Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Jude: The name is literally “Judas.” However, this is not Judas Iscariot. This is the brother of James. This is the half-brother of Jesus.
Jesus’ half-brothers did not believe in who Jesus was until after the resurrection of Jesus. Jude was a blood relative of Jesus. However, by his statement he was a bondservant of Jesus. Jude was a person who valued his relationship with His brother. Now, even though they grew up together and would have been siblings, this relationship was much more. He was the brother of Jesus and Jude understood after the resurrection of Jesus just how awesome a relationship that was.
Jude, learned that the blood Jesus shed on the cross was the important part, and that being his brother was not nearly enough, but being saved for all eternity was, and having a personal relationship with Him is what would save him. He was also a half-brother of James. James was a leader in the church and wrote the book of James in the New Testament.
Jude wrote to tell the church the very things they didn’t want to hear! We, as Christians are called, and it was, and is, God that calls us. We are the ones who need to accept the call of the Lord. So what does this mean? It means that when we accept the call of the Lord we are set apart. It also means that God preserves us and protects our soul from destruction. This does not mean that we won’t go through things in this life, but that God will preserve us for heaven.
The greeting: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. In the mind and heart of Jude, it wasn’t enough to have mercy, peace, and love added to the life of the Christian. Jude sounds like here that to those this was written that he wanted Mercy peace, and love not only to them, but that those three things would be multiplied to them as well. I don’t know about you but I sure like multiplied blessings in my life and that of my loved ones.
The call to defend the faith. 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.
Jude wanted to write one message but decided to write a very different message. The message that he wanted to write was one on salvation. However, he felt the need to write about serious issues such as the practices and doctrines that were going on within the church. Jude was godly and listened to the Holy Spirit instead of writing what he had planned to write to the church. The message that he gave was a warning about the end times.
As we think on salvation here it is not common or cheap, but we are saved in common. No matter when we lived, where we lived, whom we were born to, or where we are today…we can be saved. Doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, or what color you skin is…we are all equal in the eyes of God and God created each one of us. No matter who you are you must come to Jesus in the same way. There is no salvation without Jesus as your Lord no matter who you are or even if you don’t believe it. No matter how good a person you are in your eyes…that is not the qualification for you to get into heaven.
Ever since the first person became a Christian until the very last one before Jesus comes to take home His bride/the church…we are a community. We are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. Doesn’t matter where you live, rich or poor, the color of your skin, who your parents are or were…we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. If we can’t get along here on earth why would God ever want us in heaven with Him? No one is better than another in the sight of God.
We are to contend earnestly for the faith. So what does that mean here? To agonize, do hard work in this if necessary. Why is it necessary? Because our faith is of great value. Let’s say for a moment what do you consider valuable to you? Do you do all you can to protect what it is? How far would you go to protect let’s say….your family? Well, God is our Father in heaven and as we grow in faith and trust of our Lord we will begin to understand just how valuable we are to God. We can know that God wants a personal relationship with each one of us, however, we are a whole also. God loves His bride the church equally. Also, if we are trusting false teachers and not finding out the truth but trusting them then we won’t have the true support of God. False teachers tickle your ears, declare God is old fashioned, and that God would accept anything for we live in a different time. NO, no, and no! God does not change. Don’t believe them. We can’t live in a compromising state but must stand on the real word of God even if we are the only one standing. There are a lot of people who believe lies because the church they are going to is big, has lots of programs, loud music, but are they really teaching the word of God? Is Jesus the reason for the church? Remember this it is Jesus’ church!!! Do they say that you can do ungodly things now because God would accept them? You need to pay attention to all God declares because God is never okay with sin. Even if you choose to believe somehow God would approve of your sins…He would not. There is only one Gospel, One Lord and Savior period.
“For all” means that this faith is for everybody. We don’t have the option to simply make up our own faith and still be true to God. There is only “one” truth and that truth is what God says it is. We need to contend for the faith because there are dangerous men among Christians. In this world and more and more there are men creeping in who claim to know God and don’t. They are men who twist the word to say whatever they want it to say. Creeping is sometimes a very slow moving person who wants to deceive the people. Maybe at first they go along with the truth, but slowly they think they somehow know more than God does and they begin to twist the word of God to suit themselves. After all, in this day and age, these men don’t want to offend anyone. Well, they are offending God and they are offending true Christians by preaching and teaching lies. These men creep in and the devil is glad to use them to destroy the very souls of the people.
Listen carefully. These false teachers have a destiny and it is not in heaven. They are set for condemnation. They are not like God, and being that they would rather teach destructive messages will one day pay the price for doing such a thing. At first the church might not notice…one message a little off, one verse out of context, a little lie here or there, or one compromise that makes the congregation who is sinning thinking it is now okay…after all, the preacher told them it is/was okay now.
Who turn the grace of our God into lewdness: These certain men had received something of the grace of God. But when they received it, they turned it into an excuse for their lewdness. They preach God is okay now with things like abortion, same sex marriage, living together, transgenders, identifying as whatever they want to be called, having sex outside of marriage, and anything else that God says is wrong. When people go along with these things, they are now doing them without shame, without confession, and without repentance (change). These false teachers who creep in have no real morals, no doctrinal truth. Oh they might look good, talk a good talk, and have lots of money and stuff…but to God these men are evil, liars, deceivers, and they are destroying the church from the inside. To so many it is no longer a calling but a bank account. They turn God’s truth into lies and God is watching. How many will miss heaven because they didn’t trust God’s word, do God’s word, or find out if what they are being taught comes from God or from a deceiver of God’s word. Remember this: The devil is a liar, a thief, a murderer, a deceiver. Don’t follow the devil or his ways.
How many within the church deny Jesus is Lord and He is the only way to heaven?
Jude knew he wasn’t telling them anything new. They were already taught this example, but they needed to hear it again and to apply it to their present situation. With us, we need to study, hear, and do the word of God. We must take God’s word seriously. Again, God does not change for any culture, any race, or to make you feel better about sinning.
The warning through Jude is clear. The people of Israel started out from Egypt well enough. They had many blessings from God along the way. But they did not endure to the end, because they did not believe God’s promise of power and protection.
Yes, evil mean and women will be judged someday, but you can be forgiven if you confess your sins, repent, and do what God wants you to do. We must follow Jesus until the end. We must endure whatever comes our way and trust that Jesus will walk through it with us. Christianity is endurance. If you want to cross the finish line into heaven then endure the race of life.
This is just a few notes on the Book of Jude. Jude is a warning yet…to those who remain faithful until the end…we will cross that finish line right into the presence of God and we will do it victoriously.