The Message of Jude 5

Dr. Alan Cairns delivers a powerful expository sermon on the Epistle of Jude, focusing on the theme of God's response to apostasy. He unpacks Jude 5–7, emphasizing that apostasy is not merely doctrinal error but a willful, stealthy rebellion against Christ and His gospel, carried out by individuals who profess faith while secretly undermining it. Cairns identifies five defining marks of apostasy: creeping in by stealth, fulfilling biblical predictions, being ungodly (marked by a lack of fear of God), turning grace into licentiousness, and ultimately denying Jesus Christ as Lord. He illustrates the inevitable judgment of apostates through three biblical examples: the Israelites who rejected God’s promise and died in the wilderness, fallen angels reserved for judgment, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire. The sermon concludes with a stark warning about the moral and spiritual excesses of apostates—defying the flesh, despising lordship, and blaspheming heavenly glories—characterizing them as brutish and godless. The message is urgent, passionate, and deeply rooted in Scripture, calling the church to vigilance and faithfulness.