Remember the Warnings

April 10, 2011

Background Scripture: Jude 17 – 25
Lesson Passage: Jude 17 – 25

Watch out for counterfeits! This message is conveyed wherever and whenever there exist something worthwhile that is being replicated by less than honorable people. Many means have been developed to thwart would-be deceivers who seek to take advantage of unsuspecting people by counterfeiting a commodity that is valuable to them. These commodities may include a country’s currency, a manufacturer’s product, an owner’s trademark, a fashion designer’s brand, and many more. Special markings or materials are used to aid in identifying the fakes from the real ones. In spite of these efforts, counterfeiting continues to grow on a global level. Counterfeiting is not a new threat brought on by the rise in the use of technology in our everyday lives. Counterfeiting has been around much longer than today’s technology. Today’s lesson takes a look at counterfeiting on a different level. What happens when there is an attempt to counterfeit a religion? This has been a problem throughout recorded history. Where we find religion, we also find counterfeiters and cults. This existed long before Christianity’s birth in the first century A.D. Christianity, however, was not exempt from it either. Early in the history of the New Testament church, false teachers arose to lead believers astray. Jude’s letter is a stern warning to the church to watch out for counterfeits. Although Jude’s letter is short, it is powerful in its message of warnings against apostasy. Apostasy, or backsliding, was beginning to be a problem for the infant church in the first century. Today’s apostasy seems to revolve around personal convenience or inconvenience while the first century Christian faced physical harm and even death simply because of their professed belief. Although the reasons for backsliding may be quite different, the warnings that Jude delivered in the epistle are just as relevant for all. Jude places the blame squarely where it belongs; that is in the lap of false teachers. False teachers entered the church early in its beginning and have continued throughout its history. They are effective because they tell people what they want to hear and they say it the way people want to hear it. They teach and preach pleasure as the natural outcome of God’s grace. They lead people back down the roads they have already traveled and found unfruitful by promising them that they can have the things that they desire because of who they are. What they offer is appealing to our flesh. But Jude issues a stern warning that God will not look the other way as people indulge in sensuous activities in the name of grace. False teachers follow the bad examples that were set by Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Like Cain, they seek to place their will above God’s will. They offer “take it or leave it” worship rather than seeking to please God. Like Balaam, they offer their service or ministry for hire. Their greed controls their behavior and therefore they cannot make decent decisions. Like Korah, they rebel against authority and seek to put themselves in positions of authority above those God has ordained. Jude warns that God will judge all who do such things. But all these were preordained to be as they are. Their presence in the church is not unexpected by God but those in the body of Christ are warned to avoid such. It is easy to know the truth and assent to such truth but the real challenge comes when truth must be applied to life. Christians are admonished to know those who are false teachers, avoid them, and to depend on God to keep you from stumbling. If we are to appear before God spotless and without fault, it will be because He has made us that way because we heeded the warnings and trusted in Him.

Robert C. Hudson
April 2, 2011