“These people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.”
Jude 1:10–11 (NLT)
Jude’s short letter carries a loud warning: defend the faith God has entrusted to His people. He longed to write about the salvation believers share, but urgency redirected his message—because false teachers had quietly slipped into the church. They twisted God’s grace into a license for immorality and denied the authority of Jesus Christ Himself. Jude reminded the church that this kind of rebellion has always led to destruction.
He recalls how the Israelites, though rescued from Egypt, were later destroyed for unbelief; how angels abandoned their rightful place and now sit in chains of darkness; and how Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by fire for their unrestrained immorality. Each story warns us that those who reject God’s authority eventually face His judgment.
These modern deceivers live by instinct, not the Spirit—doing whatever feels right and calling it faith. Like unthinking animals, they follow impulses instead of truth, bringing about their own ruin. Jude paints their likeness through three examples: Cain, who replaced God’s command with self-made religion; Balaam, who used spiritual gifts for financial gain; and Korah, who rebelled against God’s appointed authority. Their pattern is pride, their outcome destruction.
False teachers still follow the same path. They pollute the gospel by adding human effort, exploit others for gain, and resist correction when confronted. But God’s people must be different. We guard the faith by holding fast to Scripture, walking in obedience, and staying submitted to Christ’s lordship. Guard it. Live it. And never trade truth for what feels good.