Preserved in Jesus Christ

Preserved in Jesus Christ

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ . . . .”

We have been redeemed from among men and from the earth to be the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. “And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault . . . .” Rev. 14:3-5. We have been taken out to be Jesus’ bride. When we think about this we realize the significance of Jude’s words: “Preserved in Jesus Christ.”

When we read the epistle of Jude, we can see by how much we can be defiled. We realize that it is quite a feat to be preserved throughout a long life in this world as a pure virgin for Jesus Christ, undefiled by the spirit of the times and the sins in which people live.

Jude writes about those who turn God’s grace into licentiousness. These people turn grace, which has appeared to all men for salvation by teaching us to deny worldly lusts, into a cover for sin. Tit. 2:11-12. Many people have gone astray on this point. They fought the fight of faith and were serious about gaining victory over sin; but then some people crept in and said that it was bondage to fight like that; you had to put your trust in the grace that is in Jesus because we can’t gain the victory anyway. This sounded appealing, and so they sank from being diligent to a state of indifference in which they reckoned with grace over everything. In this connection Jude mentions their forefathers who were saved out of the land of Egypt and were afterward destroyed because they did not believe. He also mentions the angels who did not remain in their exalted state. We have been called to an exalted state, namely to be Jesus’ bride. It is not fitting for us in our state to be subject to passions and desires, to the vanity of the world and the fear of man. If we do not keep our exalted state we will sink down into sin’s chains to await the judgment on that great Day.

We are called to live by faith, and when we do we will be mocked by the natural man. The natural man will mock us if we pray for healing from a sickness or if we rely on the promise that we will have added to us the things that we need for our body. They said the apostles wee full of sweet wine when they were endued with power from on high and spoke in tongues. Paul was also mocked when he spoke in the power of the Spirit about righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, about the sufferings of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead. Many people have gone astray concerning these points. They began in the Spirit but ended up in the flesh. They didn’t manage to resist the mockery of the natural man; and because of this fear of man they lead a double life, but it is a dangerous life. Once Satan gets the least foothold in them he will not let them go. We can see this from the example of Moses’ body. The devil thought he had a right to it. Moses had transgressed God’s commandment once when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. Consequently, he was not allowed to enter the land. The devil used this incident when he disputed with Michael about Moses’ body. We can experience the same dispute in our days at certain funerals. This concerns people who have lived such a double life that one doesn’t really know whether they were saved or not. Worldly people as well as believers come to the funeral and one is uncertain who is actually in charge. The general opinion is that a funeral should have a certain Christian “touch,” but then one is also afraid of offending the unsaved. This is also how some people divide their affections between the church and the religious denominations. One doesn’t really know where they belong. Therefore it is not good enough just to believe with the heart; one also has to confess with one’s mouth. One has to make a decisive stand by word and deed; then there will not be any strife about your body.

Jude writes further about those who have gone the way of Cain who was earthly. Cain’s countenance fell and he was envious of Abel whom God had blessed. Cain awakens in these religious people when they hear a man of faith praising God. When the faithful man lifts up his countenance and thanks God for victory and for redemption, Cain calls it pride and conceit. To him humility is to let your countenance fall and say: God be gracious to me, a poor sinner. You mustn’t go any further or Cain will kill you. Many people are afraid of this and so they stop on the way.

“They . . . have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit . . . .” Balaam went because God let him go; nevertheless, His anger was aroused. God sees the heart. God saw that Balaam loved the seer’s reward, therefore He said to him: Go! Balaam was deceived! That is the punishment for not being wholehearted. God sends them strong delusions so they believe a lie. 2 Thess. 2:11-12. Balaam sounded upright. He said he did not want to transgress the Lord’s command even if Balak gave him his house full of silver and gold. Balaam was a great prophet. He prophesied about Jesus coming as the Light of the world and as King. Num. 24:17-19. Many a person in our days has also gone out to preach the Word of God. Their upright intention is to say what God wants to have said, and they can say many profound truths, but they love the seer’s reward. In the midst of all their zeal for God they have gain in mind, which cannot stay hidden. As their income increases the vanity of the world also increases in their home and in their various endeavors. Balaam was killed together with Balak and his men. The error of Balaam is alluring, and many people have been deceived by its glitter and come to a terrible end.

They “perished in the rebellion of Korah.” Korah could not bear it that God had chosen Moses and Aaron instead of him. There shouldn’t be any preferential treatment. The entire church was holy, all of them, and the Lord was in their midst. God has put in the church some for this ministry and others for that ministry. He chooses the various ones for the different ministries, but it is God who does it. The ministries vary, but the Lord is the same. Many people don’t pay attention to this, but in their vanity they desire one ministry ahead of another. Korah and his men were chosen to be members of the people’s council; they were respected men. But still they were not satisfied with the ministry God had given them. They wanted to be just as good as Moses and Aaron. Num. 16:8-10. They were destroyed because they were rebellious. Even in our days some men can be esteemed in the church because of their godly fear. They receive ministries from God; they are asked for their counsel and are shown confidence. But right away there is something that awakens in them. They couldn’t bear to have this confidence shown to them. They are no longer satisfied with what they are, but they want to be on the same level as everyone else. They do not respect God’s election in the church. They say, “Are we not all members of the body of Christ? Is God partial? Doesn’t God speak just as well through the one as through the other?” And so they depart from that humble servant’s attitude of mind and begin to rule by imagining that they are advocates for the lowly. Such people will be destroyed by their own rebellion, murmuring and complaining over their fate. They think they are being treated unjustly, misunderstood, and despised. Many people think they sound so pious and expect blessings from them; yet they carry on like clouds without water, late autumn trees without fruit. They live according to their passions. Of course they speak glowing words and say that they do not seek the honor of men even though they used flattery for the sake of gain.

When we look at all this, plus many other things that people end up in, we can see the importance of what Jude writes: “Preserved in Jesus Christ.” Therefore he also writes toward the end, “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.” It is absolutely necessary for us to give heed to this exhortation if Jesus is to preserve us, keep us from stumbling, and present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.