…they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
Jude wraps up his description of the ungodly with this final clue. What is it about boasting and flattery that has drawn Jude’s attention?
In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul writes:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)
The very nature of sin is to choose to follow our own will rather than God’s. When we decide we know better than God does, we step out from under his protection and into a realm pioneered by Satan himself. When we boast about what we have done, we step farther down that road.
And what is flattery? Isn’t that a form of boasting about someone else?
I have heard it said that drug dealers like to offer free samples of their wares. Once taken, the drug becomes a necessity for their victim and a new customer is born. Flattery feeds the same kind of hunger that the drug addict has. The victim’s conscience will not allow them to boast, but when someone does it for them, it feels good. And what could it hurt?
What can it hurt? How about a person’s ability to rebuke the boaster? How can I accept your flattery and then turn around and say a word against self-flattery?
This final clue is about something more insidious than all the rest. Like an amusement park mirror, flattery reflects a false image of who we are. We are lulled into a sense of guilt and debt by flattery, then left powerless to correct others about boasting.
So boasting and flattery are two sides of the same coin. The godly reject such currency.
Application: Humility before God rejects praise for one’s self if only to avoid the risk of flattery.
Food for Thought: What is the difference between flattery and charm?
None.
We are called to please God. He is our reward, I am very careful of the praises of men, they can go to ones head and become addictive. Give God the glory for all good that comes from our lives. He is the true source of all good. Romans 16:18, Psalm 58:5, 2 Corinthians 12:9
Contemporary interest in superficial charm goes back toHarvey M. Cleckley’s classic study (1941) of the sociopath: since his work it has become widely accepted that the sociopath/psychopath was
Characterised by superficial charm and a disregard for other people’s feelings. According to Hare. Psychopathic charm is not in the least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything.
Narcissists are known as manipulative in a charming way, entrapping their victims through a facade of understanding into suspending their self-protective behaviour and lowering their personal boundaries.
Ron,
Thanks! Extremely interesting. Great reference verses, too. It is frightening how narrow the line is between the sane and the insane, the godly and the ungodly. We truly live on a knife’s edge. The only safe place is in our Lord’s arms.
Very interesting Ron. I had never thought of the link between sociopaths and charm before. That was great information and a great perspective.
I think sometimes we call someone charming and all we mean is that are nice or winsome. However, what Ron relays here rings true. If they are playing a game in which they are manipulating emotions for personal gain or to advance their agenda, then that is a godless act.
We are to be please God. 2 Corinthians 5: 9: So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. Romans 12: 1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
If our aim is to please God, we will not flatter others to gain personal advantage.
Well said, Rich. There is an innocent charm that we attribute to the nice and winsome. There is also a type of charm that Ron describes. When someone uses charm as a manipulative tool, it is no longer innocent.
👍🏻