The Book of Jude – Contend for the Faith
Have you ever studied the book of Jude? Do you know where it is located in the Bible? Who was Jude?
Jude is a short, one chapter book, located just before the book of Revelation in the New Testament. It may not be a book you have ever studied or even been aware of. Jude was the brother of James and a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. (Also that would make him a half brother of Jesus, a son of Mary and Joseph.) The letter was believed to be written to congregations dispersed throughout the Roman empire around A.D. 65. Jude is warning those congregations of some of the ‘ungodly’ immoral men who had crept into the congregations and were ‘perverting’ the Word of God. He also gives the congregations instructions regarding the ungodly in their midst.
Before we go further perhaps you should read the Scripture. Following is the book of Jude taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) translation:
The Warnings of History to the Ungodly
1 [a]Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of [b]James,
To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
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 that was once for all time handed down to the [c]saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand [d]marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into indecent behavior and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I want to remind you, though you know everything once and for all, that [e]the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, [f]subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and went after [g]strange flesh, are exhibited as an [h]example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic[i]majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and all the things that they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay [j]they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the ones who are [k]hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, [l]doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, for whom the [m]gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.
14 It was also about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord has come with [n]many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; [o]they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
Keep Yourselves in the Love of God
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, [p]worldly-minded, [q]devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and [r]forever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Jude 1:1 Gr Judas
- Jude 1:1 Or Jacob
- Jude 1:3 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Jude 1:4 Or written about regarding this
- Jude 1:5 One early ms Jesus
- Jude 1:5 Lit the second time
- Jude 1:7 Lit different; or other flesh
- Jude 1:7 Or example of eternal fire, in undergoing punishment
- Jude 1:8 Lit glories
- Jude 1:11 Lit they have poured themselves out
- Jude 1:12 Or stains
- Jude 1:12 Lit twice
- Jude 1:13 Or netherworld gloom
- Jude 1:14 Lit His holy ten thousands
- Jude 1:16 Lit their mouth speaks
- Jude 1:19 Or merely natural
- Jude 1:19 Lit not having
- Jude 1:25 Lit to all the ages
I. How did Jude describe those he wrote to? What was his purpose in writing?
He described them as Called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. Jude was appealing to believer to contend earnestly for the faith. He said in verses 20-21 that they should ‘keep themselves in the love of God’.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: He calls people through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls people to gain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In 1 Peter 2:9: One thing the called are to do is proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.
II. The Ungodly Cause Divisions
In verses 19 and 20, Jude reminds the believers that apostles had spoken beforehand that “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, [p]worldly-minded, [q]devoid of the Spirit.” In verse16 he says ” 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; [o]they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.”
III. Why does Jude call the Congregation ‘Beloved’?
Both Jews and Gentiles are called beloved because they become God’s people when
they’re saved. God shows His love in that believers are called His children.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore, the beloved are to walk—live—in love like Jesus did.
IV. They turn / pervert God’s grace (“kindness . . . favor”9) into licentiousness (“sensuality”10; “absence of restraint” 11), a license to sin. This a warning to believers about those around them.
Titus 2:11-14
Paul wrote to Titus that God’s grace instructs / trains believers to deny / renounce
ungodliness and worldly desires / passions. The called, beloved, and kept are to
live sensibly / self-controlled, righteously, and godly because they belong to Him.
V. They deny Jesus as Master and Lord.
These deny Him as they live in licentiousness / sensuality. These persons claim salvation but live however they want. They might claim that God’s grace covers their continued sin and that Jesus is their Savior, even though they live for themselves and not Him as Lord.
If there is a life of licentiousness / sensuality and denial of Jesus as Master, then there is no true salvation. Only destruction awaits. Remember what happened in the 40 years in the wilderness and how the Israelites did not listen to God even after he brought them out of the wilderness. He ultimately allowed only those 20 years or younger to enter the Promised Land. Only Caleb and Joshua who were older than 20 were allowed to go into the Land because they had believed God.
God saved Israel out of Egypt, but those who didn’t believe were destroyed.
Angels who didn’t keep their own domain (ESV—stay within their own position of
authority) are kept in eternal bonds / chains—they won’t stray again—for judgment.
Just as Sodom and Gomorrah “in the same way as these / likewise”—maybe as the angels in verse 6—went after strange flesh and are the example of punishment by eternal fire.
VI. Jude reminded his readers of what the apostles said about mockers / scoffers.
They follow their lusts and question the promise of Christ’s second coming.
And they don’t realize that the flood was judgment on the ungodly—a foreshadowing of coming judgment by fire. They cause divisions, are worldly minded and are devoid of the Spirit.
God want us to LOVE each other, but not be drawn in by the ungodly and false teachers to their way of life. We are to save them by snatching them from the fire with the help of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
VII. If verse 23 is a warning to believers about being tempted to sin, how does verse 24 relate?
God is able!! He’s able to keep believers from stumbling. There’s no reason to fear falling without recovery. There’s no reason to fear the ungodly. He’s able to make Christians stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.
VIII. In Closing: Remember that God is the Savior through Jesus. Glory, majesty, dominion, and authority speak of His sovereignty. The time references show that He doesn’t change. Always be prepared to defend your FAITH. Be sober and alert. Guard your heart and your mind. Spread His Word to all.
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the World. Jesus is the only Way.
Amen.
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