What Are Indicators of Ungodly Character?

Concerned with Character

Over the past couple weeks we’ve been in a short sermon series, working through a short section of the Bible called Jude. Jude was a special servant of Christ and a man of godly character. And he originally wrote this letter to a group of early Christians, within a couple decades after Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, to encourage them to contend for the Christian faith, and to be on guard against the rise of false teaching in the Church.

But it’s important for us to understand, God prompted Jude to write this letter, not just for the sake of Christians who lived long ago, but with the understanding that people like you and I would need to hear the same words of caution, as well. Last week, in verses 4 through 7, we considered Jude’s words of warning to watch out for those who would slip into the church to spread error. We spent most of our time identifying the bad content of their false teaching, and the bad consequences it would lead to. But in our text this morning, Jude draws our attention to the bad character of these false teachers. So that will be our focus as we look at Jude, verses 8 through 16.

If you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to the book of Jude if you haven’t already. It’s the second to last book in the New Testament, right before Revelation. I’ll start reading at verse 8. But before we come to God’s Word, let’s admit our need for God’s help, to guide us into the truth of his word. Please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

Warning Signs

One of the things that I enjoy about living in Michigan is that the risk for severe natural disasters is rather low. We don’t live right next to a major fault line, so major earthquakes aren’t much of a likelihood. We don’t have any dormant volcanoes around us that we need to be concerned about. We’re far enough away from the ocean, that we don’t have to worry about hurricanes or tsunamis. All things considered, we have things pretty good.

But with all that being said, there are still natural disasters that we have to be on guard for. Probably the most destructive things we’re threatened with in Michigan are tornadoes. Tornadoes can sweep through an area with windspeeds over 100 miles an hour, uprooting trees, destroying homes, and causing human fatalities. Though it’s not really a common risk, tornadoes are still a real risk.

Fortunately, there are warning signs we can watch out for, that indicate when a tornado is nearby, or when it’s in the process for forming. The sky will often change color to something like a dark green. Tornadoes will sometimes preceded by large hail without rain. Often, you’ll be able to see low-lying clouds start to rotate before a tornado forms. Or you may hear the sound of a tornado approaching – a steady freight-train kind of noise. There are specific warning signs that alert us to the approach of danger.

And in our text this morning, Jude wants us to understand that this isn’t just the case for dangerous weather events, like tornadoes. There are also warning signs that usually come along with a person who’s spiritually dangerous for the Church. In this section of our text, Jude explains that false teachers can be identified by various defects in their personal integrity and character. And so what we end up with, here, is a practical resource that lists out a number of warning signs we should be watching for.

As we work through our text this morning, we’ll be taking a closer look at these warning signs that give evidence of ungodly character. That’s where we’ll spend the majority of our time. But then I’ll wrap things up by mentioning a couple practical applications related to the content of the text.

Evidence of Ungodly Character

So first, let’s consider the evidence of ungodly character that’s described here. In verses 8 through 16, Jude identifies at least twelve different character issues that are warning signs – that indicate that someone may be spiritually endangered, and spiritually dangerous for others. I’ll try to keep us moving through each of these twelve character issues at a good pace. But before we jump in, I just want to give a reminder – even though Jude intends that these descriptions would help us to see warning signs, related to the spiritual condition of other people, the list he gives us is also designed to help us assess our own spiritual condition. The goal here isn’t just to use God’s word as a magnifying glass, here, to inspect others. We should also hold up God’s word as a mirror, to honestly investigate ourselves. So keep this in mind, as we consider twelve evidences of ungodly character.

Claiming special spiritual access to God.

You’ll see that Jude introduces us to four of these pieces of evidence right away, in verse 8. First, Jude says these spiritually dangerous people will tend to Claim special (or superior) spiritual access to God. They’ll claim special spiritual access to God. This is what Jude is getting at when he refers to them in verse 8 as people who rely on their dreams – literally in the Greek, he refers to them as dreamers or dreaming ones. In that historical context, if someone proclaimed himself to be a dreamer, he was basically claiming to be a special prophet. He was claiming that he had a special channel of communication with God that other Christians weren’t privy to. And it’s important to note, here – Jude doesn’t see that as a positive thing. In Jude’s mind, this sort of thing – being a dreamer, getting new, authoritative teachings from God – this wasn’t a regular, ongoing function that people would have in the church. Instead, Jude says that if someone rises up in the church making claims that God has given him a special authoritative role as a dreamer or interpreter of spiritual omens and messages – it’s a warning sign. Jude cautions that spiritually dangerous people will claim (to have) special spiritual access to God.

Defiling the flesh

Second, also in verse 8, Jude warns that these people will often defile the flesh – they’ll handle their bodies in ways that are morally dirty and contrary to God’s design. And this may be because they imagine that God is only concerned about our souls – not our bodies. Or they might fool themselves into thinking that they’ve reached such a high level of spirituality, that it’s okay for them to indulge their fleshly impulses – just a little bit. And so it is, these people with diseased, deceitful hearts end up defiling the flesh with sexual immorality or substance abuse. This is a second piece of evidence pointing toward ungodly character.

Rejecting authority

Jude then mentions a third. He says that these people reject authority. (They reject authority). They aren’t willing to let someone else have authority over them. They might be constantly grumbling against the government. They might blow off the pastoral oversight of the elders that they’re accountable to. They might dishonor their parents. Ultimately, the issue is that these people will be so convinced that they need to have their way – and so adamant that they’re right and other people are wrong – that they’ll be unwilling to acknowledge the authority figures established by God. Rejecting authority is evidence of ungodly character.

Blaspheming glorious ones

Then, from the end of verse 8 through verse 10, Jude mentions piece of evidence number 4: He tells us that these people blaspheme the glorious ones. They make inappropriate and irreverent statements about glorious things and spiritual beings beyond what they understand. Jude further explains what he means by this in verse 9, by referencing an event that isn’t mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. He speaks about the archangel Michael and his dispute with Satan over the body of Moses. Presumably, this was a story that Jude’s audience was familiar with.

And by referencing this event, Jude’s point here is that the magnificent archangel Michael doesn’t insult or pass judgment on Satan – not at all. Michael doesn’t imagine that he has the authority to rebuke or condemn a fellow angelic being. (Which is why he doesn’t say I rebuke you, but instead says, The Lord rebuke you.) Michael acknowledges that the authority to preside over the angels uniquely belongs to God. And Jude wants us to recognize, here – that if people are trying to step into God’s place, to mock spiritual beings or to be sacrilegious in similar ways, that’s evidence of ungodly character.

But as we move on to verse 11, Jude then gives us three more descriptions of ungodly character – three more pieces of evidence. But Jude does this, not by listing off more notorious vices, but by referring to three notorious villains from the Old Testament: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. And each of these three antagonists are associated with their own particular character flaw.

Showing contempt for God and man

Jude says that if we see someone “walking in the way of Cain” – if we see someone showing contempt for God and other people, just like Cain did – that’s a fifth warning sign that someone is operating out of corrupt convictions. We see Cain carrying out his hatred and hostility near the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 4. We’re initially told that Cain and his brother both offer sacrifices to God. But as it turns out, Cain’s offering to God was deficient and defective, and he became jealous of his brother, Abel – so jealous that Cain puts his brother to death. And this proneness to contempt, anger, and jealousy is something Jude tells us to watch out for. It’s a clear indicator that all is not right in a person’s soul.

Seeking to contradict God’s Word for the sake of gain

The sixth indicator of ungodly character is when people “abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error.” Balaam is mentioned earlier in the Bible, in the book of Numbers, in Chapters 22 through 25. And Balaam is an unusual person. It turns out that he’s some kind of pagan prophet. And one of the local kings at that time, the king of Midian, pays Balaam money to try to get Balaam to place a curse on the people of Israel. Despite Balaam’s attempts, though, God prevents him from cursing the people of Israel. But later on, Balaam ends up finding a way to cause trouble for the Israelites, by luring them into idolatry and sexual immorality. Balaam shows that he’s willing to contradict God’s Word for the sake of gain.

And in light of Balaam’s disbelief and devious pragmatism, Jude urges us to watch out. Because there are people in the church like him, who are seeking personal gain rather than principled godliness. They might appear to be aligned with the Bible for a time, when it’s advantageous. But when it’s no longer popular, or profitable, they’ll go off to something else. And Jude urges us to watch out for people like this, like Balaam, who readily contradict God’s Word to gain some sort of personal advantage. That’s the sixth indicator of ungodly character.

Rebelling

Then as the seventh mark of bad character, Jude indicates that we need to watch out for rebelliousness, by making reference to Korah’s rebellion. Korah’s rebellion is described in Numbers 16. Korah was one of the Israelites who had been led out of his slavery in Egypt under Moses. But after God met with his people in the wilderness, to give them instructions for setting up a holy tent and a priesthood, Korah was offended by it. The issue wasn’t just that he didn’t want to acknowledge authority – but he actively intended to overthrow it, and to claim some of the priestly authority for himself. When we see someone who is controlled by a craving for power like this, that’s another piece of evidence that alerts us to danger.

I know that having twelve items like this is a lot. Are you all still with me? We have five more to touch on, here. In verses 12 through 13, Jude uses a number of vivid descriptions to point out a couple more character flaws.

Practicing self-centeredness and self-indulgence

In verse 12, Jude points out the eighth character flaw he wants us to be watching for: selfishness – self-interest and self-indulgence – those things are warning signs. He describes these people as hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves. These are people who feast for themselves – always looking for an opportunity to advance themselves, even if it comes at the expense of others. Jude even suggests here that instead of these people being shepherds who feed the sheep, they’re false shepherds who eat the sheep – they’re really just wolves in shepherd’s clothing. So self-indulgence like this is a warning sign.

Displaying spiritual barrenness

And in the second half of verse 12, Jude goes on to describe that spiritual barrenness – fruitlessness – is also a mark of ungodly character. Jude describes these people as, “waterless clouds, swept along by the winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” There are a lot of descriptions here – but what they all share in common is that they’re talking about a person who’s spiritually empty and fruitless – someone who doesn’t make progress, someone who just splashes around, or drifts in and out, but without arriving at a profitable destination. When someone is spiritually stuck on the same basic issues – when they aren’t growing, when they aren’t making progress – Jude says this is a warning sign, as well.

And Jude affirms the seriousness of his point, by referring to another event that isn’t recorded in the Bible. Jude quotes some words that are attributed to Enoch, an early descendant of Adam, dealing with the certainty of the Lord’s judgment against the ungodly. And from what we can tell, it would seem that Jude is drawing quoting these words from an old document, which is often referred to as “First Enoch.”

This is a bit of a sidenote here, but it’s worth clarifying that First Enoch is not a part of the Bible, and rightfully so. We need to keep in mind that a number of people in ancient times – Jews, Christians, and heretics, too – wrote about spiritual topics. And many of those ancient writings have been discovered over the years by archaeologists. But even though these documents are old – and even though some of these writings may record historical events with a good deal of accuracy, that doesn’t mean that we should consider adding these writings to the Bible. (Especially since some of them were likely written by unbelievers and heretics). If Jesus, the apostles, and the early church didn’t receive and acknowledge something as Scripture, it would be foolish for us to come to a different conclusion.

Now, some people have claimed that the whole text of 1 Enoch should be counted as part of the canon of Scripture, since Jude quotes from it here. It may sound like a good argument, but it isn’t. It’s important to understand, just because something is quoted in the Bible, doesn’t mean that the whole writings of that person should be included in the Bible. After all, the apostle Paul quoted a pagan Greek poet Epimenides in Titus 1:12. And he quoted another Greek pagan – a playwright named Menander, in 1 Corinthians 15:33. Neither of these poets were Christians. Paul wasn’t claiming that either of these men were divinely inspired. And yet they made culturally familiar statements that were true statements. And the Holy Spirit determined they were useful for making a point. So they were included in the Bible.

The same thing can be said for Jude’s quotation of 1 Enoch. It was well-known to the Jews, even though they didn’t receive it as Holy Scripture. And so by the direction of the Spirit, Jude referenced a culturally familiar quotation from 1 Enoch to make a point for his audience. But that’s all that’s happening here. He doesn’t say, “as Scripture says,” or “as it is written.” And that’s because, in this case, 1 Enoch isn’t Scripture. 1 Enoch and many other ancient, apocryphal writings weren’t received by their original audiences as Scripture, and we shouldn’t view them as Scripture, either. From time to time, people will try to argue otherwise, but don’t be unsettled. Stand firmly on the Scriptures received by the Church. And let’s be watchful against people of corrupt character who would try to lead you and I astray.

With that being said, let’s get back on track, here – we’re almost finished working through the 12 warning signs that expose ungodly character. So look with me to verse 16. Jude points out the last few, distinct warning signs we should be watching out for.

Grumbling

Here’s number ten (of the twelve) – Jude says that these ungodly people are grumblers and malcontents. He tells us that if people rise up in the church, who never seem to be satisfied, who’re constantly complaining, or blaming other people for their problems – that suggests that there may be an underlying issue in their spiritual condition that needs to be addressed.

Boasting

An since we’ve already talked about the problem of being selfish and self-indulgent – people following their own sinful desires – the eleventh distinct character flaw Jude points out is that of boasting. Jude says that ungodly influences will be “loud-mouthed boasters.” They’ll want to make sure everyone knows how great they are. They’ll be quick to comment about their past accomplishments. They’ll tell you about their history of athletic accolades and rewards, their educational accomplishments. They’ll make sure you know why they’re right and everyone else is wrong. So number 11 is boasting.

Manipulating (through Flattery)

And character flaw number 12 is manipulating – specifically, manipulating through flattery. Jude finishes this section by telling us to be wary of those who show “favoritism to gain advantage.” Essentially, Jude is warning us about people who leverage relationships manipulatively in order to get what they want. And Jude is clear here – that’s not supposed to be normal in the church. But just like the other eleven things – trying to wrap other people around your finger is an indicator of ungodly character. And Jude says that we need to be on guard against behaviors and attitudes like this.

Now, let me just say here, though – as far as I know, I’m not aware of any persistent patterns of these behaviors here in the congregation. Please understand, I’m not preaching this sermon in response to anything. I’m not targeting anybody. And yet, it’s possible as you’ve been hearing these evidences of bad character, and looking at your life – it’s possible that you’ve been seeing some things that concern you. Maybe this sermon has helped you to identify warning signs in yourself that you haven’t seen before. Maybe you’re grieving over the wickedness of your heart in a fresh way.

And if this is you, listen, here. If you want to be rescued out of these evil ways of living – if you want to have an upright life, and to walk with a clear conscience – then you need God to have mercy on you. That’s what the Bible tells us. You need a Savior, to rescue you from the death penalty of your sins, and to bring you to God. You need the work of God’s Spirit in your life to change your heart, your attitude, and your desires. And God is willing to give you all this, if you’ll just trust in the power of Jesus Christ to save you. Call upon Jesus, and he’ll set you on the right track. He’ll set everything straight between you and God. And He’ll do it for free. He simply says, come. Believe. Receive.

And as we walk with God – as we spend time time in His Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with his people – the Lord works through these ordinary things to strengthen our faith and to change our character. Christ is continuing to work like this in the lives of every believer. He brings you and I out of the ungodly patterns that Jude is speaking about here. And Christ teaches us the customs of heaven. He polishes us so we can reflect the shining light of God’s goodness.

Isn’t this something that every human being should want? Shouldn’t we want to have our heart, mind, ambitions, and actions aligned with the Almighty? Doesn’t it just make sense, that the purpose of our lives would be to know the one who created us – to enjoy God, and to live for him rather than ourselves?

Concluding Applications

So as we consider the section of text we’ve just worked through, I want to wrap things up by pointing out a few applications from the text. Of course, the key application Jude has given us over the past couple weeks is that we need to contend for the true substance of the Christian faith. And he’s been making this point by warning churches about the continued threat of bad actors who would rise in their midst. But let me get a little more specific. And since Jude’s focus here is on corrupt character, I want to point out two basic applications for you and I, to fight against ungodly temptations and to grow in Christlikeness.

So here’s the first point of application, that’s implied from the text: Make sure you realize that pride is at the root of bad character. In the diverse list of warning signs Jude gives us, there’s a similar motivation that drives all of those behaviors. Pride. Arrogance. Being fixated on self-importance, self-advancement, and self-indulgence – this manner of pride is what fuels the furnace of bad character.

If you reflect on the warning signs Jude listed: showing contempt for others, living for selfish indulgence, rebelling, grumbling, boasting, and all the rest – all these things are related to pride. In each example, the person is focused on gaining greatness for themselves, instead of openly admitting the greatness of God. And so when we see any hint of pride in our hearts – when we find ourselves looking down on other people, or when we’re craving affirmation and praise from people because we want them to see the greatness of what we’ve accomplished, or when we’re living with the assumption that life should go the way we want it to all the time, don’t be complacent about the pride you see. Run from it. Cry out to God, and ask to be freed from it. Because pride sprouts up and produces the fruit of bad character. At the core of every bad apple, you’ll find the seeds of pride.

But here’s my second application, now, related to the first. Pursue good character, and true greatness, by humbling yourself before God. This is what Jesus himself urges, in Matthew 18, verses 3 and 4. Jesus teaches his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus says something similar in Matthew 20:26-28: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Think about it this way: if a king has two servants – and one servant loves and serves the king, while the second servant loves and lives for himself – which one will be greater in the eyes of the king? Which servant will be commended for his good character? It will of course be the first one, the humble one. So the pursuit of humility is an important part of growing in good character.

Now, I imagine that for a number of us, it may not be clear what pursuing humility should look like. Here are a few practical examples: One important way we humble ourselves before God is by taking time to remind ourselves of God’s infinite wisdom, his unlimited power, and his moral perfection. When we’re mindful of God’s otherworldly greatness, we’ll have a much harder time imagining that the earth should revolve around us. Another way we can rightly humble ourselves before God is by giving thanks to God for all the good things we have. This forces us to acknowledge that God is the one who deserves credit for our assets and abilities, rather than trying to take credit for ourselves. And a third way we can humble ourselves before God is by patiently enduring the trials we face in life, trusting that God will preserve us and use those challenges to refine our character. We may not understand why God is allowing difficult events to take place – but in humility, we shouldn’t always expect to. When we humble ourselves under the Lord’s mighty hand, he can be trusted to exalt us at the proper time, as we see in 1 Peter 5:6.

There are many other ways that you and I can learn to walk in humility, too. And if you take time to seriously reflect on God’s Word, I’m sure that the Lord will continue to point out specific truths that will promote humility. But let me just say in closing, here – please don’t let this sermon be wasted. Don’t have a proud heart that walks away this morning, saying, “I’m just fine how I am! I don’t need the Bible, or Pastor Devon, or anybody else telling me what to do. I’m good.” Please don’t let that be you. But take seriously here, that humility is necessary for good character. And good character is necessary for functioning as a healthy Christian. And healthy Christians are necessary for the peace and purity of the Church, and for the world to see a reflection of Jesus’s greatness and glory. So let’s humble ourselves before God and his Word. And let’s ask that he would guard us from corrupt influences, and guide us into Christlike character. Let’s pray: