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What does Christian liberty mean to you? What does it mean to be free in Christ?
A gospel that says sin is your problem cannot be teaching you to continue in sin. The LORD Jesus Christ who taketh away the sin of the world would never be telling you to continue in sin. Romans 6:1-2.
Jude makes it clear that certain lost people’s understanding of God’s grace is given to you so you can do what you want. Notice this misuse of grace is equated with denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Christian liberty is not the ability to do what you want. Christian liberty is the ability to please God and yield the fruit of the Spirit of God.
Initial purpose
- The original purpose of the letter was to write of the common salvation in Jesus Christ among Gentiles and Jews just like Paul said in Ephesians 2:11-17.
- It’s the same understanding the apostles came to in Acts 15.
Holy Spirit changes the purpose
- His initial purpose becomes secondary to the issue at hand. Jude fires off a very clear warning that there are wolves among the sheep. The purpose of the letter became an instruction to earnestly contend for the faith. Look at verse 4.
- Ordained of old is not a decision God makes about an individual. You are not predestined to fiery judgment. The fiery judgment is created and ordained for the wicked. If you don’t have the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, you’re end has already been determined.
Misuse of grace
- Lasciviousness is defined in Ephesians 4:18-19.
- Looseness; irregular indulgence of animal desires; wantonness; lustfulness.
- Tendency to excite lust, and promote irregular indulgences.
- Paul uses the word lasciviousness with the Corinthians church in 2 Corinthians 12:19-21.
- Check out Peter in 1 Peter 4:3-6.
- Grace of God in the gospel teaches Titus 2:11-12. The proper use of grace is found in this verse as well.
