Dr. Mike Jones

Q: In your summation, what would be the final ‘key word’ that the church should address at this time?

[Part Seven]

Q: Dr. Mike, in your teaching series of the “End Time,” You have given us critical understanding of what’s to happen. In your summation, what would be the final ‘key word’ that the church should address at this time?

 A: It’s amazing that you asked that! One Sunday per month (God willing), my wife and I meet over brunch with a group of senior church leaders from around the region, to fellowship and to discuss current issues surrounding the local church. And the one word that surfaced, during the discussions, and resurfaced, recently when I was asked by a couple of other ministry friends, is “APOSTASY!”

Instead of writing a brief overview of what the word ‘apostasy’ means, I will share a few of my notes, from the [mini] verse-by-verse commentary that I’m completing this month, on the one chapter New Testament book – The Epistle of Jude.

Jude is the 4th shortest Epistle behind Philemon, and 2nd and 3rd Epistles of John; however, the 25 verses that make up the book are devoted exclusively to confronting “apostasy” which means turning from the true, biblical faith.

He wrote to condemn the apostates and to urge believers to contend for the faith. As we break down the verses, the main point that we will see in Jude, is that he calls for the church to become more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to stand FIRM in defense of biblical truth.

(Read verses 1-3. Concentrate on verse 3):

(I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to content earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints). Here we see that Jude intended to write a letter on salvation, which is a blessing enjoyed by all believers. He wanted to emphasize the unity and fellowship amongst believers: that God is the same yesterday/today/forever. But he was compelled to write to sound the battle cry to the church; because false teachers were beginning to infiltrate the church.

While ‘true’ born again believers, meaning, those who were faithful to daily searching scripture, spending quality time before the Lord, and being led by the Spirit-filled life, weren’t in jeopardy of losing their salvation; Jude was concerned about false teachers who were preaching/teaching, but living out a counterfeit gospel in the midst of those who were babes in faith and new to the true gospel.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 16:17-18, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause division and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech, deceive the heart of the simple.”

[A minister friend sent me a video clip from one of Oprah’s TV Shows. Many know that she was raised a Baptist; but somewhere, between the knowledge she gleamed from the church and present day, she’s in the same belief system as the New Age Movement: that belief system promotes that there are many ways to be enlighten and they all lead to the same Light –and whether you decide to call him God or Rahman (one of the names of God in Islam). She had several people on stage with her, debating people in the audience, that had a firm belief in Jesus being the ONLY WAY to the Father! Of course they consider the ‘Jesus only’ group as being intolerable and narrow-minded.]

This is the reason, Jude urges us to wage war against all forms of biblical error. We are to fight the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ, that leads to eternal life. We are encouraged by Jude to be discerning enough to sort out error. The Bible interprets itself. It doesn’t need anyone editing it. Revelation 22:18 states, “If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plaques that are written in this book.”

Biblical scholars have noted that it is more so critical now, than ever, that all true believers pray that they will not be deceived in this End Time, and that they do what Jude commanded, and that is to, “Exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints!”

This excerpt was taken from the verse-by-verse commentary on The Epistle of Jude.