Interesting...
Jude is a great book as a warning to the church about false teachers. I believe the premise was the fact that gnosticism was entering the church and Jude was writing a letter to those in the church to contend for the faith against these gnostic practices. Granted this idea of "gnosticism" entering the church can also be applied to the myriad of false teachings and doctrines and gospels that would enter the church in the future.
This is most evidently seen with the fact that Jude said the following:
Jude 1:3-4 NKJV
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude warns those who are born again to contend for the faith, knowing that false teachers would come in to try to sway them from the narrow road walk in Christ Jesus. Jude warns the church to stand against these false teachings. Arguably, the issue of hyper grace would fit into these teachings as it can turn the grace of God into lewdness. He continues to go on saying that apostates (or those that turn away from the faith) forget that the Lord does judge mankind as seen with Egypt, the angels that did not keep their proper domain (most likely a Genesis 6 reference), and Sodom and Gomorrah (and the neighboring cities). So as a result, with their false teachings, they are spots in our love feasts IN the church. As clouds without water (promising the water of the word, but giving emptiness instead), late autumn trees without fruit who are twice dead and uprooted, and likened to a raging sea whose foam shows their shame. More importantly, they are reserved for the blackness of darkness forever (hell).
With their false doctrine, they grumble, complain, and walk according to their own lusts. A key point to consider here, is that they speak great swelling words to flatter people to gain advantage. The words they speak will sound good, feel good, and seem to be truth, but in reality the words they speak are not the words that give life by Christ Jesus, but just words for their own monetary gain. We can liken their words to words that have a hint of truth in order to sound good, but holds back the whole counsel of God. A partial truth is not a full truth. The most dangerous weapon against the Body of Christ would be a partial truth and partial gospel. Outright heresy is easy to spot, but the more dangerous heresy would be truth with even a bit of error sprinkled in. Or, error with a little truth sprinkled in, but this is easier to spot. These false doctrines and gospels are that leaven that leavens the whole lump. A little corruption grows to be full blown apostasy.
This is why Jude exhorts the Church, born again believers:
Jude 1:20-23 NKJV
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;[d] 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire,[e] hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
To the church Jude says for us to keep ourselves in the Love of God and look for the mercy of Jesus unto eternal life. Is it not love to give truth? Is it not love to stand in truth amid the error of the doctrines of the times? It is thus love also to understand the false doctrines that pervade in the professing church and to make a stand for the truth. To allow a brother to live in even a little bit of error is not love. So thus we need to keep ourselves in the Love of God so as to look for the mercy of our Lord Christ unto eternal life.
Hyper-grace/OSAS? Hyper-grace is spoken of in effect when Jude speaks about turning the grace of God into lewdness. It's not speaking bout those who say we need to be obedient unto the word of God and what the Spirit of God speaks to us. It speaks of a doctrine that turns God's grace into something that it was never meant to be, in this case by saying that once you are born again, no matter what you do, you cannot fall away from God. Yes I know the hyper-grace crowd will say that what they teach is not a license for licentiousness. However, the doctrine of OSAS/Hyper-grace when you boil it down to the basic essence does not deny this. Instead people will say, "Oh they were never born again to begin with," but then it starts a heart judgment that we are called never to make.
Obedience is not works. Bearing fruit is not works. Keeping ourselves in the Love of God is not works. However, it is something we are asked to do. Thus it is a reasonable service unto the Lord and not works. Let us not malign the clear exhortations that are given to us by God and let us keep ourselves for our Bridegroom without spot or blemish. Does this mean we have to be perfect? Of course not. He wants us to have a heart purposed for Him, and to be found doing what He wants us to be doing upon His return for His blood bought remnant bride. Jesus is our High King and Priest. He knows we cannot walk 100% perfectly because of our flesh which is contrary to God. This is why the end result of our race of faith or Sanctification Process is Glorification, where we receive our glorified spiritual bodies.
There was only one man who could walk in 100% perfection and that was Christ Jesus. He knows we will stumble from time to time. He knows we will sin. But by confessing and repenting to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when we sin, He who is our Mediator and Advocate (for those who are born again), is good to forgive us our sins. This is only available for those who are born again. What an amazing gift of grace that God has given us in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
And have you ever actually asked a starfish what they want exactly? Didn't think so..lol.. 