Jude, Day 2
Jude 8 – 11
Evil People in the Church: In the Cold Light of Day
“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’ But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion” (Jude 8 – 11).
The letter of Jude is a warning about people who corrupt the church, and in Verse 8, Jude comments on dreams. So, what’s wrong with dreaming? It seems pretty innocent. While sleeping, did you ever have a dream where you thought you solved a difficult problem that you had worked on during the day? Occasionally when you awake, you may find that the dream was useful. More often, the next morning, in the cold light of day, you say, “That was a crazy idea. There is no way that solution will work!” That is the kind of dream, with a spiritual bent, that Jude is condemning. These dreams deny the very real authority and majesty of God. These dreams are plans constructed while ignoring the clear instructions given by God. In his letter, it is likely Jude is referring to the Nicolaitan teaching that approved immoral relations; that teaching is contrary to God’s plan.
The letter points out that there is a spiritual world that requires respect, and that we are in a spiritual war. If men do not understand that God is the authority in that spiritual world, they are figuratively dreaming. That lack of spiritual understanding destroys them.
Three Old Testament examples are given of people who constructed dreams and plans that were contrary to God’s blueprints — even after God had given people the blueprints!
- Caine decided that a fruit and vegetable sacrifice was good enough, although God specified a blood sacrifice.
- Baalam, for greed, planned a course contrary to God’s blessing on Israel.
- Korah decided that Israel’s leaders were not in authority, even though those leaders, Moses and Aaron, were appointed by God (Exodus 20:29).
Today, misleading dreamers have designed a religion that ignores the reality of the cross of Christ, and have constructed a religion that says man can redeem himself by being good. But in the cold light of day, Jesus’ claim that “I am the way, the Truth and the life” still stands (John 14:6), with “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
So, just like you must examine your sleeping dreams in the cold light of day, examine your hopes, dreams, plans, and philosophy, by the Light of the World (John 9:5). How does your worldview look in light of Jesus?
“Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'” (John 8:12).
God bless you as you walk in the light.
Andy Nordquist