Vs. 4. Introduction to the seducers. These men were in the church but not of it. They “crept” in. Like a thief. Sly and stealthy was their entry. Unnoticed by the church, because they were so slick in their relationships, so close at times in their professions of belief. They could worship along with the best of them. They became trusted members, even asked to share the Word from time to time. Little by little the people’s faith was being adulterated. The church was changing. It was no longer concerned about the things that concerned God, but the things that concern men. Wealth and power. Food and pleasure. This world. This life. Our bodies.

Long ago, God had placed His plan in their hearts. Yes, whomever He wills, God calls to His side, and whomever He wills, He hardens. Are these not the words of Paul? One could say that it was only their condemnation that was planned by God. But Jude says it was the men. Marked men. Was not Cain a “marked man”? Was not Judas a “marked man”? Have there not been Judases in the church from then until now? Traitors? Thieves?

Why does God allow them in? Why does the church allow them in, we should say. Why does God allow them even to come to our door? Not temptation, this we know. But testing, straining, dividing wheat from chaff, and purposes far beyond our power to discern. But as long as there is a church in this world, there will be agents asked for by Satan and granted by God to come after it, to destroy it. And when the church of Jesus Christ is not destroyed, God Himself will receive all the glory for he shall be able to point to the victories He has wrought through His Spirit! May your church and mine be among those who bring Him glory!

Judas now begins his lengthy description of these awfully evil men and their actions, these snakes of Satan, these antichrists in Christian garb. We begin the list here.

1. They are ungodly men. Church members. But ungodly. Know any? God is not in their life all week long, but for one reason or another they are in church every week. Making business deals. Talking sports. Eating the food. Going after the women. Or specifically to degrade the teaching ministry with subversive doctrines. Opposite of godly, meaning filled with God, loving God, serving God 24-7. Ungodly. Serving themselves.
2. They turn the grace of God into lewdness. Lasciviousness. Fleshliness. This heresy has come all the way down from the days of the apostles just as surely as the apostles’ teaching. The grace of God is that God has saved you freely. There’s nothing you can do to earn it. It is a free gift of God. By grace you are saved through faith, and all of that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. The false teacher adds a “therefore” to the passage, when there is no “therefore”. Therefore, they say, live it up. You are free. God wants you to live abundantly, so live as you please. Eat all you want. Buy all you want. Rise to fulfill all the dreams of your little heart. Eat, drink, be merry. The grace of God is now naked lust. No, if there is to be a “therefore” in the statement let it be the one given by Paul, “ You were bought with a price [the blood of God!] “therefore” glorify God in your body! Grace demands a holy response, not a fleshly one.
3. They deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Fascinating wording pointing to the Deity of Jesus here. God in Heaven is the only Lord, the only one we should call Lord! He is Lord of all. He created all. “And our Lord Jesus Christ!” Who is this claiming the title of “Lord” when we just said God was the only Lord? Jesus must be God. But not in the heretic’s eyes. Jesus is just a good man with some inspirational teachings who was loved by His followers, so they made up these stories about death and resurrection… To deny Who Christ is is a tragic mistake. Judas is calling them out here.