November 23
“Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’ These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit,” Jude 14-19.
How often do we need to be told that God’s judgment will surely come upon all of the impenitent, ungodly people throughout the world? In every generation, God has sent prophets, apostles, evangelists, and pastors to call people to repentance and to urge them to turn from their ungodly ways and to accept Jesus Christ as God’s Son and their Savior.
Jude goes back in history to the days of Enoch, the seventh patriarch in line from Adam. Enoch foretold the coming of the judgment of God, “To convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude uses the word “ungodly” four times as he speaks of the ungodly sinners and their ungodly deeds.
In every generation, ungodly sinners need to be told, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,” Galatians 6:7-8.
When we ignore or forget to learn our lessons from history, we repeat the mistakes of the past. The Lord visited His judgment upon the world in the days of Noah. Scripture reports, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and the birds of the air,’” Genesis 6:5-7. God sent the great Flood, which destroyed all creatures in which there was the breath of life. Only Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives, and the creatures which Noah took into the ark were kept alive. That historical event also speaks to our generation. It ought to remind us that God’s judgment is coming again, when Jesus visibly returns on Judgment Day.
It will be the great day of resurrection. All of the dead will be raised. Bodies and souls will be reunited. Who will be saved and enter into the halls of heaven? Those who died believing in Jesus as their Savior will be taken with Him into heaven, and of those still living on earth when Jesus comes, all and only those who believe that He suffered and died on Calvary’s cross to wash away their sins will be saved. All others will be sent to hell.
Jude says that the false teachers and their followers are grumblers and complainers. They only find fault with God, and they live according to the desires of their sinful flesh. They always try to give a good impression. “They mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.” They speak a lot of nice-sounding nonsense. They want people to think and speak highly of them and reward them for what they do.
What should we do? “Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The words of the apostles direct us to the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent to be the Savior of all people. He suffered, died, and rose again to redeem us. Continue in the saving faith! Amen.