Jude 1:12-13 - Homilies By T. Croskery

A vivid picture of the moral corruption of the ungodly seducers.

I. THEIR SELFISH AND SINFUL PERVERSION OF THE CHURCH 'S FELLOWSHIP . "These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves."

1 . They, like sunken rocks, wrecked those who unsuspectingly approached them.

2 . They mingled, without fear or misgiving, in the loving fellowships of the Church.

(a) It is not possible in this world entirely to separate the godly from the ungodly. It is impossible for ministers to read the hearts of men so surely as to keep a sharp line of distinction between believers and unbelievers. Yet the discipline of the Church ought to enforce a conformity to the terms of their profession.

(b) These seducers were unfit guests at a feast designed to commemorate the unity of the body of Christ and the brotherhood of all believers. "Who shall abide in thy tabernacle?"

3 . They feasted themselves luxuriously, regardless of the poor. Their conduct reminds one of the shepherds of Israel. "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel, that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flock?" ( Ezekiel 34:2 ).

II. THEIR EMPTINESS AND INSTABILITY . "Clouds without water, carried along by winds."

1 . Instead of being like clouds dropping refreshing rain upon the earth, they, as rainless clouds, while promising much, were profitless and disappointing to the hopes of the Church. They could not give what they had not, but they professed to have something to give. Their deluded followers "spent their money for that which was not bread, and their labour for that which satisfied not." When people are athirst for God—" the heart punting for the water-brooks"—it is hard to find no water at hand to satisfy the soul. Yet the Lord says, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." It is a great sin to profess a goodness to which we are utterly opposed, because

2 . Th ey were as unstable as clouds whirled every way by the wind.

III. THEIR UTTER UNFRUITFULNESS . "Autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots." Saints arc fruit-bearing trees of righteousness ( Isaiah 61:3 ). Where is an evident climax in this picture of the godless seducers. First, they are like autumn trees, which ought to be full of fruit, yet they are without fruit, like the barren fig tree; then they are utterly dead—dead in appearance and dead in reality; then they are like uprooted trees concerning which there can be no more hope of fruit. There is a logical as well as rhetorical fitness in the picture.

1 . There was no fruit because there was no life in the tree. These godless persons were spiritually dead ( Ephesians 2:2 ).

2 . This death implies ignorance, darkness, alienation from God.

3 . The torn-up roots imply not only that there is no hope of growth, but that the world sees the secret rottenness that was at the root of such trees. They will never again be taken for fruit-bearers. "From them who had not, even that which they seemed to have is taken away" ( Luke 8:18 ).

4 . The picture before us is a solemn warning to believers.

IV. THEIR SHAMELESS AND TURBULENT TEMPER . "Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame."

1 . There was a restless agitation in their life. They were "like the troubled sea, whose waters cast up mire and dirt" ( Isaiah 57:20 ). "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Their consciences were unquiet; they were fretful and arrogant; they troubled the peace of those Churches into which they crept, by their hard speeches, their obscene talking, their blasphemous suggestions.

2 . As the wild waves lash themselves into foam, these seducers throw forth upon the world all the shamefulness that was buried in their wicked hearts. "Boldly belching out their abominable opinions and their detestable doctrines;" but, above all, giving a free outlet to all licentiousness. Evil things come forth from "the evil treasure of the heart."

3 . It is the lot of the Church to live in the midst of these "raging waves" of wickedness and folly.

4 . The Church is most districted by enemies within her communion.

5 . The enemies of God proclaim their own shame, and bring confusion upon themselves.

6 . The saints ought ever to pray that the peace of God may dwell in their hearts.

V. MISLEADING GUIDES AND THEIR FUTURE DESTINY . "Wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever."

1 . These seducers were like stars, conspicuous by their position and their exploits. They were false lights to mislead the people into error and destruction.

2 . They were wandering stars,

3 . They threw down no light upon the world lying in darkness and the region of death.

4 . It is a fearful thing to seduce others from the way of truth. "They which lead thee cause thee to err" ( Isaiah 3:12 ).

5 . God shows great forbearance even to seducers. He "endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" ( Romans 9:22 ).

6 . Divine judgments are often in kind. The seducers who loved darkness rather than light will be plunged into still deeper darkness—"into the very blackness of darkness for ever."

7 . Let believers be warned to seek the light— to walk in the light, to walk decently as in the day.—T.C.