Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. Jude 8–11
Jude speaks with urgency because he knows what is at stake. He warns us about people he calls “dreamers,” not because they had restless nights but because they have traded reality in Christ for illusions of their own making. They created a religion that feels more comfortable, more in line with their own desires. But dreams like that never come true. They always collapse.
The gospel is not about us chasing after what we think God wants. It is about resting in what God has already done through Jesus. But these dreamers refuse that rest. They reject the finished work of Christ and attempt to build their lives on their own performance, ideas, and desires. That is why Jude says their path leads only to ruin.
He describes them in three ways.
They defile the flesh. Once you walk away from grace, all you have left is self-indulgence. Religion without Christ either puffs us up with pride or drags us down into despair, but it cannot keep us. Without the Spirit, appetites take over. And the saddest part is that many who end up here once heard the truth but did not believe it was enough.
They despise dominion. At the core of their rebellion is a refusal to trust God’s authority. But God’s authority is never harsh or cruel. His authority is the authority of love. He says, “Trust Me. I have already given you My Son. I have already secured your life in Him.” The safest place in the universe is under His authority because His rule is grace.
They disgrace the faithful. Jude says they “speak evil of dignities.” In other words, they mock what is holy. They laugh at the cross, minimize the resurrection, and treat Jesus as optional. But here is the truth. Even the mightiest beings in heaven treat spiritual realities with reverence. How tragic when human hearts treat God Himself with contempt.
The tragedy is simple. These dreamers promise freedom but deliver chains. They promise wisdom but leave you in darkness. They promise a God who lets you live on your own terms, but in the end, you are left with no God at all. Their dreams never come true because they are not rooted in reality, Christ Himself.
And here is the hope. The cross is not a dream. The resurrection is not an illusion. They are finished facts of history. The fire of God’s judgment has already fallen there. And when you stand at the cross, you stand on the only safe ground where God’s judgment has already been met and His love has already been poured out.
Jude’s warning is not meant to instill fear. It is intended to call us back to reality. Back to the Word. Back to grace. Back to Jesus.
So here is the question worth carrying in your heart. Am I living in reality, the reality of Christ in me, or am I chasing illusions? One will leave me empty. The other will hold me forever.