We’re currently walking through the short but hard-hitting book of Jude. In a world flooded with false voices and endless information, Jude reminds us that passivity never produces perseverance. We must contend for the faith—struggle, fight, and actively guard what has been entrusted to us.
False teaching is not just a distant threat—it creeps in unnoticed. If we want to grow and endure in the true faith, we must wake up to the dangers around us and stay rooted in the gospel delivered once for all to the saints.
Week Two: Profile of a Pretender (Jude 8–16)
Big Idea: False teachers are fake. They look powerful but are only pretending.
This week, we turned our attention from what false teachers say to who false teachers are. Jude gives us a “wanted poster” of sorts—a clear description of those who creep into the church under the guise of spirituality, but whose lives deny the true gospel.
False Teachers Trust Self Over Scripture
The first description of a false teacher is someone who trusts self over Scripture. Instead of submitting to God’s Word, they rely on their own dreams, feelings, and personal experiences as truth. They defile themselves, reject authority, and blaspheme the things of God—all while claiming to be spiritual.
This isn’t just a first-century problem. We live in a culture that increasingly teaches that truth is what you feel, and meaning is whatever you want it to be. That worldview has crept into the church too—where people justify sinful choices because “God just wants me to be happy,” even when those choices directly contradict Scripture.
False Teachers Speak Contrary to the Bible
There is an authority handed down from Jesus through the apostles, captured in Scripture. To reject that authority in favor of “new truth” is to walk down the path of rebellion. And here’s the warning Jude presses: Not all spirituality is of God.
There’s a massive interest today in spiritual things—dreams, visions, supernatural experiences, and alternative spiritualities. But unless those experiences are grounded in Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ, they can lead people astray.
Jude uses the story of the archangel Michael and the devil disputing over the body of Moses to show us what true spiritual authority looks like. Michael, though powerful, did not presume to rebuke Satan on his own authority—he said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
False Teachers Are Breathtakingly Presumptuous
In contrast to Michael’s restraint, false teachers are breathtakingly presumptuous. They speak loudly and boastfully about things they don’t even understand, treating serious spiritual realities with reckless arrogance. They are loudmouths without real knowledge, making a show out of things they should fear.
False Teachers Rebel Against God’s Design and Seek a Way They Think Is Better for Them
Jude points to the examples of Cain, Balaam, and Korah—men who rejected God’s way in
pursuit of greed, pride, and self-promotion. The same spirit fuels false teachers today. They appear to be helpful, but in reality, they are hidden reefs ready to shipwreck faith, waterless clouds that bring no refreshment, and wandering stars that mislead.
False Teachers Look Powerful but Lack Power Because They Pervert the Gospel
Like the guy who shows up to pickup basketball with the latest shoes, matching gear, and a headband—only to airball his first shot—false teachers often look the part but lack the power. All appearance, no anointing. They make a lot of noise, but they don’t have the real power of the gospel.
Romans 1:16 reminds us that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. When the gospel is distorted—whether by legalism, prosperity preaching, or cheap grace—the true power to save is lost.
False Teachers Will Not Operate Forever
And make no mistake: false teachers will not operate forever. Jude reminds us that God will bring judgment. Their deception may flourish for a time, but there will be an end. Like a bull charging the wrong target, it might seem unstoppable—until it’s brought down. Better to have the bloody nose of correction now than face the full judgment of God later.
Application: Recognize and Reject False Teachers
Before we start pointing fingers at others, though, we must first look in the mirror. How often do we trust ourselves over Scripture? How often do we follow instincts instead of instruction?
This is why the gospel is so precious: Jesus—the only true and righteous one—willingly went to the cross for pretenders like us. When we were loud-mouthed boasters, He stayed silent like a lamb before the shearers. When we distorted the truth with our lives, He upheld it perfectly—and took the punishment we deserved. Through His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven, restored, and made new.
If you recognize today that you’ve been faking it, or that you’ve drifted toward trusting yourself over God, today is the day to trust the true gospel. Repent of sin. Trust in Jesus. Whether it’s your first time or the thousandth time, run back to the gospel—the only real source of life.
Final Word
The gospel changes us from the inside out. It’s not about stapling good works onto dead branches. True faith produces true fruit. Reject the false teaching that says you can have fire insurance without transformation. And contend for the true faith—the faith that leads to real, lasting life.
