Years ago there was a firm of demolition contractors in Britain. Their advertising slogan was, 'We could wreck the Pyramids.' Well, maybe they could have wrecked even the pyramids, but could they build the pyramids? Easier to destroy than to build!
Morally too, a single scandal is enough to bring down a character that was built up over years. Here now is Jude, one of the earthly brothers of Jesus Christ, writing between 65 and 80 AD, at a time of rampant false teaching in the Church. 'Who were these spiritual fraudsters described in this chapter? And how were they wrecking the Church?
1. They were the truth warpers (v.4). They distorted the Gospel of grace, denying Christ His true place, and letting morality run wild.
2. They were the power-grabbers (v.11) - out for themselves, like Cain, Balaam and Korah of old (Genesis 4:1-12; Revelation 2:14; Numbers 16).
3. They were the hope-dashers (v.12,13) - false shepherds who sounded great but never delivered; like fruitless trees or fading shooting-stars.
4. They were the peace-breakers (v.19) - who with all their claims were without the Spirit of God and every time they came into a church, brought confusion and division with them.
Are these people around today? Keep alert! warns the Bible. Better still, 'Build yourselves up in your most holy faith" (v.20). As Billy Graham put it, "Get a picture of the real Christ from the teaching of the Scriptures. Then when a counterfeit appears you'll have less trouble spotting him."
--ooOoo--
