“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” – Jude 3 (ESV)
The letter of Jude is written by one of the half-brothers of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Jude writes as a servant of Christ Jesus, not as His peer or family relation. James is his brother, whom he seems to claim for the purposes of identification, but Jesus is in another category, even if they share a mother.
The Big Idea of Jude
I have taught the big idea of Jude as the following: Contend for the Faith. This is language taken directly from the letter itself. In it, Jude describes multiple dangers to the church in the form of unbelievers posing as believers to gain access to the church so that they might promote its corruption from within. However, Christians must contend for the faith, not swerving to the right or to the left, but remaining on the path they initially took when they were saved.
An Outline of Jude
The Condemned Have Crept In
Jude begins by addressing his letter to those who are called- that is, those who are Christians. Jude is going to discuss people who claim to be Christians but are not, so this greeting is more important than it might otherwise be. Jude is setting up for a contrast that he will emphasize shortly. Jude blesses the people before lamenting that the content of his letter must be different from what he had eagerly hoped. Instead of writing about the salvation they share in common, he finds it necessary to write a reminder to watch out for sinners who deny Christ and yet have crept in among them. Instead of writing positively to build and add on to their faith, Jude is compelled to write a letter promoting its defense because of the condemned who have crept in.
Remember the End of the Condemned
Jude goes on in verses 5-16 to exhort his readers to remember the end of the condemned. Jude wants to warn them of the danger of not contending for the faith that was delivered to the saints. He reminds them of the fact that many people had been saved from Egypt but were later destroyed. Angels who refused to obey are chained, awaiting judgment. The end of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is no different from the end of some among the beloved to whom Jude is writing. They are brazen in their disrespect for all that is high and holy, not respecting the powers at work or their weakness before them. They blaspheme or slander what they do not know. Jude gives example after example and description after description of these people. Jude could not be clearer that the people he is warning them about are a clear and present danger to the faith that they hold dear. If they are going to contend for the faith, then they must guard zealously against those who would lead them astray from following Christ.
Keep Yourselves in the Love of God
As Jude concludes the letter, he calls on them to keep themselves in the love of God. Jude reminds his readers of the apostles’ predictions about the ungodly people who will cause divisions among them because they are worldly and have no relationship to God through His Spirit. Given this danger, it is essential that believers keep themselves in the love of God by building themselves up in their faith and praying in the Spirit. All the while, they must patiently wait for Jesus Christ, who will usher them into eternal life. In the meantime, they must interact with each other appropriately. Jude concludes by commending them to the power and love of God to keep and guard them until they are in His glorious presence.
Benefits of Jude
One benefit of Jude is the knowledge that Christians must contend for the faith. Faith is not a static thing, a thing that never moves or changes. Faith is dynamic. It is something that can grow stronger or weaker, pure or corrupt. Faith is also something held in common by fellow believers. When others are accepted into the group of the faithful but do not really have faith, their influence is inevitably bad. This leads to the second benefit.
Contending for the faith involves making discerning judgments about other people. We live in a time when Jude’s descriptions of people would be shocking to say to or about someone in our lives. Yet Jude is not wrong to describe them in the way that he does. This is because Jude is not exaggerating the level of corruption and danger that they bring. Instead, he is describing it. We tend not to appreciate the danger of being naively charitable toward people who only seek to take advantage of us. We should be charitable, yes, but not naïve.[1]
Jude also clearly communicates that believers should not be surprised by the presence of wicked people among us. Jude says that both the apostles and Jesus predicted it. The result is that Christians will be in danger of failing to keep themselves in the love of God by not building themselves up in the faith nor praying in the Holy Spirit.
As we consider Jude, it is clear that there is much here for Christians to think about. The Christian life is a battleground. This life does not offer the rest and peace that Christ has promised. That is in the life to come. Christians must take seriously the warning in Jude and determine to contend for the faith that they claim to have, lest they also prove to be false. The trend sometimes seen in churches to welcome all to membership regardless of their manner of life or disposition toward God is not praiseworthy but a tragedy. Yet neither is it admirable for a church to be marked more by anger and fear at potential false believers than they are by mercy, grace, and love. It is essential to remain focused on the words of Christ and the promise of His appearing. That way, we can measure and moderate our response to outside threats from a disposition balanced by loyalty to Christ on the one hand and the compassion of Christ on the other.
[1] Cf. Matthew 10:16-17.