Brother Mike Ministries

The many days of Judgment Day began on May 21, 2011!  
***
ETERNAL LIFE: No Longer Possible!! ***

Whoso keeps the commandment shall feel no evil: and a wise man's heart discerns [will know] both time and judgment - Ec. 8:5

Jude - Part 1 (verses 1-6)
By Brother Mike (7-21-15; 60 minutes)   


INTRODUCTION 

In the first 6 verses of Jude, Jude, the brother of Jesus, writes to the elect who are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called. And, the reason he writes them is because he sees it as needful to remind the elect to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto them, for certain ungodly men have crept in who have changed the grace of Yahweh into lasciviousness (lustful living) by their works wrought in false teaching, and they have denied our only Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is necessary to stand up for the truth, which reveals these ungodly men to have been foreordained of old to condemnation. This is the same condemnation that came upon the Israelites who had been brought out of Egypt, but because of unbelief were destroyed in the wilderness, and it is the same condemnation that came upon the fallen angels who left their original estate for something more with the result that they have been condemned to everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day


Verse 1:
  

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called . . . 

The first word we read in this verse is Jude. Actually, this word is literally translated, Judas, and it means, he shall be praised. It is not only the term used to refer to Jude, the brother of James as is the case in our verse, but it is also used to refer to Judas in the name Judas Iscariot, as well as Judah, the son of Jacob. Because, spiritually speaking, Jacob and his sons typify the very elect themselves in the Bible, the son of Jacob, Judah, spiritually points to an elect person; hence, the word Jude, which comes from the same word used to represent Judah, is obviously representing an elect person, Jude.  

Now, we read, first of all, that Jude is a servant of Jesus Christ. The word translated, servant can also be translated, slave. It means that Jude was sold out to obey Christ in every respect: in thought, word, and deed, and this is how every elect person is in their new person. They first of all are dedicated to learning of Jesus which comes by the diligent study of His Word, the Bible, and then they are diligently applying what they learn to their lives. If we find that we do not have such a strong desire to study about Jesus and to obey His teachings, then we really have to ask ourselves, are we really saved. This is because when Yahweh saved us, He implanted into us His Holy Spirit who not only motivates us to learn of Christ, but also empowers us to apply what we learn to our lives. This is why we read in 1John 2, 

1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him

In other words, we can't say that we are saved and, therefore, know Him if we do not keep His commandments because if we do know Him, we will have the Holy Spirit who empowers us to learn His commandments and to obey them, and so we will obey His commandments. In fact, our inner person who was resurrected at the point of our salvation always obeys the commands of Christ perfectly. As we read in 1John 3, 

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God

Of course this does not mean that we who have been born of God (saved) never sin, 

1Jo 1:10 For if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us

But, rather, in the inner man (person), we have been given a new resurrected soul which cannot sin. Yet it struggles against our still present flesh or sin nature with the results that we do at times sin. Nevertheless, praise is to Yahweh who will in a moment change these sinful, fleshly bodies into sinless glorious bodies on the Last Day, which will match our already sinless souls when sin will be completely done away, and we shall live with Yahweh in a new heaven and earth where only righteousness dwells forevermore, amen. 

Now, we read that Jude is the brother of James, which makes Jude a brother of Jesus as well because James who became a pillar in the church at Jerusalem was a brother of Jesus. We know that both James and Jude were brothers of Jesus in Matthew 13:55 where we read, 

Mt 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas [Jude]

And, again, in the parallel passage, we read in Mark 6, 

Mr 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda [Jude], and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him

So, we see clearly that Jesus, James, and Jude were all brothers not only according to the Spirit, but also according to flesh and blood. And, notice also that besides having four brothers, Jesus had some sisters as well, for we had just read, And are not His sisters here with us? This means that He had at least two flesh and blood sisters in addition to four brothers, but some believe He actually had three sisters. Whatever the case, quite a large flesh family for the Son of man to have come from, which, I am sure, brought many hardships due to the fact that they were generally a poor family. But what great hope this all brings to large families in general to have had the greatest man ever to have come from such a large family. It all rings true to Psalm 127 where we read, 

Psalm 127: 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward .
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth .
5
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate .  

Now, moving on in our verse, Jude addresses those to whom he is writing and states, to them that are sanctified by God the Father. The word sanctified is in the perfect tense and passive voice, so the sanctification was completed in the past with the result that it carries on in full force into the present. Now, them that are sanctified in the present as a result of having been sanctified in the past are those who have been set apart (sanctified), so we know that Jude is writing to the elect, for they are the only ones who could be said to have been set apart (sanctified) in the past, and continue to be set apart for the gospel in the present. And, in that they have been sanctified (set apart) also means that they (the elect) have been made holy by Christ having paid for their sins on earth in 33 AD, and having given them a new perfect and holy soul when they were first saved as well as having filled them with the Holy Spirit who makes them holy. Indeed, the elect have been set apart (sanctified) from everyone else. Only they have had their sins covered so that Yahweh can no longer see their sins, but instead He sees the righteousness of His Son on their behalf. And, the elect have been given the Holy Spirit who imparts to them the power to walk in the righteousness of His Dear Son. 

But, now, we read also that the elect are said to be preserved in Christ Jesus, and called. The word translated as preserved carries the meaning of kept in care, and, once again, it is in the perfect tense and passive voice of the Greek, so we are being told that the elect were kept completely in care in Christ Jesus in the past, and the result is that they are still being fully kept in care in the present. Therefore, they are preserved in Christ Jesus. In other words, from the time that the elect were saved and taken care of in Christ Jesus unto the present, they are still saved and taken care of in Christ Jesus. None have been lost, but everyone in Christ Jesus has been preserved. This is because that, yes, once saved, always saved. And, if you have been saved, it is only because Yahweh had predestined you unto salvation before the foundation of the world, before you had done either good or bad, for no other reason than that it was His good pleasure to do so. We read, 

Eph. 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved

Now, completing our verse, we discover that the elect are not only sanctified [set apart] by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus, but they are called. That is, they heard the gospel call at some time during their lives, and through it, they became saved. This is known as an effectual calling because it brought about the effect of salvation whereas if the gospel call does not bring about salvation to the listeners, it is known as a general calling. The general call of the gospel goes out to everyone, but the effectual call goes out only to the elect because they are the only ones who actually become saved through the gospel call. Therefore, people can be called in the sense that they heard the gospel call even though they did not become saved, or, as in our verse, people can be called in the sense that they heard the gospel call, and, as a result, they became saved. This is an effectual calling, and this is what it means in our verse when it speaks of the elect having been called. It means that they were effectually called unto salvation through the gospel. We read of the effectual working of this effectual call in Ephesians 3:7: 

Eph 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power


Verse 2:   

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied .  

First, Mercy unto you here refers to the forgiveness of the sins of the elect as well as all the kindness toward the elect which comes along with having had their sins forgiven. Second, peace refers to the peace with Yahweh that the elect enjoy; they are no longer under the wrath of Yahweh, but have come to be in a position of peace with Yahweh since their sins have been forgiven. No longer do the elect seek to fight against the commands of Yahweh, but, instead, they fight to obey His commands. No longer is the hand of Yahweh stretched out in desire to destroy the elect, but, instead, His hands are stretched out in love toward the elect. Third, the love here is not erotic love, or just friendship love, which are the two other types of love in the Greek biblical language, but it is the unconditional love given to the elect, which is not based on what the elect have done or will do, but completely based on the mercy of Yahweh, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Ro 9:15). This love is not only unconditional, but eternal. It carries forward into heaven, and, so, will comfort the elect forevermore. 

Now, next, we read that Jude wishes that this mercy, peace, and love given unto the elect be multiplied. He says, Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Actually, the word translated as be multiplied is in the passive voice, and so it is literally translated like this: 

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be being multiplied

The passive voice means that what Jude is saying is, May mercy unto you, and peace, and love be passively multiplied. So the mercy, peace, and love being spoken of here has nothing to do with anyone doing anything to obtain such mercy, peace, and love, but it has to do completely with the elect being passive while Yahweh actively bestows such blessings upon them. It has nothing to do with the elect, and everything to do with Yahweh. He is the one who can multiply the mercy, peace, and love given to the elect while the elect are passive in the whole matter. They just enjoy all the many benefits bestowed upon them by the Father through Christ Jesus. 


Verse 3:   


3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints .  

What this verse first mentions is the word, Beloved. This is a word that can be used in the Bible to either refer to Christ, or, as is often the case that what can refer to Christ can also refer to the elect, it can refer to the elect. For example, first of all, it can refer to Christ as it does in the following two verses:  

Mr 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son .    

Lu 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him

Second of all, this word, beloved, can apply to the elect as we read in the following 3 verses: 

Ro 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children . . .  

3Jo 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth .     

Now, whether this word beloved applies to Christ, or the elect, it carries with it the meaning of unconditional love toward Christ and the elect. God, the Father, does not love them because they did something in themselves to please Him, although Christ always does those things which please Him, but the Father loves the elect simply because He chose them for His own good pleasure as we read in Ephesians 1,  

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us [ the elect] unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will . . .  

Yahweh's free choice of the elect did not depend upon the works of the elect - whether they had done good or bad - but it depended upon Yahweh's good pleasure in choosing the elect for His own purposes. It was all Yahweh's doing. 

Next, Jude says, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation. Literally, it reads like this: 

" Beloved, giving all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation . . ." 

Here, Jude is revealing the consistent effort by which he used to write to you [the elect] of the common salvation. The common salvation means the shared salvation. This is not only a salvation that Jude has, but also a salvation that the elect have. It is held in common (shared) by them both. 

Now, in giving all diligence to write unto you [these elect] of the common salvation, we read that it was needful for me [Jude] to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith. You see, what had happened is that certain false brethren had crept in without the elect knowing it who were expounding false teachings, so it was needful for Jude, a leader in the Church, to write to these elect and exhort them that they should earnestly contend for the faith in order to combat the false teachings of these false brethren who had secretly infiltrated their ranks. And, just how could these elect combat the false teachings? Well, by showing through the Word of God that what these false brethren were teaching was not in agreement with the Word of God. Then, they would be given time to repent, and, if they would not repent, then they would be cast from the church as something which is unclean. As we read in scripture,   

Ga 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump .  

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us . . .   

Now, this should be an example for us. When certain so called brethren begin teaching false things in our midst, we should earnestly contend for the truth by showing through scripture how these false things are not true. We should not grow weary in well doing (Ga. 6:9; 2Thes. 3:13), 

" . . . for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Ga. 6:9).    

In other words, if we will continue doing our best to expose false teaching, we will reap in bringing more people to the truth, if we faint not. As an example of this taking place, consider the false teaching that Christ atoned for sin at or before the foundation of the world. Since we learned that this is a false teaching through the mercy of Christ Jesus, we have earnestly refuted it from many directions, and, as a result, there have been more people come to the truth. I know this for a fact because I have had people email me back in thanks for having revealed to them the error of that false doctrine. But, it didn't happen without a lot of consistent effort. No, rather, we had to and still do need to contend earnestly for the faith, which includes everything the Bible teaches, but especially the core of the gospel, which is stated in 1Cor. 15: 

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures [while on earth according to this context] ;
4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures . . . 

But, what these people who believe that Christ atoned for sins at or before the foundation of the world do is change the gospel from Christ having died for sins on earth in 33 AD to Christ having died for sins at or before the foundation of the world. This is a change in the core of the gospel, which is really the preaching of another Jesus (2Cor. 11:4) without realizing it. It is running after strange flesh and the offering up of strange fire (see The Final Test ). May the Lord grant repentance to all of His elect so that they become a pure bride prepared for their husband, the Lord Jesus Christ who is soon to appear ( Could the End come on October 6, 2015? ).  

Now, we read about the faith which the elect should earnestly contend for that it was once delivered unto the Saints. Actually, because it is in the passive voice, it should read, once being delivered unto the Saints. This reveals to us that our faith (Christ, the Word of God) was once delivered unto the Saints (the elect), which we know was during the 1st century AD alone when Yahweh was still giving new revelation of Christ, the Word of God. Once the last book of the Bible - the book of Revelation - was written in about 95 AD, Christ, the Word of God, would no longer be delivered unto the elect because the faith (Christ, the Word of God) would then be complete through the Holy Scriptures alone, and there would no longer be a need for new revelation being delivered over of any kind, for the faith will have been completely delivered over to the elect. We read in Revelation 22, 

Re 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book [the whole Bible including the book of Revelation], If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book . . . 

So, ever since the book of Revelation was completed in about 95 AD, there has been no more of the faith (Christ, the Word of God) being delivered unto the elect; otherwise, those who are doing the delivering would be adding to the Word of God, and, therefore, subject to the plagues that are written in the Bible. Yes, our Faith (the revelation of Christ, the Word of God) is now complete in the Holy Scriptures alone, which was completed before the end of the 1st century AD. 

But, now, what does the faith once having been delivered unto the elect teach us? Well, one thing it teaches us is that our faith was once delivered in the 1st century AD; therefore, we should not expect that it would be delivered at any other time in the future. This means that ever since the 1st century AD, Yahweh is no longer giving anyone divine revelation apart from the scriptures. So, if any person or religion claims to have had divine revelation apart from scripture after the 1st century AD in dreams, visions, tongues, voices, prophecy, words of knowledge, or any other manifestation, we can know immediately that it is false. The true faith is circumscribed by the Bible and the Bible alone, which was once delivered unto the elect in the 1st century AD. There is no more to be revealed, but only the illumination of what has already been revealed. This means that all those religions and denominations that have claimed to have had all or part of their faith delivered unto them at sometime after the 1st century such as the Mormons, the Muslims, the Jehovah's witnesses, the Charismatics via tongues, voices, dreams, visions, and the like as well as the Catholics via tradition and the apocryphal writings, and many other religions that claim to have received some kind of extra-biblical revelation after the 1st century AD are false, and we know that they are false because Yahweh has not been giving any kind of extra-biblical revelation ever since about 95 AD when the Bible was completed. Yes, the true faith was once delivered unto the elect, and that took place during the 1st century only. Therefore, the goal today is not to receive more revelation of the Faith, but rather to receive more illumination of the revelation of the Faith that was once delivered unto the elect in the 1st century AD. In other words, the goal of the true faith is not to obtain divine revelation apart from the Bible, but rather to receive divine understanding of the Bible through the Holy Spirit. For every thing that we need for Godliness and Holiness can be found complete in the Bible alone, which was once delivered to us in the 1st century AD. Therefore, let us seek to study and understand the Bible by comparing scripture with scripture, and through much prayer and the Holy Spirit rather than seek for something apart from the Bible in dreams, visions, tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, voices, and the like, for all these things ended in the first century AD along with any new revelation of our Faith. What remains, then, is for us to be more and more illuminated to the things in the Bible, and to this end do we seek, and will continue to seek. 


Verse 4: 


4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ .    

In this verse, we have revealed why it is that the elect should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to them: why it is because there are certain men crept in unawares. That is, certain people have secretly come into the fold of the elect, and we are told that these people were before of old ordained to this condemnation. This means that just as the elect were foreordained to justification in Christ Jesus, so these men who had crept in unawares were foreordained to condemnation. We are forced to believe, then, that Yahweh is both completely in control of who will be justified, and who will be condemned. And, to the fleshly mind, this seems unfair, especially, since whether people are chosen to justification or whether to condemnation does not depend on who the people are, or what the people do or don't do, but rather on Yahweh's sovereign choice only. As we read in Romans 9,  

9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son .
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac ;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth ;)
12
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger .
13
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated .  
14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid .
15
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion .
16
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy .
17
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth .
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth

So, what we can conclude from this passage is that Yahweh is in complete control as to who becomes justified as well as in complete control of who is hardened in their sins unto condemnation. And, the difficult thing about this to the fleshly mind is that it seems unfair because no one has any control over whether he or she becomes justified, or whether he or she becomes hardened in sin unto condemnation. So, the question that the fleshly mind comes up with is this: since Yahweh is in complete control as to whether one becomes justified and turns from sin as well as being in control as to whether one comes into condemnation by sinning, how can any one be blamed for any thing, for who can resist the will of God, for He is in complete control over everything that happens whether it be good, or whether it be bad? This is the same argument that the apostle Paul addresses in Romans 9: 

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will ?
20
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?
21
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour ?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction :
23
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory . . . 

The answer, then, to the question, why can anyone be blamed for falling under condemnation since everything takes place according to the will of God, is this: First, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why have you made me thus? The idea is that since we humans owe our very existence, in the first place, to Yahweh, how can we even begin to question Him. If it wasn't for Him, we wouldn't even exist, so how can we, the little ant, sort of speak, even think for a moment that we can question the way Yahweh does things, and attempt to put the blame for sin on Him because He is in control of all things? Well, obviously, we can not! We are just simply the created, and He is the Creator who is just so much greater than us, that it is absolutely foolish to think that we could even begin to question what He does. 

Then, Yahweh says, Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? That is, just as a potter can mold the clay in whatever way he so chooses, one vessel unto good purposes, and another unto evil purposes, so Yahweh can do the same with the human race. And, not only can He do this, but He has the right to do this. He is the Creator, and as the Creator, He can do whatever He so chooses. And, no one can complain because each and every one of us owes our very existence, which is what allows us to complain, to the Creator, who molds each one according to His purpose to, in the end, glorify Himself. For all things workout to His glory in the end, whether it is good, or whether it is evil. 

We do perhaps get a glimpse as to His purpose in molding some unto good and others unto evil in what He says next: What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory. From this statement, we get the idea that the vessels of evil were molded for the purpose of Yahweh showing His wrath and power while the vessels of good (mercy) were molded to reveal the riches of His glory. Each reveals certain aspects of who Yahweh is. The vessels fitted for destruction reveal that Yahweh is a wrathful and righteous God who must punish sin while the vessels of mercy reveal that Yahweh is a forgiving God toward those prepared unto glory as He pours out His glory upon them. So, what we see in the working out of Yahweh's plan for this world, then, is a display of who Yahweh really is. The whole purpose in Yahweh creating this world is to reveal just who He is, and to reveal His glory to glorify Himself. What an awesome God we serve who gives purpose to everything under the sun. He is the Master Potter who is molding everything to reveal who He is, and to glorify His name whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

Now, returning to our verse, we read, 

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ .  

Notice first of all that these men who have crept in secretly among the elect are ungodly men. They do not tremble at the Word of God; they do not reverence God. There is no fear of God in them, but they can openly rebel against the Lord without a second thought. These are wicked men whose primary goal is to be a God unto themselves as they follow their own lusts down into the pit. In fact, we are told that they are turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness. Now, just how do they turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness? Well, they could be saying that because we are no longer under law but under grace, the law can no longer condemn us, so let us sin (disobey the law) so that grace may abound as we read about in Romans 6:1. The idea is that since we are saved by grace and not by obedience to the law, we can do whatever our lusts want us to do including any and all sexual sin, for we are not saved by obedience to the law, but by grace alone, so it doesn't matter what we do against the law. Or, it is possible that these ungodly people could represent a type of Gnostic who has come to believe that the only thing that is good is the spiritual so that once we have become spiritually saved, it is of no consequence what we do with our material bodies. So, let us eat, drink, and be merry, and carry out all our lusts including those which are sexual in nature because what we do with our bodies does not matter, for only spiritual, non-material things really matter. Well, however it was that these men were turning grace into lasciviousness, it was a clear perversion of the gospel of grace. 

Next, we are told that these ungodly men who had secretly crept in were not only turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, but were denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not difficult to understand, for since these ungodly men were changing grace into a reason for carrying out lustful desires instead of for a reason to obey God, they were denying God who would instead have them obey Him. It could also be that these ungodly men, as I said before, were a type of Gnostics who thought that the only thing that mattered was the spiritual. The material realm, they thought, was of no consequence and evil, so it could be that they denied our Lord Jesus Christ in that they denied that He became flesh (material) because they shunned the material world; they could only see God as being completely spiritual. This means that these Gnostics were of the spirit of antichrist. As we read in 1John 4,  

1Jo 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God :
3
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world .   


Verse 5: 

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not

This verse continues the thought from the previous verse that certain beings were before of old ordained to condemnation with the listing of three examples of beings that came under this same condemnation from verse 5 through verse 7. The first example given in verse 5 is the people who came out of the land of Egypt in the Exodus. Although they were once saved from Pharaoh and Egypt, those of them that believed not were later destroyed, and this took place at various times during their wilderness sojourn. Ultimately, as a result of their lack of faith in trusting Yahweh to be able to give them the Promised Land even though there were giants and battle-ready peoples in the land of whom they were afraid, all the children of Israel, except Joshua and Caleb, were not allowed to enter the Promised Land, but were plagued with having to wander in the wilderness for forty years until they all died (Numbers 14). Only their children were later allowed to enter into the Promised Land. 

Now, what this verse reveals to us is that it doesn't matter how much you think you are and may appear to be the people of God. You may confidently believe that the Lord has delivered you from Satan and sin (just as the Israelites were delivered from pharaoh and Egypt), but, in the end, you can still be destroyed. You see, the heart of humankind is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), so it can make unregenerate people really believe that they are saved when they are not. We see this in the churches of our day. Even though the Lord has brought His people out of the churches years ago (see Why Leave All Churches? ), all the people who have remained in the churches really believe that they are saved and headed down the right path. But, the truth is, all these people have been bundled for the fire. They are not saved in Christ Jesus, but they follow another Jesus (2Cor. 11:4) who cannot save. Their end, therefore, is destruction. Just as all the Israelites, except Caleb and Joshua, were destroyed by being condemned to die in the wilderness due to unbelief (Numbers 14), so also virtually all the so-called Christians have been condemned to die due to unbelief as they are bundled for the fire in all the churches. Those who are being saved are those who came out of the churches in obedience to the Lord's command. 

But, there are others who came out of the churches that are also being bundled for the fire. These are those who obeyed the Lord's command to come out from the churches, but they too, like all those in the churches, are running after another Jesus (2Cor. 11:4) who they say atoned for their sin at or before the foundation of the world instead on earth in 33 AD. This is an atonement that cannot save because the only atonement that can save is the one accomplished on earth when the Son of God became flesh and paid the ransom for the elect. Nevertheless, these deceived people actually believe that Christ atoned for sin before the foundation of the world, and that the death of Christ on earth was merely a demonstration of this. So, the real substance of the atonement, they say, was before the world was even created, and the crucifixion of Christ on earth in 33 AD was merely a shadow, or earthly picture, of what took place previously before the world began. Unfortunately, by running after this false teaching, they are going after strange flesh and offering up strange fire which has resulted in the present judgment of Yahweh resting upon them in this Day of Judgment of which we are now experiencing (see The Final Test ). To learn more about this false teaching in relation to the true teaching, click on the following links: 

The Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World
Christ died for sin in 33 AD; not before the world
When Did Christ Die For Sin? ,
The phrase, from the foundation of the world . . .

Could you be going after strange flesh ,
The Final Test ,
Luke 11:50 exposes truth ,
Email Messages
by Charles Brown that refute the false teaching that Christ atoned for sins at the foundation of the world. 

God Cannot Lie!   


Verse 6:  

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day .  

Here we are given the second example of some beings who suffered the same condemnation as those ungodly men in verse 4 who had secretly crept in among the elect, and who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness (lustful living). We are told that the angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. This is referring to Satan and his angelic followers who were not content with their first level of authority that Yahweh had created for them walk in, but, out of jealousy, they sought a higher level of authority. In fact, Satan with the help of his angelic followers sought even to be equal with God as we get a glimpse of in Isaiah 14: 

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north :
14
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High .  

Now, as a result of Satan and his angels rebelling against Yahweh, they were thrown out of heaven to the earth at the cross where they would be bound in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. We read about Satan and his angels being cast from heaven to the earth in Revelation 12 where we read, 


7 And there was war in heaven: Michael [who is a picture of Christ] and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels ,
8
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven .
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him

So, the angel Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven to the earth, and as we read in Jude, they were reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. This does not mean that they were literally bound in literal chains, but rather that they were bound under darkness, which spiritually means that they have no possibility for redemption, for they are bound not under light, but under darkness. Yes, it is true, the fallen angels cannot ever be redeemed, but they are bound to be in darkness forever unto the judgment of the great day, which is the Judgment Day that we are now in when on the Last Day of this Judgment Day, the fallen angels will be destroyed forever. Therefore, the fallen angels were thrown to the earth, and are bound in darkness to not be saved, and guaranteed to be destroyed on the Last Day forevermore. This is their condemnation. 


Now, in summary, Yahweh writes through Jude, the brother of Jesus, to the elect who have been sanctified by God the Father; that is, set apart by Him; preserved in Christ Jesus, so it is not possible that the elect could lose their salvation; and effectually called; that is, the elect heard the gospel and became saved. And, He pronounces that mercy, peace, and unconditional love be multiplied unto them. Then Yahweh writes through Jude in order to jog the memories of the elect to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to them because certain ungodly people had secretly crept in, and are teaching damnable heresy. Thus, the elect are being encouraged to stand up and fight for the truth with the Word of God in order to reveal the false teaching for what it really is: namely damnable heresy. This should encourage the elect of all times to earnestly contend for the faith against all things that threaten the truth, including the false teaching that Christ atoned for sins at or before the foundation of the world (see The Final Test ). 


Furthermore, we were told that our Faith was once delivered to us, which we know was complete before the end of the 1st century AD. Therefore, we know that any group or individual who claims to still be receiving divine revelation at any time after the 1st century and apart from the Bible is false. For we know that all extra-biblical revelation ended before the end of the 1st century, and we are not, therefore, to expect any thing further. No, rather, we are to focus on being illuminated to what is already complete in the Bible. We should not look for extra-biblical revelation, but, instead, biblical illumination through much prayer, and the biblical methodology of comparing scripture with scripture. Yes, we have been known in ancient history as the people of the book, and we should continue being known as the people of the book - the 66 books alone of the Protestant Bible are our only rule of Faith.    

Finally, we were given two examples of two different beings of God coming under condemnation, which should stimulate us unto fear, for if Yahweh brought such condemnation upon His people, the Israelites who all, except Caleb and Joshua, were destroyed in the wilderness due to unbelief, and He brought such condemnation upon the fallen angels who were condemned to chains under darkness wherein they could never be redeemed, but only destroyed on the Last Day, how much more we should fear lest we come under the same condemnation. We are not exempt from condemnation just because we confidently believe we are saved, for the unregenerate heart of humankind is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, and could it be that our wicked heart has convinced us that we are saved when we are not? It is possible, but may it be that all the elect are kept unto that day when all things hidden shall be brought to light either to condemnation, or to glorification. Then the creation will no longer groan as it eagerly waits for the revelation of the children of God, but it will be destroyed to give way to a new creation in which the elect shall shine as the sun. Amen! 


Now, to the true elect of Yahweh, may the LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace .

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