March 16, 2025 - Jude 1:4 - Tares Among the Wheat

Jude 1:24

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

As we read different portions of Scripture, we know that where there is wheat, there are also tares. Jude spoke of his desire to write them about the common salvation he shared with them, the oneness in the Gospel of Christ. Yet, he said in Jude 3, “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.”

Word had come that there was an erosion of the message, much as Paul had faced after preaching through the region of Galatia. He wrote in Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Here, we have a very precise picture of those who were among the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ—men who, as it says, “crept in unawares.” The call here is to beware and to know that no congregation is safe. Even though a congregation may be founded upon the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, there are those in every congregation who can expect men to creep in unawares—of whom it is said here, “...were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men.” The only ones that God approves as godly are those He has chosen, those Christ has redeemed, and those the Spirit has called. All others are ungodly, no matter how moral they appear, no matter how nice and kind they may seem outwardly to men. If they are not Christ’s, they are ungodly. We see here a call to beware of compromise, to beware of that which would pervert the true Gospel of redeeming grace, as it has been purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ and revealed through the Spirit of God.

There is always going to be a mixed congregation. Even Christ, with His disciples, had a mixed congregation because He told them, “I have chosen you, but one of you is the son of perdition" (John 6:70). Judas was purposed to be a tare among the wheat to the honor and glory of Christ. Since it was so even among those whom the LORD called to Himself and sent forth, can we expect it to be any different in our day? We often look outside the congregation, but the most treacherous and subtle enemy is within the Church.

In 2 Peter 2:1, Peter said, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Paul, in writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1, says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.” The FaitH is that body of truth in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ and His death.T his is not talking about someone who once believed and then became lost. Departing from the Faith means to renounce it, to turn from it, even “Giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” In Scripture, whenever doctrine is described with the truth, it is always singular. There is that singular, exclusive doctrine concerning Christ, God’s Son, called the doctrine of Christ, concerning His death—unto which those that are taught of the Spirit are attached. They are given to that doctrine. They know no other, as opposed to those who give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We need, by God’s grace, to keep the doctrine of Christ—the testimony concerning His Son and His death. Therein lies our safety. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9).

In Matthew 7:15, our Lord said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Now, how does someone come in sheep’s clothing? They talk about grace. They talk about redemption. Likewise, they talk about Christ. That is where many are misled. These crept in unsuspecting and under false profession. These are our Lord’s words, and so we take heed. Paul says of these, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Those who are truly called of God and sent forth by Him to exhort and to feed the Lord’s sheep speak of One Righteousness—that of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished. That is the only foundation of true fellowship.

The Lord tries His Church for many reasons. Since it causes those who are truly the Lord’s to seek Him more fervently, blessed be the name of the Lord. Since it causes any of those that are the Lord’s to see the reality of enemies within the Church and to examine themselves—whether they be of the faith—that is a good thing. We should never become lethargic in this matter of Christ, His death, and what He accomplished for sinners. Every time we come together for worship, it is an opportunity for us to weigh our motives and hearts in light of this Word. We should never open God's Word and have it be just a mechanical reading. Sadly, many do not value the importance of Christ's blood that He shed unto death. Their eyes have never been opened. These are unconverted men whom Jude is writing about, who come among those that are the Lord’s, and of whom the Scriptures say were long ago ordained to this judgment. They infiltrate the Church, they corrupt the truth, and it serves the purpose of God in marking them out, revealing them for what they are.

This portion of Scripture is designed to warn and to awaken us to the realities of the leaven and the tares. The characteristic of these is described as being ungodly men in verse 4, “who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.” What the grace of God does is make us more aware of our sinfulness. It causes us to be broken before a holy God and to look again to the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of God causes us to look at the most grievous of our sins and say, "Even that was paid by the death of the LORD Jesus." It is not a prideful way of looking at it—it is humbling. Should the Lord take His hand off of us even for an instant, we fall. It is a reminder of just how much we need the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not going about flaunting the sin; we are exalting the Savior. Any time a person puts a condition on man for God to be gracious, they have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness.

So, we are warned not to heed such and to be wary of any who enter in with strange doctrines. Strange doctrine is any persuasion or teaching that does not give God ALL the glory in Jesus Christ. To preach the grace of God is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ alone in His work and what He has accomplished—that righteousness imputed upon the completion of His death. This gives Him all the glory alone.