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Those Who Did Not Believe - Jude
Those Who Did Not Believe - Jude
In reading through the little book of Jude we read: "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe" (Jude 5). In this section he is warning the readers about the dangers and pitfalls of being faithful unto God.
He speaks of the Israelites in Moses time when they were saved from the bondage of Egypt by Moses. Twice in the book of Exodus it states that the people 'believed'.
"And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped." (Exodus 4:31).
"Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses." (Exodus 14:31).
Jude then reminds us that 'AFTERWARDS' (after having believed in the Lord and having been saved out of Egypt), God destroyed those who did not believe. 'Afterwards' is literally 'the second time'. The first time they were faced with belief verses unbelief, they believed. The second time they were faced with this choice, many of them didn't believe and were consequently destroyed.
What you see in this is simply that faith is not a 'once for all' acknowledgement of a truth, but a living, abiding trust in God as God. They believed in the Lord and then they didn't believe. The 2nd time their faith was challenged it failed.
So it can happen unto us. Each day presents us with the challenge of trusting God. Temptation to sin is itself a testing and trying of our faith (read again the first chapter of James). Some people 'believe for awhile' (cp. The parable of the sower in Luke 8:13), and then fall away. The first readers of Jude's letter were believers but his warning concerns their continued faith.
The church in Smyrna was told: "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10). They, like Israel of old, were going to have their faith test. They may have believed 'the first time', but the question is how will they respond THIS time? Will they be faithful?
We also are being tested day by day. How is your faith?
Hugh DeLong
