April 1925
165
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
O u t l in e S tud ie s in the Book o f Jud e t s * ■T. C. H orton (Outline of the Book) (1 ) The Called and Sanctified are Saluted) vs. 1, 2. (2 ) The Called are Charged to Con tend fo r th e Faith,, v. 3.. (3 ) The Called are C a u t i o n e d Against th e Creeping Critics, v. 4. (4 ) The Certain Judgm en t of th e Apostates, vs. 5-7. (5 ) The Corrupting Influence of th e F ilth y Dreamers, vs. 8-10. ( 6 ) The Comm itment of the. Cor ru p ters to E te rn a l Doom, vs. 12, 13. , (7 ) The Coming of th e Lord to Exe cute Judgm ent, vs. 14-16. ( 8 ) The Caution Against Mockers, vs. 17-19. (9) The Counsel to th e Saints to Build Up in F aith , vs. 20, 21. (10) The Classification of Those De serving Rebuke, vs. 22 , 23. (1.1) The Comm itment of th e Saints to an All-Wise God, vs. 24, 25. BESSON NUMBER FOUR Unbelief in God’s Word is fatal (Rev. 2 2 :1 8 ): ‘‘Fo r I t e s t i f y u nt o every m a n t ha t heare th th e word s o f t h e p ro p h ec y o f t h is b o o k , I f any m a n sh a ll a d d u n to th e se t h in g s, G o d s h a ^ ll a d d unto h im the plag ue s t h a t are w r it te n i n t h is h o o k .” Beware of setting aside any portion of God's Word or of slighting th é love manifestée! in Christ's sacrifice. When men say “This is th e way to Heaven’’ when it is really the way to hell, what shall be done to them?. (Rev. 20:12, 15) : “ A n d I s a w ' the d e a d , sm all a n d g r e a t, stan d befo re G o d ; a n d the boo ks we re o p e n e d ; a n d a n oth er b o o k w as o p e n e d , wh ich is t h e b o o k o f l i f e ; a n d th e d e a d were ju dg ed out o f th o se t h in g s wh ich were w r it t e n in th e b o ok s, a cc ord in g to their .w o r k s * “ A n d whosoever w a s no t fou n d w r i t ten in t h e b o o k o f l i f e w a s c a s t in t o the la k e o f f i r e .” ( 2 ) The next illu stration of the judgm ent of God upon apostates is found in th e fallen angels who kept not th eir first estate (v. 6 ,; 2 Pet. 2: 4 ): “ For (3)
The th ird illu stration is found in th e “Cities of the P lains,” (v. 7). These cities were greatly favored of God and prosperous, but because of th e ir very prosperity and th e conse quent idleness they forgot God; they sinned against Him. (Ezek. 1 6 :4 9 ): “ B e h o l d , t h is w a s th e in iq ui ty s is t e r S o d o m ,— p r i d e , f u ln e s s o f a n d a b u n d a n c e o f idl en es s w a s a n d in h e r da ug hters! ne ither d st re ngt he n the h a n d o f th e p o n ee d y .” ^«An d as E s a ia s sa id be fore, Ex L o r d o f S a b a o th h a d l e f t us a se h a d b e e n l i k e as S o d o m a , a n d b ee like u nt o G o m o r r a h .” (Heb. 1 2 :2 7 ): , “ A n d t h is w o rd , Yet o n ce m o r nif ieth th e removing o f th o se t h in ar e shaken, a s o f t h in g s t h a t ar t ha t those t h in g s which ca nn sh aken may re m a in .” They were punished, both th e cities d inhabitants, w ith consuming fire (Rom. 9 :2 9 ): Yet it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgm ent th an for Capernaum and Bethsaida, where the Gospel was given by the Lord Jesus, or for th is land of ours. (Mark 6 : 1 1 ): “ A n d whosoever wh en y e d ep a rt t h ak e o f f th e du st u n d e r y ou r f a tes ti m ony a g a in s t th em . Ver il un to y o u , i t sh a ll b e m o r e tole ra S o d o m a n d G o m o r r a h in the d a y me n t than fo r t h a t city .” It is not an easy thing to declare the whole counsel of God. It is not easy to tell the sad story of God’s un changeable a ttitu d e tow ards those who, th rough subtle Satanic methods and measures deceive th e people, des troy th e ir faith and rob them of the eternal verities. But Christ, the sym pathizing Son of' God, u tte rs the most solemn words which ever fell from any lips when He describes th e te rro rs of the punishm ent which m ust fall upon the unsaved, and the fearfu l fate which must aw ait em issaries of Satan who have dragged them, to th e fierce fire of God’s w rath. (Next month “The Corrupting Influ ence of .the F ilth y D ream ers,” vs. 8 - 10 . ) s h a ll no t r ec ei
i f G o d s p ar ed no t th e a n g e ls t h a t s i n n ed , b u t c a st th em d o w n to h èll, a n d de li ver ed th em into chains o f d a rk ness, to b e re served u nt o jud gm en t.” Paul tells us th a t these fallen angels are to be judged by th e saints ( I Cor. 6 :3) : “ Kn ow y e not . t h a t y e sh a ll ju dge ange ls? how m u c h m o r e th in g s, t ha t p er tai n t o t h is li f e . ” o r he ar you, .“ N o t a no vice, l e s t being li f t e d u p with p r i d e , h e f a l l in to the co n d em n at io n of th e d e v i l ;” Satan was the prince of angels, the ru ler of th is earth, yet when he fell, through pride, God did not Spare him or his followers. God is good. God is love. God is light. But when the angels rebelled against His authority, they were made to feel th e power of His w rath and were cast out into dark- nesSj where they are held in chains, awaiting th e day of th e ir final sen tence to the lake of fire. There is no hope for them ; no place of repentance. They follow th e ir leader w ithersoever he goeth, as we follow our . Leader (Rev. 1 4 :4 ): “ The se a r e t h e y wh ich fo ll o w th e Lamb1 whi thersoever he g o e t h .” ,: The angels were created holy, *as was Adam; They fell w ith th eir leader, Satan ( 1 Tim. 3 :6 ):
Having in previous lessons consid ered the first th ree divisions of the Book of Jude, we come now to the fourth, “The Certain Judgm en t of th e Apostates,” vs. 5-7. Jude now refers to th e definite judg m ent of God upon evil men as typical of thé Divine retribu tion which awaits the “ creepers” (v. 4 ), the ungodly men who seek to tu rn th e grace of God into lasciviousness, quoting th ree examples from the Word of God. He takes it for granted th a t the saints were perfectly fam iliar w ith these incidents, b u t in these days many Christians would not even know the names of the books of th e Bible, o r where to look for these illu stra tions. (1 ) The Lord delivered Israel ou t of Egypt and then, because of th eir sin, delivered them over to plagues, — fire, serpents, earthquakes, the sword, etc. (v. 5). Death overtook all who were over tw enty years old, and only those who were younger entered the land of prom ise (Heb. 4 :6 ). “ S eei ng , therefore,
i t rema ine th t ha t
s om e mus t enter a n d t h e y t o w h o m i t w a s first p re ac h ed entere d n ot i n becau se o f un belief.” therein,
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