1501. Part II. God's Called and Kept Ones–The "Ye" of Jude
Part II.
God's Called and Kept Ones–The "Ye" of Jude
A Threefold Naming
"Called, Beloved, Kept"
"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" (Jdg_1:1).
How precious are these words! In the same Book, in which we have been studying about the certain men who are ungodly, the critics, we find also a message concerning the saints, the beloved of God. How blessed the threefold appellation–"Called, Beloved, Kept."
1. The first word has to do with the invitation we received, and the effectual calling we heard, when we were saved.
2. The second word has to do with our fellowship and union with our Risen Lord, Whom having not seen, we love, and by Whom we are beloved.
3. The third word has to do with the assurance of our ultimate presentation before the presence of His glory. It emphasizes the preservation of saints. It tells us that we are secure in His hand and that no one can pluck us out of His hand. If we have been saved by His death, we shall be kept secure in His life.
A Threefold Multiplication of Blessings
Mercy, Love, and Peace
"Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied" (Jdg_1:2).
The words by which our Lord addresses us are no more beautiful than the blessings wherewith He blesses us; although the latter are contingent upon the former.
1. He multiplies mercy–this is ours because we were called.
2. He multiplies love–this is ours because we are beloved of God.
3. He multiplies peace–this is ours because we are kept.
Best of all, these graces, these blessings are not given unto us in scant supply. They are not even given to us by the slow process of addition, but by the rapid increase of multiplication. How our hearts abound with joy and gladness, as we consider the gift of the super-abounding, the exceeding, abundant and above-all-we-ask-or-think mercy, love and peace of God,
A Threefold Message
A Common Salvation, a Contending for the Faith, and a Concluded Testimony
"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" (Jdg_1:3).
1. Jude tells us of our common salvation. That is, he is speaking to those who have been called, beloved and kept; to those who have partaken of mercy, love and peace–that is to all the saved. It is a common salvation because it is generally realized. How we should rejoice in those things which are freely given us of God. Rewards for works and positions in the Kingdom could not be classed here. The common salvation includes only the things which are shared alike by all saints.
2. Jude writes urging us to contend for the faith. The Holy Spirit is about to forecast the apostasy that must come; He is about to write of the judgments which will follow close upon the heels of the apostasy, and, therefore, He calls upon those who have a common salvation, to contend for the faith.
3. Jude emphasizes that the faith is a concluded testimony. It has been once for all delivered. The "certain men" whom he is about to describe will always be talking about the "new voice of the twentieth century," and the message which we get from "listening in" on world conditions. Jude knew that God foreknew the twentieth century world-conditions from the beginning, and that the Holy Spirit gave us, beforehand, a concluded testimony, a faith, final and full.
A Threefold Admonition
Remember the Words Spoken Unto You–Build Yourselves in the Faith–Praying in the Spirit
"But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost" (Jdg_1:17, Jdg_1:20).
After the admonition of Jdg_1:3 an admonition to contend for the faith, the Holy Spirit immediately forecasts the apostasy of the last times, and criticises the critics who shall creep in. With that description completed, and with their judgment given, the Holy Spirit once more addresses the saints, and beginning with Jdg_1:17, we have our threefold admonition.
1. The first admonition is that we should remember the words which were spoken unto us by the Apostles, wherein they warned us that the mockers would come in the last days. He brings this remembrance before us so that we may not be shaken with misgivings when the apostates appear. The very fact that the church is rent by men who deny the Truth need not astonish saints. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
2. The second admonition is that we should build ourselves up in the faith. The very things which the certain men deny, are the very things upon which we are to build. In the first part of Jude we were urged to contend for the faith. Now, we are urged to build on the faith.
The critics would rob the believer of any foundation on which to build. Christ is the Rock of Ages. The critics call Him but no more than Joseph's son, a man. They make of Him no more than sinking sand.
The critics have built their houses upon a science that is unscientific, and upon a philosophy that is unphilosophical. They prefer the unsubstantial statements of sophistry, to the more sure Word of God. In such an hour saints are admonished to cling to the old faith, and to build thereupon. It will not be long ere the rain and the wind and the floods will come. Then those who have builded upon the impregnable rock of God's Scriptures will stand. All others will fall and great will be the fall of them.
3. The third admonition urges that we pray in the Spirit. The Spirit realized the necessity of prayer, in such an hour as He foretold. Not the cold, lifeless, formal prayer, but that prayer wherein the Spirit Himself, making intercessions with groaning, which can not be uttered will alone avail. As the darkness deepens and the apostasy increases we will need more and more to seek the place of prayer. It will be our safeguard against the drift from the faith once for all delivered. It will put iron in our blood.
A Threefold Task
Keep in His Love–Look for His Mercy–Save Some From the Fire
"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
"And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jdg_1:21, Jdg_1:23).
In view of everything that has gone before, the Holy Spirit presses us to three things.
1. Keep yourselves in the love of God. The fact of God's love was set forth in Jdg_1:1 and Jdg_1:2, but here is something added. We must keep in His love. God always loves us, but God can not manifest His love when we are in a false fellowship. If we line up at all with these certain men who deny the faith, we are sitting outside the sunshine of God's approval–therefore His love can not fall upon us. Of Jehoshaphat the Prophet wrote: "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works" (2Ch_20:37).
2. "Looking for His mercy." We had a mercy in Jdg_1:1 and Jdg_1:2, but here is a new mercy because we have a new need. As believers, holding to the faith, we will meet with great antagonism. We will be maligned, misunderstood, mistreated, but we need not falter for we will be looking for His mercy, a mercy which He will bring to us at His revelation. Thus, as the days darken and the end approaches, we will the more and more be looking for that blessed hope of His glorious appearing. The Second Coming of Christ will become more and more precious as the shadows of apostasy deepen.
3. "Saving some." There is no command in Jude to put out the fire; there is no hope expressed that the Church can stem the tide of the apostasy, or redeem it from the sway of the apostates. Yet, some may be saved from the fire. However, seeking to save them from the fire is no warrant to saints to mix and mingle with them on a basis of fellowship. Quite the opposite is true, for we are definitely commanded to hate even the garment that is spotted with the flesh.
A Threefold Promise
Kept From Falling–Presented Faultless–Presented with Exceeding Joy
"Now onto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present yon faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jdg_1:24).
1. Kept from falling. After God has told us of the falling away, after He has described the apostates: how they lived; how they were unbelieving as Israel was unbelieving; how they fell as angels fell; how they were polluted, as men of Sodom were polluted; then God tells us, that He will keep us from falling. We need not even stumble. The wheat will be growing with the tares until the end of the harvest, but the wheat will remain wheat. No Darwinian theory, a change from one species to another, can be found in the Epistle of Jude. The called, beloved and kept will pass through the maze and mist of modernism and be kept until they are presented to the Father.
2. He will present you faultless. We are not faultless here, but we will be there. Here is the most glorious of all anticipations–the rapture, the catching up to meet the Lord in the air, and the presentation before the throne of His Glory. Certainly when the blessed hope grips the heart, saints will gladly pay the price of separation.
3. We shall be presented with exceeding joy. We may have had moments of exultant gladness when joy thrilled our souls, but never such a joy as this. This will be a joy, full of glory.
God's adjectives are not written for effect–"exceeding joy" is a joy that shall exceed any joy we have ever known. However, the joy will not be ours alone–Christ will joy also. The contrast between the "certain men" and the true believers is almost startling. To the former is reserved "the blackness of darkness forever;" to the latter is "exceeding joy" and "the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto, eternal life."
A Threefold Adoration
"Our only Sovereign Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jdg_1:4)
"Our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jdg_1:21)
"The only wise God, our Saviour (Jdg_1:25)
"To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jdg_1:25).
There are three distinctive namings of our Lord in the Book of Jude.
1. "Our only Sovereign Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jdg_1:4). This is the title of our Lord which the critics deny. They know Christ as "the Nazarene," "the Man of Galilee," "Jesus," or any other title that would leave Him Joseph's son.
The critics will neither confess the Deity of Christ Jesus, nor will they concede His Sovereign Lordship.
2. "Our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jdg_1:21). Jude knew nothing of that cheap and unhallowed way of addressing the Saviour that predominates even among many carnal Christians. Jude never was led of the Spirit to voice such expressions as "glory to Jesus" and "the coming of Jesus," and "the name of Jesus." Jude gave our Lord His full titles, and so did all the Apostles. The Apostles knew Him as the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. "The only wise God, our Saviour" (Jdg_1:25). Some think that both the Father and the Son are mentioned in this final verse of Jude. However, Jesus Christ our Saviour is "the only wise God." Did not John write: "His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God and eternal life" (1Jn_5:20)?
Let Jude's certain men defame the Person of our Lord–we will own Him as the "only wise God, our Saviour." We will crown Him Lord of all:
"Oh, that with yonder sacred throng,
We at His feet may fall;
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all."
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR