CHAPTER ONE

Contents: The apostasy and apostate teachers described. Assurance and comfort for true believers.

Characters: God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Jude, James, Michael, Moses, Cain, Balaam, Enoch, Adam.

Conclusion: Believers must be on their guard lest they be robbed of any essential article of Christian faith by the cunning craftiness or plausible pretenses of ungodly men who pose as teachers and lie in wait to deceive. Our duty in the presence of the apostasy is to earnestly contend for the faith, trusting to be kept from stumbling by walking in the perpetual consciousness of God's love through Christ, looking toward the day when we shall be presented before Him with exceeding joy.

Key Word: Apostasy, vv. 4, 18.

Strong Verses: 3(b), 21, 24, 25.

Striking Facts: v. 21. We can be kept in the perpetual consciousness of God's love only as we depend upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus that is His mercy, not our merit being our constant plea. He has merited for us what we could never, otherwise, lay claim to. The only way to stand before Him flawless is to rest in His merits and walk in His love.