Verses 16-23 show us that the need for apologetics has been predicted by none other than the apostles. Where would that have received such a prediction? Their Master, Jesus Christ!! He told them in Matthew 7:15-16a to "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruit." That last phrase rises to a place of importance in this discussion because, as a pastor that started a church I attend in NC said, "we cannot judge people but we can be fruit inspectors."
In moving back to Jude, we see a list of characteristics in verse 16: grumblers (offers criticism against God), complainers (discontented with status in life), walk according to their own lusts (their desires elevated over that of any other), mouth great swelling words (exaggerate with their speech), and flatter to gain advantage (speak admiration of others for the sole purpose of getting something in return).
The root of each characteristic described can be found in the phrase "walk according to their own lusts" in verse 16 and once again in verse 18. It is that penchant to get what they want at all costs that lead folks to abandon the truth and go the way of error. That may mean compromising, even if slightly, your beliefs to hang around those who can get you a promotion or money. Never forget, though, that Lot merely pitched his tent toward Sodom; and before he knew it, the family was living in Sodom and had married into the ruling class of the city. This underscores the importance of apologetics -- one small slip could begin a general trend downward on a slippery slope -- in that we must know the truth and stand solidly for it.
While the deferment from truth has been predicted, so has the needed response. Verse 20 starts by saying "but you," which is a direct contrast to the verses before, and continues within "building yourselves up on your most holy faith." So, we are to build up or strengthen our stand on truth and, in verse 21, to keep ourselves in the love of God. However, the passage does not stop there. Verses 22-23 speak of saving others by "pulling them out of the fire."
I know what you are thinking -- just get to the point -- so I will. If we do not exhibit the characteristics mentioned earlier in the passage and strengthen our understanding of truth while keeping ourselves in the love of God, then we have a mission to accomplish. We are to look at this world and have compassion on those who do not know Christ, but we must do more that just look -- we have to take action by telling them the truth. Yes, the need for apologetics is predicted in that error would be taught; but also, the mission of apologetics is predicted because we must teach to truth to dispel the errors that are known to be coming.
Let me give you a perfect example and you can access the full study at this URL -- http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=490#3. The study essentially says that religious Americans mix multiple beliefs, and listen to these startling results from "Protestants:" 20% believe in reincarnation, 20% believe that spiritual energy permeates everything in life, 21% believe in astrology, and 16% believe in the "evil eye" (that someone can cast a spell or put a curse on someone else). These beliefs are hard to swallow in the light of the Bible, so that begs the question of just how much truth is being espoused in this world. We see, even in our modern time, the predicted need of apologetics is still valid!
Yet, there is some good news in this study. The folks at the Pew Forum break this down for the "Protestant" category, which is, of course, a catch-all. A need breakdown is between those that attend "weekly" or "less often." For those that weekly, this is defined as one service a week, their is a considerable decline in those that believe the facts cited in the previous category. The average rate of change across those 4 categories is 66%!! Let me translate: if you attend ONE service a week, you are 66% more likely to spot truth and error. Just think what that means if the individuals attend more than one service a week!!
Again, the term "Protestant" is a catch-all group; so, we must ensure that our Bible-believing churches are, in fact, teaching sound doctrine to its people. If those in the church are not believing and understanding the truth, then how can we expect it to be taught to those who are not in the church?
Be sure that you are, personally, a student of Biblical doctrine because knowing the truth sets you free (John 8:32) from the false promises offered by this world.
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