Standing Firm

 

THE LETTER OF JUDE

STANDING FIRM

Jude 5-7

5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

NIV

 

Jude uses a very popular way to remind his readers as to what happened and will happen to those who have gone astray and of those who will be led astray. We already know all this for we know the history and the future of those who did not and will not believe. However, Jude still relays this information to make the point. He tells of the Israelites having been in bondage in Egypt and how the Lord delivered them. This is certainly a picture of how we were once in bondage to sin, and the Lord delivered us. Jude goes on the tell us that later the Lord destroy those who did not believe. We know the story of them reaching the border of the Land of Promise and the twelve spies sent to check out the lay of the land. We know ten said there were giants in the land, while Joshua and Caleb said that they could still take the land, but the people refused to follow and God turned them back into the wilderness until they all died and then he brought their children back to the Land of Promise and they took it. Again, a picture to show us that we have been promised the Land, the new earth, and a new heaven, but we must stay the course, continue to believe, for if we doubt, God may well turn us back into the wilderness. Jude also tells of the angels who had it all, living in the presence of the Almighty, with authority, but because of their rebellion they left heaven and he keeps them in darkness bound with everlasting chains for judgment. It is interesting how many think the falling angels are now the demons, subjects of the devil. But, according to Jude, those angels are in everlasting chains in some dark place. Maybe that is a metaphor for being in bondage to evil as demons. However, it still appears they are lost forever. Another picture for us to grasp that we need to remain faithful to the end, to never leave our home here in Christ. Jude also uses what God did to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as an example of what he will do someday to the world that is full of the same sort of evil. What we know is that we do not want to suffer the eternal punishment of fire, but that we want to be in the resurrection to be with our Lord for all eternity. Therefore, we will stay the course, contend for the faith, fight to keep on the path of righteousness, remaining in Christ. We will fight, and of course, God has given us all the tools, all His armor so that we can take our stand against the forces of evil that would attempt to destroy us. When we have done everything, we will then stand firm until the end, for the battle has already been won.