See Jude 17-19, directly below, followed then by my comments on these verses.
1:17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1:18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
1:19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
In contrast to the wicked, who are the enemies of God, Jude now turns to God's people, and God's way of blessing His people.
He begins with the familiar term "Beloved" Meaning, you are very dear and precious to God. So, here's what He has to say to His beloved. Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To remember, comes from a word meaning to fix in one's mind, or have a mental grasp of. And, to recall to your mind, to return to one's mind, or to be mindful of a thing. And the thing to recall to mind, is in this case the words, or the teaching of the apostles. They were the one's called and sent by Jesus, and upon whom along with Christ, the church is built. He of course is the foundation, but He used these men to be part of it. Thus, their teaching is in a unique class, as compared with anyone since.
So, to God's beloved, He says, "remember what I've told you" And, what they had said, was that there would be "mockers in the last time etc, " There would be those who mock, and by implication, false teachers.
They are said to walk, or to live, and conduct themselves according to their own ungodly lusts. They are living according to the flesh, rather then the Spirit of God. They have desires which are ungodly, and they live in those lusts or cravings.
By the way, Jude mentions "the last time" as do so many of the authors in the Bible. The last time is that period of time which started when Jesus first came to the earth, until He returns to it. And, it also means, the last period of time, of man's own governance of this world, prior to the return of Christ, where He will establish His kingdom in this world. It will be the answer to, and the fulfillment of the prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven"
Going on, Jude explains that these false teachers in three ways. See 1:19
1. These are sensual persons
2. Who cause divisions
3. Not having the Spirit.
So, these three things describe them. They are sensual, means, they are natural men, as compared to spiritual. That is, they are not born again persons. They are not christians. They are in subjection to the sensuous nature, with it's appetites and passions.
They cause divisions. They come into the church under the cloak and guise of being Godly, but by the time they leave, there is a division behind them. As compared with the genuine God loving, and christian loving people who come into the church, very genuinely, and sincerely, and they wind up building up the church, uniting her members, by loving and serving, and blessing, and sharing, etc, etc.
They, ( these false teachers ) do not have the Spirit. They do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling, or living, or abiding within themselves. They are without God. He is not in them. They are not with Him.
In closing, the christian of course is exactly opposite of these false teachers.
They are in subjection to the Holy Spirit, they walk according to the Spirit.
They unite the body of Christ. They help to build it up.
They have the Holy Spirit within them.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
