After having drawn the picture of the ungodly in their relations with God, the Apostle yet considers their moral character. This examination is of great moment, for it is a common thing, when we do speak of the terrible condition of the ungodly, to hear well intentioned persons answering, no doubt it is distressing that their thoughts on this subject differ from ours; however, they are honorable, devoted people, irreproachable in their deportment, etc. Does the Word speak of them in this wise? Listen to what it says: ' 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." v. 16. "Murmurers, complainers"; is this not what characterizes more and more in our day this world seeking to live without God? A veil of discontentment and bitter sadness stretches itself everywhere over people's minds. One seeks to set it aside with feverish agitation, but without success. Has one ever found a happy man in the world? Moreover, the thought that others have attained to what they themselves desire, gives rise to jealousy in the heart; they are "complainers" about their lot. The Apostle adds that they walk "after their own lusts, and their mouth speaketh great swelling words." Boasting, self-satisfaction, pretension to virtue, walk side by side with the hidden search for the secret desires of their hearts. Finally, they admire men in view of their own profit. Is not this the world's custom? One professes admiration for others, speaking pleasing words for the sake of profit.
We have followed to the end this sad enumeration of the elements of evil already largely developing in our days, but which are about to precipitate their course in an irresistible manner. It is with the apostasy as it is with those avalanches one sees forming in our mountains. At first they are only fragments of ice rolling down a snowy slope. These fragments pick up others and suddenly, with frightful swiftness, this solid torrent rushes on, crushing everything along its path until the whole valley is filled with its debris. This moral cataclysm of the end is daily becoming closer at hand.
We have just seen what the actual state of Christendom is, and the judgment it shall bring upon itself. Now the Apostle addresses himself to the faithful, to you all, beloved, called of Jesus Christ, to exhort you. "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." v. 17. This word, "But... ye" is the counterpart of the word "these." It is you, children of God, that the Holy Spirit teaches what you must do and what is your safeguard before the increasing evil. He brings you back to the Word of God as it has been given to you in the New Testament by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. The second epistle of Peter, which contains the same exhortation, adds to the New Testament the contents of the Old: "That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior." Chap. 3:2. So the 18th verse of our epistle, "How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts" corresponds to 2 Pet. 3:33Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3): "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." We must remember that in "the last time," or in "the last days," mockers shall come. Their present appearance proves to us that we certainly have arrived at the last days. On the one hand, we feel relieved to think that in a very short time all further development of this evil shall have ceased, and that we shall be introduced into the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; but on the other hand, to see this last form of evil established is most solemn and must put us all on our guard. The third chapter of Peter's second epistle gives a detailed description of these mockers. "Walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." They are not, as one might think, people who jest about anything and turn to ridicule the divine things; this turn of mind was in fashion about a century and a half ago. The mockers of the last days are serious mockers who reject the Word of God in the name of science and of reason and esteem as worthy to be believed only such things as they can see. They believe in the eternity of the matter, since it has not changed "from the beginning of the creation." If they sometimes profess a high esteem for the Person of Jesus Christ as a historical and authentic Person, as far as they are concerned, His career ended at His death. Consequently they reject this promise of His coming.
"These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." v. 19. When Jude wrote, the Christian assembly still existed as a whole, with those who separated themselves in its midst. Do not forget, dear friends, that there are two kinds of separation, one approved of God, the other condemned by Him. The first is separation from the world, as it is written: "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. 6:17, 1817Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18). The other is the separation of these "sensual, having not the Spirit," from the Christians. They had crept in among the faithful without being of them, and bringing in their "damnable heresies," feasting with them and corrupting the center into which they had gained admittance, and who should never have received them. The first epistle of John shows us a second phase of the separation of these men. "They went out from, us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us." Chap. 2:19. The duty of every Christian in the present day is to be separated from them—not to admit them in the assembly of believers, and not to join himself to them on the ground upon which they stand. Is this what is being done? Alas! the noxious influence of these men, "sensual, having not the Spirit," is tolerated and accepted today in the midst of Christian profession!
After having warned us, the Word of God exhorts us, and enumerates our resources in presence of this state of things. We again find here the precious truth, of which we have already spoken, that God can be perfectly glorified by His own in the midst of ruined Christendom. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,..." v. 20. The first exhortation is to build up ourselves on our most holy faith—the faith which was "once delivered unto the saints" (v. 3). This faith, the Christian doctrine, contained in the Word which has been entrusted to us, is most holy, and the Lord wants by this means to separate us entirely from the world, for Himself. "Sanctify them through Thy truth," said Jesus, "Thy word is truth." John 17:1717Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17). Such is our first resource to glorify the Lord.
The second exhortation is, "Praying in the Holy Ghost." If God sanctifies us for Him, through the Holy Scriptures, He does so also through prayer. This latter expresses our dependence upon God. Through prayer we approach Him and present our needs to Him. We enter thus in direct relation with Him in our daily life; only prayer to be effectual must be in the Holy Spirit. Thus we are sanctified, separated to God, first by the Word, then by the habitual exercise of prayer.
The third exhortation is of the greatest importance: "Keep yourselves in the love of God." The Holy Spirit has shed this love in our hearts and we are to keep ourselves in it, carefully watching that we do not allow in our souls the least thing that might hinder our enjoyment of it.
The fourth exhortation is, "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (v. 21). This is the Christian's hope. This passage contains the three characteristic traits of the child of God so often mentioned in the New Testament—faith, love, and hope. This latter is as important as the other two; it looks for eternal life into which the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ alone can introduce us. Eternal life, which we now possess, is viewed here as that into which the believer is going to enter, while he enjoys it but imperfectly down here. Notice that in these two verses our resources consist in our relations with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
But, as Christians, we still have duties toward those who contest, and duties toward our brethren. "And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." vv. 22, 23. As to the mockers who dispute, like Satan their master disputed of old with Michael the archangel, we are, like the latter, to answer them with these words: The Lord rebuke you! It is henceforth useless to seek to persuade them. We are in the times of which it is said, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still" (Rev. 22:1111He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22:11)). But the souls of our brethren may be seduced by these reasoners and their false doctrines which challenge the Word of God and the Person of the Savior. What are we to do for them? We are to save them with fear, pulling them out of the fire. A Christian has compared the epistle of Jude to a house on fire. One must at all costs get the inhabitants out, at the risk of one's own life; no effort is to be thought too great by us who know the value of these souls. They must be made to realize the imminent danger to which they are exposed. Let us save them with fear. Such is our principal aim in addressing to Christians the solemn warning contained in these pages.
As to ourselves, if we would be helpful to others, let us learn to hate "even the garment spotted by the flesh," to avoid all intercourse with an impure profession (the garment is the emblem of profession) of which this epistle speaks and which it calls the defilement or filthiness of the flesh (see Rev. 3:44Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)). It is thus that in the second epistle to the Corinthians, after speaking of our bounden duty as the family of God, to be separate from the world, the Apostle adds as to our individual testimony, "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:11Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)).
May God give all His dear children to realize these things, and to each to ask himself or herself, Do I bear the characters recommended by this epistle in view of the present time? Should we not feel deeply humbled by the fact that we manifest so little that which the Lord desires?
How blessed that we yet have one resource—God remains. He alone can keep us. Let us trust Him, for is it not true, we cannot trust ourselves? "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." v. 24. Is it not marvelous that this epistle, picture of the irresistible development of the evil in the last days, shows us at the same time the possibility of being kept from falling, in a path strewn with obstacles and snares? It encourages us with the assurance that God is able to accomplish perfectly that which we are incapable of doing, and to present us for eternity faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. How much encouragement in these words! How precious that they are addressed to us for the present time, and not for a time when all was comparatively in order. How good to be able to say, The power of God has not changed, is not modified by circumstances, and is all the more glorified because displayed in a time of moral desolation and ruin. The more the apostasy grows, the more it is necessary to have no confidence whatever in ourselves, but to lean on the One who wants to keep us and will bring us in the eternal enjoyment of His glory.
"To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." v. 25. You will not find one epistle in the New Testament where the praises of the Savior God so richly overflow as in this short epistle of Jude. Not only can we glorify God in our walk in these difficult times, but the more difficult the circumstances through which we are passing, the more we shall appreciate His glory. Only by keeping the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not denying it when it is attacked on all sides, are we qualified to understand and celebrate this glory; and this gives us a foretaste of the great heavenly reunion where words such as these shall be uttered around the throne: "Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power" (Rev. 4:1111Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)). "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Rev. 5:1212Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12). "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5:1313And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:13).
Dear brothers and sisters, may God give us to take these things to heart, and not to delude ourselves as to the character of the days in which we live, and to heed the exhortations of this epistle.
Thus, instead of showing a guilty indifference with regard to the evil, or being discouraged by it, we shall walk from strength to strength, having with us the power of God, all ready to lead and sustain us and to keep us from falling until the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.