Consequences

As Jude continues his exhortation, he seems to get “dark.”  In my study bible, there is a distinct separation between verses 7 & 8.  Keep in mind that these are extra annotations made by whoever published the bible and not actual headings created by the original writer.  For me, I feel it is appropriate to include verse 8 in today’s study.

After introducing himself and the point of his letter, Jude turns the corner with a stark reminder of what happens to those who refuse to accept God and His teachings.  He begins using history to remind his readers how God deals with His enemies.  We see in verse 5, he mentions incredulous Israelites in the desert.  In Numbers 16, we see God’s judgment against Korah and about 250 men, when they rebelled against Moses and Aaron’s authority.  As an aside: imagine if God still dealt with us like that when we have a problem with a church leader!  Also, we are reminded that because the Israelites didn’t believe that God would give them the promised land, he made them roam the wilderness for 40 years until the unbelieving generation died off.

Then, Jude also mentions rebellious angels.  He only drops a line or two in his treatise, but we can get an in-depth view of this process in 2 Peter 2, where he expounds in detail how Lucifer and his followers turned against God and then began to deceive God’s people.  Their judgment, also, is eternal torment.

Now this is definitely a point of contention within and against Christianity.  We tend to struggle to reconcile how a “loving, gracious, forgiving God” could do such a thing.  Let me be the first to tell you if you haven’t heard it before: these are the consequences of turning away from God!  He doesn’t desire this, but allows us to make the choice!  He even gives angels the option, which is ironic because you’d think they know better than us what the consequence is.  In the end of verse 7, we read the word “punishment,” which can also be translated as “justice, judgment, or sentencing.”  It is literally, “what you get as a result of your actions.”  There is a long history throughout Israel’s past of making sure the punishment fits the crime, equality in judgment, and fairness.  God is just, fair, and righteous.  For one, He created the system, so whether we like it or not, we are subject to it.  (Thank Him for grace, by the way, the next time you recognize you sinned against Him!)

However, because we get a choice, it really doesn’t make sense for us to complain about the judgment of God!  In fact, if anything seems unfair, it could be that the angels aren’t privy to repentance and forgiveness.  We can at least turn away from our sinful behavior and back to God, angels can’t.  We actually don’t get what we deserve, except when we swear off God forever.

Now, let’s look at this realistically.  In Matthew 12, Jesus is talking about the “unforgivable sin,” which I know in a previous post somewhere I expounded upon greatly.  But it is related directly to this topic and is necessary to understand:

³⁰ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!

Why is this sin unforgivable?  Why does the judgment against this carry the sentence of eternal torment?  Because we are choosing to live a life without God in it.  So, He gives us what we want!  There is a very fine line between the definitions of “consequence” and “punishment.”  We tend to see punishment coming from a vengeful, angry, disappointed God.  However, the truth is, whenever someone turns their back on God, I believe He experiences sadness.  Not because He “needs” us in His life, but because we need Him!  He knows what life will be like for us without Him and when we choose that path, we walk towards destruction.  We weren’t designed to live this way.  

Imagine creating something beautiful: a painting, a house, a computer program, a piece of clothing…you name it.  And when it is all finished and you reflect upon it and confirm that it was “wonderfully and beautifully made,” it gets lit on fire and tossed away, never to be appreciated or enjoyed by anyone.  This is what happens when we turn away from God.  When we sin, we are misusing and abusing ourselves outside of our design.  This is what we are reading about here in Jude 5-8.  It’s not vengeance; it’s consequence.  A sad consequence because it was never meant to happen, but it is the risk God took by giving us the license to make our own choices.  It is the cost of true love.