Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on email

Read Jude

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Doxology

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Go Deeper

Jude, similar to James, was another half-brother of Jesus. The epistle Jude wrote is short and to the point: Satan will do all he can to keep us from a lifetime of faithfulness to Jesus. The bad news is that many people will not make it to the end of their life as followers of God. Because of this, Jude says that he “felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith” (v. 4). Contend means to strive in a contest against difficulties. Make no mistake about it: We are in a contest between good and evil as a war wages for your soul. This book was written as a warning to Christians as to the many dangers in their path. In this warning, Jude keeps his eye on both the past and the future in order to instruct us in the present. He urges us to not miss out on the great hope we have in Christ, but also gives many examples in Scripture of those who have missed out.

Jude writes that for these unbelievers, the things they do will ultimately destroy them (v. 10). Unfortunately, many times we have the same longings as those who don’t know God. If we are left to follow our own desires, we too will run our lives into destruction. So, how can we guarantee that our lives will have a different end from those Jude warns us about? If they couldn’t save themselves, how could we?

The answer comes in verse 24. Jude writes, “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy”. We are not the ones who will ensure we don’t stumble, God is! He is the One who has the power and authority to present us before His throne as those who are righteous and holy. It’s only through the power of the Holy Spirit that our end will be different from so many that have gone before us. Therefore, we don’t have to work our way into salvation, but rather surrender to His salvation given to us. In other words, we are to “keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life” (v. 21). The goal isn’t to prove to God that we love Him, but to stay in His love for us! 

Questions

  1. What are some of the characteristics mentioned in this book of the people who do not follow Jesus? 
  2. If the devil were to take you out from following Jesus, how do you think he would do it? 
  3. What does it mean to “keep yourself in God’s love”? How can you do that in your life today? 

By The Way

According to a list compiled by GotQuestions.org, Jude references a number of different stories in the Old Testament: the Exodus (v. 5); Satan’s rebellion (v. 6); Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7); Moses’ death (v. 9); Cain (v. 11); Balaam (v. 11); Korah (v. 11); Enoch (vv. 14, 15); and Adam (v. 14).

 

Leave a Comment Below

Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

Join the Team

Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.

6 thoughts on “Jude 1”

  1. I found the key reminder to leave with for myself comes from verse 22-‘Be merciful to those who doubt;’. Return the favor of mercy that God’s love gives you (v 21) to those that are condemned to fire.
    Probably my favorite passages of scripture is John 15:
    5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
    6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
    In God’s love, may we be merciful and fruitful for His kingdom.

  2. Ella Snodgrass

    It’s interesting to jump from the books of Kings to Jude, the second from last book in the New Testament, and see so many similarities. Human nature/tendency is on full display as seen in kings and false teacher, both are guilty of leading others astray. Jude is straightforward in addressing the body of Christ “urging us to defend the truth of the Good News.” This implies an active process where we:
    *remain loyal to our Master & Lord, Jesus Christ
    *flee immortality, evil, grumbling, flattery & divisions
    *respect God’s authority & power
    *build our lives on the foundation of faith
    *pray directed by the Holy Spirit
    *show mercy & rescue those wavering
    *live pure lives, uncontaminated by sin
    It’s such a short book but carries a powerful punch. Paul gives a similar message in 2 Timothy 4:2-3, “Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For the time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.” Let’s stand firm in our faith and defend truth, the highest most valuable calling that will echo into eternity.

  3. So how do you (v20) building up yourselves? My study Bible directed me to Acts 30:32-36 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
    Read your Bible, talk about what you are reading to family, get a concordance and look up Biblical words you do not know or understand, pray about what you are reading, ask for God’s enlightenment and understanding that can and will help you, do a Bible reading plan, go to Bible studies, discuss with life groups, talk to your pastor or mentor. I tend to believe that we over complicate God and His Word. He Loves us!!
    God let our hearts and minds be able to comprehend You and Your love. Show me how to express without pushiness You and Your amazing love!! Thank You for your words coming out of my mouth and not me. In Jesus name amen
    WOOHOO!!!

  4. A short book that packs a powerful punch!

    Notes from The Passion Translation point out that Jude, in closing, gives us seven commands:

    1. Keep building up your inner life on the foundation of faith.
    2. Pray in the Holy Spirit.
    3. Fasten your life to the love of God.
    4. Receive more mercy from our Lord Jesus Christ.
    5. Have compassion on the wavering.
    6. Share the gospel with those who are lost.
    7. Hate any compromise that will stain our lives.

    What a comprehensive, compelling charge!

    And here I was, wondering what to do with my day….

Leave a Reply to Blake Bryan Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.