Jude – Buttering Up the Prospects
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. (Jude 1:16-19)
ALL THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD AND PROFITABLE. But all the Bible is not equally enjoyable. Enoch and Jude had their work cut out for them. Jude said he had intended to write something about the “common salvation” but the Holy Spirit directed him to write about the apostate devils that would be invading the little bands of Christians scattered in villages beyond Jerusalem. The problem of apostates invading the churches would begin then and would continue throughout the church age. Every church house with a steeple and bell on the roof is not living and preaching the Gospel of Christ.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SPIRIT-FILED MURMURER or a Spirit-filled complainer. God’s people complained and murmured in the wilderness after God had delivered them from their Egyptian slavery in the mud pits. That did not go well, and the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them and they bit many of them.
When they cried out to the Lord, God told Moses to make a serpent of brass and put it on a pole. (Numbers 21:4-9) All who turned their heads and looked upon the serpent of brass on the pole would be healed. Jesus reminded Nicodemus about that story as they talked at night. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)
JUDE'S POINT IS THAT FALSE TEACHERS, THE APOSTATES, would be whiners and complainers, and they would elevate themselves into influential positions by buttering up certain ones. In today’s lingo, they were snowflakes, hypocrites and manipulators. They were not hard workers and made their living by deceiving the people and drawing their sympathies toward them. They were scoundrels. Their tactic was to spot the people who had money and butter them up. …and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
IN TODAY'S LANGUAGE, WE WOULD SAY that they played favorites with those who had money and position and would cozy up to them and compliment them in public. Today, we call that “stroking the ego; buttering them up.” In the process of showing favoritism toward certain ones, it wounded the church and developed divisions in the church. Showing partiality is a wicked thing and is highly unproductive. It’s not a good thing in families, in churches, in places of work. In the work place, advancement and benefits should be awarded on merit.
FIFTY YEARS AGO, I READ A BIOGRAPHY of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. When he was appointed as the Allied Commander-in-Chief of the war in Europe, he knew he could not play favorites in assigning battle roles for the various generals. He could not play favorites among different armies in allocating fuel and war materials necessary for fighting effectively. The generals under him were human and very jealous. They learned that when they were children. Fairness is important and playing favorites in human endeavors is a no-no. In summer vacation Bible school, children are very sensitive about who gets to ring the bell, who is carrying the flags, etc. These apostates operated by playing favorites among those who could benefit them, personally.
JUDE REMINDS HIS READERS THAT THE APOSTLES of the Lord Jesus had already warned them of dangerous people who would elbow their way into positions of leadership. They would be there to satisfy their own lusts for prestige and for whatever was available to satisfy their selfish desires. These apostates did not believe the doctrines of the church. They mocked the Lord that died and rose from the dead and His promise to come back again. They mocked the seriousness of standing before God to be judged.
We learn much about these mockers by reading Jude’s quotations of Enoch. We can also learn from reading the writings of the Apostle Peter, because these two men had much in common. The mockers would not like the old hymns of today that are so rich in Scripture. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
JUNE 22, 2018 – FRIDAY
A.M. Esther 4-6 P.M. Acts 5:17-42
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.) If you are behind in reading, read the passage for today and then go back.
Good Memory Verse:
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18) (Write verses on scraps of paper and put in your pocket to memorize like President Abraham Lincoln did. Or, write on a half 3x5 card. I like the bright green cards I got from Amazon. I cut them in half and write them by hand or on my daddy’s 1935 Royal typewriter.)
Song for Today:
There is a Fountain (4:13) – (Gaither Group & Vestal Goodman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasK3ZFAOPE
You may need to delete an ad or turn off the song when finished to avoid something you do not want to hear.
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