Liberty Does Not Give License

Topic: Apostasy
Passage: Jude 1:1–7

May 29, 2019

Commentary

 

This letter was written by Jude, the brother of James to all who were chosen and loved by God and  kept by Jesus Christ (v. 1). Jude longed for them to know God’s “mercy, peace, and love” (v.2).  While  wishing to write on a more pleasant theme of salvation he was compelled to write on a more urgent subject (v. 3). Godless men had secretly slipped in among them pretending to belong when actually they were enemies (v. 4). These apostates were not followers of Christ, but sought to wreck the believers’ faith. Claiming liberty in Christ, they interpreted His grace as license to do what their flesh desired with no restrictions. However, long before this the Scriptures had warned that these godless people were doomed.

Jude gave warning by citing three examples from the past of apostates who were destroyed (v.5-7):

  1. Egypt (v. 5) – an entire  generation perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief.
  2. Angels (v. 6) – those who rebelled and left their first positions and are now in darkness. 
  3. Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7) – a dreadful example of what happens to those who turn from God to follow their own lustful natures.

Many people don’t want to believe that God sentences people to “eternal fire” for rejecting Him but Jude clearly teaches that sinners who don’t seek forgiveness will face eternal separation from God.

Application

I must be on guard as to similar types of teaching as it pertains to liberty and license.  It is true that I am set free in Christ but license does not give me liberty to sin.

Jude 1:1– 7 (NET)

1 From Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. 2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!

3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men have secretly slipped in among you —men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe —ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I desire to remind you (even though you have been fully informed of these facts once for all) that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day. 7 So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels, are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.