© 1999 "Yes Lord" Ministries
Hi again and welcome back to the third and final lesson in this study of the Book of Jude.
This is one of the shortest books of the Bible, only 25 verses in length. But, if you have done the previous two lessons, surely you will agree that what it lacks in length, it more than makes up in depth. And it is definitely a book that is just as necessary today as it was when originally written almost 2000 years ago!
And, speaking of Lessons 1 and 2, if you have not yet done them, please stop now and do them. They are, like the book of Jude, short but necessary. In fact, this lesson is specifically designed to build upon what you studied in Lessons 1 and 2. So, if you have not done them, you will miss the full understanding of the importance and truths of this lesson.
Well, with that said, and assuming that we have all finished lessons 1 and 2, let's continue.
As you will recall, the Book of Jude is actually a letter that was written to Christians (believers in and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ).
Jude had originally intended to write to them on the subject of
(v. 3) ______________________________________________ ,
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but, instead, he changed the focus of his letter and wrote to warn them to
(v. 3) ________________________________________________________ .
Why this change in topics? Apparently something very serious and significant had caused Jude to decide to switch from his original intention of writing to them concerning "the salvation they shared" so that he, instead, wrote to warn them to "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" !
Why? What had happened? What did he observe that he needed to warn his fellow believers about? And is there anything that we, today, can and should learn from his warning and insights?
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Well, let's begin. Let's see if we can discover WHY Jude is telling the Christians then, and us today, to earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to them (the saints).
In this lesson, we will first discover what the "faith" is that has been entrusted to them. Then we will see if it is in jeopardy and why. Finally, we will learn what happens when people do not contend for and maintain the faith that is entrusted to them.
First, then, what is this "FAITH" that has been entrusted to them? And to determine and understand that, perhaps the best thing to do is a "word study" of the word, Faith.
Now, don't panic! I know that many of you do not have "word study tools" or how to use them, so I will do the "work" for you and will give you the Greek word and a brief summary of the definition of the word. And, those of you who do have the "tools" and desire additional insight and understanding, feel free to look up the word yourself and add to this brief summary.
So, with that said - on to the "word study" of Faith. As you read the definition given below, underline or highlight in red (or in a color of your choice), any words or phrases that help you to better understand what this "faith" is for which Jude is telling them to "contend earnestly."
FAITH
= Strong's Ref. # 4102 = Pistis (Pronounced pis'-tis)
from # 3982 (Peitho); persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: ... complete confidence and trust in God
(Strongs concordance).
... to win over, persuade. ...firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth, veracity, ... that which is believed, doctrine, the received articles of faith...
(Zodhiates, Complete Word Study New Testament, page 1162)
in the KJV, Pistis (Faith) is translated: assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
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Sometimes knowing the OPPOSITE (the antonym) of a word helps to better understand the meaning of the word. And, this is one of those instances. So, let's look at some of the antonyms (opposites) of faith. Again, as you read this, underline in Black, any words or phrases that help you in your understanding.
Antonyms (opposites) of faith are: ...confusion, disobedience, violation, unbelief, faithlessness, ungodliness, lack of piety, apostasy, departure from the truth, heresy, discord in doctrine, blasphemy, vilification against God, acting, hypocrisy, falsehood, guile, deceit.
(Zodhiates, Complete Word Study New Testament, page 1164)
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Wow! Did you see that! The antonyms (opposites) of the word, "Faith" are describing those "certain men ... who have secretly slipped in among you ..."
This really helps us to better understand what the problem was in Jude's day. These "certain men ... godless men" did not have Pistis (faith)!
As we learned in lesson 2, these men were not real Believers. They were not "saved." They did not trust in Jesus Christ as their Sovereign and Lord.
And, they were (gasp!) IN the Church. They were active members of the church; some were even in positions of authority ! But, by looking at the definition of "Faith" and at the opposites of "Faith", we have confirmation that these men are not True Believers.
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So, just because someone is "on the church roll" does not guarantee that they are believers (saved)! Hmmmmm. Think about that!
Let's read those "opposites" of Faith again. I have listed them below again for you. And, as you read them, put a circle around every word or phrase that describes or relates to the "certain men..." that Jude described.
... confusion, disobedience, violation, unbelief, faithlessness, ungodliness, lack of piety, apostasy, departure from the truth, heresy, discord in doctrine, blasphemy, vilification against God, acting, hypocrisy, falsehood, guile, deceit. ...
Hmmmmmm.
Well, I don't know what you circled. But, I circled ALL of those words.
Hmmmmm. Very significant !
And, by the way, as long as we are doing word studies, you might be interested in knowing the definition of "earnestly contend". So, here it is:
earnestly contend
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Strong's Ref. # 1864 epagonizomai
(Pronounced ep-ag-o-nid'-zom-ahee)
= to struggle for
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So, now that you know the definition of "faith" and the "opposites" of Faith, and you know that there were members of and leaders in the church who were unbelievers (without faith), you can understand why Jude told the believers to "contend earnestly for the faith!"
Indeed, even today, similar situations exist. Surely you are aware of people in the Church today, people who are even in positions of authority, but who are living immoral lives, people who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality, who deny that Jesus Christ is the only Sovereign and Lord, who pollute their own bodies, who reject authority, who speak abusively against whatever they do not understand, who feed only themselves, who do ungodly acts, who are grumblers and faultfinders, who follow their own evil desires, who boast about themselves, who flatter others for their own advantage, who divide the church, who follow mere natural instincts, who do not have the (Holy) Spirit ...
But, just to be sure that you understand and so that you can explain to someone else why they and we must always "contend for the faith," in the space below, summarize your thoughts on this. Summarize this by briefly explaining what faith IS, what it is NOT, and how you can identify a person who is NOT a believer.
Faith is
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Faith is not
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How you can identify a person who is NOT a believer:
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Great! You have seen and understood what the "faith" is that has been entrusted to the believers. And, you have correctly observed that faith is in jeopardy whenever godless men secretly slip in to the church -- and the reason that faith is in jeopardy is because these godless men, undermine it with their godless lifestyles and teachings.
So, if "the faith" is not defended and earnestly contended for, then, ultimately, just as yeast permeates and changes the entire loaf, these godless lifestyles and teachings, will also ultimately destroy the church and its witness and all that that entails!
Now, with all that in mind, let's see what happens when people do NOT contend for and maintain the faith that is entrusted to them. For, as you no doubt noticed as you worked through Lessons 1 and 2, there were several illustrations given of this.
So, your assignment now is to read Jude, specifically looking for these illustrations of what happens when people do NOT contend earnestly for the faith. As you find these, record the results on the chart below. I will do the first one for you an example.
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What happens when you
DON'T
"earnestly contend
for the faith that has been entrusted to you":
Who did what .....................................................So the ultimate result was
(and no one cared or defended the faith)
v. 5 After the Lord delivered His people out of Egypt,...................................... many did not believe the Lord
the Lord destroyed them
v. 6 The angels did not keep their positions of
authority but abandoned their own home (and became
the demons / fallen angels)
v. 7 the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the
surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual
immorality and perversion
v. 11 Cain (hint: read Genesis 4:1-16 printed for you below)
and summarize what he did ...
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.v, 11.... Balaam
(hint: read Numbers 22-24, NOT printed here but I will summarize the event and the result for you)
Summarizing.. Balaam was asked by a foreign king to prophesy (for money) against the nation Israel and to curse the nation Israel so that they would loose in the impending battle. Even though God allowed Balaam to prophesy, God did NOT want Balaam to do this or to prophesy for money or against Israel... he really should not have gone at all.
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v. 11 Korah (hint: read Numbers 16 ..printed below) and
summarize what happened...
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re. CAIN: Genesis 4:1-16 NIV
1. Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2. Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5. but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8. Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10. The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13. Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15. But the LORD said to him, "Not so ; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16. So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
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Re. Korah: .....Numbers 16 NIV
Numbers 16: 1. Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites--Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth--became insolent 2. and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.
3. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?" 4. When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. 6. You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers 7. and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the LORD. The man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!" 8. Moses also said to Korah, "Now listen, you Levites! 9. Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD's tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? 10. He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. 11. It is against the LORD that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?" 12. Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We will not come! 13. Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us? 14. Moreover, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!" 15. Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them." 16. Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow--you and they and Aaron. 17. Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it--250 censers in all--and present it before the LORD. You and Aaron are to present your censers also." 18. So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 19. When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire assembly. 20. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 21. "Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." 22. But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?" 23. Then the LORD said to Moses, 24. "Say to the assembly, `Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'" 25. Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26. He warned the assembly, "Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins." 27. So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents. 28. Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29. If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30. But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt." 31. As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32. and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33. They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!" 35. And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. 36.The LORD said to Moses, 37."Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the smoldering remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy-- 38. the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites." 39. So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40. as the LORD directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD, or he would become like Korah and his followers. 41. The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "You have killed the LORD's people," they said. 42. But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, 44. and the LORD said to Moses, 45. "Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." And they fell facedown. 46. Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started." 47. So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49. But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.
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WOW! When people do not "contend for the faith," there are significant and serious consequences, as you so correctly noted during that last assignment! Consequences such as "being destroyed" (killed), being disallowed to "enter the promised land" (or being kept from other blessings appropriate to your particular situation), being destroyed (in a calamity or tragedy, as was the case of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns and as was also the outcome of the sin of Korah), and etc.
In other words, God does NOT treat sin lightly ! There is a punishment for sin, for ALL sin ! The punishment is sometimes immediate and sometimes it is delayed, often for a long time. But there WILL be a punishment for ALL unconfessed and unrepented sin! You can count on it! And the Bible repeatedly teaches and confirms that! These are but a few of the many illustrations and warnings concerning the consequences of sin, which are recorded in God's Word (the Bible).
So, lest you think that the sin(s) that you are doing now are NOT being noticed and recorded by God - think again! God does notice and He knows everything that we do and think, and there will be a price to pay, one day, sooner or later !!! - for EVERY sin !!!
The ONLY way to avoid that punishment for sin is to have been "saved" from the penalty of sin.
And the only way to be "saved" is to have recognized our sin(s), confessed them to God, asked for His forgiveness, and to have accepted His free gift of forgiveness (salvation). This free gift of forgiveness (salvation) is through the blood (death) sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, Who paid the penalty price for our sins. Jesus took the punishment for us (for you, for me, for everyone). But, only those who confess their sins, ask for forgiveness, accept His gift of salvation (forgiveness), and who acknowledge Jesus to be their ONLY Sovereign and Lord will be able to escape the punishment for their sins.
If a person has NOT been "saved" from their sins by accepting the gift of the substitutionary sacrifice of the life of Jesus in his / her / your / my place, then, that person is still doomed and destined to experience the judgments, punishments, and death penalty that sin demands and which is required from a Holy Righteous God!
!!! Awesome! And frightening! As indeed it should be! Anyone who is not "saved" WILL, sooner or later, receive the punishments due and required for their sins.
Just because a person is a "member" of a Church, or even a "leader" in the Church is not proof or assurance that they are "saved." Indeed, in this letter of Jude to the Church, he is warning them of this. He is telling them that there are members of the Church, some of whom are leaders, some of whom are even "shepherds" (pastors, etc.) who are not saved.
So, how do we KNOW they are not saved? Read again verse 4, and write your answer in the space below:
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Yes, because they "deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."
And, what will happen to these people IF they do not repent and accept Jesus as their Sovereign and Lord, and change their ways of living? (Write your answer in the space below.)
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Yes, they will receive the punishments required for their sins - punishments of destruction, death, eternal fire, etc., just to mention a few of the things that you observed and recorded.
So, WHY, then, is it important and essential to "defend the faith that has been entrusted to the saints." (Think about all you have studied and learned so far in this Bible Study and then give a brief summary of "why" in the space below.)
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Yes, you are correct! It is essential to "contend for the faith..." because, if it is not defended, godless men will be in and will continue to remain in positions of membership and leadership in the Church -- teaching and living their ungodly, immoral, and incorrect philosophies and lifestyles. And, as they teach "error" and live in ungodly ways, they will cause others to do the same. Then, like yeast rising in a loaf of bread, error and ungodliness will increase! More and more lives will be affected. The TRUTH, the real teachings concerning "faith," "salvation," and God's will for us, will become so "watered down", corrupted, changed, and replaced with apostasy and error, that the way to salvation and peace with God can and will be lost and / or forgotten. This has occurred to varying degrees many times in the history of mankind. And each time this occurred, dire consequences ultimately resulted, not only to the individuals who practiced and taught others to practice these godless teachings, but also to the families, city, country, or kingdoms that accepted and practiced the godless lifestyles and practices.
Hmmmmm! No wonder Jude changed the initial focus of his letter from the original intention to write to Christians (believers in and followers of Jesus Christ) concerning their "salvation" - to instead writing to them to "earnestly contend for the faith that had been entrusted to them."
The people in his day needed to contend for their faith - and we, today, need to do the same.
So, as we bring this lesson and this Bible Study to a close, consider what Jude said and ask yourself - "am I truly saved? Is Jesus Christ my only Sovereign and Lord? Am I earnestly contending for the faith that has been entrusted to me?
Spend some time now, reflecting on your answer to these questions.
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Then, ask the Lord what He would have you to do to "contend earnestly for the faith."
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Scriptures unless otherwise indicated are taken from
the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright C 1973,1978,1984 International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishers.
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