Apostasy
Jude 5 – 7
Introduction
This is our third topic regarding the Book of Jude, “the unintentional Epistle”. Apostasy is our main theme for today, and we are going to see three major examples of Apostasy as recorded in the Scriptures. We will also see most of all, what lesson we can learn from it. Jude knew that his readers have a knowledge of the Old Testament so we will be reading some OT verses and stories. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us, lead us, and enlighten us today as we live in this faithless and crooked time.
I. Apostasy of Israel (example of saved men)
A. The Details:
1. A popular event in Israel’s history, God “saved” the nation by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. I will call them the “Exodus Generation”.
2. The Exodus Generation saw the ten plagues of Egypt, the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of fire which is an indication of the visual presence of God.
3. They all saw the parting of the Red Sea. They sung praise and glorify God after witnessing how the Lord delivered them.
4. From Kadesh Moses sent forth “twelve spies” to spy the land. After examining it, the spies brought back an evil report, Joshua and Caleb alone gave a good report of the land (Num. 13:18-31).
5. The Jews murmured, rebelled, and refused to go to the promise land (Num. 14:1-45)
6. As punishment for their unbelief, they have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
7. Only Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land now called Palestine.
B. Question:
1. Did the Exodus Generation became apostates and lost their salvation?
C. Answers and Lessons learned:
1. I honestly believe that the Exodus Generation were believers and that they were saved people.
2. God never sends his people to hell. (Ex. 3:7, 5:1, Deut. 33:29).
3. Saved people still commits sin. For every sin a believer commits, there are consequences and punishments which he has to pay. The penalty of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
4. Their murmurings, rebellion, and unbelief that the Lord will not bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey, were punished accordingly.
5. The punishment is physical death also called the “sin unto death”. (Rom. 6:16, 1 Jn. 5:16, 1 Cor. 5:1-5 11:30-32).
6. The Greek word “apollumi” translated destroyed was used to describe physical death in other part of the Bible like in Lk. 15:17.
7. I also believe that as they die slowly walking in the wilderness for forty years, they all repented and was forgiven. The punishment however was to be executed.
8. The Exodus Generation did not lost their salvation. We will meet them in heaven one day.
II. The Angels who sinned
A. Details: Another OT controversial story
1. And the angels which kept not their first estate
2. left their own habitation
B. Peter simply wrote that the angels “sinned” – 2 Pet. 2:4
1. One interpretation is that Jude refers to what is described in Gen 6:1-6, where the term “sons of God” is understood to be angels (as used in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) who cohabited with the “daughters of men.”
2. These angels despised their rank
3. They wilfully rebelled against God’s claims upon their powers
4. It fits in with the connection Jude later makes with the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, “going after strange flesh” – Jude 7
5. This group of angels has been …cast down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness (2 Pet. 2:4).
6. That “hell” is “Tartaroo”. The angels that sinned was delivered in a place called “Tartarus” a place where they are chained in darkness.
7. Their final judgment place will, of course, be the Lake of Fire.
C. Lessons learned
1. When human beings sinned God send His only begotten Son to be their Saviour.
2. When angels sinned. They have no Saviour.
III. Sodom and Gomorrah
A. Details: The twin city of sin
1. The judgment against these cities is clearly described in Gen. 19:24-28
B. Why this terrible judgment?
1. The LORD said it was “because their sin is very grievous” – Gen. 18:20
2. Jude says that “in like manner” (the angels who sinned).
3. They had “Given themselves over to fornication” – sexual promiscuity, this refers to both heterosexual (Gen. 19:8) and homosexual lusts (Gen. 19:4,5)
4. “Going after strange flesh”- blatant indulgence in the unnatural crime of homosexuality, including the homosexual rape of visiting strangers (Gen. 19:4-9).
5. The term “in like manner” indicates that the sin of the angels was in the same category as that of the Sodomites.
C. Lessons Learned about Sodomy
1. It is an abomination (Lev. 18:22).
2. It bore the death penalty in the O.T. dispensation (Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:32).
3. It defiles the land (Lev. 18:25).
4. It is the product of a morally reprobate mind (Rom. 1:26-28).
5. It is worthy of the judgment of eternal fire (Jude 7).
6. It can be forgiven and cleansed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
Illustration: Profile of an Apostate in this Epistle
Ungodly (v. 4), morally perverted (v. 4), deny Christ (v. 4), defile the flesh (v. 8), corrupted (v. 10), murmurers (v. 16), complainers (v. 16), mockers (v. 18), worldly minded (v. 19), sensual (v. 19), having not the Spirit (v. 19)
IV. Conclusion:
Jude has given us examples. Three historical groups who were punished by the Lord. Let’s not walk on their path. Let us learn from them. What we have learned let us teach others also that we will be able to glorify Christ in our lives.
