11.13.25 ~ The Warning to True Joy

Good morning!

The book of Jude and 2 Peter are sister books. Jude being much shorter than 2 Peter and it actually outlines the entire book of 2 Peter beautifully.

Yesterday was a 'try to catch a breath' kind of day, but I did about 1:30 a.m. this morning :-).

Each Wednesday, I get the privilege of having lunch with a local pastor for some wonderful conversations and iron sharpening iron time together...it's the highlight to the midweek for sure. During our lunch we discussed the qualities of the bride and doing righteousness (Rev. 19:7,8; Acts 10:35) while comparing the two sides of the 'righteousness coin' (Deut. 6:25 and Isa. 64:6).

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteous actions of the saints. (Rev.19:8)

But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:35)

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isa. 64:6)

And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. (Deut. 6:25)

The challenge that we all face, in this modern era of vast information at the blink of an eye, is where do I get my righteous information from?

In Jude verse 4, Jude says, "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed/parieisduo (alongside) those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace/charis of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 4)

How can this be? How is this possible?  How can it be that some slip into the assembly to do harm and no one notices?  How did they get in?  Well, they must have said the right things. They must have pretended to be true worshippers.  They had to look the part.  If this reminds you of something in Genesis 3, don’t be surprised.  They were unnoticed because they appeared to share a common commitment.  Fortunately, and unfortunately, their true colors soon became apparent.

What were those true colors?  How did Jude conclude these people were the enemy?  He tells us that they turned Yahweh’s grace into licentiousness.  What does that mean?  Enquiring minds want to know :-)

Grace/Charis, saturate the pages of our Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  One Hebrew equivalent is the word to rejoice, be joyful, be glad/shamach; inwardly and outwardly. The feelings result in action.  It is the experience of Yahweh’s saving acts.  Joy comes when Yahweh delivers.  This is the sense that Jude has in mind.  Yah has saved us.  We rejoice.  But Jude sees the need for a warning.  Salvation does not mean life without obligations.  Our rejoicing includes  a certain code of conduct – a path of righteousness.

Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness. (2 Chron. 6:23)

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make your way straight before my face. (Psa. 5:8)

The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. (Psa. 7:8)

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psa. 23:3)

Back to our joy :-). We have joy because Yahweh has delivered us, but that does not mean we are free to do whatever we wish.  It means that we are free to obey His instructions.  Without the visible sign of obedience, we are capable of deceiving ourselves (Jm. 1:22).

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (Jam. 1:22)

We might have a wonderful warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside, but we lack all the outward evidence that indicates that we've actually been delivered.  You don’t get one without the other.

Notice that Jude expressly indicates what kinds of behaviors deny the true inner experience of charis – shamch.  In other words, Jude warns not to turn the goodness of God’s benevolence into an excuse for permitting any behavior we wish.  Grace comes with rules.  That doesn’t mean grace depends on rule-keeping. Yet, I am responsible for keeping myself in the love of God (Jd. 21,22).

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 21, 22)

But just because Yahweh sheds abroad His grace on mankind does not mean that grace in action has no boundaries.  Grace is demonstrated by the change in behavior that accompanies its transformative character.  Grace, as Paul reminds us, is never an excuse for sinning all the more (Rom. 6:1).

All of this seems perfectly reasonable.  At the human level, we love our children but that doesn’t mean we let them do whatever they want to do.  Love comes with obligations and expectations, not for the good of the parent but for the good of the child.  But notice what this implies.  It implies that there is an acceptable and recognized standard of conduct.  It’s no good trying to tell your children that they need to live according to the family expectations if you don’t tell them what those expectations are.  And that’s Jude’s point.  Those who are part of the assembly of the Messianic community have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel (Eph. 2:12) and therefore, they have been given instructions that accompany what it means to be Israel.  To suggest that people can experience Yahweh’s grace and reject these instructions is contradictory – and Jude knows it.  That’s why he warns his flock about the destructive nature of those who teach that the rules no longer apply.

As I continue to meditate on the bride of the Messiah, in this week's Torah portion, Genesis 23-25, I remind myself and ask myself, "have I turned Yahweh’s grace into permission to do what I want to do rather than what He wants me to do?"

Have a great fifth day of the week!

Shalom,
Alan