. Samuel 
Miller, an 1800s Presbyterian, made this observation, the church 
has to fight for every inch of ground. That's true, isn't it? 
The church has to fight for every inch of ground. Why is that? 
Why is it the case that the church has to fight for every inch of 
ground? Why don't the Elks Club? Why 
don't the Lions Club? Why don't other social institutions 
have to fight for every inch of ground? Because they don't 
have enemies like we do. We have a devil who roams about 
like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We have a 
devil who's the father of lies and deception. The truth of God 
just drives him mad. We've got our own remaining corruption. 
We've got a world that we live in. Of course, if the church 
is going to maintain doctrinal fidelity, she's going to have 
to do it through fighting. And not physical fighting. I'm 
not advocating guns and knives and flak jackets and helmets 
and all that sort of thing. Spiritual warfare, the weapons 
of our warfare are not carnal, Paul says in Corinthians, but 
they're mighty for the pulling down of strongholds and bringing 
every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Back 
to Miller. The church has to fight for every 
inch of ground. And whenever she ceases to contend 
for the truth, she ceases to advance. She may contend with 
an improper spirit. If she does this, it is her mistake 
and her sin. But to contend no more is to 
disregard the command of her master in heaven and betray his 
cause to the enemy. Now, that's pretty strong language, 
but when you ponder the implication of passages like these, it is 
consistent language. It is not given, the ball hasn't 
been given to us to fumble and to lose. The ball hasn't been 
given to us to throw interceptions. The ball has been given to us 
to advance down the field, to put it in the end zone. We have 
been entrusted by God with this sacred deposit of divine truth, 
and Jude comes along to tell us, as the beloved of Jesus, 
to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all 
delivered to the saints. Now notice, secondly, the reason 
given to contend for the faith. We see that in verse 4. The problem is from within. Now, in the Bible, you'll see 
that the people of God are oftentimes confronted by enemies from without. Israel had their Philistines. 
Israel had their Hittites. Israel had their Hittites. But 
there's also problems from within. Israel had her Ahabs. Israel 
had her Manassas. Israel had her Achans. Israel 
had her threat from within. So as Jude writes, he tells the 
people of God to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once 
for all delivered to the saints, not because the beastly civil 
government has encroached upon you and is trying to take it 
away. Revelation 13 essentially says that, but here in Jude, 
the specific instance of threat are apostates. It is persons 
within the professing church that have wreaked havoc upon 
her. Notice, he describes these apostates. In the first place, 
he says they are sneaky. He says in verse four, for certain 
men have crept in unnoticed. They don't come to the door of 
the church and say, guess what? I'm a heretic. I want to bring 
everybody up into the fellowship hall and I want to propagate 
error. I want to deny the deity of Jesus. 
I want to deny the doctrine of justification by faith. I want 
to deny the triunity of God. I want to lead you astray and 
take you down to hell. That's not typically their way. 
If the devil is the father of lies and works through deception, 
those physical representatives of him on earth are going to 
work by deception also. So they are sneaky, for certain 
men have crept in unnoticed. Turn back to Matthew 7. Jesus 
highlights the same sort of situation. Matthew chapter 7 at verse 15. Beware of false prophets who 
come to you in sheep's clothing. They don't dress up like wolves. 
They don't bear their fangs. They don't look like those mangy 
beasts that are destined to tear you apart. He says, beware of 
false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly 
they are ravenous wolves. How are we supposed to spot them, 
Jesus? Verse 16, you will know them 
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn 
bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears 
good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. As well, turn to 2 
Corinthians chapter 11. To underscore that these men, 
they creep in unnoticed. They are sneaky men. And because 
they are sneaky men, you need to understand the truth and you 
need to contend earnestly for it. Such that if these sneaky 
men breach the gates and end up in your midst, you're going 
to be able to refute them and you're able to contradict them. 
Notice in 2 Corinthians 11, verses 13 to 15, or verse 12, but what 
I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity 
from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are 
in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, 
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself 
transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no 
great thing if his ministers also transform themselves in 
the ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to 
their works." Boy, I wish there was a way we could actually know 
whether they're true or not. There is. It's called the Bible. 
It's called understanding the Christian faith. It's called 
understanding the truth of doctrine. It's called being able to recognize 
when a wolf stands in a pulpit and preaches justification by 
faith plus words. You have a written guide to be 
able to expose those men and to contend earnestly for the 
faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. You 
see it in 2 Timothy 3. We looked at that passage several 
weeks ago. And then Titus chapter 1 as well. So back to Jude 4, certain men 
have crept in unnoticed. They are sneaky. Secondly, he 
says they are ungodly. They are ungodly men is what 
Jude tells us concerning these persons. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 
6 at verse 13 that the truth accords to godliness. So, ergo, 
we have an ungodly man. What does that usually tell us 
about his doctrine? Now, certainly there are inconsistencies. Certainly the best of men are 
men at best. Certainly those who have by grace received the 
truth have remaining corruption. They still have a susceptibility 
to proneness to wander and proneness to leave the God they love. We 
don't call them ungodly men. We don't call people that are 
struggling with their sin ungodly men. But when we have ungodly 
men, we can typically trace it back to the fount of ungodly 
doctrine. And when we have that, we are 
able to see that we're dealing with an apostate. Notice thirdly, 
they are perverters of the grace of God. Verse four, certain men 
have crept in unnoticed, they're sneaky, who long ago were marked 
out for this condemnation, ungodly men, there's the ungodliness, 
who turn the grace of God into lewdness and deny the only Lord 
God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Go back to Romans chapter three 
for just a moment. Romans chapter three. At verse seven, for if the truth 
of God has increased through my life to his glory, why am 
I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, let us do evil 
that good may come, as we are slanderously reported and as 
some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. Most 
likely, this was an argument against Paul's doctrine of justification 
by faith alone. You see more of that in chapter 
six at verse one. What shall we say then? Shall 
we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How 
shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? So going back 
to Jude 4, this idea of turning the grace of God into lewdness, 
probably means something that the apostle is countering that 
had been leveled against him. This idea that grace may abound 
or that we continue in sin that grace may abound. There were 
probably persons that actually thought that way. They thought 
this is a wonderful arrangement. this gospel of Jesus Christ. 
God loves to forgive sin, and I love to sin. This is a wonderful 
thing. So I'm just gonna go out and 
sin and trust in the mercy of God. That is turning the grace 
of God into lewdness. It is to distort it, it is to 
twist it. The gospel never frees men up 
to sin, but the gospel always restrains men from sin. Why? Because those justified freely 
by grace are sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. So 
they are perverters of the grace of God. And then finally in Jude 
4, they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. They deny the only Lord God and 
our Lord Jesus Christ. Turn over to 2 John. 2 John, specifically at verse 
7. For many deceivers have gone 
out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ is coming 
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we do 
not lose those things we work for, but that we may receive 
a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does 
not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine 
of Christ has both the Father and the Son. John deals with 
a denial of Jesus. He does so here, and he does 
so as well in 1 John. Let me give you a hint. I think 
that's what antichrist has to do with. It was a Christological 
heresy that called into question the Bible's teaching concerning 
specifically the hypostatic union of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 
Calvin made the observation, Christ is denied whenever those 
things which peculiarly belong to him are taken away from him. That is a very simple and a very 
excellent description. What does it mean to deny Christ? 
Whenever those things which peculiarly belong to Him are taken away 
from Him, His humanity, His divinity, His atoning work, all those things 
that are unique to the Son of God who came down for us men 
and for our salvation. So it shouldn't surprise us that 
these sneaky ungodly perverters of the grace of God are those 
who deny the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Now, before we leave 
this particular head, notice the assurance that Jude gives. 
See, Jude doesn't write, contend earnestly for the faith, which 
was once for all delivered to the saints, because everything 
is miserable, because everything is horrible, because the church 
is going to lose. I think at times the church functions 
or operates under the mindset that we're gonna lose. One dispensationalist 
famously said, why polish the brass on a sinking ship? Well, 
if that's your mindset, brethren, then go sit on the top of Mount 
Shaman and just wait for Jesus to return. Jude is not writing 
in a pessimistic spirit. Jude is not saying, oh, these 
apostates, they're gonna overtake the church. Oh, these apostates 
are gonna destroy the church. They could never do so. Christ 
has promised to build his church and the gates of Hades itself 
shall not prevail against it. So what Jude does in the next 
section is assure us, the beloved, who are called to contend earnestly 
for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints, 
that the church is gonna win. In other words, we're on the 
winning team. We're gonna get the ball to the 
end zone. We're gonna make it, by God's 
grace, for God's glory. As far as those pesky apostates 
are concerned, God's gonna deal with them the way that he dealt 
with unbelieving Israel. After he brings them out of Egypt, 
he has to destroy a great multitude of them in the wilderness because 
of their unbelief. God is going to deal with these 
apostates that way, according to verse 5. As well, God's going 
to deal with these apostates the way that God dealt with the 
fallen angels. The fallen angels didn't ruin 
creation. The fallen angels didn't win. 
The fallen angels aren't victorious. Notice what he says concerning 
the fallen angels in verse 6. See, there's not only a command 
given to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for 
all delivered to the saints, but it's surrounded by encouragement 
that God will not let you fail. He's not going to let you go 
out and fight for his truth and let you fail miserably. As far 
as the apostates are concerned, God's got them. So it's like 
Israel in their unbelief whom he destroys, verse 5. It's like 
the fallen angels, verse 6, who he has reserved for judgment 
unto that day. But as well, it's like Sodom 
and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain and the overthrow that 
they knew, verse 7. as Sodom and Gomorrah and the 
cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given 
themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, 
are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal 
fire." So brethren, buck up, be encouraged, understand Christ 
is at the right hand of the Father. You're not going to fail. You 
may fail miserably from time to time in terms of your faithful 
witness. You may get caught up at times 
by someone who perhaps knows a bit more than you. That happens. That's the way it goes. That's 
the ebb and flow in terms of the battlefield. But with reference 
to the war, Christ has secured the victory, and we ought not 
to forget that. But as well, the apostates themselves. Notice in verse four. For certain 
men have crept in unnoticed. Now notice that next clause. 
Who long ago were marked out for this condemnation. They're 
not operating untethered. They're not renegades or mavericks. They're not sort of a glitch 
in the system. God's sovereign brethren, remember 
that? He knows the end from the beginning. 
He has decreed whatsoever comes to pass for his own glory. At 
times, these apostates creep into the church for good purpose, 
for good reason. 1 Corinthians 11, Paul highlights 
heresy in the church as having a remedial effect, having remedial 
benefit, so that those who are approved among you may be evident. So even in this, God's got it. So with reference to these apostates 
and the threat that they pose, they may affect a church or some 
churches at the local church level, but they'll never dethrone 
Christ and they'll never stop the onward march of Christ's 
church, because He will build it and the gates of Hades shall 
not prevail against it. And then finally, notice the 
preparedness of those who contend for the faith. In other words, 
Jude is giving us an altogether sufficient manual in terms of 
contending for the faith. Here's what you're supposed to 
do. Here's why you're supposed to do it. And here's how you're 
supposed to do it. He doesn't leave you uneducated. 
He doesn't leave you to your own resources. He doesn't leave 
you to try and figure out, well, how do I contend for the faith? 
He gives us two bits of exhortation. In the first place, he says we 
have a duty to remember. Look at verse 17. But you, beloved, 
remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. They didn't leave you without 
warning. They didn't leave you without instruction. Jude is 
taking his place right alongside of them. They are telling us 
what we must be aware of in terms of the threat to the church of 
Jesus Christ. Remember the word spoken by the 
apostles of our Lord Jesus. It should put you on guard. Again, 
not a hyper suspicious attitude. where some brother or a sister 
makes an unguarded statement, and your eyebrow goes up, and 
your heresy detector goes off, and you start to pray, God, grant 
them repentance and bring them to faith. No, brethren, we're 
not supposed to be hyper suspicious, but man, when the heretics walk 
into the church and assume positions of responsibility behind pulpits, 
I'd like to think our heresy detectors would have gone off 
a long time ago. So notice, he tells us we're 
to remember. And it's not just the apostles 
of our Lord Jesus, but it's Jesus himself. Matthew 7, we just looked 
at. Matthew 16, he cautions his disciples 
against the 11 of Sadducees. Revelation 2 and 3. Christ, by 
the Spirit, writing to the pastors of the churches, telling them 
to be on the lookout for these heretics, for these people that 
will creep in unnoticed, ungodly men who are deniers of Christ 
and those who pervert the gospel of our Lord Jesus. but you see 
it in Paul. We see it in the book of Acts. 
We see it in the pastoral epistles. We see it in Peter, 1 Peter 3, 
we've looked at. 2 Peter 2, verses 1 to 3. And 
then the apostle John emphasizes this in 1 John 4, 1 to 6, and 
then that bit in 2 John 6 to 11. So Jude tells us to remember. to be on your guard, to be on 
the lookout, to realize that as good as Christian fellowship 
is, as wonderful a privilege as corporate worship is, we still 
need to maintain vigilance in terms of who comes in among us 
to make sure that we don't sacrifice or we don't capitulate with reference 
to the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 
So we are to remember, but then notice secondly, the command 
to keep ourselves in the love of God. Verses 20 to 21. Now, I want to explain a bit 
of grammar because I think it helps us to understand verses 
20 and 21. There is one command, and that 
command comes at the beginning of verse 21. It says, keep yourselves 
in the love of God. More on that in just a moment, 
but here's the grammar. So you've got a command or an 
imperative. Keep yourselves in the love of 
God. But surrounding that command is what's called participles. 
Kids, you can explain that to your parents when you get home 
tonight. So participles are used by Jude to flesh out the manner 
by which we comply with the command. You see a similar convention 
in Ephesians 5. You can turn there. It's good 
for us to understand what these authors are doing. They're not 
only giving us commands, but they're telling us how to fulfill 
the command. Ephesians 5 at verse 18. Do not be drunk with wine in 
which is dissipation, here comes the command, but be filled with 
the Spirit. Well, how do we be filled with 
the Spirit? Or what does it look like when 
we're filled with the Spirit? Well, here come the participles. 
Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving 
thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of 
God. Notice, be filled with the Spirit by speaking in tongues? No. By prophesying? No. By healing people? No. It is 
very regular. It is very ordinary. It is very 
normal how the Spirit works in His people in the New Covenant 
Church. So back to Jude 20 and 21. So keep yourselves in the love 
of God. That is the command. And notice 
that he tells us as contenders for the faith, which was once 
for all delivered to the saints, that before we actually guard 
the fence, we need to guard our own hearts. We need to make sure 
everything is right and tight inwardly. Keep yourselves in 
the love of God. We'll see how he calls us to 
comply with that. in just a moment, but keep yourselves 
in the love of God." Manton says, we are born Pelagians, Libertines, 
and Papists, waning to watch our own heart. Now, when we look 
at that command, keep yourselves in the love of God, the idea 
that I, Jim, you, whoever, keep yourselves in God's love is not 
what the text is saying. Our confession rightly reflecting 
upon that statement that God is without passions describes 
God as most loving. God is most loving to his people. That means he doesn't increase, 
he doesn't diminish. God is love and that love showered 
upon his people remains the same. So the idea with Jude is not 
keep yourselves in the love of God, keep doing those things 
that makes him love you. No, the idea is that the believer 
continually recognizes God's love for him. Keep yourselves 
in that disposition and mindset wherein you ponder the great 
love that God has for you. When all is said and done, not 
just relative to contending for the faith, but with reference 
to a comfortable and happy Christian life, doesn't a lot depend upon 
this? to reflect upon the reality that 
God loves me, that Jesus loved me and gave himself for me? Isn't that the impetus on certain 
days to get you out of bed? Isn't that the impetus at certain 
times to keep you persevering? Not some thought that I've got 
to earn God's love, but the reality and the conviction that God does 
love me. God loves me so much that he 
gave his only begotten son. Christ has secured redemptive 
benefit for me. He has blessed me with every 
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. He has dumped 
this on me. He has begraced me. Isn't that 
the position of comfort and stability that every believer needs? that 
every believer should have, again, not just when it comes to contending 
for the faith, but for persevering in the Christian life, for conducting 
ourselves one to another. So the believer continually recognizes 
God's love for him. He does this by reading his Bible. 
He does this by praying. And this, incidentally, is what 
Jude says in terms of the manner of compliance. So keep yourselves, 
verse 21, in the love of God. Let's look at the manner of compliance 
in verse 20. But you, beloved, building yourselves 
up on your most holy faith. How do we keep ourselves in the 
love of God? How do we keep ourselves conscious of God's love for us? It is by building ourselves up 
in our most holy faith. That's Jude's way of saying, 
read your Bible. That's Jude's way of saying, 
get your face in the book. That's Jude's way of saying, 
contemplate the great love wherewith he loved you. You're going to 
learn it from the book of God. Notice, secondly, a means of 
compliance on keeping ourselves in the love of God. The end of 
verse 20, praying in the Holy Spirit. See, this isn't rocket 
science, brethren. You say, well, how can I contend 
earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to 
the saints? Understand the faith. Remember, there's going to be 
threat to it. And keep yourselves in the love of God. Do that by 
building yourself up on your most holy faith. Read scripture. 
praying in the Holy Spirit, be persons of prayer, be people 
at the throne of grace. This is the best preparedness 
for those who would enter into the battle to contend earnestly 
for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 
And then notice hope concerning the mercy of Christ. The end 
of verse 21, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ 
onto eternal life. Gil makes this observation. He 
says it refers to the future, and I think he's right. And there 
is the future mercy of Christ, which will be shown at death, 
in the grave, and at the resurrection, at the day of judgment, and in 
the merciful sentence he will pronounce on his people. And 
this seems to be designed here. So the idea is, is that we have 
this future orientation. We live in light of eternal blessing. We live in light of heaven to 
come. That's how we keep ourselves in the love of God, by building 
ourselves up in the most holy faith, reading the Bible, by 
praying in the Holy Spirit, praying, by having that hope that is focused 
upon the reality of a second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
wherein he will judge the living and the dead. Titus 2.13 points 
in this direction, as Paul there says, looking for the blessed 
hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus 
Christ. But then the final emphasis, 
it's not ultimately on us, contend earnestly, do so by remembering, 
do so by keeping yourself in the love of God. but the ultimate 
foundation for our assurance, the ultimate foundation for our 
comfort, the ultimate foundation for our stability is found in 
the doxology in verses 24 and 25. Notice, now to him, who is able to keep you from 
stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence 
of His glory with exceeding joy. So certainly, were to use the 
means, were to engage the enemy, were to understand the apostates 
creeping in in a sneaky way, were to engage in remembrance 
of what our blessed brothers in the faith have taught us and 
told us concerning these encroaching threats, We're to do so by keeping 
ourselves in the love of God, through building ourselves up 
in our most holy faith, praying in the Spirit, looking for that 
mercy of Christ. But understand, ultimately, the 
one who keeps you is not you. The one who keeps you is not 
you. The one who keeps you is God. 
And I think this is a wonderful bookend to the introduction, 
or rather the greetings, in the Epistle. Look back at Jude 1. 
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved 
in Jesus Christ. He ends with that preservation 
in Jesus Christ. Verse 24, now to him who is able 
to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before 
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To God, our savior, 
who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 
both now and forever. Amen. Well, just in a couple 
of quick thoughts in terms of some application, I hope the 
sermon as a whole was applicatory, but there are recurring attacks 
on the Christian faith. I don't think that's a tough 
proposition to argue for. I think you see it out there, 
I think you see it when it happens, and we need to be mindful of 
that. But we always need to make a distinction, brethren, between 
that which is damnable heresy and that which is perhaps an 
intramural debate. I've said it before, you can 
be an amillennialist, a postmillennialist, or a premillennialist and end 
up in heaven. You cannot be a denier of the 
Trinity. You cannot be a denier of the hypostatic union of Christ. 
You cannot be a denier of justification by faith alone and end up well. There is a hierarchy in terms 
of doctrine, and those things most surely believed among us. 
Manton says, there are fundamentals and essentials in religion which 
challenge the choicest of our care and zeal, that they may 
be kept entire and without violation. The ignorance of them is damnable 
and the denial heretical. And then Turretin says, so some 
articles of faith are primary and immediate. And listen to 
what he says in terms of illustration. As the articles concerning the 
Trinity, Christ the mediator, justification. In other words, 
contending earnestly for the faith which was once for all 
delivered to the saints doesn't mean that every single day on 
Facebook you are arguing vehemently for post-millennialism. I mean, 
you may want to do that, you're not going to have many friends 
after that, but the idea isn't that that is an article upon 
which the church stands or falls. Justification is. Christ the 
mediator is. The Trinity is. Those are the 
doctrines that we must have in view in terms of contending earnestly 
for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 
Now I think churches are best served when they agree upon a 
lot of doctrines. Our confession of faith deals 
with 32 heads, 32 chapters, 32 particular topics. That is good, 
but notice there's not 62, there's not 102. There are things that 
Christians can disagree upon and still maintain comradery, 
still maintain brotherhood, still maintain unity, and still march 
to Zion in blessed harmony. But when it comes to a threat 
to who God is, to who the mediator is, or to what justification 
is, those are the times when the church needs to get serious 
about contending earnestly. Secondly, the encouragement of 
Jude's letter. He builds on Jesus' statement 
in Matthew 16. He doesn't write in a vacuum. 
He doesn't write as if Jesus never declared that he would 
build his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against 
it. So he understands consciously that Jesus is in this to win 
it. Secondly, he furnishes examples 
of the destruction of his enemies. We may not see it now, we may 
not see it in our lifetime, but we will see all of the enemies 
of Christ ultimately excluded from the New Jerusalem. That 
much we can rest in. Third, the Lord provides earnest 
contenders to fight against His enemies. It is, again, For every 
Christian, all of the beloved are to contend earnestly for 
the faith, but praise God that in the history of the church, 
he gave us a matron. Praise God that in the history 
of the church, he gave us an Athanasius. Praise God that in 
the history of the church, he gave us a Cyril of Alexandria. 
Praise God that he gave us the Nicene Creed. Praise God that 
he gave us those who contended earnestly for the faith, which 
was once for all delivered to the saints. Manton says, every 
age that hath yielded the poison has also yielded the antidote, 
that the world might not be without a witness. If there has been 
an Arius, there has been an Athanasius. If a Pelagius, there is also 
an Augustine. And then finally, the Lord preserves 
his people, and the Lord ultimately keeps us from stumbling. And 
in that, we join with Jude in singing and praising God with 
that doxology. To God, our Savior, who alone 
is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and forever. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for warning us. Thank you for instructing us 
and informing us in terms of what the threats are facing the 
church of the Lord Jesus. And we know that as Jesus advances 
the church by His truth, that one of the greatest threats is 
an attack upon or assault upon that truth. And Lord God, I pray 
that we would understand the Christian faith, that we would 
understand what Scripture says concerning you, concerning the 
mediation of Christ, concerning the doctrine of justification, 
those things necessary for life and salvation. And God help us 
in our spheres to contend earnestly for it, to fight the good fight, 
to wage the good warfare, to do so in dependence upon the 
Holy Spirit. And give us all grace to keep 
ourselves in the love of God, building ourselves up on our 
most holy faith, praying, in the spirit, looking forward to 
that coming mercy of our Lord Jesus at his second coming. I 
ask now that you would go with each one of us, cause your face 
to shine upon us. May we know your nearness as 
our good. And we pray through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.