CERTAIN MEN

TEXT: Jude.1,  2 Peter 2: 1 - 20. 2Timothy 3

There has never been a time more appropriate than the time we are now to acknowledge the need to 

“contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”, Jude Vs 3

And the fulfilment of such prophecies concerning 

“false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies”

 It is much more evident now in this life and age of the church. The call of Jude to defend the truth of the Good News is no joke if you are spiritually alive and sensitive to the ‘spirits’ in the church. There is no doubt that false teachers abound in today's churches.

A careful look at the texts on this subject would reveal the characteristics of these men, which were given to us to cross-check with our lives as individuals and as ministers of the Word, if we have not actually fallen into the whims and caprices of the spirit of error.

1. They started as genuine Christians.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2Peter 2:1.

“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them that believed not.” Jude Vs 5

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness… 2Peter 2:21.

The above scriptures indicate that these "certain men" began with the Lord.

Peter wrote that these men were bought by the Lord, indicating that they were redeemed and saved, but ended up denying him. Their case was like that of the children of Israel, who were delivered from the land of bondage, heading for the promised land, only to be destroyed because they did not believe God, who gave the promise. They were said to have known the way of righteousness, but it did not benefit them.

2. God had ordained them so to be.

“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these…(referring to the false teachers)  Jude Vs 4,14

3. These certain men of themselves may be unaware of their falsehood

To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds... Jude Vs 15 (KJV) 

Though other versions used the word convict instead of convince as used by the old King James, when you consider the cry of these false prophets to Jesus in Matthew 7:22-23, you will understand that they thought they were known by Jesus.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

The scripture described these men as

a. Filthy dreamers/Presumptuous – (Jude Vs 8, 2Peter 2:10). They are those who defile the flesh, despise dominion and speak evil of dignities. These have taken much delight in rejoicing that devils are subject to them. They have ignored Jesus’ warning in Luke 10:18 - 20

    He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

b. Covetous – (2Peter 2:3). They will, through pretentious and deceitful words, acquire that which they longed for. They ignored Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:15

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

c. Spots and blemishes – (Jude Vs 12, 2Peter 2:13). Christ’s Church shall be without them (Ephesians 5:27). These are the tares among the wheat of which the command shall go forth… “Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:”

d. Ungodly – they are natural, sensual and carnally minded and pretend to love God. Jude Vs 29, Romans 8:6

e. Wells without water – they were meant to be a source of refreshing unto the flock. Those who have the living waters flowing unto the refreshing and reviving of the lost and perishing. They are containers with no content again.

f.  Dead trees – whose fruit has withered or are fruitless. All they bring to the body of Christ has no life in it.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 2Peter 2:2

So much disrepute we see in the church today is by the hands of these false teachers. The world now speaks evil of the Church.

WARNING:

Are you among the many who are following the perverted ways of these ungodly men? Men who have strayed from the truth, deceiving others, and they themselves are deceived by the spirit of error. (2Timothy 3:13, 1 John 4:6)

This is a call to you to be among the few who find the Way.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14.