It is my plan, God willing, to spend a few weeks dwelling on some of the wonderful truths bound up in Romans 8:28-30. I appreciate we are here breaking into a larger section of Paul’s teaching but I trust the Holy Spirit will enable us to draw some spiritual benefit from holding up these diamonds to the light to marvel at the beauty they contain. These verses have been likened to a golden chain of salvation with each golden link precious in itself. A word in context The Apostle Paul begins by speaking of all things working together for good. This is not a stand-alone statement. It is actually the answer to a question anticipated by the apostle. He has been speaking of the great…

It is an especial delight for a gospel preacher to preach from a passage so full of the Lord Jesus Christ as are these two verses.  Jude brings his little epistle to an end in a doxology that beautifully elevates the glory of Christ and must surely be amongst the highest examples of earthly worship known to man. He is magnifying our Saviour who is able and willing to save His people from their sins, preserve them holy, in time, and present them faultless in glory with great joy. It is fully consistent with Jude’s strong sovereign grace emphasis in this epistle that at its end He who is all-wise and all-powerful should be thus worshipped.  Worthy of praise It is to Christ that Jude…

The remainder of the apostle’s letter is positive and encouraging. It is full of help and comfort for the Lord’s people. Jude offers spiritual direction for our wellbeing. Previously, in verse 17, Jude used the title ‘beloved’ to register God’s loving commitment to His church and here, again, he employs it as a reminder of God’s continuing love and faithfulness. Perhaps, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ is foremost in Jude’s mind as he goes on to speak specifically of Christ’s mercy.   Build and keep Jude’s admonition to build ourselves up in the faith and keep ourselves in God’s love does not imply creature ability in spiritual matters. Every good and perfect gift is from above and consequently there is no spiritual growth…

Jude opens our passage today with a reference to brotherly love. He reminds us of this principal feature of Christian fellowship. Our love for the Lord Jesus arises from God first loving us. Our love for the Lord, as His followers, thereafter manifests itself in our love for one another. This is spiritual union. Because the Lord loves us we love those whom He loves. We do not love as He loves, nor love as we should, but we endeavour to emulate our Saviour by loving the brethren. Beloved of God Jude does not wish to unduly frighten or trouble the Lord’s little ones. He knows that when a true child of God hears of false professors their first reaction is, ‘Is it I?’ Despite…

Enoch is said to have been seventh from Adam, that is, the seventh generation from Adam. This distinguishes him from another Enoch who was the son of Cain. Enoch was born into the line of Seth, the generations were, as recorded by Moses in Genesis; Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared and Enoch. There is no written-down prophecy of Enoch from this time. Jude may have gotten this prophecy from oral tradition, he mentions Enoch ‘saying’. A later writing bearing Enoch’s name is not authentic.  Foretelling the future It is clear Enoch was a prophet. He lived before the time of Noah and the flood. He called his son Methuselah which signifies ‘when he dies is the emission’, or the sending out of the waters.…

Jude’s criticism of the ‘ungodly men’ who entered the church and laboured to deceive the Lord’s people continues unabated. He first denounced them by linking them to examples of God’s judgment in Egypt, Sodom and upon the fallen angels. Then he likened them to some of the most disreputable characters in the Old Testament scriptures. Now he describes their barren state and self-serving actions. All who look to such men for spiritual help will be poorly served. Jude’s need to write Jude has the spiritual wellbeing of believers at heart. These verses are warnings to the Lord’s people to resist false teachers, to reject false teaching and to call-out inappropriate conduct that contradicts the true, life-changing gospel of God’s grace. The church is the society…