They are ungodly people
Jude 1:4; These “certain individuals” may blend into the flock of believers quite well; it’s up to us to see them as the wolves in the sheepfold that are a danger to the faith.
“For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”
Jude 1:4 NIV
As promised on Thursday, today we’re looking at Jude 1:4. If you missed the devotional on Jude 1:3 or would like a refresher, here’s a link you can use to read it. There is a surprisingly large amount of meaning in that verse, just as there is in today’s verse.
Jude had just finished telling the readers of his epistle that he was originally going to preach about their shared salvation in Christ, but instead decided that it was necessary to urge them “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” Today we find out why Jude changed the tone and content of his short letter…
He said that “certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.” These people probably claimed to know Scripture better than anyone else, and as such, the other members of the church didn’t notice that these leaders were dangerous false teachers. Spurgeon said this of the danger from those who “secretly slipped in”:
“Satan knows right well that one devil in the church can do far more than a thousand devils outside her bounds.”1
All false teachers and leaders have a destiny, and their “condemnation was written about long ago.” We may not immediately identify these false teachers, but God has always known who they are and knows precisely how to deal with them. Those who deceive other Christians through their teaching and lifestyles will be judged. We just need to earnestly seek the truth and God will provide the judgement. As David Guzik says in Enduring Word: “The truth will win out; our responsibility is to be on the side with the truth.”
These people had received at least an inkling of the grace of God, but then turned it “into a license for immorality.” In ancient Greek, the word used for immorality is ἀσέλγεια (aselgeia). It is sin that is shamelessly practiced without a thought to decency and definitely without a conscience. Anti-biblical teaching, denying the truth, and teaching lies also constitute immorality.
Jude is showing that there is some danger in preaching the truth of God’s grace, as there are corrupt human beings who can pervert the message of grace into immorality. The ungodly people Jude is describing also “deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” By denying who Jesus said He was, they also deny who God is.
In this short epistle, Jude doesn’t go into details about how these people denied “our only Sovereign and Lord,” but the tone of his writing indicates that it may have been a combination of their heretical teachings or their ungodly living.
These “certain individuals” may blend into the flock of believers quite well; it’s up to us to see them as the wolves in the sheepfold that are a danger to the faith.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give us an understanding of Your Word that produces the discernment to identify false teachers and others who would deny You. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The New Park Street Pulpit" Volumes 1-6 and "The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit" Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)