Jude 12-13 – These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
What makes “wolves” or apostates (false believers) in the church in Jude’s day (and in our day) so dangerous is that they were in the pen with the sheep and pretending to be sheep. Jesus warned of this very people in Matthew 7:15 saying, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Jude says that these wolves had become friends with naïve and vulnerable people in the church, even having meals together in their homes like safe spiritual family members.
Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 7:16-20, “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Jude may have this teaching from his Big Brother Jesus in mind when he says that false believers are like clouds that do not rain, trees that do not bloom, seas that puke up lifeless foam, and stars that guide followers to nowhere.
These people in Jude’s day and our own make promises they do not keep and never achieve the kind of results they vow to accomplish.
For example, in recent years, some false prophets said that if major American cities had less laws and less law enforcement officers, peace and prosperity would result. We now know that the exact opposite occurred, and cities looked a lot more like the burning of Hell than blessing of Heaven.
In the church, apostates will promise bigger and better ministry if parts of God’s Word are edited or ignored. The opposite always happens, because the Holy Spirit never shows up to support what is against the Book He wrote.
Make a list of the negative things Jude has to say about people who are false believers in the church using people and abusing the grace of God. Why is he so emphatically clear about this group of people?
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