WHO WROTE IT?: Jude, the brother of Jesus and James.
WHY WAS IT WRITTEN?: To remind the church to keep strong in their faith and to oppose heresy. There was a continuous problem with false teachers, both then and now. They and we must be vigilant to defend against it, and always be on guard.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?: This letter was written around AD 65.
WHO WAS IT FOR?: A general letter to Jewish Christians.
“Jude wrote to motivate Christians everywhere to action. He wanted them to recognize the dangers of false teaching, to protect themselves and other believers, and to win back those who had already been deceived. Jude was writing against godless teachers who were saying that Christians could do as they pleased without fear of God’s punishment. While few teach this heresy openly in the church today, many in the church act as though this were true. This letter contains a warning against living a nominal* Christian life.” [1]
This letter represents Jude’s message to all Christians back in his day, yet applies to believers in the 21st Century as well. All believers should rise up against false teachings, defending the faith by rejecting any and all false statements issued by these unwanted charlatans. Jude encourages them all to recall the mighty acts of rescue and punishment and the warnings issued by the other apostles. He tells his readers to strengthen their faith thru prayer, stay close to Christ, help others, and hate sin. He finishes his brief letter with praise to God.
True followers of God have been given the seemingly impossible task of sharing His Word and telling others of the gift of eternal life for all who are redeemed. There are many, many individuals who are defiantly opposed to anything having to do with God and/or His followers. They turn God’s words on their head in an effort to deceive and thus destroy those who are gullible among the brethren. We are called to go forth speaking and defending the true Word of God so as to defuse the deceit of the heretics. It’s an incredibly important task that we must perform, but with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit it can be done. It is an awesome responsibility and a profound privilege to fulfill this quest.
Apostasy, or the falling away from one’s faith, can sadly be the result of heretical teaching. Jude addresses this as a real problem for believers. To avoid such an event from happening each person must acquaint themselves intimately with their Creator in order to know Him as best they can. Scripture tells us to “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” [James 4:7-8] Submitting to God is as a servant would do. We are nothing more than a single grain of sand on eternity’s beaches if the truth be told. This life isn’t all about us, it is about God and what we do with Him, because what we do with God, and by divine association, His Son will reveal to us our eternal destiny. Just because we say we believe in Christ and God doesn’t make it a slam dunk that we are going to heaven. It’s what we DO with that new association that determines the outcome. Not that our deeds buy us a ticket into God’s heaven, not at all, but as an outcropping of our faith we are to adjust our priorities and concentrate on living our lives with God’s statutes in mind. Our association with our Creator is supposed to MEAN something to us. It is supposed to mold us into all that God intended us to be from the start. Once salvation is achieved we mustn’t go forward with business as usual. Our inner workings should make a glorious shift to that which now has become pleasing to God. We MUST read God’s Word, for how else can we know Him?
Regarding Christ’s return, of which we know not when, we must remain patient, diligent, and faithful to our God. We must continue to worship God and not neglect doing so. We must continue to or begin to fellowship in a local church with like-minded believers where Scripture is believed and taught. We must evangelize when the opportunity avails itself and make disciples whenever possible. Our ‘go to’ action is prayer. We must never cease praying. “Prayer is like breathing to the Christian. It is absolutely necessary to our spiritual vitality.” [2]
We should be involved in the study of scripture. “If prayer is like spiritual breathing, Scripture is our spiritual food.” [3] We need to minister to others we see in need. “...let us not love in word (alone) ... but in deed and in truth.” [1 John 3:18] Telling someone you love them but not showing them in a tangible and meaningful way is a lifeless pursuit. “If you want to know your true value in someone’s life, mute their words and watch their behavior.” [4]
Be true to your faith. Our life with Christ MUST be our top priority. While other things are important in a secular way, such as our family, our job, etc.; nothing else garners us forgiveness from sin and an eternal home.
Next we’ll take a look at the Mega Themes that Jude offers. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Main Source: The Life Application Study Bible.
* Treating it as a trivial thing.
[1] The Life Application Study Bible; p.2828.
[2] taken from The Second Coming, by John MacArthur; pp.194-195.
[3] taken from The Second Coming, by John MacArthur; p.195.
[4] Anthon St. Maarten; Destiny Coach
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