We venture into the book of Jude, 1-4 says,...
Today's verses are Jude 1-4, which read,
v.1,2 - Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
Jude is believed by most scholars to be another half-brother of Jesus along with the author of the book of James. A half-brother of Jesus is first saying he is a "bond-servant of Jesus Christ." Above even his common mother, Jude is first a follower of Jesus Christ.
Jude is writing this to those who the "called," those who have turned their eyes toward Jesus. He is writing to those who are "beloved," those who know of the unconditional love of God through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. He is also writing to those who are "kept," those who have been given eternal life and He is preserving their souls for them see Jesus face to face. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are called and beloved and kept.
The mercy of God and the peace of God and the love of God are available and able to be multiplied because of the grace of God. This is a common greeting among Christians in the the 1st century world.
v.3 - Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude was going to write one type of letter and then decided another type of letter was more necessary for them. The first letter was going to be about salvation and probably about how great it is and maybe sharing his own experience of the calling of God on his life. This final draft finds him writing something of necessity for his readers to not just know about the faith and experience the faith but to "contend earnestly for the faith." The idea is that this is a competitive game going on in the world in the area of faith. The readers are being encouraged to engage in that competition with the message of Jesus who was "once for all handed down to the saints." Jesus was given by God (handed down) and Jesus was totally sufficient (once for all) for salvation.
v.4 - For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
I think the phrase that hits me the most is "crept in unnoticed." We have been warned about false teachers, "long beforehand." We have been given the information about their character, "ungodly." We have had pointed out to us their practices, "turn the grace of our God into licentiousness, deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." How does all that information about the false teachers happen and they still creep in unnoticed?
The phrase means "to enter secretly" and "to slip in stealthily." I think they are able to do this because they are following Satan who is the king of entering secretly and slipping in stealthily. Satan is behind this move and we should not be surprised at where he can get in. This is why Jude is writing this letter to remind them to do battle with those following his Satan's ways with the faith of Jesus Christ. We "contend earnestly" with the fact that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ who is the "once for all" Savior of the world. These facts we stand upon.
Pastor Adam
v.1,2 - Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
Jude is believed by most scholars to be another half-brother of Jesus along with the author of the book of James. A half-brother of Jesus is first saying he is a "bond-servant of Jesus Christ." Above even his common mother, Jude is first a follower of Jesus Christ.
Jude is writing this to those who the "called," those who have turned their eyes toward Jesus. He is writing to those who are "beloved," those who know of the unconditional love of God through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. He is also writing to those who are "kept," those who have been given eternal life and He is preserving their souls for them see Jesus face to face. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are called and beloved and kept.
The mercy of God and the peace of God and the love of God are available and able to be multiplied because of the grace of God. This is a common greeting among Christians in the the 1st century world.
v.3 - Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude was going to write one type of letter and then decided another type of letter was more necessary for them. The first letter was going to be about salvation and probably about how great it is and maybe sharing his own experience of the calling of God on his life. This final draft finds him writing something of necessity for his readers to not just know about the faith and experience the faith but to "contend earnestly for the faith." The idea is that this is a competitive game going on in the world in the area of faith. The readers are being encouraged to engage in that competition with the message of Jesus who was "once for all handed down to the saints." Jesus was given by God (handed down) and Jesus was totally sufficient (once for all) for salvation.
v.4 - For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
I think the phrase that hits me the most is "crept in unnoticed." We have been warned about false teachers, "long beforehand." We have been given the information about their character, "ungodly." We have had pointed out to us their practices, "turn the grace of our God into licentiousness, deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." How does all that information about the false teachers happen and they still creep in unnoticed?
The phrase means "to enter secretly" and "to slip in stealthily." I think they are able to do this because they are following Satan who is the king of entering secretly and slipping in stealthily. Satan is behind this move and we should not be surprised at where he can get in. This is why Jude is writing this letter to remind them to do battle with those following his Satan's ways with the faith of Jesus Christ. We "contend earnestly" with the fact that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ who is the "once for all" Savior of the world. These facts we stand upon.
In
our world where much glorifies Satan rather than God, we who are
called, beloved and kept, need to keep on point with what and Who we
have our faith in. This is another warning with more instruction on what to do to follow.
"Lord,
may I not rely on being a good moral person or the family I was raised
in or the church I have been apart of. Thank you for all those things
but may I rely on the fact that You gave Your Son Jesus Christ to die on
a cross in my place for my sins and there is no other Savior but You. May I hold up earnestly You in the face of the evil of my world. Amen."
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