A Letter of Warning to God’s Beloved
We live in a dangerous world. The ruler of the world is a devil, in fact, the devil (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Satan hates the sons of Adam. Through deceit, the adversary of humanity ensnares people in the trap of sin. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 Jn 5:19). His domain is darkness (Col 1:13); and men love darkness because of their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19). The natural man is a child of the devil (1 Jn 3:10), whose every heart inclination is only evil all the time (Gen 6:5).
Adam joined the serpent’s rebellion against creator God (Gen 3). In doing so, our first parents were subject to the devil‘s dominion (Acts 26:18). The prince of darkness enslaved the sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2). Even today, he blinds the minds of men so they cannot see the kingdom of God nor defect to it (2 Cor 4:4). The will of man is a in bondage (Rom 6:6), yet man erroneously thinks he is free to choose his course in life (free will decisionalism). In truth, the unregenerate man is a slave to sin. He has no ability to liberate himself from his plight of total depravity (Rom 3:10–12; 8:7).
The remedy planned, executed, and applied to God’s chosen people belongs to God’s free will. In His eternal decree, God graciously set apart a people for His own possession (Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9). He gave this remnant group of elect souls to His Son (Jn 17:2, 6, 24; 2 Tim 1:9; Heb 2:13b), the second Person of the Triune Godhead, who was enfleshed to be like us (Jn 1:14), yet without sin (Heb 4:15). His sinlessness qualified Him to be the unblemished Lamb of God (Jn 1:29); to be sacrificed unto death (Heb 7:27); for the salvific benefit of those for whom He came to save from sin and its consequences (Mt 1:21).
In saving His chosen people from the wrath of God against sinners (2 Cor 5:17; 1 Thess 1:10), Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet 2:24). He cancelled the debt of sin owed by His bride (Col 2:14), who He purchased off the slave market of sin (Acts 20:28); by shedding His precious blood (Heb 9:22; 1 Pet 1:19). This is good news for those who hear the Gospel preached to them and who believe the report.
All men everywhere are called to repent (Acts 17:30), to turn from sin and the world system. The majority of humanity hears the message of Jesus Christ; and people assess the message to be foolishness (Ps 2; 1 Cor 1:18). They scoff, mock, and sometimes persecute those who believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mt 5:10–12). In truth, believers in Jesus are saved by grace, which is God working all things for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.
The devil works to prevent people from knowing Christ and from understanding the Gospel of salvation. The father of lies has been a liar and murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44). He deceives and distracts the children of wrath to prevent them from hearing and believing the truth as it is in Jesus (Eph 4:21). A key agency in this work is his legions of false prophets and false teachers who dilute and distort the Gospel.
Some promulgators of the doctrine of demons use legalism (the Law can save you if you work hard enough to keep it); while others employ the licentious message of cheap grace (you are saved, so feel free to live as libertines).
The letter of Jude in the New Testament of the Bible was written to those who are called out of the world (Gk. ekklesia) and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Rom 14:17; Col 1:13). It is a letter of warning to the beloved children of God to be on guard for the intrusion of purveyors of loose Christian living.
Jude was the brother of James (1:1). James was the leader of the earliest church at Jerusalem. The book of James is attributed to this man. Together, Jude and James were half-brothers of Jesus of Nazareth. They were two of the children born to Joseph and Mary following the Virgin birth (Mt 12:46–50). Initially, Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him as the promised Messiah of God (Jn 7). Later, they were pillars at Jerusalem.
Scholars labor to find answers to questions regarding authorship, audience, location, and date. Although these are helpful data points, they do not add or subtract from the message of the letter. Just as the epicureans promoted a “live and let live” philosophy to the Greeks, so these ungodly intruders needed to be identified by their empty words of enticement. Christians do not promote sin nor sinful lifestyles.
In his salutation, Jude identifies himself before identifying his audience (Jude 1). Next, he issues a wish blessing in triplet form (Jude 2). Jude’s writing style is a developed Greek exhortation (probably a scribe) that employs a number of unique words and the feature of piling up words in threes (i.e. mercy, peace, and love).
There is an element of genuine comfort in the salutation of this letter. The qualifiers of Christian identity always warm the hearts of believers, beloved by God. Those called to be saints are in union with the Son of God, who is in union with the Father (Jn 10:30). Thus, the beloved are in God the Father. Christians are adopted sons in the family of God (Rom 8:15, 23; Eph 1:4–5). There are so many blessings and benefits to being a child of God that mercy, peace, and love are just a few.
The blessed assurance of being kept for Jesus Christ is a happy reminder that our salvation belongs to God (Jon 2:9; Ps 3:8; Rev 19:1). We who inherit salvation have our inheritance reserved for us in heaven where Christ is seated in glory (Eph 2:6; 1 Pet 1:4), at the right hand of Majesty, on the throne of God (Heb 1:4; 8:1; 12:2). Heaven is our home, so our journey home is challenging but sure. We who have been predestined to adoption as sons will be glorified on the last day when King Jesus returns in glory to defeat His enemies and gather in the now glorified saints, raised from death to life (Jn 5:28–29; 1 Thess 4:13–5:11; Rev 19:11–21).
Many find the letter of Jude to be harsh because of misguided beliefs about God and Christ. Thus, the very reason for writing his letter was to prevent Christ’s church from falling prey to the wiles of the devil and his false message. Preachers need to preach the message of God’s judgment and wrath against sinners. Simply put, the church is easy prey for the enemy’s endeavors to dilute the holiness of God and the sinfulness of sin. “God is only love” is a perverted message.
In preaching Jude, the faithful Gospel minister proves his love for the flock of God, by exposing the people and work of those in opposition to the simplicity and purity of the Gospel of God. The man of God feeds and protects the people of God with the Word of God (Heb 4:12).
In the Bible, there are warnings about roaring lions, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and goats who do not belong to Jesus Christ. It is the task of the believer and the local church to heed the warnings against unsound doctrine of ungodly people, along with their ungodly ways.
May God truly bless you, my dear reader, with more knowledge of Jesus Christ and the sound doctrine of the inspired Scriptures (2 Pet 3:18). May you delight in the special revelation of grace unto holiness that protects you from being led astray and falling away from Christ, as do the pseudo-believers. Finally, examine yourself to see how you receive the letter of Jude. Is it a lament and a burden to you who live too loose; or is Jude’s letter a delight, knowing that God will judge sinners in righteousness, to the praise of His glory now and forevermore?
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
June 14, 2024
Jude 1:1–2
