A Daily Walk

Announcer: Temptations to compromise are all around us today. But Pastor John Randall says, "Don't give in."

John Randall: The doctrine of Balaam is religious compromise for a few coins. It's compromise for a profit. And listen, there's a lot of people out there today that would love for us to compromise. Just compromise. Come on, man, just compromise. Love your neighbor, compromise. And they twist it, and they make it sound like it's something that, "Oh man, I feel guilty about that."

You need to be very discerning in the days in which we're living. Don't compromise, don't bend to it, don't give into it, don't cave into it. Because one compromise leads to the next compromise, and then it's much easier to compromise every time after that. Don't compromise, don't give into it.

Announcer: In Matthew 24, Jesus gives us the signs of the time of the end. And one of them is many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. We're seeing that all around the world today, aren't we? Making what we're about to read in the book of Jude so very important.

Today on A Daily Walk, our series Contending for the Faith continues with a strong warning. Jude is about to show us these false teachers are very similar to three people in the Old Testament. Here is Pastor John Randall to point that out for us.

John Randall: Jude chapter one, and this evening I want to draw your attention to verse 10. We'll pick up where we left off last time. The message entitled, "A Strong Warning". Jude chapter one, second to last book of the Bible, beginning in verse 10.

But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Verse 11. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, they have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

The book of Jude was written as a warning to the churches concerning false teachers that had crept into the assembly of believers unnoticed. These posers looked like teachers. They spoke like teachers, but they were false teachers. And because of their deceptive influence, some were being led away from faith in Christ. And therefore, Jude exhorted the church to contend earnestly for the faith, to get into the fight spiritually for the faith.

To help the church identify these dangerous individuals, he gives them a description, some characteristics to look for, some things that would mark a false teacher. For one thing, he pointed out that they live ungodly lives. Their behavior was contrary to the Bible. You'll know them by their fruit, and their fruit was rotten.

A second characteristic that marked these deceivers was their false doctrine that attempted to turn the grace of God into a license to sin. You go out and sin any way you want, and when you hit the consequences, just pull out the grace card and all is well. Use God's grace to sin. God didn't save us so that we could go into sin. He saved us so that we could get out of sin. That's what grace is for.

But they had twisted it. They had made it into something that it was never intended to be. But thirdly, Jude pointed out that these individuals also denied the deity of Jesus Christ. These were some of the signs of the false teacher. And now, because of what they were teaching and how they were living, Jude said that they would end up reaping what they had been sowing.

At some point, these false teachers would experience the judgment of God for leading people away from God. And to prove his point, Jude looks back at three Old Testament examples of unbelief, of rebellion, and immorality. He first cited the unbelief of Israel in their wilderness wanderings, and how because of their apostate-like unbelief, they missed out on the Promised Land and perished in the wilderness.

Next, he reminded his readers of a time in eternity past where the angels turned away from God, sided with Satan. A third of them were removed from heaven, became demonic spirits, and are being prepared for everlasting judgment. And finally, he looked at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and how they were given over to sexual immorality and experienced God's judgment.

Jude then proceeded to point out their immorality, insubordination, and irreverence. These examples of unbelief, of rebellion, the pursuit of immorality, these were the very things that the false teachers were encouraging. And therefore, if the church followed the example of these false teachers, then they would experience the same consequences of God's judgment. This is what Jude was warning the people about.

And this evening, we pick up in verse 11 as Jude continued to uncover and expose the dangerous deception that plagued the church at this time, and he gives a strong word of warning. And here it is in verse 11. He says, "Woe to them!" The word woe is used to imply severe warning. You'd often hear Jesus use those words. "Woe to you!" He said it to the Pharisees repeatedly in Matthew's Gospel. It warns of a danger and the nearness of judgment.

Following this strong warning of woe, Jude cites three Old Testament examples of individuals who determined to go their own way in rebellion, and he links these examples to the false teachers that were infiltrating the church. By the way, this is a moment for me to share with you why it's so important to read through the Old Testament, because what I'm about to reference here is all found in the Old Testament. The Old Testament and the New Testament come together, but that's why it's important to know the Old and New Testament so that you understand how they connect one with another.

But he says, "Woe to them." First of all, they have gone in the way of Cain. The way of Cain. In the very first book of the Bible, it is the book of Genesis, there in chapter four. We read about Adam and Eve and how they sinned in the Garden of Eden, and how their disobedience brought sin into the world and death passed to all men. Death and judgment was pronounced upon them by God, and soon it made its way into the very first family. Adam and Eve had two sons initially, Cain and Abel.

And they were their sons, and the Bible tells us in Genesis chapter four that in the course of time, as they got older, they brought offerings to the Lord. And these sacrifices that were offered were more than likely an act of substitutionary atonement for sin, a blood sacrifice. At some point, God had instructed them that a sacrifice had to be made.

Now, the Bible tells us when these two brought their offerings to the Lord, that Cain, who was a farmer, brought an offering from his harvest, whereas Abel, being a shepherd, brought an offering from his flocks. And the Bible tells us that God accepted Abel's offering, but he rejected Cain's offering.

Now, the question that so often arises is why is it that God would accept Abel's sacrifice but reject Cain's sacrifice? When you read through other passages of Scripture, it appears that these men knew that there was a blood sacrifice for atonement that was required. And obediently, by faith, Abel offered what God required, but Cain decided to offer what he wanted, not what God asked for.

It wasn't by faith in Cain's offering, but it was unbelief. It was his own way and not God's way. Here's a New Testament commentary on Genesis chapter four found in Hebrews chapter 11, verse four. And here's what it says concerning these two: "By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks."

We find out from the writer of Hebrews that Abel believed in God and that he was real, and he came on the basis of relationship, not religion. He came on the basis of faith and obedience to God's commands. Abel didn't approach God on the basis of his own merit or his own righteousness.

But in contrast, Cain offered his sacrifice without faith and therefore it was unacceptable to God. And so Cain became very angry with his brother because his sacrifice was accepted, his countenance fell, and then as you know the story, he ended up murdering his brother. In First John, we have another interesting passage concerning Cain and Abel.

In First John chapter three, it says this: "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous." Here we have the New Testament commenting on what really went down back there in Genesis chapter four.

Cain was evil. Cain approached God based on his own religion rather than relationship. And what happens here is Jude now draws the connection between Cain and the false teachers. The false teachers were teaching a way to approach God that wasn't biblical but man-made. Cain approached God in that same way.

Jude says, in essence, that Cain typifies what these false teachers were teaching. Did you know tonight that there are only two types of religion throughout the whole world? The truth of God through Jesus Christ, and the second is the way of Cain. Everything else falls under the category of the way of Cain because the way of Cain is, "I can do whatever I want. I don't have to listen to what God says. I can offer whatever I want to offer.

It doesn't matter what you say. I'm not going to be obedient. All roads lead to God. I can do it. Who are you to judge me? I'm going to offer this, so what do you think of that?" God wasn't pleased. You have the one way through Jesus Christ, and you have the way of Cain, and everything else falls beneath that. The way of Cain says you don't have to come through Jesus, you can come any way that you desire.

The way of Cain is coming on the basis of your own righteousness without faith in the righteousness of Christ. And so in this context, Jude ties the behavior of the false teachers to the behavior of Cain as an example in the Old Testament. And Cain was not accepted, as it says here. There are some today who would like to approach God based upon their own good works, based upon their own efforts, but God doesn't accept that.

There's only one work that God accepts, and that's the work of Christ on the cross. You remember when Jesus was ministering that the people came to him and said, "What work can we do that we might inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said, "This is the work, that you believe on him whom he has sent." Jesus did the work that we could never do.

He did for us what we could not accomplish for ourselves, and by trusting in the finished work of Christ, that is how one is saved. My work will never save me, only the work of Christ. God doesn't accept the work of my own hands to inherit salvation. The way of Cain may appeal to pride, to intellect, but it doesn't appeal to God.

And those who walk in the way of Cain are seeking to add to the sacrifice of Christ or, worse yet, take away from it or despise it. And so here, the false teachers were connected in that way. I love what Wuest said, he's a Greek scholar. This is what he said concerning Cain. He said, "Cain followed his reason and ignored revelation.

He argued that his own good works as manifested by the produce which he had grown would please God rather than a blood sacrifice. But Abel accepted revelation instead and had faith in the divine acceptability of the offering prescribed by God." And there was the difference.

The false teachers saying you can get to God any way you want, you can use grace as a license to sin, you don't have to listen to what these guys are saying, and Jude says I'm warning you, these guys are going to suffer the consequences just like Cain did. But then there's another Old Testament example. Not only have they—and you'll notice the words here in verse 11, they are progressive. They have gone in the way of Cain, they have run greedily in the error of Balaam, and perished.

They've gone, they've run, and they perished. Keep that in mind. But the second example we're given is that of the error of Balaam. In verse 11, they have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit. Now, who is Balaam? We read of Balaam once again not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament.

Did you know in Revelation chapter two in verse 14 and 15, this is what it says about Balaam? The Lord was writing to the church, the compromise church, and he said, "I have a few things against you because you have there those who hold to the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat the things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality."

So the New Testament speaks of the error of Balaam here in Jude, and in Revelation, the doctrine of Balaam. The error and the doctrine of Balaam. It was back in the book of Numbers, chapter 22 through 25 of the Old Testament, that the nation of Israel had come out of their bondage in Egypt. They were now wandering in the wilderness, and they made their way into the plains of Moab.

The Moabites, of course, were the descendants of Lot's daughter. But there the Moabites saw the nation of Israel coming and they out-numbered them and they were concerned that they would consume their entire land. And so the king of Moab came up with an idea to hire a false prophet whose name was Balaam.

And so he sent an entourage of individuals to Balaam with money in hand, offering him money to come for the purpose of cursing God's people. And so when Balaam first received these individuals into his home, the Lord said, "Don't go with them. You better send them on their way. Curse God's people? What are you, crazy?" And so Balaam came out and he said, "Hey guys, I can't curse God's people. The Lord told me I can't go with you."

But then they came back a second time, more money, and he said, "Let me talk to God one more time. Just stay right here. Maybe I misheard him. I don't know, I could be wrong." And so he went back and asked God a second time. God said, "Why don't you go ahead and go, Balaam?" And so Balaam said, "Great news, guys, God said I could go." Oh, big mistake.

But if you know the story, it's rather interesting what took place. He got on his donkey, he started making his way toward the plains of Moab. But the Lord had an angel with sword drawn ready to kill the prophet. Now, Balaam, so blinded by money, so blinded by his desire to get to Moab quickly so he could get paid, did not see the angel standing there with sword drawn.

But interestingly enough, the donkey did. And the donkey sat down. And Balaam, so frustrated, began to beat the donkey. And then he got back on the donkey and the donkey sat down again and actually crushed Balaam's foot. Balaam started beating the donkey again. It says that the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and he spoke to Balaam. He said, "Why are you beating me? I'm a good donkey."

And you think that's interesting, right? That a donkey would talk to him. More interesting and fascinating is that Balaam said, "You know why? I'll tell you why!" He's talking back to the donkey! That's the thing that surprises me. He's having a conversation. Never thought in a second—I mean, that's how blinded this guy was. But it also tells us something. God can use anybody. He uses donkeys, and I can testify to that.

But the point being, he ends up getting down there to the plains of Moab, and Balak is so excited to see Balaam. He says, "Hey man, listen, what do you want me to do?" He says, "Here's what I need you to do. You need to set up an altar, and I can only say what God wants me to say." So he sets up the altar, and then Balaam gets ready to come out and curse God's people, and he pronounces an amazing blessing over them. I mean, an amazing blessing.

And some of the prophecies of Balaam—how this all worked, I don't fully understand it, this prophet—but God again spoke through Balaam, prophecies, Messianic prophecies over the nation. Balak was so upset. "How could you do that? I just wanted to curse them, not bless them!" He said, "All right, set me up another altar."

All right, so he sets up another altar. Goes out to curse God's people, blesses them again! The third altar set up, no need, and he blesses them a third time. Just pronounces these amazing blessings. God turned what the enemy intended for evil into good in this circumstance. But needless to say, here's what followed. The king of Moab then said to Balaam, "You know what? Fine, man. I was going to pay you, but your God has held you back from honor and blessing."

And the false prophet realized he wasn't going to profit. And so what he said was, "Hey, wait a second. Here's what you need to do. Send some of those good-looking Moabite women down there to entice the young men to worship your gods." And they worshiped their gods immorally, and God will judge them. And so he followed the plan of Balaam.

The women went down and God plagued the people and destroyed so many of the people as a result of their sin. 24,000 were killed in the wake of this as they began to worship these idols, and sin and judgment of God fell. Thus the error of Balaam was, and the doctrine of Balaam, serving the god of money and greed, and second to that was deliberately leading the people astray so that God would judge them.

The doctrine and the error of Balaam. And Jude says, "These false teachers, do you know who they're like? They're like Balaam. They're coming in for profit, they're taking from you, and they're leading you astray, and you're going to be judged, and they don't care." Now, as you follow the story of Balaam later on, you find that Balaam was actually destroyed and was killed as a result of his sin.

But needless to say, this was the doctrine of Balaam. And listen, can I just say to you that the doctrine of Balaam is basically a doctrine that walks softly on immorality and encourages compromise. That's the doctrine of Balaam. Very prevalent today. In fact, in Second Peter chapter two, Peter says this.

He talks about these false prophets and he says concerning them, "They have forsaken the right way and they have gone astray, following the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness." The error, the doctrine, the way of Balaam, this is what marks the false prophets, leading people astray, ulterior motives, but they would suffer the consequences.

The doctrine of Balaam is religious compromise for a few coins. It's compromise for a profit. And listen, there's a lot of people out there today that would love for us to compromise. Just compromise. Come on, man, just compromise. Love your neighbor, compromise. And they twist it, and they make it sound like it's something that, "Oh man, I feel guilty about that."

You need to be very discerning in the days in which we're living. Don't compromise, don't bend to it, don't give into it, don't cave into it. Because one compromise leads to the next compromise, and then it's much easier to compromise every time after that. Because now you just live a life of compromise. Don't compromise, don't give into it.

And if you're being tempted to compromise into sin, just know that's not the Lord. Don't give into the doctrine of the error of Balaam. Run from it, stand against it. And this is the day when God's people cannot afford to compromise. It's just not the time for that. And so we need to be aware.

Announcer: And there is one more example we need to look at, and that's Korah. We'll have that for you in just a minute on A Daily Walk as Pastor John Randall continues our look at Jude. What you heard today is part of our through-the-Bible series. To hear this message again, you can do so by podcast at adailywalk.org or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Download the Calvary South OC app to listen to Pastor John on your mobile devices too.

Well, this month we've picked out a book for you moms. It's A Mom After God's Own Heart: 10 Ways to Love Your Children. Best-selling author Elizabeth George shares practical tips and encouraging advice to help you raise your children in the knowledge of the Lord. You'll discover how to help them experience his love, his blessings, and provisions when you become a mom after God's own heart. It's available now to our A Daily Walk listeners for the cost of $12 at adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828.

Please remember that your gifts help us to bring these shows to the radio and the internet every day. We can't do it alone, so please consider standing with us in this endeavor to get the good news of Jesus Christ out to a world in need. Again, visit us at adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828.

It brightens our day when we hear of the good things God is doing in our listeners' lives through the teaching of the word. And yes, Pastor John reads your emails. Share your story today by email at adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com.

All right, now that we've looked at Cain and Balaam, there is one more example we'll bring before you tomorrow: Korah. Here's just a preview of our study in Jude.

John Randall: With strong warning, what Jude does is he connects, draws this clear connection and correlation between the false teachers seen in the way of Cain, the greed and the error and the way and the doctrine of Balaam, and the rebellion of the sins of Korah. They were coming into the church undermining, trying to rally their own groups to come against the leadership within the fellowships, and Jude is warning the church concerning them.

And this is something that we need to be very aware of even in the days in which we are living. Because as wonderful as the work is that we are a part of and that God is doing in the church and in churches, the enemy has his sights set on destroying the church and undermining the work of the Lord and keeping churches shut down or in courtrooms, etc. This is a war, there's an attack on the church right now.

And there always has been, but we're seeing it in the days in which we're living on a larger scale at this moment. But here Jude is warning the church. Be aware of these individuals, avoid them, have nothing to do with them, and be discerning concerning them.

Announcer: We'll look at the example of Korah in much greater detail next time on A Daily Walk with John Randall. This program is made possible through your generosity and brought to you by Calvary South OC.