What Jude Had to Say

 

Jude was the brother of James.  The James who wrote the book of James, which is about faith plus action.  Jude was also the half brother of Jesus.  However, Jude humbly called himself,

"a servant of Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:1).

He doesn't claim the fame of relationship through earthly connections, rather through spiritual ones of servie to God's people.

One of Jude's main concerns was that of defending or contending for the faith (vs3).  What could this mean?

False teachers had crept in among the believers and were subverting the truth.  Jude's injunction was to defend or contend on the side of truth.

The Japanese have a weapon called a 'katana'.  It is a sword with a long, slim blade that's sharper than sharp.  It can easily slice things like heads, off people.  Yes, gruesome.

I'm not saying to go out and purchase one, or a knight's sword or a gun or any other such weapon either.  Our spiritual weapon as believers in Christ is God's Word that is a 

"double-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12).

When a believer knows God's Word very well, from reading it, memorizing it, meditating upon it and obeying it, that person will know the truth.  When he or she hears altered truth - lies about God and His Word, they will know and realize the false.  Know the truth and it will set you free.

This 'sword' of the Lord can protect you.  Use it to defend and contend for the faith.  You've heard of the 'armor of God', no doubt.  Recall what each one symbolizes.  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit and shoes that help spread the gospel of peace overlaid with prayer and standing firm is how a believer can be protected, can defend and contend.  Be sure to engage in the spiritual warfare battles with such armor.

Defensive as well as offensive actions combine to have stand up for the truth impact.  The naysayers won't like you but overcomers in God's book, are always commended.  We need to stand up and defend the truth about Jesus.

Use the Bible - God's Word, along with listening for the Holy Spirit's guidance.  The Holy Spirit helps us to use the 'sword' more skillfully but we need to keep it sharp.

Besides reading and memorizing the bible, and praying and obeying it, we can come to church and/or Sunday School, to hear the Word preached and expounded.  We can fellowship with other like-minded brothers and sisters-in-Christ.

The purpose of Jude writing to all the people in all the churches all over the world was to warn Christians not to believe the lies but keep believing the truth.

The false teachers in Jude's time wanted to dilute the truth, to subtly torque it for their benefit.  They said if you were a believer in Jesus Christ then it's ok to still sin because Jesus will forgive you!  

Brother's and sisters-in-Christ, does this sound right to you?  It may sound good to some of us but to deliberately sin after being saved, is just putting God to the test.

Jude's brother James says that besides faith we need action.  A thief must stop his thieving.  A liar must stop his lying.  A promiscuous person must stop with the sexual immorality.  They must live holy lives.  God says, 

"Be holy, as I am holy" (1st Peter 1:16).

If a person does not stop with the deliberate sin it will appear that that person may not really have faith.  God is their Judge but as fellow-believers, there can be indication one way or another regarding a person's faith.

How wonderful when those of the faith live by faith and defend and contend for the faith, with truth and share it with others.

False teachers are selfish and have condemnation over their heads.  They have the label "GUILTY" unless they repent.  So don't change the truth.  The Bible is the truth God wants us to believe, because simply put, the Bible is the Word of God.

Let the Holy Spirit lead and guide us and help us to keep from sinning.  Listen to Him.

To be saved and have our sins washed away with the blood of Jesus Christ when we repent and accept His offer of salvation - meaning a ONE time occurance.  However, it does NOT mean we can sin as we like.

God hates sin and will punish those who deliberately sin - so let's not twist and change the truth of God's Word even one teeny-tiny iota.  Stand up for the truth and you will be defending it and contending for it.

Memorize this verse from God's Word.

"Defend the truth which God gave to His people without changing it" (Jude 1:3).

And that, dear brothers and sisters-in-Christ, is what Jude had to say.

                                                  ~ERC  August 2023~

Based on Kawan Grace Resource P4b, Lesson 11 - Jude 1:1-4.