Just the Facts

Today's scripture reading is the entire book of Jude.

What strikes me as I read and reread this passage is Jude's candor and conviction. He does not hold back at all. In this passage He advises those who have clung to the faith and who believe that Jesus is Lord, to fight for that faith too.

That fight has several rounds.

Round 1 (Verses 1-4) Living Holy and Contending for the Faith

Jude expresses that we are called to live holy. Our holy living will glorify God. In this point Jude does not waiver. He also states that it is our mandate to earnestly contend for the gospel, but not to force it on others. We should share the gospel with grace and finesse and be consistent with the example that has already been given to us.

Round 2 (Verses 5-7) We have not arrived--we still owe God all fear and reverence

These verses remind us to renew our commitment daily. We must stay on guard remembering all that God has done for us and committing to continued obedience to His Word. If we are not careful we could suffer the consequences of those non believing Israelites who were destroyed after having been delivered from Egypt and after witnessing the miracles of God.

Round 3 (Verses 8-16) Beware of false teachers. Defend those who God owns.

These verses describe how false teachers creep in. How they are wise in their own eyes and desire to push their own agenda. They are passionate about their will and consumed with feeding their own appetites. It seems like they are doing good because they begin in the Spirit, but their ending point is in the flesh. Even though they speak well--they are all talk. They bare no fruit and do not reproduce. These will be cursed at the root. Their doom was foretold. Jude makes the point here that we are to follow men only as they follow Christ.

There is also an entry from Jude about how the archangel Michael contended with the devil over the body of Moses. This passage lends one to believe that it is important that we not only fight for the gospel and for our faith, but that we fight for those whom God calls His own. We do not have to dispute or to bring railing charges.

Round 4 (Verses 17-23) Real Faith

Bishop Woods began sharing with us this past Sunday on how to Faith it and not fake it. Faith works by love, which purifies the heart and overcomes the world . . . Our prayers are most likely to prevail, when we pray in the Holy Ghost, under [H]is guidance and influence, according to the rule of [H]is word, with faith, fervency, and earnestness . . . (Matthew Henry Commentary). The more that we concentrate on the promises of God and the more that we exercise our faith we will mortify our own lusts and separate ourselves from sin. All of this will help us to set a good example within the body and be the evidence of who we are to the world.

Round 5 (Verses 24 and 25) Exhortation

True believers have been given to Jesus Christ by the Father and have been adopted by the Father through Jesus Christ's shed blood, His death, His burial and and His resurrection. None that have been trusted to Jesus have been lost. As a result He is able to keep us from falling and to present us blameless before the presence of His Glory--not because of anything we have done, but because it is the will of God.

In spite of our doubts, our fears, our sorrows and our shortcomings Jesus as our savior and our redeemer has taken on our sins so that the Father considers us faultless. As a result we are able to enjoy a position in God where there will be no sadness and no sorrow and no sin; where there is perfection of holiness and perfection of joy. Therefore, in faith we ought to look to Him that is able to keep us from falling knowing that He will improve upon and maintain the work that He began in us.

Be encouraged today to contend for the good news that Jesus saves, to live holy, to avoid false teachers, and to trust that God has everything under control.