Part 1 of 6 Jude 1-2

THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE CHRISTIAN
by John F. MacArthur

A. The Analysis of the Epistle

The book of Jude is probably one of the most neglected books in the Bible. In spite of its short length, it is extremely important. The beginning of the Church Age is described in the Acts of the Apostles; its end is dealt with in the Epistle of Jude (which somebody has titled, “The Acts of the Apostates”). The book of Acts describes the deeds and teachings of men of God who began to build the church, and Jude, the last New Testament epistle, relates the deeds and teachings of evil men who will be living when the Church Age comes to an end. In fact, it is the only book in the Bible that is devoted to discussing the great apostasy (departure from the faith) that is to come before the return of Jesus Christ.

In the gospels, our Lord predicted that people under the name of Christianity would turn their backs on the truth. Paul, Peter, and John, along with Jude and James explicitly state or imply the reality of that apostasy. The Epistle of Jude plays a very important part in developing a complete understanding of that event. It details God’s attitude toward those who depart from the faith.

In Luke 18:8, the Lord asked, “…when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” In other words, when the Lord returns, will there be anybody left who still believes in the truth? Sometimes we wonder. In 1 Timothy 4:1, the Apostle Paul indicated that “in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith….” In 2 Timothy 4:3, he said there would come a time when people “will not endure sound doctrine but, after their own lusts, shall they heap to themselves [false] teachers….” Much of the New Testament talks about apostasy, and Jude is the climax.

The current widespread denial of the Bible as God’s authoritative revelation is nothing but a prelude to the final and terrible apostasy referred to by our Lord and the New Testament writers. It is important for us to understand the Epistle of Jude because of its application to our day, when the waves of apostasy keep rolling in higher and higher. It is a tremendous warning against the moral and spiritual degeneracy of the professing church that departs from the truth.
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Part 2 of 6   Jude 3-4
THE DESCRIPTION OF APOSTATES

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Part 3 of 6   Jude 5-7
THE DESTRUCTION OF APOSTATES

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Part 4 of 6 – Sermon 1 of 2   Jude 8-11
TWICE DEAD MEN

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Part 5 of 6 – Sermon 2 of 2   Jude 12-16
TWICE DEAD MEN

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Part 6 of 6   Jude 17-25
HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE
LAST DAYS OF APOSTASY

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Copyright 2007, Grace to You. All rights reserved.Used by permission.