Salvation Changes Things

Jude 1-3 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

When we read our Bibles, we tend to skip the little books. Many people have read and re-read the Book of Revelation, and a lot of Christians have never paid much attention to the little book just before Revelation, the Book of Jude. The Book of Jude is very important because it teaches us that

Genuine Salvation Changes a Life

Evangelist Paul Washer (a wonderful, Spirit filled fire and brimstone Preacher) preached a message to Pastors called “Ten Indictments Against The Modern Church In America”. In that sermon Paul encouraged Pastors to be clear on the utter necessity of the New Birth. Religion will not save a person. When Nicodemus, a highly religious man, came to Jesus, our Lord told him “you MUST be born again of the Spirit” (John 3:3-7). When told this for all his education Nicodemus was puzzled. The unsaved are NOT born again, and cannot perceive nor understand the truths of the Kingdom of God. Paul Washer truthfully said:

“Men today are trusting in the fact that at least one time in their life they prayed a prayer, and someone told them they were saved because they were sincere enough. And so, if you ask them, “Are you saved?” they do not say, “Yes, I am, because I am looking unto Jesus, and there is mighty evidence giving me assurance of being born again.” No! They say instead, “One time in my life I prayed a prayer.” Now they live like devils, but they prayed a prayer! I want you to know, my friends, salvation is by faith alone! It is a work of God. It is a grace upon grace upon grace. But the evidence of conversion is not just your examination of your sincerity at the moment of your conversion. It is the ongoing fruit in your life.”

If being a “good person” is all that’s needed to be saved, then Jude would have been that “good person”. Jude was one of the step brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was born of Mary while she was yet a virgin, born by the supernatural power of God the Holy Spirit. Once Mary had Jesus in Bethlehem she did not remain childless, for Joseph loved Mary, and had many more children by her. The Scripture says that the people of Nazareth knew the family of Jesus. They said:

Matthew 13:55-56 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, JAMES, and Joses, and Simon, and JUDAS {JUDE}? {56} And his sisters, are they not all with us?

Though Jude grew up beside Jesus, the Bible says:

John 7:5 For neither did His brethren believe in Him.

They lived side by side with Jesus. Jesus was the Elder Brother they saw each and every day, the Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus “came unto His own, but His own would not receive Him” (John 1:11).

Though James and Jude would later come to believe in Jesus, and receive Him as Lord and Savior – and write scripture about Him – when He was first revealed they did not believe Him. Why? They were not born again. You cannot “see” or perceive the Kingdom of God – nor its King – unless you are born again!

You MUST be born again. This is not something you can possibly do. Those who are lost are spiritually blind. Unless God intervenes and opens their eyes, they will never believe in Jesus Christ. When people are saved the Bible says:

Acts 2:47 …the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Jesus said “No one CAN COME TO ME, UNLESS THE FATHER which has sent Me DRAW HIM: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

We are given a choice once God opens our eyes. Our choice is either full surrender to Christ – or walk away.

To those who say “You certainly wouldn’t walk away if your eyes were opened”. Yes, you can. Adam was sinless and perfect, and chose to walk away from God and into sin. You must choose. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Once God opens your eyes and you call on the Name of Jesus willingly, repentantly, then God causes you to be born into the Family of God. At one time in His earthly ministry, James and Jude came to see Jesus. We read:

Luke 8:20-21 And it was told {Jesus} by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. {21} And {Jesus} answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

Jesus said “Those who receive Me as Messiah, who hear the Word of God AND DO IT … these are my family”. Raised up with Jesus, neither James nor Jude … though blood related to Jesus – believed on Him. As a result, they were not born again. But once Jude was born again, we read:

Jude 1 (KJV) Jude, the SERVANT {doulos} of Jesus CHRIST, and brother of James

Word Study: Both James and Jude were brothers to Jesus. But Jude does not say that he is Jesus’ brother. He says, “James is my brother”. When Jude was lost, though he grew up near Jesus, to him Jesus was his brother, and just as ordinary as James is. Jude did not see Jesus as the Messiah because he was not born again. But once born again, Jude sees things differently. He says “Jude, the SERVANT of Jesus CHRIST”. The word rendered as “SERVANT” is the Greek doulos, which means “a bond slave, a slave, one who gives up his will to serve a higher power or a greater Person”.

Those who are born into the Family of God recognize Jesus is LORD. We serve HIM.

Before he was born again, Jude thought Jesus equal to himself. But now Jesus is LORD. And what of the other brother, James? How does James regard himself? Is he just the brother of Christ. James came to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior later, and wrote in scripture:

James 1:1 James, a SERVANT {doulos} of God and of the LORD Jesus CHRIST

James equates Jesus not to himself, but to God. As he serves God, he serves Jesus as LORD. Both Jude and James are servants of “the LORD Jesus CHRIST”. That word “CHRIST” literally means “the Messiah”. When you are born again, your view of Who Jesus is radically changes.

For those who are lost, Jesus is a ticket to Heaven, a Heaven without God. I’ll never forget when the whoremonger Huge Hefner, founder of Playboy, and disseminator of godless pornography died, newspapers ran cartoons showing Hefner walking into Heaven between two Playboy “Bunnies”. The Bible is very clear that whoremongers and sexual deviants do NOT go to Heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8). The lost want to go to Heaven, but have no love for the God of Heaven. If they could go to Heaven without God, they would be perfectly content. Beloved, let me ask you,

Do you love God?
Do you want to see God?
Do you love God’s Law?
Is Jesus Christ precious to you?
Do you desire to know more of Him?

The Church up the street has on its sign, “Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds.” But is that of God? Phil Robertson (Duck Dynasty) recently went to be with Jesus. He said (and I paraphrase), “People say I have a narrow mind, that I’m narrow minded. But doesn’t Jesus say ‘the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life’ (Matthew 7:14, ESV). If the gate is narrow, my focus, my mind must be narrow.”

Pastor Greg Morse wrote:

“if {Pastors} preach cheap salvation — skipping conditions, muting warnings, and reducing salvation to etiquette and learning the lingo — they blur vital distinctions. Suddenly, everyone’s “on a Christian journey,” no matter the evidence to the contrary. And the church embraces “easy believism,” the idea that one can be saved without true repentance, real love for God, or a changed life. … Saints, don’t be satisfied with a cheap salvation, a shallow gospel, a false assurance.”

New Birth Not Only Changes How You View Jesus,
But How God Views You. You Are SANCTIFIED.

Jude 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father

Word Study: Those who are born again are SANCTIFIED by God the Father. The word rendered “SANCTIFIED” is the Greek hagiazō, which means “to set apart as consecrated or dedicated, to be marked or made holy, acceptable to God”. The same word is used in the Lord’s Prayer:

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be {hagiazō} thy name.

When you were born a son of man, God looked at you and saw a sinner. But when you received the Gospel of salvation, repenting and calling on Jesus, God’s view of you changed. You were born into the family of man. But NOW through the Holy Spirit you are born into the Kingdom of God. You used to walk in darkness. But God changed you. Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 6:11 (ESV) you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

And again,

Titus 3:3-7 (ESV) For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, SLAVES to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us RICHLY through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Father has declared us JUSTIFIED, righteous in His eyes because of our New Birth. We are not perfect, but we are being changed daily as we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

A Christian is not like the lost person – you have been SET APART by the Father because of the Blood of Christ. God does not love sin. God does not love the world. The Bible says:

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We are not to love the lost world. We are to shine in it. We are to do good in it. But we are NOT TO LOVE IT. Why? Because GOD DOES NOT LOVE THE WORLD. The Bible doesn’t say that. Do you know what the Bible says?

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

There is no phrase throughout all scripture that says “God LOVES the world”. No, Beloved. It is “God so LOVED {Greek Aorist Active Indicative of the verb agapaō} the world”. The Aorist Tense indicates that the action has happened, not that it is happening. How did God love the world? God sent His Only Begotten Son to the Cross of Calvary. People quote “God is love” and “God so loved the world” as if God loves the world as it is RIGHT NOW. Nothing is further from the truth. The Bible says:

Psalm 5:4-5 (NASB) For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.

Psalm 11:5 (ESV) The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

I’m sure you have all heard the phrase, “God loves the sinner, BUT hates the sin”. That statement is not Biblical, as I have shown you. God hates sin, and hates the sinner. But God LOVED (past time) all sinners by sending Christ to the Cross to pay for our sins. People read and misinterpret John 3:16, but it makes better sense if you read beyond John 3:16.

John 3:17-18 (KJV) For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The lost person who believes on and receives Jesus as Lord and Savior is moved from the “hated” category into the “loved” category. When you surrender to and fall in love with Jesus, the Father SANCTIFIES you, He separates you from the condemned and brings you into His family. Jesus tells us:

John 16:27-28 (KJV) For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. [28] I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

We were enemies of God when we were without Christ. But once we said “yes” to Jesus, and gave our lives to Him, the Father “sanctified” or set us apart from the world. He changes our status forever! The Scripture says:

Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us {speaking of the cross of Christ}, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with Him {with Jesus} and seated us with Him {with the Father} in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, the born again person is a new creature. We are raised with Christ. We are seated with the Father. We are eternally loved!

Most Christians do not fully grasp how fully blessed we are. We are not of the darkness. We are not mediocre. We are loved with an infinite love. Puritan Pastor John Owen wrote in his book Communion with God:

“The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him, is not to believe that He loves you.”

The Christian is a Child of God, loved eternally because we love Jesus, raised to sit in Heavenly places. Praise His holy Name. But Beloved, those who have rejected Christ are rejected themselves, condemned of God at this very moment. To die without Jesus is to incur the eternal condemnation and wrath of God.

Christian (If You Are Indeed One), You Are Preserved

Jude 1 … to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and PRESERVED in Jesus Christ….

Word Study: The word translated “PRESERVED” is the Greek tēreō, which means “to GUARD, to KEEP, to WATCH OVER, to KEEP ONE IN THE STATE that he is in, without change”. Those who love Jesus will heed Jesus, and serve Jesus. Jesus said:

John 14:21, 23-24 (KJV)He that hath My commandments, and keepeth {tēreō} them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. … [23] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep {tēreō} My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [24] He that loveth me not keepeth {tēreō} not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.

John 15:10 (KJV) If ye keep {tēreō} My commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept {tēreō} my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

Jesus watches over and guards those who are His. He is the “Good Shepherd” Who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). As a “Good Shepherd”, Jesus knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him (John 10:14). He watches over us with an infinite love. We are children of the Family of God. Jesus guards us.

Do we sometimes sin? Yes, sometimes. But if we sin and do not repent then, as a good Father will do, God will punish us.

Hebrews 12:5-8 (NKJV) And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; [6] For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” [7] If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? [8] But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

There are many who are illegitimate pretenders to Christianity. They walk in darkness, not in light. To them, sin is not an aberration, but a pleasurable way of life. Some have titles, like “Pastor”, “Elder”, “Deacon”, “Bishop”. They are hypocrites. I recently heard of Michael Tait, the famous lead singer of “The Newsboys”. The band became famous through the movie “God’s Not Dead”. I read with horror how Tait was complicit in enticing other people into Cocaine and Alcohol Parties, and even went so far as to move into sexual perversion with men and women he drugged. This has been going on for YEARS, and the band knew it, but hid it from public view until now.

A child of God cannot sin and walk in darkness without the punishing hand of God falling on them. Be sure, your sin will find you out! The same is true of other so called “great men of God” who fell into sin, and brought disgrace to the Church of Christ. Those who belong to God will be redeemed, even from heinous sins. Remember King David, Uriah, and Bathsheba. But remember that David not only lost his firstborn son, but his actions brought a permanent curse to his family.

**The Good Shepherd carries both a rod to discipline, and a staff to guide. If you are Christ’s, you WILL follow Christ.**

Jude 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Word Study: Let us not forget that you are “SANCTIFIED” by the Father, and “PRESERVED” by the Son. But there is one other thing that is true. YOU ARE “CALLED”. The word translated “CALLED” is the Greek klētos, which means “to be under divine selection and appointment”. God “calls” every Christian to a unique place of service. The Apostle Paul was “CALLED to be an Apostle” (Romans 1:1), but he quickly points out to the Church

Romans 1:6 (KJV) Among whom are ye also the CALLED {klētos} of Jesus Christ:

Your calling is not to live in selfishness, but to honor the God Who saved you.

Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the CALLED {klētos} according to [his] purpose.

Let us live our lives to glorify the Lord Who saved us. Let us be LIGHT, and not darkness. Let us shine to glorify Him. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalms 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

The thief of LEGALISM robs God of His glory by making salvation of us and not of Christ. The thief of LIBERALISM comes whispering that Christ died to give you entrance to Heaven – even though you still live as if you are a twofold child of hell! The thief of LICENTIOUSNESS mocks God by telling us we are saved so we can freely ignore the Word of God.

We are called to serve our Savior, to walk with Him in the light of God. “Open Doors. Open Hearts. Open Minds” is a satanic counterfeit. You are called to serve Jesus, even if the whole world hates you!

Colossians 3:1-8 (KJV) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. {2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. {4} When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. {5} Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: {6} For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: {7} In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. {8} But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Sheep follow the Shepherd. He gave Himself for us, so we who are His give ourselves to Him! I close with this. Pastor W.A. Criswell said:

“One time I looked through a magazine and followed a series of pictures of one of the saddest stories that one could imagine. The first picture was of a vast wheat field in Western Kansas. The second picture was of the distress of the mother who was in a farmhouse in the middle of the wheat field. She had a small boy who had somehow wandered away from the house and into the wheat field. She could not find him, so she called for her husband, and together they searched for the lad. They finally called for the neighbors, who all began looking … they could not find him. The next picture depicted all of the people who heard of that little boy being lost, joining hands in a great sweep as they said, “Let us join hands and let us go through this wheat field … until we find that little boy.” The last picture would break one’s heart. It was a picture of the father standing over the body of his little boy. … Underneath the picture were the words, “Oh God, that we had joined hands before!”

If you are His, get out of the world, and into His will. May Jesus Christ touch your hearts with His Word. Amen.