Jude

Kim Blenkhorn

Jude is concerned about those within the body of believers stumbling. “I felt it necessary to write to you to contend for the faith.” Jude’s words feel urgent. It is the last hour, and something is happening among the churches and believers that prompts Jude’s desperate plea — contend!

Jude is a short book of only 24 verses, yet it is bursting with timely truths, modern-day themes, and information that is strikingly relevant today. It is somewhat of an enigma. How could a book written thousands of years ago hit a target that seems custom-made for the 21st century? Yet it does, and every word counts. Jude is the last book before Revelation. Why was it placed at the end? Perhaps because it is a book for the end. No one can read Jude and deny its significance in today’s culture and world.

Jude mentions false teachers and prophets, sexual sin, immorality, the perversion of grace, rebellion, and greed. He calls our attention to specific people in Scripture who fell hard and were judged severely. Jude reminds us that God has determined judgment and that it is inevitable. He gets right to the point.

Yet Jude also comforts us. He reminds us that it is Jesus’ ultimate responsibility in choosing and preserving us. He says we are called and kept. Jesus alone is able to keep us from stumbling. Jesus keeps us, but we are also told to keep ourselves in the love of God. Jesus is responsible for securing us; we are responsible for nurturing our faith.

We can either live this life faithfully or not. Faith keeps us focused on the mercy of God, bringing peace and hope. Doubt keeps us focused on ourselves, creating misery and unrest. How do we want to walk through life? We can rest assured that Jesus has us, but we are called to remain steadfast and diligent if we want to experience the peace He offers here and now. That does not mean a life of prosperity, perfection, health, or constant happiness. It means that even in the absence of those things, we can still have peace when we choose to stay with Jesus and fight to keep our faith.

Jude appeals to believers to contend in two ways: first, by being aware of false believers; and second, through self-discipline. Just because someone is in the church does not mean their faith is authentic or that they belong to the family of God. It is our responsibility to pray, to wait, and to show mercy. We must stay alert in order to persevere.

When we talk about contending for the faith, we are talking about fighting a battle. In every battle, we must know who the enemy is. Jude gives us a clear description of what to look for. We must make sure we are fighting for our faith, not against God. We are fighting to stay with Jesus, to believe what He says, and to resist the sin that destroys our lives and our testimony.

We are seeing many “godly” leaders fall because of sin, and we may find ourselves wondering: Who do I trust? Who do I listen to? Who do I believe? There have been many disappointments and frustrations within the church. Jude is addressing those inside the church, not those outside it. Our primary concern is not unbelievers, but those pretending to be believers.

I cannot wait to dig in and, verse by verse, feast on all that Jude is teaching us for today!