When we look at this Book, we find it is written for us, today, for the end times, and for the end of the Church Age. 

Jude is the only book devoted entirely to the great apostasy and heresies and explains it to the Believers. Apostasy means abandonment of a religious belief.

Luke 18:8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

End time falling away

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

Departure from the faith

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit says clearly that in the last times some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons,

Unwillingness to endure sound doctrine

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate healthy doctrine, but with itching ears will surround themselves with teachers who cater to their people’s own desires.

2 Peter 2:1 Now there were false prophets among the people, just as there also will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.

2 Peter 3:3 First of all you must understand this: In the last days mockers will come and, following their own desires, will ridicule us

Assurance for the Christian

Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

Brother of James”:  James was Head of the Church in Jerusalem; author of the Epistle of James; the “Lord’s brother” (Gal 1:19); one of four “brothers” of Jesus (Mk 6:3; cf. Ps 69:7,8).

Neither James nor Jude were among the 12.  They did not believe (at first); cf. Jn 7:5.

Jude 1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance!

Judgment on False Teachers

Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I was eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write to you and urge you to continue your vigorous defense of the faith that was passed down to the saints once and for all.

Jude was going to write about salvation; but must write about something else instead.  We need to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints 

Apostates Described

Jude 1:4 For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude just said that godless teachers became Christians so they can do as they like without fear of God’s punishment.

Jude wrote 3 things that identify an Apostate

{1} Ungodly, {2} perverts of grace, {3 denying Jesus as Lord and Master.

Apostates in Old Testament History

Jude 1:5 Now I want to remind you, even though you are fully aware of these things, that the Lord who once saved his people from the land of Egypt later destroyed those who did not believe.

Numbers 14:29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness–every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained against me.

Jude just said that God saved Israel and then destroyed those who did not trust and obey him, complained against God.

Jude 1:6 He has also held in eternal chains those angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their assigned place. They are held in deepest darkness for judgment on the great day.

Angels turned to a life of sin, now chained up in prisons, having to do with the fall of Lucifer (Isa 14:12-17).  Assigned Earth, Headed to Heaven

One-third of the angels fell with him (Rev 12:4).

Jude 1:7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them, which like them committed sexual sins and pursued homosexual activities, serve as an example of the punishment of eternal fire.

It is a very solemn thing that Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as examples for punishment and warning to us that there is a place in which sinners are punished for those who do these things for the Church to understand. 

Jude 1:8 In a similar way, these dreamers also defile their flesh, reject the Lord’s authority, and slander his glorious beings.

These false teachers continue their evil, immoral lives, reject Jesus and scoffing at the Saints and Angels

Dreamers {1}. defile the flesh, {2}. reject authority, and {3}. speak evil of dignitaries

Jude 1:9 Even the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil and fought over the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him. Instead, he said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”

Titus 3:2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

Michael was arguing with Satan about Moses body did not accuse Satan or jeer at him.  The angel who was faithful to his Creator said nothing against his evil opponent.

Why Are They Both Interested in Moses’ Body?  Why is the place of the sepulcher kept secret, so Moses body would not be worship.

Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

These individuals, follow mere natural instinct, mock and curse anything they do not understand. They are like animals, do whatever they feel like, without shame and fear and share in common with the animal world, things far less than God’s intent for His human creations.  Spiritual things in the world

An Ancient Trio of Apostates

Jude 1:11 How terrible it will be for them! For they lived like Cain did, rushed headlong into Balaam’s error to make a profit, and destroyed themselves, as happened in Korah’s rebellion.

This verse is the heart of the epistle’s structure.  Midway between illustrations from the supernatural realm and to the natural realm

Notice, the Heretics compared to 3 OT failures.  Apostasy is not confined to one class of person

Three individuals, From the Past, personal examples what they are like

• Cain: a tiller of the soil, ungodliness, did not follow instructions in sacrifice, living selfish lives, full of hate for the brethren, did not place his faith in the Lord (Gen 4:1-7)
• Balaam: a prophet, greedy for gold, curse Israel with women, perversion of grace, wanted popularity or applause, a pagan prophet, an enemy of God (Num 22)
• Korah: a prince, a Levite, in Israel, denial of the authority and rebelled against God’s appointed leader, Moses, wanted to be a leader, which resented Moses prominent position (Num 16:31)

Each of these individuals has a particular aspect of what it means to fall away from the truth

Apostates in the Natural Realm 

Jude 1:12 These people are stains on your love feasts. They feast with you without any sense of awe. They are shepherds who care only for themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by the winds. They are autumn trees that are fruitless, totally {or twice} dead, and uprooted.

Ouch, 3 types of people

• When these men join you at the love feasts of the church, they are evil smears among you, laughing and carrying on, gorging and stuffing themselves without a thought for others.
• They are like clouds blowing over dry land without giving rain, promising much, but producing nothing. False promise; Deceit and discouragement = thirsty; with no blessings
• They are like fruit trees without any fruit at picking time. They are not only dead, but doubly dead, for they have been pulled out, roots and all, to be burned. 

Jude 1:13 They are wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their own shame. They are wandering stars for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.  Demon future fate.

• Wild, Raging waves: Wasted effort; Wicked People who do not know God, they leave behind them is shame and disgrace like the dirty foam left along the beach by the wild waves
• Wandering stars: Aimless course; flashing brilliantly for a brief time. They wander around looking as bright as stars, but ahead of them is the everlasting gloom and darkness that God has prepared for them.

Apostates in Old Testament Prophecy

Jude 1:14 Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about these people when he said, “Look! The Lord has come with countless thousands of his Holy Ones.  {or His Saints}

Jude 1:15 He will judge all people and convict everyone of all the ungodly things that they have done in such an ungodly way, including all the harsh things that these ungodly sinners have said about him.”

If it were not for Jude, we would know practically nothing about prophecy before the flood.  We know of cities, cattle raising, fine arts, education, and manufacturing (Gen 4:17-22)  Jesus will judge when He comes back.

Four Facts we learned from Enoch’s Prophecy about the End time

• We know the Lord’s coming is sure;
• We know who will accompany the Lord; will come with Jesus Holy Saints
• We know the purpose of His coming; He will come to bring judgment (Heb 9:26-28).
• We know the result of the Lord’s coming; All the ungodly will be convicted of all their works of ungodliness.

Jude 1:16 These people are complainers and faultfinders, following their own desires. They say arrogant things and flatter people in order to take advantage of them.  {climb the ladder}

Recognition of an Apostate

The Church will be without excuse if it fails to recognize apostates when they appear

Apostates Described

Jude 1:17-18 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: (18) how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

The Words of the Apostles are important because they express the will of God.

In discerning the spirit of anyone claiming to speak for God, the only sure standard for evaluation is the Scriptures. Those who attack the central truths of Scripture, the ones concerning God, or Jesus must be avoided.

The description of the heretics as mockers indicates that one of their main tactics to gain credibility was to tear down godly leaders

Jude 1:19 These are the people who cause divisions. They are worldly, devoid of {or not having} the Spirit.

These people like stir up arguments; they love the evil things of the world; they do not have the Holy Spirit living in them. 

These people go after members of Christ’s body, built around some small truth, fail to embrace the whole council of God, they don’t bother with the unsaved

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

The Believer and the Faith

Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit. Furthermore, continue to pray in the Holy Spirit.

Jude is telling us we must build up our lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit

Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Overcoming is a lifelong task.  We will wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus in his mercy is going to give us, you, and me.

Jude 1:22 Show mercy to those who have doubts.

Meanwhile we are to watch over others and Saints, as well as ourselves, and our families and gives help as their various needs required.  We are to be kind to others and have compassion and be merciful and very gentle to those who has doubt.  {Especially our physical, immediate families}

Jude 1:23 Save others by snatching them from the fire. To others, show mercy with fear, hating even the clothes stained by their sinful lives.

We, as the body of Jesus, have certain obligations to other believers.

• First, we need to show mercy to those in any kind of spiritual or physical need.
• Second, we need to use discernment (making a distinction) in helping our brothers and sisters in the church. We as a body need to stay away from sin.

Assurance for the Believer

Jude 1:24-25 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, (25) to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; And he is able to keep us from slipping and falling away, and to bring us, sinless and perfect, into his glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy. Amen. Jude 

Jude began and ends with Assurance.  There is nothing to suggest that a true child of God can become an apostate.

Jesus our Lord, glory, majesty, power, and authority are His from the very beginning.