Jude was compelled to warn his
readers of the enemy’s attempt to neutralize the church from within by
inserting false believers into the congregation. The very nature of the
Christian faith demands that believers extend loving and welcoming gestures
toward all sinners, following the example of Christ (Mark 2:15–17). Such a
desire to reach people with the gospel and bring them to Christ, however, has a
great negative aspect—failure to determine carefully the sincerity of those
showing interest. Sadly, some “interested” people have wicked designs to harm
the body of Christ. This is why Jude writes his epistle and does so with such
intensity.
It is without question that many
churches in this modern age have long ago become utterly devoid of spiritual
power. In the words of the Puritan, Thomas Manton, “We think to fill the
church, but we do but fill the house with thieves: wicked men ever prove a
trouble.” These “thieves” are robbing the church of its spiritual power and
kingdom influence in the community. This tragedy has occurred because the
church in its zeal to increase numbers has abandoned careful examination of inquirers.
Then, in order to keep them, the church no longer practices discipline (Titus
1:7, 8). Paul warned, “a little leaven
leavens the whole” (Galatians 5:9).
Scripture points us to what a
true church looks like in this respect. In Acts 5 a couple, following the
example of Barnabas (Acts 4:36, 37), sold a parcel of land and gave the
proceeds to the church. Their motive, apparently, was to get the recognition showered
on Barnabas for his godliness. Tragically, Ananias and Sapphira were not doing
what they did in obedience to Christ. Their spiritual poverty was apparent
because greed tempted them to lie to the church and retain a portion for their own
use. The land was theirs. They did not need to sell it nor did they need to
give the money at all. Their whole design was to appear falsely as spiritual
people in order to impress the church.
Because the church was
spiritually vital, the Spirit of God was free to work mightily. Ananias and his
wife were quickly exposed and suffered punishment from God. The bottom line is
found in verses 13 and 14: “None of the
rest [those like Ananias] dared join
them, but the people held them [the true spiritual leadership] in high esteem. And more than ever
believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”
The question we must ask is why
God allowed these ungodly people to operate within the body? Jude plainly
states that “they were before ordained to
this condemnation.” They crept in unnoticed by the church but not unnoticed
by God. They were His agents to provoke watchfulness in the body, a watchfulness
attended by earnest prayer and careful observation. Christ commended the
Ephesian saints for “testing those who
call themselves apostles and are not” (Revelation 2:2). On the other hand,
Thyatira is called out because the church “tolerate[d] that woman, Jezebel” teaching “the deep things of Satan” (Revelation
2:20, 24). Jude is earnest that his readers also be watchful, “praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20;
see Mark 14:38).