I Fought the Law and the Law Won

So what's the deal with the law anyway?

That's the question Paul begins answering in verses 19-20.  He's working hard to surgically remove the spiritual shrapnel among the Galatian church left from the attack by the Judaizers.  

They've convinced these believers that Jesus saves but it's up to each of us to work like crazy to maintain our salvation by religious rule-keeping.  

He's flipped through the pages of the OT to disprove this idea while explaining that God has always said, "The righteous shall live by faith" (Gal 3:11; Hab 2:4).

So what's the deal with the law?  That's the obvious question at this point.  If God's promise to Abraham is not voided by God's law that came some 430 years later, then what's its purpose (Gal 3:17-18)?  

Paul addresses the 800 pound gorilla in the room: So what's the deal with the law anyway?  "Why then the law?" (v19).  Let's be clear what "law" he's talking about.  This is the law that God gave Moses at Mt. Sinai after God freed His people from slavery in Egypt (Ex 19-31).  

If you're scoring along at home, that's not just Ten Commandments but 613 laws Yahweh gave His people after busting them out of Egypt.  All they had to do was obey them perfectly and everything was peachy.

But there was just one small problem.  God's standard is perfection.  God's standard is absolutely impossible.  

You see, God didn't give His law to save.  God gave His law in order to reveal just how jacked up we are.  Paul says it this way: "It (the law) was added because of transgressions" (v19).  

Yahweh handed the law to us through Moses to reveal our sin, our inability to save ourselves and our desperate need for a Savior.  

God gives us the law as a wall that we slam into.  The very moment we try to save ourselves through obeying the list, we quickly realize that we've brought a toothpick to a knife fight.  We would have better luck trying to reach the moon with a step stool.  It's just not possible.

I soon find out that when I attempt to follow the law, I'm actually fighting the law.  It surrounds me.  Everywhere I turn, the law never stops its unending attack on me.  The fight is pointless.  I fought the law and the law won.  And it does so EVERY time.  

So again it forces us to ask, "What's the deal with the law?"  The apostle tells us that the law "was added because of transgressions" (v19).  

I think Matt Chandler explains this incredibly well.  He says the law is simply a diagnostic tool.  It's like an x-ray, MRI, CT scan or ultrasound machine.  All it does is reveal our desperate condition.  

No matter how many times we go back for another diagnostic test, these miraculous medical tools don't heal.  They simply disclose the disease.  

God gives us the law so that we can understand there is only one cure: Jesus Christ.  That's Paul's point in both Romans 7 and 1 Timothy 1:8-11.  The law is good.  We're the problem.

For those who think that Jesus ignored the law or softened the law, you may want to crack open the Gospels.  Ever tried to obey the Sermon on the Mount?  Sheesh!  

Christ takes the OT law and lets us know that God's impossible standard is even higher than we've ever imagined.  Jesus didn't ignore the law.  It reminds me of the company in the commercial that doesn't make anything, they just make it better.  

I fought the law and the law won.  And it wins EVERY time.

Paul goes on to say that God gave us this diagnostic device called the law "until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made" (v19).  

He's clued us in earlier that this "offspring" is actually Jesus (Gal 3:16).  And God made His promise to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:2-3).  In other words, the Jewish people.  

Jesus came first to the Jews to then offer God's salvation to the entire world (Gal 3:7-9; Gen 22:18).  Remember, the majority of believers in Galatia aren't Jewish.  

They need to know they don't have to become Jewish in order to follow Christ.  That's what the false teachers have told them.

The apostle uses the phrase "the promise was made" (v19).  This is the verb επαγγελλω/epangello.  It's the verb form of the noun επαγγαλια/epangelia, which means promise or pledge.  

Paul uses both of these words a total of eleven times in this short letter.  Nine of those occurrences are in chapter three.  

What's this promise?  Glad you asked.  The Gospel.  Jesus.  God fulfills EVERYTHING in Him!

Paul pulls back the divine curtain just a bit to let us know that the law "was put in place through angels and by an intermediary" (v19).  

A couple of different times we read in Scripture that angelic messengers play a role in delivering God's Word (Acts 7:53; Heb 2:2).  But that's about all the info we get.

The intermediary he writes about is undoubtedly Moses.  The Israelites wanted know part of any face-to-face contact with an awesome God.  They begged the Mighty Mo to do it for them (Ex 20:19; Dt 5:5).

The meaning behind verse 20 is a little murky.  "Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one."  Most likely it refers to God's role as both the initiator of the covenant promise to Abraham as well as the ratifier.  It describes God's grace to us.  

There was absolutely nothing Abe did to instigate such a promise, ratify such a promise or keep such a promise.  It was only through the sovereign and amazing grace of God.

In the end, Paul lets us know that God gave us His law to break us, not to save us.  It's a diagnostic tool.  Not a therapeutic treatment.  Only Jesus saves.  Only Jesus heals.

I can fight the law, but the law wins.  EVERY time.

©2012 

Jay Jennings

The Original Rolling Stone

Rock and Roll History

It was 1962 when Mick Jagger and the boys started it up back in London and formed the Rolling Stones. They would make rock and roll history. But a couple of thousand years before that, an angel rolled a rock that changed all of history. 

In a Jerusalem cemetery, a heavenly messenger was the opening act on the opening day of the Gospel’s non-stop world tour. 

This angel sat on the original rolling stone. No, I’m not talking about Keith Richards. Keith may look old, but he’s not THAT old!

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the story, allow me to give you a little background. 

A radical Rabbi/Carpenter named Jesus rolled out of the Galilean boondocks and rocked the worlds of both Roman authorities and Jewish religious leaders. 

Despite hating each other, these groups teamed up to take down this troublemaker. 

Using a mole inside His organization, they were able to arrest Jesus one late night in an scene like something out of “Zero Dark Thirty.” A quick series of illegal trials led to His torture and execution on Friday. 

They thought once this alleged Messiah was dead and buried, His followers would scatter and no longer be a thorn in their side.

A Pair of Marys

But there was just one little problem with their plan. It began early on Sunday morning. 

We pick up the story as told by a former tax collector named Levi who now goes by Matthew (Mt 28:1-10). With the sun just about to hit the horizon, we see a couple of women headed toward Jesus’ tomb. 

It’s “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” (v1). If you’re wondering, her last name isn’t Magdalene. That’s actually where she’s from. 

Magdala is a little fishing village on the shores of a big lake called the Sea of Galilee. That’s just 22 miles from Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth and only six miles from His ministry headquarters in Capernaum.

These two Galilean peasants met a couple of years back. Dr. Luke describes how Christ performed a miraculous exorcism on Mary and drove out seven demonic spirits that tormented her (Lk 8:5). She was just one of several ladies who had been part of Jesus’ posse. 

Did you realize His traveling party included more than the dozen dudes we call disciples? Mary Magdalene and her female friends probably kept the belching, spitting, and scratching to a minimum for these blue collar boys.

We’re not exactly sure about the identity of “the other Mary” (v1). Including her friend from Magdala, there are a grand total of SIX women named Mary in the NT. It was a common name then. It’s a common name today. 

Chances are this is “Mary the mother of James and Joseph” who Matt mentions as one of the ladies who witnessing Christ’s crucifixion (Mt 27:56). She may very well be the mom of “James the son of Alphaeus” (Mt 10:2; Mk 14:40), one of Jesus’ disciples.

Taking Roll on Resurrection Day

Now before you think these are the only two people present that morning, you may want to check out what Jesus’ other biographers have to say. According to Mark, the two Marys are joined by Salome (Mk 16:1). 

Luke mentions “Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them” (Lk 24:10). 

And John describes specifically only Mary from Magdala making the early morning visit, but don’t miss how she says “we” when describing who’s there (Jn 20:1-2).

Before you get all hot and bothered about the differences in the four stories, just slow your roll. Just because the various authors don’t seem to agree on who was there, it doesn’t mean they contradict each other. 

As J. Warner Wallace points out, “All the authors speak of a group and some authors identify specific members of this group base on their personal perspective, purposes, and audience.” 

This is less about how many people were outside the tomb and more about how many were inside it. And if you’re scoring along at home, the number inside is a big, fat zero.

He’s Not Here!

The two Marys in Matthew’s account arrive at the grave to see something they never expected. “An angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it” (v2). 

The heavenly messenger broke the quiet silence of the cemetery when he shoved the boulder from in front of Jesus’ tomb. It caused a “great earthquake” (v2). 

The rumbling was wild enough to freak out the Roman soldiers Pilate assigned as a guard detail (v4).

Dressed in the brightest white, the angel has some breaking news for the women. “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said” (v5-6). If you’re looking for Jesus, you’re in the wrong place. 

One of the places suspected to be Christ’s burial place in Jerusalem is the Garden Tomb. If you stop by there today, you’ll see a sign with the same message. “He is not here. For He is risen.” 

In other words, He’s STILL not here! He is STILL risen!!

Come and See, Go and Tell

Instead telling the ladies to beat feet, the angel has some interesting instructions for them. “Come and see the play where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead” (v6-7). 

Come on into the tomb. See with your own eyes that nobody’s in there. Then get going so you can tell the rest of Jesus’ followers all about it.

Come and see. Go and tell. And that’s exactly what they did. They came and saw. They went and told. 

“So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples” (v8). 

Fear. What the women saw (or should I say what they DIDN’T see!) totally wigged them out. 

Great joy. But their excitement totally overwhelmed any worries they had about the big news from the graveyard. 

Are you afraid and panicked about telling others about Jesus? That’s okay. So were the two Marys. Let your delight and joy overwhelm that fear.

Worshiping Jesus

If all of that isn’t wild enough, Matt adds one other spectacular scene to this early morning visit. While the ladies were running out of the graveyard, guess who they ran into. “And behold, Jesus met them” (v9). Yes, THAT Jesus! The RISEN Jesus!! Fresh-out-of-the-empty-tomb Jesus! 

It probably comes as no surprise that the women immediately grabbed hold of Him. They “took hold of His feet and worshiped Him” (v9). 

Don’t miss the fact that they worshiped the resurrected Rabbi. As Jews, they knew only God deserves their worship. It’s the very first thing He lists in His original Top Ten (Ex 20:3). 

If they had any doubt before, the ladies have none now. Jesus is God.

It’s at this point that Christ reinforces the instructions of the angel sitting on the stone. “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me” (Mt 28:10). 

Go and tell. Make sure you spread the word. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive! 

Come and See for Yourself

We’re still doing that today. Come and see. Go and tell. 

Come and see for yourself who Jesus is and what He has done. Investigate His claims for yourself. 

Don’t take my word for it. If you honestly look for the truth of Christ, you’ll find it. 

After that, go and tell. Will you be just a little afraid? Probably. But let the incredible joy of what He’s done for you overwhelm your fear. Spread the word.

Come and see. Go and tell.

So what are you waiting for? Tell everyone the story of the original rolling stone.

©2016
Jay Jennings

Prejudice and Playing Favorites

“In the presence of God and of Christ and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (1Tim 5:21).

For some defendants, the trial seems like a formality. Sometimes it appears to be an open and shut case. To make matters worse, the accused LOOKS guilty. For Pete’s sake, the TV newscast has them walking in slow motion!! A slo-mow perp walk is a sure sign of guilt!! 

Then you have those defendants who simply couldn’t have done it. Maybe they’re your neighbor or your friend or local celebrity. How could anybody charge such a nice looking guy or sweet older lady with such a horrible crime?

Sometimes our preconceptions corrupt the process. That is Paul’s warning to his protege Timothy. He’s laying out the procedure Tim should follow when the church investigates its leaders. 

Don’t waste your time on frivolous accusations against an elder. You’re gonna need at least two, hopefully three witnesses (1Tim 5:19). If a leader takes repeated rides on the sin cycle, it’s time for a church-wide intervention, for the good of both the leader and the congregation (1Tim 5:20).

At this point, the apostle wants Pastor Tim to make sure that nobody jumps to conclusions before hearing the evidence. “In the presence of God and of Christ and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (v21). 

This is a big deal. A VERY big deal. Remember that the heavenly courtroom is also in session. Protect the process. Don’t railroad a leader just because you don’t like him. Don’t go easy on an elder simply because he’s popular. It’s no time for prejudice. This is no time to play favorites.

Having this process in place to investigate and discipline church leaders ahead of time is essential for any congregation. But it was a desperately needed tool Ephesian believers at the time Paul wrote this letter in 64 AD. 

This once shining model of cross-cultural ministry in the metropolitan melting pot of Ephesus has become a total hot mess. Spiritual hucksters sold the followers of Jesus a load of theological snake oil involving goofy myths and doctrine that was downright demonic (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3).

When God sends the man from Tarsus on a mission trip to Macedonia, Paul hands Tim the broom of reform in a letter we know as 1 Timothy. Get folks praying again (1Tim 2:1-8). Find new leaders known for their godliness and integrity rather than their love of the spotlight (1Tim 3:1-13). 

Focus your teaching on God’s goodness and His gracious Gospel (1Tim 1:12-17; 4:3-4). Tim is to personally lead by example and lean into his teaching gift (1Tim 4:6-16). The apostle even provides guidelines for Gospel style assisted living (1Tim 5:3-16). You know, this is probably not a bad list to keep handy for any church in any century.

With Ephesian reform well underway, Paul lets Tim know the gravity of what’s at stake when investigating charges against an elder. First and foremost, we need to remember that this is being done “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels” (v21). In other words, there’s a whole lot more going on here than a church wide business meeting. The heavenly court is also in session.

If you’re like me, you may be scratching your noggin on his inclusion of “the elect angels” (v20). I mean, the first Two here really need no introduction at this point. Father God and His one and only Son. But who in the world are the “elect angels” (v20)? They are probably those angelic beings who remained loyal to God during Satan’s ill-fated civil war (Is 14:12-15; Ezek 28:11-19). 

Lucifer convinced a significant portion of God’s angel army to join him in his attempt to overthrow God. He lost and lost badly. Just to be clear, poking your finger in the chest of Almighty God is NEVER a good idea.

As a result, Yahweh booted the devil and his demons out of heaven. Those loyal angels who remain are the “elect angels” (v21). God chose them to stay due to their allegiance during the coup. According the ESV Study Bible, Paul probably includes the angels here because of their role in the final judgment (Mt 25:31; Lk 9:26; Rev 14:10).

Once we realize the heavenly courtroom is part of these proceedings, Paul goes on to write, “I charge you” (v21). Be sure, he’s NOT accusing Tim of a crime. He uses a Greek word (Gr. diamarturomai) that means to declare something solemnly and emphatically. In other words, the apostle is earnestly asking. 

Three other times in his two letters to Timothy, the apostle uses this very same term to get the young pastor’s undivided attention (1Tim 6:13; 2Tim 2:14; 4:1-2). Listen up and listen good. What he’s about to say is incredibly important.

So what’s the bottom line? Just who are these angels and what election did they win? I wouldn’t waste much time trying to figure out why Paul included the angels. Their identity isn’t the apostle’s point. Let’s not major in the minors and miss the main thing. The apostle wants Tim and everyone else who reads this to know he means business. Everybody pay attention. Don’t miss this. Get it? Got it? Good.

Now that we understanding the weight of what’s at stake, Tim is to “keep the rules” when it comes to church leadership. We must protect the process. That means honoring elders for leading well, especially as teachers (1Tim 5:17-18). Ignoring baseless charges against them (1Tim 5:19). 

When the investigation turns up something, pursuing discipline against them for the good of the leader and the good of the church (1Tim 5:20). In other words, don’t let any prejudice or partiality derail the process. This is no time to play favorites. There’s too much at stake.

But let’s not make the mistake of using the rules in the wrong way or for the wrong reasons. They are not in place to ruthlessly run roughshod over those who get in your way. God gives us guidelines to guard His flock, not to use as a weapon. And these processes don’t take precedence over people. 

Remember Jesus’ answer when someone asked which rules are the most important? Love God and love people (Mt 22:36-40; Mk 12:28-31). “Love God and love procedure,” said our Savior never. People ALWAYS trump process.

We protect people who are in this process is by doing it “without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (v21). You don’t railroad and you don’t play favorites. On one hand, we proceed without prejudice. Don’t jump to conclusions of guilt on anyone just because someone tells you they’ve dug up some dirt. 

That’s especially the case when it comes to an elder or pastor. They’re NOT guilty just because there’s an inquiry. Don’t railroad the accused. Let the investigation run it’s course. The truth will come out.

Likewise, we must also make sure we’re “doing nothing from partiality” (v21). This is when we’re inclined to be nice to someone for some reason other than the evidence. Maybe they’re your buddy. Maybe they’re your neighbor. Maybe they’re cute. Maybe they’re famous. Maybe they’re rich. Maybe they’re successful. Maybe they look like you. Whatever the case, don’t play favorites.

Let’s face the facts. Nobody loves church discipline. (And if you do, you REALLY need to get some counseling! Do not pass “go.” Do not collect $200.) And the stickiest and messiest kind of church discipline involves a pastor or an elder. When it does happen, let’s proceed with extreme caution. 

Make sure the pendulum doesn’t swing too far one way or the other. Or as the Message paraphrases the apostle, “God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides” (v21 The Message).

There's a bigger biblical principle at play here as well. First of all, we need to keep prejudice and favoritism far away the entire leadership process. If someone is biblically qualified, there's nothing else that should eliminate them from consideration. Not race. Not neighborhood. Not income. Not education level. Not political party. In the same way, none of these should ever be factors working in someone's favor to be an elder.

Protect the process. Don’t railroad a leader just because you don’t like him. Don’t go easy on an elder simply because he’s popular. This is no time for prejudice. It’s no time to play favorites. Don't bring that stuff in here.

The Hall of Famer

“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (v14-15).

Back in 1939, baseball chose the first group of players for induction into the hall of fame. It was quite a list. By order of votes, the first class was Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. Yeah, that’s right, the Babe was SECOND! Well, you might be surprised who was the second inductee into God’s hall of fame of faith. The author of Hebrews lists the folks who trusted in the goodness and greatness of God (Heb 11). Who’s number two on the list? Enoch (Heb 11:5). Right behind Adam’s kid Seth. Long before the Flood, the Red Sea, and the Cross, the Big E had something very important to say about how God will deal with those who reject Him. When a hall of famer has something to say, you listen. When a member of the hall of fame’s first class has something to say, you grab a pen and write it down! 

As Jude writes his warning against first century religious hucksters, he reminds us of what Enoch had to say. One day the Lord will return with an army of countless thousands and deal with everyone who rejects Him. “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (v14-15). The Big E hit seventh in the generational batting order according to Genesis 5:1-24. Talk about “back in the day!” Thousands of years before Jesus arrived, God pulled back the curtain and gave Methuselah’s dad a look at how it was all going to go down. God wins. Evil loses. Good night. Game over. Drive home safely.

Enoch doesn’t get a lot of ink compared to other members of the faith hall of fame. Abraham. Moses. Joseph. These are the real heavy hitters of the OT! But check out Enoch’s credentials. The writer of Genesis tells us, “Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Gen 5:22-24). The author doesn’t want us to miss the fact that ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD! Talk about a personal relationship with the Lord!!! He was such close friends with God that he never died. “God took him.” He just beamed Enoch up. No death. No funeral. No graveside service. And in case you think that’s not how it happened, the writer of Hebrews makes it perfectly clear on the Big E’s hall of fame plaque. “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God” (Heb 11:5). You don’t hear about that on the news very often.

What was the source of Enoch’s deep friendship with God? Faith. He had complete and utter trust in His goodness and His power. The Big E may not have known what would happen down the road but he had an unwavering faith in the One he was walking with. This is who Jude is quoting. When a member of the hall of fame’s first class has something to say, you grab a pen and write it down!

At this point, Jude quotes Enoch. You can look all through Genesis, as a matter of fact, you can search the entire Bible and never see this hall of famer saying anything. That’s because Jesus’ little brother grabs a quote from something called the Book of Enoch. Yeah, that’s not in the Bible either. It doesn’t mean that Jude is putting his stamp of approval on it, saying it should be included. Under the guidance of God’s Spirit, he’s letting us know that this particular quote certainly should be. Thought you’d want to know before you head over to Barnes and Noble to pick up your personal copy of Enoch.

We find out another important piece of Enoch’s resume. He’s a prophet. Or at least once in his 365 years he shares a message directly from God. Methuselah’s dad had a very important prophecy. And it was all about Jude’s big Brother Jesus. “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (v14-15). Christ Jesus will show up with angelic backup to deal with the ungodly. 

Don’t miss the big idea that both Jude and Enoch are telling us. “The Lord comes” (v14). Jesus is on His way back. He promised His crew of apostles that He wasn’t finished and would return. Over and over and over, the Rabbi/Carpenter told His Twelve that He was coming back one day (Lk 9:26; Mt 24:36-42; Lk 21:34-36). We can’t circle a date on our calendar and know for sure, but we can be certain that He IS coming back! Don’t forget the words of the two angels of were there at the Son of God’s spectacular lift off back home to heaven. “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Jesus is coming back. He has a spectacular encore like you’ve never seen before.

When Christ makes that incredible comeback, He’s coming by Himself. He’ll have “ten thousands of His holy ones” (v14). Not ten thousand. We’re talking tens of thousands. Jesus told His boys that He would lead His massive angel army against evil one day. “For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father and then He will repay each person according to what he has done” (Mt 16:27). Think about that for just a minute. John says Jesus will be horseback with eyes flaming like fire. He’ll be wearing a crown and a robe dripping with blood as well as a tattoo on His thigh that reads “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:11-16). If that’s not intimidating enough, He’s leading a countless force of supernatural soldiers. Tens of thousands. This makes D-Day look like a day at the beach. 

Jesus is coming back dealing with those who have spent their entire lives giving God the Heisman. He’s going to judge and convict the ungodly. Four times we see some form of the word ungodly (Gr. asebes) in verse 15. It describes someone who is absolutely destitute of reverential awe towards God. Wicked. Irreverent. Godless. Before you get all “rah rah” about Jesus not only killing them all and sorting them out, remember who He came to die for in the first place. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (Gr. asebes)” (Rom 5:6). Yeah, we hadn’t done a dad-blamed thing to deserve a Savior when He gave Himself for us on a Roman cross. So before we get cocky about the Second Coming, let’s remember that without placing our faith in Jesus, we would be on the receiving end of the heavenly assault.

Before Jesus rolls up His sleeve and gets involved in our lives, we’re ALL ungodly. The ungodly are all He has to work with (Rom 3:10-11, 23).  The ungodly are EXACTLY the people Jesus died to save (Rom 5:6). If you’re a follower of Christ, that’s YOU! That’s ME! But if we reject who He is and what He’s done that we could never do for ourselves, we remain ungodly. Eventually, Jesus is coming back to judge the ungodly who continue to shove Him away. We’re all ungodly. We either admit that we are and accept His amazing offer of salvation or we face the consequences of rejecting Him. That’s what hall of famer Enoch is letting us know.

Ancient Arch Rivals

“But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you’” (v9).

Duke and Carolina. The Yankees and Red Sox. Frazier and Ali. Every one of these is a bitter rivalry. But they don’t hold a candle to the supernatural showdowns between the archangel Michael and Satan. These two squared off more than once for epic knockdown-dragout slobberknockers. Just how big? Let’s just say they were of biblical proportions. Jesus’ kid brother looks back on these ancient rivals and reminds us that the lead dog of the angels kept his battles in perspective. He didn’t take it personally. Michael knew he was on assignment. Michael knew he was representing God.

Let’s get a couple of things straight right out of the chute. First of all, don’t forget the whole reason Jude is writing his short but power-packed epistle. It seems a posse of false teachers have weaseled their way into local churches with a corrosive message (Jude 4). The author sounds the alarm and reassures us that His big Brother has our back (Jude 24). He compares these con artists to three infamous examples from the OT: the rebellious Israelites (Num 14:22-23, 29-30, 35,37; Jude 5), the renegade angels (Gen 6:1-5; Ezek 28:14-17; Jude 6), and the Twin Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:20-33; 19:1-14, 23-28; Jude 7). The false teachers execute their three point plan to perfection (Jude 8). Sexual sin. Authority rejected. Dignitaries dissed.

The second point is about this specific showdown between Michael and the devil. We don’t know exactly when and where this went down. As a matter of fact, we don’t know much beyond what Jude jots down here. It has something to do with Moses’ body. The Big Mo died on Mt. Nebo just after seeing the Promised Land. He and God were so close that the Almighty personally attended to his buddy’s funeral arrangements (Dt 34:6). Apparently there was some sort of metaphysical cage match between the archangel and the Prince of Lies around that time. Honestly, that’s about all we know. 

Jude wants us to know that the mighty Mike never loses his perspective when it he dukes it out with the devil. He always remembers his position. He always remembers that he’s a soldier in the army of the Lord. He never talks smack to his evil opponent. Let’s face it, if there’s never been a being that deserved it more. Our author calls him by the Greek word diabolos. He’s diabolical. It literally means false accuser, slanderer, or liar. One look at this name let’s us know that Satan certainly never keeps his demonic trap shut when it comes to talking trash. He lies. He accuses. He slanders. It’s part of his game. 

Michael doesn’t stoop to name calling. He doesn’t get dragged down to the devil’s level. While Satan lets the smack fly, the archangel does not “pronounce a blasphemous judgment” (v9) back at his enemy. Check out how some of the other translations describe this same phrase. He “durst not bring against him a railing accusation” (KJV). “He did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander” (NRS). He “did not dare to bring up an evil-speaking judgment” (YLT). He “did not dare accuse Satan of blasphemy” (NLT). One way to translate this from the original language is, “he did not take it upon himself to bring a charge of blasphemy” against the devil. 

The mighty Mike provides us with a great example of how we’re to deal with the evil one. Remember, this is in contrast to the false teachers who “blaspheme the glorious ones” (Jude 8). Jude is NOT saying that Satan should be worshiped for his glory. What he is saying is that we need to remember something that the spiritual hucksters failed to do. One, the devil is an angel. A fallen angel, for sure. But an angel. These supernatural beings are fearsome. One look at one of these heavenly warriors would send us to our knees in terror. Jesus and His army have whooped Satan and his rebellious horde once and for all. But we need to be careful if and when we ever have some sort of demonic showdown. Let’s simply follow Michael’s lead. Let Christ’s words be enough, “The Lord rebuke you” (v9). 

Michael and Satan have, shall we say, a history. Their rivalry goes way back. When God appeared to Daniel on a Persian riverbank, He told the prophet how Mike was “one of the chief princes, came to help Me” as God did battle against the prince of demons (Dan 10:13). Yahweh tells Daniel that when it comes to fighting the evil one, Michael is a rock star. “There is none who contends by My side against these except Michael, your prince” (Dan 10:21). Later, God reveals to Dan that the archangel will play the role of personal bodyguard over His people during God’s grand finale (Dan 12:1). Jesus pulls back the heavenly curtain to show the Apostle John how Michael played a key role in tossing Satan’s sorry carcass out of heaven after defeating the dragon-lead rebellion (Rev 12:7). So yeah, they have a history.

Despite their epic and bitter rivalry, don’t miss two important points. First of all, Michael never lost. The archangel was a perfect 3-0 according to the Bible. It doesn’t mean these weren’t brutal throw-downs. But Satan never came out on top. Ever. And Jesus makes sure that His number one general will never lose. Ever. Second, the mighty Mike clearly understood Whom he was fighting for. These are actually God’s battles. These are actually God’s victories. Eugene Peterson captures the essence of this verse in his paraphrase. “The Archangel Michael, who went to the mat with the Devil as they fought over the body of Moses, wouldn’t have dared level him with a blasphemous curse, but said simply, ‘No you don’t. God will take care of you!’” (v9 The Message). And did He ever.

The Terrible Triple Crown

“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones” (v8).

Baseball has the Triple Crown. That’s when a player leads his league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Horse racing has a Triple Crown. A thoroughbred must win the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness. Both are historic achievements. Both are rare. But Jude tells us that there’s another Triple Crown. An unholy Triple Crown. A team of false teachers have pulled off the sinful big three. They defile the flesh. They reject authority. They slander VIPs. This is one Triple Crown you never want to win. Ever.

Jesus’ kid brother is sending out an all points bulletin for believers to be on the lookout for a posse spiritual hucksters. They’re traveling from city to city, weaseling their way into local churches, and then destroying them from the inside out with their deceptive message (Jude 4). He flips back to the Old Testament and compares them to three different bad examples. Jude makes the side-by-side comparison when he writes, “Yet in like manner these people also” (v8). The false teachers are just like Jude’s OT examples of the rebellious Israelites (Num 14:22-23, 29-30, 35,37; Jude 5), the renegade angels (Gen 6:1-5; Ezek 28:14-17; Jude 6), and the Twin Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:20-33; 19:1-14, 23-28; Jude 7). The hucksters’ sin is so historic that it can only be compared to previous Triple Crown winners.

So just where are these false teachers getting their whacked out lesson? Not some ancient manuscript. Not a certain spiritual guru. Not even the internet. These knuckleheads are “relying on their dreams” (v8). Okay, we’ve all had dreams that seemed real. But these dream weavers are have apparently based their entire message on stuff that they see after they put their heads on the pillow and close their eyes. That’s not to say that God can’t speak in and through dreams. Just ask folks like Jacob (Gen 28:12) and Joseph (Gen 37:6-7; 40:12-13; 40:25-36). But we need to be careful and make sure our dreams line up with God’s Word. He never contradicts Scripture. EVER. Relying simply on our dreams will end up being a nightmare.

By basing all of their teaching on their dreams, we see accomplish the first leg of the terrible Triple Crown. First of all, they “defile the flesh” (v8). These hucksters have no moral seat belt. As a result, they corrupt and contaminate their lives and those under their influence. This happens through sexual sin. Remember, Jude compares these bozos to the sinful citizens of the greater Sodom and Gomorrah metroplex. They have absolutely no restraint when it comes to sex. Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime. Marriage doesn’t matter. Gender goes out the door. Paul wrote to his protege Titus about some folks just like this on the island of Crete. “To the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works” (Titus 1:15-16). Here’s the deal. God is VERY pro-sex. Hey, He invented it! But He gives us guidelines for sexual intimacy to protect us from ourselves. These con artists run right through God’s sexual stop sign.

The false teachers knock off the second leg of the Triple Crown when they “reject authority” (v8). The Greek verb here (Gr. atheteo) actually means to set aside. They don’t believe anyone has the right to tell them what to do. Not you. Not me. Not Jude. Not even his big brother. A big part of the reason they give God a spiritual stiff arm is because He makes it very clear who we should sleep with. As a result, power can’t be trusted. Power must be rejected. They declare any authority outside of themselves as invalid and unworthy. They fight the power. That’s what we all do before coming to Christ. We do what we want. Nobody, but NOBODY is going to tell us what to do! That includes God. We see Him as cosmic killjoy. We think He’s holding out on us. That’s the lie our first parents believed when they listened to a satanic snake (Gen 3:4). What He’s really doing is protecting us from ourselves. The glorious irony that we only experience true joy and absolute freedom when we’re under His authority.

The spiritual infiltrators achieve the final portion of the Triple Crown when they “blaspheme the glorious ones” (v8). Because they laugh in the face of anyone in a position of power, they openly talk smack about dignitaries and VIPs. Jude gives us a clue as to the “glorious ones” in the very next verse. In describing the story of the Archangel Michael’s fight with Satan over Moses’ body (Jude 9), the author seems to be talking about angels. Despite being in a position of authority as top dog among all the angelic beings, Michael just delivers God’s message of judgment by announcing to the leader of the fallen angels, “The Lord rebuke you” (Jude 9). Mike simply delivers God’s mail. Doesn’t talk junk. Simply talks truth. Don’t run down anyone in authority, no matter who they are. Including angels.

The false teachers have executed their three point plan to perfection. Sexual sin. Authority rejected. Dignitaries dissed. I love what the Message says here. “This is exactly the same program of these latest infiltrators: dirty sex, rule and rulers thrown out, glory dragged in the mud” (v8, The Message). What these con artists have done is nothing new. As a matter of fact, they’ve used a pattern that’s historic. Historically sinful, that is. They’ve made history in the process. Add their names to the list of winners of this terrible Triple Crown.

Too Big for Your Britches

“And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, He has kept in eternal chains until the judgment of the great day” (v6).

Success is intoxicating. At some point, we start believing our own press. At some point, we begin to believe all of those great things people say about us. And why not? We’ve done some pretty sweet stuff. We get proud. We get cocky. As my grandma would say, we get too big for our britches. Jude lets us in on the fact that his big Brother had to deal with the same stuff. Not in Nazareth, but in heaven. There was a crew of angels that started believing their own press. And why not? They were hot stuff! They were fearsome, powerful beings that spent time serving the King of Kings. He would handpick them special assignments. The angels were His go-to guys. There’s only problem. One very BIG problem. They forgot who was really in charge. They certainly had authority. But they wanted more. In the end, Jesus handled it. He gave the rebel angels the boot from paradise, slapped them in cuffs, and tossed them in a holding cell until judgment day. These angels got too big for their britches. 

Let’s remember the entire reason Jude is jotting things down. He’s writing to fellow believers and warning them about a posse of spiritual hucksters invading local churches. They’ve infiltrated congregations and pervert the Good News into a you-can-do-anything-you-want-now card (Jude 4). For instance, wanna sleep around? Go for it. They go so far as to tell folks that Jesus isn’t in charge. They say He’s not our Master. He’s not our Lord. Jude’s purpose isn’t to give us a wanted poster so we can chuck these knuckleheads out the front door (that certainly doesn’t sound like such a bad idea!). What he’s doing is reassuring us that as our true Senior Pastor, Christ Jesus can and will handle it. Remember who Jesus is. Remember what He’s done for us. Keep our eyes on Him. Our job is to contend for the faith (Jude 3). Don’t worry so much about fighting AGAINST the false teachers. Contend FOR our faith in Jesus. Our Chief Shepherd will protect His flock. He’ll handle the pest control and rid the joint of these prowling wolves.

Jesus’ kid brother warns about the same ideas as Jesus’ number one apostle. Peter writes, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment…then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2Pet 2:4, 9-10). We’re not exactly sure of the connection between Jude and Peter, but they’re clearly singing from the same page of the hymnal. Jesus can handle folks when they get too big for their britches.

Folks get all hot and bothered trying to figure out exactly what sort of rebel uprising Jude’s talking about here. Is it that crazy story in Genesis where some sort of horrific sexual perversion was going down (Gen 6:1-5). Some people believe horny angels were jumping in the sack with the hottest chicks in town. Whatever it was, it was some pretty nasty stuff. It wasn’t long after that God decided to flush the toilet with the Great Flood and hit the reset button on His creation. Jude could be writing about that. Another possibility is Satan’s failed overthrow of God’s kingdom. Ezekiel pulls back the heavenly curtain for a moment on the day one of God’s personal bodyguard’s tried to seize power (Ezek 28:14-17). Jesus eventually quells the uprising and gives Satan the old heave ho from heaven. It could also be John’s version of the Archangel Michael kicking a little dragon tail (Rev 12:7-12). Mike whooped the devil and his evil rebel army and booted them out of the palace. In many ways, it really doesn’t matter which one he’s talking about. Each time, those angels certainly got too big for their britches. 

So just what do these rebel angels have to do with you and me? Glad you asked. You and I need to be very careful not to reject Jesus’ authority. He’s in charge. That’s what it means to be the Lord. When we see Jesus as Lord, we’re saying that we’ll do whatever He tells us to do. We can’t simply buy the fire insurance that He offers as our Savior. He’s the Lord. He’s the Boss. And our Lord calls us to submit to authority. To God. To others. To spouses. To the government. That’s because He’s ultimately in charge of everything. The big problem is that we want nothing to do with submitting to authority. We don’t like for anyone to tell us what to do. The rebel angels certainly didn’t. The false teachers certainly didn’t. Let’s be VERY careful. Let’s not get too big for our britches.

If God part one

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment” (v4).

The great theologian Dr. Phil likes to say, “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” Peter says that’s true of God. If you want to know how Almighty God will handle the lying teachers who have infiltrated local churches, just look back at how He dealt with evil in the past. This is the first of three “ifs” the apostle lists in verses 4-8. Pete flips back to Genesis for three examples of divine punishment of wickedness. Dr. Phil is right. If God came down hard of sin before, there’s every reason to think He’ll do it again with these spiritual hucksters. 

There’s nothing “iffy” about God’s judgment.

It’s probably a good idea to understand “if” as “since.” There’s no doubt these three things happened. “If God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell”…since He did! There’s no “if” when it comes to God dropping the hammer on the fallen angels. It happened before. It will happen again. Pete’s using an old teaching method of Jewish rabbis. He’s proving a big idea from a smaller fact. It’s kinda like those questions on the SAT. “If A is true and B is true and C is true, then D must be a stone cold, lead pipe lock.” The apostle pulls his three examples from the pages of the Bible’s first book. Fallen angels (Gen 6:1-6). The Great Flood (Gen 6:11-13). Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:1-29). Actually, verses 4-10 are one very long sentence. Pete drops three examples in 4-8 to prove his bid idea (God’s punishment of the lying teachers) in 9-10.

There’s nothing “iffy” about God’s judgment.

Let’s take a look at the first of the three “ifs.” “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned” (v4). This sure seems to be a direct reference to the time Satan led a rebel army of fallen angels in a coup against God’s authority. Almighty God quickly crushed the rebellion and booted these insurgent angels out of heaven (Heb 12:22; Rev 12:7-9). Ezekiel gives us some of the gory details of how Lucifer pulled the ultimate heel turn as the “signet of perfection” who eventually “sinned” because he thought he was such hot stuff (Ezek 28:15-19). But Satan and his unholy horde didn’t stop there. Genesis 6 tells us how they took demonic possession of human men in order to hook up with hot chicks (Gen 6:1-3). Jesus’ little brother Jude says God put His holy foot down, chained them up, tossed them into hell and turned off all the lights. “The angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, He has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6). Since God handled the angelic rebellion, we can count on Him to handle the false teachers.

There’s nothing “iffy” about God’s judgment.

The Lord certainly doesn’t look forward to bringing the pain. “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways” (Ezek 33:11). The one sure way to avoid God’s discipline is to repent. Do a 180. Turn from your sin. Turn to Jesus. He really hates the idea of sending us to hell. He’s given us the gift of repentance. Use it. Turn around. Turn around now! Pete hopes that the lying teachers who are tearing the church apart will spin from their sin and follow Jesus. You see, Christ is also proof that God must punish wickedness. The sinless Son of God took on our sin so that He could exchange it for His perfection (2Cor 5:21). God poured out His hot wrath on His Son for our sin (Is 53:4-12). We can either trust in what Jesus has done for us or be on the business end God’s judgment of our sin. It’s our choice. Choose wisely.

Because there’s nothing “iffy” about God’s judgment.