Jude 7 IT WILL HAPPEN Destruction, darkness and damnation were all given as warnings to those who pay heed to the ungodly men who "crept in" among God's people. Apostasy can be referred to as deliberately turning away from beliefs once held to be true regarding the Bible, God, salvation and what it means to be a child of God. That act of rejection is apostasy as in the case of the children of Israel when they did not believe God would keep His promise. It is also a rejection of the supreme authority, the Lordship, of divine Persons over all His creation with the intention of claiming it for themselves as in the case of the angels who "kept not their first estate." A third area of apostasy has to do with defiance against practices once held to be right according to the scriptures, and the abandonment of those practices.
The example of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain is a warning of damnation that awaits those who are apostates and defile themselves by immoral living. Paul and Peter as well as Jude warned of the dangers of "deceitful workers, and those who "depart from the faith." God has given in His word specific teaching regarding interpersonal relationship as well as doctrinal and social practices. The laws of the land have been changed to suit the fallen moral state of our country, but that doesn't change the unchangeable standards of righteousness made by God for the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of human beings. Deviating from these to the state of unbelief, denial of divine authority and lascivious sexual practices will lead those who engage in such things, to the "vengeance of eternal fire."
Many people deny the fact that eternal fire is real. Others think it is a state of mind rather than the eternal abode of those who reject God's mercy. Others will say it is the annihilation of those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. To them it means that body, soul and spirit are not only destroyed, but they cease to exist in any way. The biblical teaching is that those who are ungodly and unbelieving, those who deny the Lord and are unfaithful to Him, and those who by lascivious and morally perverted living reject God's standards of righteousness, will be lost. If they do not repent and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation, they will be consigned to the everlasting burnings.
Those who reject the truth of God by unbelief, those who deny the Lord and promote their own opinions and those who accept the "alternate lifestyle" as acceptable will have the whole purpose of their existence lost to themselves and others, to God and His kingdom. They are kept in darkness until the judgment of the great white throne takes place. They will finally be cast into the lake of eternal fire.
Such a warning against false teachers with these examples, should challenge all of those who are born again by the Spirit of God to "earnestly contend for the faith." We should urgently seek ways to further the message of salvation in ways that those who are lost in sin will "flee from the wrath to come." To the degree we value the word of God, the fellowship of His people and are committed to obeying Him, we will extend ourselves to see people saved. We have been given the word of God, and we have received the gift of eternal life ourselves. Now our message to others is the same one we received personally and acted upon by faith. The message is simple. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. "Be sure your sin will find you out." "Christ died for our sins."
God's truth must go forth to those who do not believe; who deny the truth of God and who live ungodly lives. The truth must be presented and promoted by those who know it themselves. We have been commissioned by the highest Authority in the universe to do this. Truth defends itself but must be articulated by those who know it personally. We must teach it and warn those who have not received "the love of the truth that they might be saved," of coming judgment. Of all the tasks we have in this life, this is the one with the most serious consequences.
False teachers are waiting to destroyed the testimony of Christ-centered lives. They anxiously seek to destroy the credibility of the word of God and those who teach it. They are anxious to divide the people of God in order to create confusion. Those who deliberately oppose the Gospel of Christ and true Christianity, know that if what Christians believe and teach is true, they are in serious trouble. One who taught and promotes false teaching said when challenged as to the lack of logic and common sense the teaching he gave contained, he said he did so because the alternative was unacceptable to the lifestyle he wanted to live. He is a loser like the examples of those in these verses in Jude, and is not content until he can take others down with him.
Destruction - Darkness - and Damnation Carelessness - Crassness - and Condemnation Helplessness - Hopelessness - in eternal Habitation These are ahead of one who is lost.
Awakening - Awareness - and Anxiety Conviction - Consternation - and Complexity Alarmed - Asking - with Alacrity As one become awakened to the seriousness of sin.
Listening - Learning - and Longing Hearing - Heeding - then Having Accepting - Believing - the Confessing And one who was lost in sin, is now saved.
"Father, I thank Thee that while there is life there is hope. Hope that one who has gone far away from Thee is still welcomed back when there is repentance, contrition and then faith is placed in our Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Some of those recently saved have given me the motivation to not overlook those who seem to far to reach. None are too far for Thee when they come as a sinner to Jesus. I praise and thank Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."