"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude 4
The word, 'pervert' is often used to describe sexual deviants or criminals. It may be that the false teachers Jude is writing about here were sexually immoral. Whether they were or not- they WERE perverts: Not perverting the God-given gift of sex and sexuality, but perverting the grace of God.
We may learn a little more about HOW they did this as we go on, but to start it seems to be that there are two sides of their perversion: They pervert the grace of God and DENY OUR ONLY MASTER AND LORD.
This suggests to me that they were using the grace of God as a license to ignore the Lordship of Christ. By doing this they were actually belittling God's grace.
When we see God's grace as sufficient to bring us forgiveness alone, this belittles God and his mercy. When we recognize that his grace bring forgiveness and ALSO a new power to live a new way: with Christ as Lord, we understand the Gospel. The good news is not that God has brought forgiveness but left us under the power of sin. He has brought forgiveness AND freed us from sins dominion AND given us his Spirit to help us follow him.
We fail of course! But when we fail, we get up and try again- we don't use forgiveness as an excuse to sin! To do so is to be a 'pervert' - a perverter of God's grace!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
A hidden danger!
"But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively...waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever." Jude 10-13
This is the way that Jude describes those who are upsetting the Church he is writing to. Sound harsh to you: the gloom of utter darkness? But these people are distorting the truth about Jesus- the most heinous of crimes.
What I want you to see right now isn't the seriousness of false teaching but something far more worrying.
Look again at how Jude describes these people:
"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude 3-4
What surprises me is that Jude could speak so harshly about false teachers so subtle that the Church didn't even notice that is what they were!
Certain people, had 'crept in unnoticed'. Just think about it... they went totally unrecognized. They weren't wearing 'heretics r us' baseball caps. They were normal church members, home groups leaders, even preachers.
They are present in the Church just like a lethal virus which has yet gone undetected. Only when it has been diagnosed can it be dealt with.
This is scary. A whole church full of Christians did not realize that these people were rogue. And if they didn't notice, why should we think that we are any more discerning?
Could it be that 'certain men' may have crept unnoticed into our churches? Maybe into the pews, maybe into our home groups? Maybe, just maybe, they could be leading our home groups, preaching in our pulpits, even leading our churches!?
So, what were these people doing? And have similar people crept in on us- people to whom we are oblivious?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Urgent Breaking News!!!
Imagine something like this happening at Church... The meeting has started out as normal, a theme verse, a brief introduction... You're half way through 'My Jesus, My Savior' when you see one of the elders sneak up to the front and slip a note to the Pastor. As he reads it, a very sobering look comes over him. "Wait!" he says, cutting you mid-way through the chorus... "Stop singing... I just received a very urgent announcement. Take your seats for a moment."
What could the news be? What is so important that the Pastor has stopped you praising God. Why has he cut rough-shod across the meeting!?
We're all familiar with the idea of 'breaking news'. Breaking news can be good news or bad news. Sometimes breaking news means putting good news on hold as we face urgent bad news.
What news is so bad that it would mean putting praising God on hold? What news is so bad that it would put the good news of the Gospel on hold?
We might think, "nothing" but Jude disagrees:
Jude: 3-4 "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
Stop praising for a moment and start contending!
Jude was going to write a letter about the Gospel, about 'our common salvation'. He was likely going to exalt God for his goodness and mercy in sending Christ for us. And yet, he found it necessary to change course. He'd loved to have done this... but he couldn't! Something was so pressing that it needed addressing. He wanted to rejoice in the Gospel, but now was a time to CONTEND for the Gospel and to exhort his readers to do the same. WHY? Because the Gospel was at risk! Certain people, Jude says, had crept in unnoticed at were perverting the Gospel.
Think of how this letter may have been received by its original readers. It would likely have been read in a regular Church gathering. Everyone would have turned up as usual and be mingling over coffee. Imagine how the jovial mood would have changed when the pastor read these words, "For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
No doubt, heads would turn as people tried to work out who Jude was writing about.
Many would be annoyed. "We came to Church to worship God! Can't you just leave the politics to the elders!" Such people expose the fact that they have very different priorities to God!
We live in a day and age where many Christians believe we ought to ignore doctrinal differences and simply praise God together. "Doctrine divides and Christ unites" it is said. We all believe in Jesus so can't we just get along and brush our differences under the carpet. We can praise God together, at least, can't we! There is something to be said for this, as many of our squabbles could well be about things God cares very little about!
When contending comes FIRST
BUT what if the issues at stake DO matter!? Is there a time when we have to dispense with the niceties of 'all being right' and all 'believing in Jesus' and 'praising Jesus together' to point out that what some of us believe about Jesus is WRONG... tragically wrong and dangerously wrong! Jude gives a resounding, "yes!"
Not only is there a time for this... but when that time arrises it should be give greater priority than our 'worship', greater priority even then our reveling in the Gospel. Jude would loved to have praised God for his salvation... but in the order of things, this came first!
Desperate times call for desperate measures. When the truth of the Gospel is at risk, contending for it comes first, everything else comes second! Not only is it right to contend for the truth and to point our falsehood, it is important... more important than you enjoying church!
Although it is very unpopular to speak against false teaching and far more popular to simply proclaim the truth... Jude screams to us... CONTEND! The job of the man of God isn't simply to teach but to correct and rebuke! How will Jude correct us? Keep reading to find out!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Joe's Birthday Dinner
One Saturday evening a group went out to celebrate Joe Chu's Birthday. We went to Eclisse in Stamford.
The general consensus is that the food was pretty good! The Penne Vodka was especially tasty in my opinion!
Following dinner we had a fantastic cake with the largest frosting roses I've every seen in my life!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Hey Jude!
Over the next few weeks I’m going to be writing a few thoughts on the small and often forgotten letter of Jude.
Why Jude? Is it particularly fitting for the Christmas period? Not really, it really just a random selection to study in my own ‘quiet times’ so I thought I’d share some of my reflections with you all.
Hey Jude!
A good place to start is to share a few of ‘the experts’ thoughts on who wrote it. Before we go on it is worth noting that Jude and Judas are varients in the same name.
In Luke 6:12-16 Jesus original 12 ‘Apostles’ are listed. Among these are two by the name of Judas or Jude. One infamously betrayed Christ to the Jewish authorities and his fate is clearly spelled out in the first chapter of Acts. The second is named as Judas the son of James in Luke (elsewhere called Thaddeus). Did this Judas write Jude?
The answer- probably not. The reason I say this is because of Jude verse 17, “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude’s reference to the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ suggests he himself was not one of them. On top of this, Jude names himself in verse 1 as “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ” rather than as “an Apostles”.
So who is the author, and why is this book in the Bible if it wasn’t written by an Apostle?
Look with me at Mark 6:3, hear how the crowds in the synagogue at Nazareth describe Jesus,
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.”
Jesus had a ‘brother’ named Judas or Jude. This may have been one of Mary’s sons or it could refer to a broader family member since the word ‘brother’ was often used in that way at the time.
Bear with me for a moment, this may seem a little tedious... but it should make sense. Mark refers to one of Jesus’ other brothers, James. There is every evidence that this is the man who wrote the Epistles of James. He is even mentioned in Galatians 1:19.
In Jude verse 1, Jude refers to himself as “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James”
So, the ‘experts’ say (and I happen to agree), Jude is probably written by one of the Lord’s own brothers. His brother James wrote James, his brother Judas wrote Jude.
Why is this relevant?
The relevance of this doesn’t particularly lie in the fact that Jude was Jesus’ brother. It lies in the fact that Jude was not an Apostle. Its also lies in the fact that he WAS an eye witness of Christ. As someone who wasn’t an Apostle he demonstrates the role and function of other teachers in the earliest days of the Church of Jesus Christ. As an eye witness he also provides corroborating evidence for the things the Apostles taught.
Let me explain what I mean.
NOT an Apostle: A call back
I often speak to people who believe that the emphasis many Churches puts on teaching, specifically on teaching The Bible is something which developed after the first century.
They imply that the earliest Christians were much more open minded and tolerant than to suggest that we ought to be bound by the teachings of a book.
Each person had their own light- their own perspective of God which came to them as they discovered the Messiah, Jesus, and his Spirit. Sure, the Apostles had their light... perhaps even a greater light since they had known Jesus personally. But there wasn’t the same emphasis on right doctrine... this, in fact, even the idea of a Bible, was something invented by Roman’s to coerce people into obedience.
The idea that there is One True Faith and that the early Christians were taught by their pastors to adhere to it: this is somewhat of a modern development. Or so it is thought.
Jude blows that idea out of the water. As a teacher, tho not an Apostle, this letter is written to do the very thing the modern day Pastor is called to do: To bring the Word to God’s people and to bring God’s people back to God’s Word. This is clear from the outset of the short letter:
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed...who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (verses 3-4 emphasis added)
These could be the words of a contemporary preacher, could they not? Jude, a first century teacher, is calling the Christians of his day to remain true to the ‘once-for-all’ revealed message. Who’s message? Its Jesus Christ’s but look also at verse 17 again
“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jude is calling his readers back to the once for all message, preached by the Apostles of Christ.
The idea of Bible Teachers, that bring the Word of the Apostles to the people and the people back to the Word is not an modern idea at all. Its an idea as old as Jude, the Lord’s brother. It’s an idea as old as the Lord himself- it’s timelessly eternal!
In that sense, the fact that Jude is NOT an Apostle helps us understand the role of Pastor’s today, who aren’t Apostles, but are called to teach. This is one of the ways in which Jude is relevant to us.
An Eye-witness: A corroborating testimony
But why IS Jude in our Bibles if it wasn’t written by an Apostle? In his providence God wanted it there of course! But it is also there as the testimony of an eye-witness who corroborates the testimony of the Apostles.
Jude is someone who would have known better if the Apostles were making it all up! He is someone who could have discredited the Gospels and the writings of Peter, Paul, James etc. He could have clearly denied their claims about the resurrection and the divinity of Christ!
But he doesn’t! As we have seen, he goes out of his way to support them. The very reason he writes is to support their testimony against false teachers and false witnesses.
Jude, the brother of Jesus, started out an as unbeliever, even hostile to Christ. But following the death and resurrection, he and his brother James, became strong supporters and servants of the Lord they once had denied. Here, Jude provides corroborating evidence that the word of the Apostles is the once-for-all truth.
Jude is there to call us back to “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (v.3)
What about us?
By and large our culture is obsessed with the new and innovative. We are constantly downloading updates, not just for our computers and blackberries but for our relationships, finances, our families, our careers, our faith and our morals.
The Christian establishment of our day is also obsessed with innovation. Innovation in doctrine, in strategy, in techniques. We seem to be so concerned with the zeitgeist, with the mood and opinions of our age, that we all to readily reject or simply ignore the Word of the Apostles. To give an example, I recently attended a church planting conference where the Bible was not opened once!
Jude is a necessary voice in our innovation-obsessed world to, “come back!” Come back to the unchanging, old-fashioned Word of God! It isn’t innovation that counts. Innovation in theology is heresy! So called ‘progress’ beyond the once-for-all revealed Word is actually regress!
I for one am looking forward to what Jude has to say!
Why Jude? Is it particularly fitting for the Christmas period? Not really, it really just a random selection to study in my own ‘quiet times’ so I thought I’d share some of my reflections with you all.
Hey Jude!
A good place to start is to share a few of ‘the experts’ thoughts on who wrote it. Before we go on it is worth noting that Jude and Judas are varients in the same name.
In Luke 6:12-16 Jesus original 12 ‘Apostles’ are listed. Among these are two by the name of Judas or Jude. One infamously betrayed Christ to the Jewish authorities and his fate is clearly spelled out in the first chapter of Acts. The second is named as Judas the son of James in Luke (elsewhere called Thaddeus). Did this Judas write Jude?
The answer- probably not. The reason I say this is because of Jude verse 17, “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude’s reference to the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ suggests he himself was not one of them. On top of this, Jude names himself in verse 1 as “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ” rather than as “an Apostles”.
So who is the author, and why is this book in the Bible if it wasn’t written by an Apostle?
Look with me at Mark 6:3, hear how the crowds in the synagogue at Nazareth describe Jesus,
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.”
Jesus had a ‘brother’ named Judas or Jude. This may have been one of Mary’s sons or it could refer to a broader family member since the word ‘brother’ was often used in that way at the time.
Bear with me for a moment, this may seem a little tedious... but it should make sense. Mark refers to one of Jesus’ other brothers, James. There is every evidence that this is the man who wrote the Epistles of James. He is even mentioned in Galatians 1:19.
In Jude verse 1, Jude refers to himself as “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James”
So, the ‘experts’ say (and I happen to agree), Jude is probably written by one of the Lord’s own brothers. His brother James wrote James, his brother Judas wrote Jude.
Why is this relevant?
The relevance of this doesn’t particularly lie in the fact that Jude was Jesus’ brother. It lies in the fact that Jude was not an Apostle. Its also lies in the fact that he WAS an eye witness of Christ. As someone who wasn’t an Apostle he demonstrates the role and function of other teachers in the earliest days of the Church of Jesus Christ. As an eye witness he also provides corroborating evidence for the things the Apostles taught.
Let me explain what I mean.
NOT an Apostle: A call back
I often speak to people who believe that the emphasis many Churches puts on teaching, specifically on teaching The Bible is something which developed after the first century.
They imply that the earliest Christians were much more open minded and tolerant than to suggest that we ought to be bound by the teachings of a book.
Each person had their own light- their own perspective of God which came to them as they discovered the Messiah, Jesus, and his Spirit. Sure, the Apostles had their light... perhaps even a greater light since they had known Jesus personally. But there wasn’t the same emphasis on right doctrine... this, in fact, even the idea of a Bible, was something invented by Roman’s to coerce people into obedience.
The idea that there is One True Faith and that the early Christians were taught by their pastors to adhere to it: this is somewhat of a modern development. Or so it is thought.
Jude blows that idea out of the water. As a teacher, tho not an Apostle, this letter is written to do the very thing the modern day Pastor is called to do: To bring the Word to God’s people and to bring God’s people back to God’s Word. This is clear from the outset of the short letter:
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed...who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (verses 3-4 emphasis added)
These could be the words of a contemporary preacher, could they not? Jude, a first century teacher, is calling the Christians of his day to remain true to the ‘once-for-all’ revealed message. Who’s message? Its Jesus Christ’s but look also at verse 17 again
“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jude is calling his readers back to the once for all message, preached by the Apostles of Christ.
The idea of Bible Teachers, that bring the Word of the Apostles to the people and the people back to the Word is not an modern idea at all. Its an idea as old as Jude, the Lord’s brother. It’s an idea as old as the Lord himself- it’s timelessly eternal!
In that sense, the fact that Jude is NOT an Apostle helps us understand the role of Pastor’s today, who aren’t Apostles, but are called to teach. This is one of the ways in which Jude is relevant to us.
An Eye-witness: A corroborating testimony
But why IS Jude in our Bibles if it wasn’t written by an Apostle? In his providence God wanted it there of course! But it is also there as the testimony of an eye-witness who corroborates the testimony of the Apostles.
Jude is someone who would have known better if the Apostles were making it all up! He is someone who could have discredited the Gospels and the writings of Peter, Paul, James etc. He could have clearly denied their claims about the resurrection and the divinity of Christ!
But he doesn’t! As we have seen, he goes out of his way to support them. The very reason he writes is to support their testimony against false teachers and false witnesses.
Jude, the brother of Jesus, started out an as unbeliever, even hostile to Christ. But following the death and resurrection, he and his brother James, became strong supporters and servants of the Lord they once had denied. Here, Jude provides corroborating evidence that the word of the Apostles is the once-for-all truth.
Jude is there to call us back to “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (v.3)
What about us?
By and large our culture is obsessed with the new and innovative. We are constantly downloading updates, not just for our computers and blackberries but for our relationships, finances, our families, our careers, our faith and our morals.
The Christian establishment of our day is also obsessed with innovation. Innovation in doctrine, in strategy, in techniques. We seem to be so concerned with the zeitgeist, with the mood and opinions of our age, that we all to readily reject or simply ignore the Word of the Apostles. To give an example, I recently attended a church planting conference where the Bible was not opened once!
Jude is a necessary voice in our innovation-obsessed world to, “come back!” Come back to the unchanging, old-fashioned Word of God! It isn’t innovation that counts. Innovation in theology is heresy! So called ‘progress’ beyond the once-for-all revealed Word is actually regress!
I for one am looking forward to what Jude has to say!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Why this blog will get better!
This blog entry is the beginning of new hope for this blog! I intend to actually start writing on it... regularly. If anyone else would like to do the same, let me know and I’ll sort it out for you.
So, this is my first entry of sorts. Its kind of devotional.
“Don’t let the Sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26
The meaning of this command is obvious. We should keep short accounts with each other. You could put it this way, ‘all accounts should be closed by days-end.’ Don’t go to bed fuming.
There are many ways to deal with your anger. Sometime you will have to talk things through with the person who has offended you. Sometimes you will just have to deal with it in prayer and decide to forgive. Either way, do it FAST! Jesus said as much when he spoke these words: So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matt 5:23-24)
Keeping short accounts with each other guards us from becoming bitter. When issues are allowed to crawl and creep below the surface they do damage to you, and to others, and to our relationships as a church! I wonder if you would ever think in the terms Paul uses tho, that it gives opportunity to the devil!
What opportunity does it give him? The devil opposes God’s work. We learn in the first half of Ephesians, most particularly Eph 2:11-22 that God is bringing a diverse group of people together and building them into a temple for himself. God’s work is to bring us together. The devils work is therefore to drive us apart.
Before you go to bed tonight, ask yourself this, “Do I want to co-operate with God’s work in the world or rather help the devil as he seeks to undermine that work?” If your answer is the former, then get on your knees and deal with any anger or hostility you have towar
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