Jude 1:16 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Jude 1:16

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Jude describe the characteristics of their behaviour. ‘These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts.’ These three are linked together. If men and women make their happiness dependent upon attaining earthly possessions and earthly goals then they are bound to be complainers, for when our desires are thwarted – and often God deliberately stands in the way of our lusts – what is the result? We grow irritable and angry with those around us; we look for someone to blame. The Christian must repent quickly of such attitudes for he is behaving just like the worldling and is in danger of drifting further and further away from God. The apostate will continue to grow worse and worse for he has no power to put to death his lusts.Again Jude returns to their words. These men treat words lightly, they treat the truth lightly. Words are just a tool to be used to manipulate others. The value of words has nothing to do with truth but only with their success in fashioning the world they desire around them. Lies may be used equally well as truths. Promises may be scattered abroad with no intention of keeping them. Flattery is found to be a particularly effective tool, taking advantage of the pride that is present in every human heart. All men more readily believe a lie when it is spoken to their praise. There is a sinful partiality inside of each one of us. The man who flatters gives much away, but he does not give as much away as he hopes to gain. What he gives away he considers to be comparatively worthless anyway. He knows that it is all lies. It costs them nothing but it may bring in good returns, so he builds friendships based on lies. One great defence against the love of flattery is to pay close attention to Paul's words in Romans 12:33, that each one of us should 'not think of himself more highly than he ought to think, not to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith'. If we know ourselves, then we are protected from believing lies about ourselves that others tell us. It is because men are continually lying to themselves about what they are and flattering themselves, that they cannot recognise the flattery of others when it comes and indeed do not want to recognise it. For this reason they do not know themselves. If we proceed on the basis of a lie then reality will take us by surprise to our downfall.

Application

As we read this we might ask, ‘Couldn't any member of the church be capable of murmuring and complaining?’ We would do well to think otherwise. The word of God treats murmuring as a very serious problem, a very dangerous sin. We must take it most seriously in our lives. It is something which we dare not allow to remain in our hearts. We must quickly stamp it out and remind ourselves of all that we have to be thankful to God for. The murmurer has got his eyes fixed on this world and his gains and losses in this life. If he does well here he is content but if things are hard then there is nothing left to make his life tolerable. But the Christian must think quite differently to this. His hope is not in this life, for he has been warned to expect tribulation here. He should be ready to suffer the loss of all things for Christ's sake. He remains cheerful despite great trials, and obeys the commandment to rejoice in the Lord always. It is not possible to have this mind and at the same time to be a complainer. The Christian may slip and begin to feel that his lot is unreasonable, but when this happens he must quickly take hold of his thinking and remember that his treasure is not on the earth but in heaven.

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Jude 1:16 Commentary and Bible Study