Today’s Reading: Jude
In this next letter, we hear from another sibling of Jesus who struggled to believe in who Jesus was until after Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Jude humbly introduces himself as a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. He is now a devoted brother and follower of Jesus, and is concerned about the direction the church is headed.
False teaching had made its way into the church and Jude wrote a short letter to point them back to the basics of their faith and back to holy living. He reminded them in his introduction that they have been called by God, who loves them and keeps them safe in the care of Jesus Christ. He encouraged them to be there for each other during this difficult time, to be concerned about their brothers in Christ, and to encourage them to stay true to their faith.
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. – Jude 3-4a
DEFEND THE FAITH
Jude also urged the church to defend the faith God had entrusted to His holy people. There were people in the church saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives, but Jude was warning them not to believe this false teaching. He used several examples of how God’s people were punished for their sins:
1. After rescuing the nation of Israel from Egypt, Jesus later destroyed those who did not remain faithful (v.5).
2. The angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God had given them are being kept securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment (v.6).
3. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire for their immorality and sexual perversion (v.7).
Jude described these people as following their own natural instincts instead of following God’s Spirit within them (v.10,19). Those who want to redefine God’s expectations of a godly life are like “dangerous reefs” that can shipwreck us or like “shameless shepherds” who care only for themselves. They are like “clouds blowing…wild waves of the sea…wandering stars.”
They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. – Jude 12b
DEFEND THE FAITH
When we begin to embrace a theology that ignores God’s call to righteousness, our roots begin to pull away from the vine. Instead of humbly submitting to what His word defines as sin, we begin to put our faith in our own instincts instead of the truth found in scriptures. Our hearts are moved with compassion and love toward those who are caught up in sin, and we use mercy as an excuse to embrace their sin rather than help them find freedom from it. But if their sin will lead them to separation from God, how is it mercy to encourage it?
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. – Jude 22-23
Now that’s mercy! Do not just write off nominal Christians and those who have completely turned away from the faith. Let your heart respond to their weakness and reach out to rescue them from the path they are headed down. In other words, love the sinner even while hating the sin they are living in. And care enough about the believer who is settling for less than all God has for them to invite them to truly encounter God.
Jude also makes it clear that we are not to be judgmental. Even Michael, the mightiest of all of the angels, left judgment in the hands of God (v.9). Jude’s prayer for the church was that God would give them more and more mercy, peace, and love (v.2). But Jude also made it clear that we can show mercy towards others without redefining the role of grace in the sinner’s life.
But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. – Jude v.20-21
DEFEND THE FAITH
Jude’s warned the church that there would be scoffers whose purpose in life was to satisfy their own ungodly desires, creating divisions among those in the church (v.18). John had a similar warning for the Church in his third letter: Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. – 3 John 11
Father God, we thank you for the truth we have found in scripture this morning. We thank you for the grace we experience through the redemption made possible through Jesus, even though we do not deserve it. We place our confidence in the power of your Spirit to help us overcome sin in our lives, rather than settling for less than the life to which you have called us. God, we pray for the Church today. We see evidence of this kind of false teaching and the divisions it is causing across congregations and denominations, and we pray for mercy for the Church. Lord, we humbly pray that all believers will submit to your authority, showing mercy to others while allowing you to be the One who defines sin. We ask for you to reveal your truth to every heart, healing the divisions in the Church and keeping your leaders rooted in your truth. Amen.
All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. – Jude 25