Defending the Faith
1. Truth and Opposition -
A Mandate to Proclaim the Truth
Jude
vs.3 - Contend . . .
entrusted
vs.4 - opposition
vs.5 - OT examples of
dividing people
a.
b. Angels - some remained in their proper positions but
some abandoned their
assigned positions.
c.
vs.8 - This is the same
thing that has happened to the opposition. They have divided themselves from the truth by:
a. they pollute their bodies
b. reject authority
c. slander what they have no
right to
vs.10 - They are ignorant
of:
a. God's special revelation (example: the written word)
b. God's natural or general revelation that has been
revealed to all men(example:
Romans 1:18-30)
vs.11 - Three areas of evil
or opposition against Truth:
a. Cain style - persecute and
oppress Truth
b. Balaam - profit is to be made by destroying or
distorting Truth
c. Korah - rebel against God's
established Truth or Order
vs.12 - Characteristics of
Opposition:
a. Shepherds who do not serve but only feed themselves
b. Clouds with no rain. They look like the truth, sound
like the truth but they
do not bring anything productive. (Wind, thunder heads, lightning, but no rain which
means no growth or production.)
c. Autumn trees - twice dead means, 1) they have no fruit
in harvest season,
2) they are uprooted from the truth so they are not connected to anything
d. Waves - roar in and remove the pollution from the sea,
leaving the waste on the shore. These people can only leave you with corrupt
e. Wandering stars - the North
star is stable and can be used for directionand
guidance. But planets do not follow the same system of rotation as the stars and
so planets seemed to be wandering since they
had a separate orbit. A planet, or a wandering star, could not be used for location
or direction.
vs.14 - Opposition and false
teachers were not new. Enoch, the 7th man from Adam,
spoke of these men and the problem they would create. We still deal with it today.
vs.16 - A character trait is
that they false teachers find fault with the teachers of the Truth and the Truth itself.
vs.17 - They also divide the
church
vs.23 - Three ways of
dealing with people in opposition to the Truth:
a. Mercy for doubters - these
are people who are misled
b. Snatch others from destruction - these are people who
can't help themselves and our actions must be
decisive and aggressive.
c. Mercy mixed with fear - In mercy these people are
confronted
John 18:37 - Jesus testified
to the truth. Jesus said there were sides.
1 John 3:8 - Jesus was
destroying the work of the Devil.
Romans 1:18 - Men suppress
the Truth
There is a spiritual battle:
a. Spirit of Truth verse Spirit of a Lie
b. Reality verse an Illusion
John 8:44 - Not everyone is a child of God. Indeed, God created all mankind but
not all men follow God. Jesus says there are two fathers: God and Satan
Sanctification occurs with
the Truth: 2 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17
Definition of Truth is
Conformity to fact or reality
Idol = a false philosophy,
lies with incorrect thoughts
To come against a lie is
called a hate crime, but we are motivated by Truth and are acting in mercy. Ephe.
5:11 - "rather expose them" (5:8-14)
What we believe to be true
determines what we do.
Our actions are the best
indictor of our truth or our faith.
Isaiah 59:14-15 -Truth has
stumbled in the streets
Jeremiah 7:28 - Truth has
perished
2 Timothy 4:3-4 - Turn away
from truth
Acts 20:30 - Distort the
truth