Be Steadfast

Jude 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 

JUDE adds the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah as his fourth example of God’s past judgments. Naming God’s judgment on false prophets, Israel’s rebellion and the angels’ rebellion, Jude is listing some of the most grievous sins recorded in the Old Testament. Note there are large numbers in each category. Sin that begins with one or a few voices can infect many people to their destruction. The church needs to know this. False teachings must never be allowed in Jesus’ church. 
Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s judgment speaks directly to the threat of sexual immorality that threatens the church. The destruction of those cities is as well-known as any story in the Bible. There is a similar story of the same sin in Judges 19. The men of Gibeah, a town of the Benjamites, committed great sin that nearly led to the extermination of the tribe of Benjamin. God’s people should know God’s judgment against homosexuality. For any church to assume God will no longer see these acts as sin is an abomination as great as the sin. 
God is just, constant and true. He graciously gives us his good laws to structure our lives. He promises blessing as we obey them. Curses if we disobey. He does not change his mind about right and wrong. We can be thankful for that. 
How could we worship God and trust his salvation if he changed what is sin and what is not? We would never know if we are pleasing him or if we are rejecting him. 
We must remember we are created male and female in God’s image to have a holy relationship with him through Jesus’ broken body and blood poured out for us. When we confess faith in Jesus, we are confessing faith in the Son of God who suffered and died to redeem us. No teaching that opposes God’s Word should infect our minds. We can easily settle any debates on , “What is true?” with our faith in the truth. 
Again, Jude was telling the church to look into history to understand the truth and to know sin’s consequences. They would see that there is an absolute truth to God’s Word that we must absolutely obey to be his church. 
How, then, does the church respond to all forms of sexual immorality? We do so in the same way God confronts all sin. Because he is love, he has told us what is true. He has given us the way to know the truth and to be saved in the truth. That is our mission. Saved in the understanding of God’s true Word, we must tell people what is wrong and what is right. And we pray the Spirit to work his power to awaken them. 
Be kind and merciful. Be steadfast and true.