Contend for the Faith - An Introduction to Jude
This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.
As we turn to the little epistle of Jude, it is my desire to set before you the aim of this letter and talk a little bit about those who Jude addresses. Jude, the brother of James, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, is clearly the author. Jude, also known as Judas, an unfortunate namesake, although a brother of Christ, does not make mention of his human relationship as he does with James, but he simply refers to himself here in verse 1 as the bondslave of Jesus Christ, and simply a slave of Christ. Jude was a man of zeal for the Word of God. A man of zeal with a warm, affectionate, loving heart for the people of God. And you see that heart come out as you read through this little letter.
He tells us something about the aim of this letter, his desire, as he set out. And although not addressed to any one person, one family, or even a church, this general epistle is full of instruction for Christians everywhere, and for us here in Markham. The little epistle was written in the second half of the first century. This is one of the briefest New Testament letters, but it contains a weighty, weighty message. A solemn charge for believers.
Jude's evident desire, as we look at verse 3, was to speak about the matter of salvation. He had this longing in his heart to talk about the joys of salvation, and the wonderful good news that Christ Jesus came to save us, and we share in this common salvation. But that changed suddenly. As he started out to write, he felt compelled to change direction. And so he says in verse 3, "Beloved, while I was making every effort” – I was diligent in this – “I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."
His aim went from talking about the good news of salvation in which all believers share or partake. The same common salvation, not that it is common or low in value, but it is the same for all believers. It is common to all believers. It's the same salvation in which we all share.
He went from talking about salvation to feeling the urgent necessity to speak about another subject altogether. To an urgent consideration of false teachers who were infiltrating, seeking to infiltrate the church and were even now present among them. And the tense of this verse, the very tense here, indicates it was as he was writing, as he set out to write this letter, he felt the necessity, he was compelled, he was overwhelmed by this divine pressure. And he felt that divine pressure and pressing down on him, it was so overwhelming that in the middle of writing, he was constrained to change direction to address this subject of contending for the faith.
The message was so urgent, considering the present threat to the life and ministry of the people of God and the church of God, so he set aside his original theme in order to warn the church about the dangerous influences of imposters. "while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity," the Holy Spirit bearing down on him with this overwhelming divine pressure to address this subject that was a threat to the local church. And that was emerging at that time. And so Jude, this little epistle of Jude, is an alarm, is a sounding of an alarm, it's a calling to attention. Jude sounds the alarm against an apostasy that was just beginning to emerge and infiltrate the early Christian church. That was his aim.
But who does he write to? He tells us very clearly, he's addressing believers. The letter addresses Christians. He writes to believers, calling their attention to this matter that was pressing down upon him.
But first he wants to remind them of their calling. He wants to remind them of the encouraging position and standing that they have in the Lord, in grace. And you'll notice the way Jude describes these believers here in verse 1: "Jude, a slave of Christ, brother of James, To those who are called, beloved,” – beloved – “in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ." He's calling them to enter into a spiritual battle. But before he does that, he wants to remind them of their standing, for their encouragement. You are called, you are beloved, you are kept as you go forward.
You're called. You are those who have been effectually called of God, sanctified, or as we read, set apart for the purposes of God. For holy purposes. God, if you like, as it says in 2 Timothy 1:9, God has saved you and called you with a holy calling. He has set you apart for holy purposes. Not according to your works, but according to His own purposes. And His grace which is given to you in Christ Jesus, a grace which is unto eternal life. It's for all eternity. You are called of God. Every believer is called of God.
But then he says, they were beloved. And that's a favorite word here of Jude. You find it in verse 1, again in verse 3, "beloved." You find it in verse 17, "beloved." Verse 20, "beloved." Beloved, beloved, beloved. It's a favorite word and it's expressive of a shepherd's heart. He was a man of zeal for the Word of God, but he's a man who had a heart for the people of God. He had a deep concern, a deep love as a shepherd for the flock. And he loved them so much that he felt compelled to warn them of the danger; of the pending threat to the church.
That is what a true under-shepherd does. A true shepherd, as we've been hearing in the gospel of John, is one who loves his sheep, who knows his sheep, who protects his sheep, who guides his sheep. The under-shepherd does what he can to protect the sheep under his care. And that was Jude. He calls them beloved because he loved them so much he could not leave them exposed to the dangerous threat that was pending and beginning to infiltrate the church.
But more than that, not only were they loved by Jude, they were loved of God. Every believer is called of God to salvation. Every believer is beloved of God. He says they are "beloved in God the Father," verse 1. Beloved, ‘agapitós’. And you get the word ‘agape’ there, from which we get divine love. God's love. Love in its highest form. The best kind of love. They were beloved. It's a term of endearment not only used by Jude of his affection for the people of God here, but it's a term used of the believer's relationship to God the Father.
You are beloved. That is, you are a beloved one or a divinely loved one. You are loved of God. That's how it could be read and expresses the fact that every child of God, every saint is ‘agapitós’. You are loved of God, "beloved in God the Father." Every saint here is a permanent object of God's love. A divinely loved one. And this word directs us then to the self-sacrificial love of God for His people. The love by which God gives of Himself for their good. That's the idea in this word beloved.
You are beloved of God. Christians are God's beloved ones for whom Christ Jesus went all the way to Calvary's cross. And now being reconciled to God through the sacrifice of His Son, we are looked upon by the Father as those who are loved with the same love, the very same love where with He loves His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's how much God loves you, child of God.
You are called. You are beloved. Loved of God. And what a needed word that would be here to bolster these believers as Jude is encouraging them to take on the enemy. He's calling them to the front line of the battle. And I want you to know there is a battle going on, a battle for truth.
But you are called of God to this, and you are loved of God. But more than that, he says, you are kept. You will be kept. What does he say in verse 1, "and kept for Jesus Christ." You are kept. Or as in verse 24 it says, there is one who is able to keep you, "keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy." God not only calls you, loves you, but He keeps you. He will keep you to the end. You are kept for Jesus Christ.
And that word "keep" or "kept" is another favorite word of Jude here. You see it in verse 1, verse 6, verse 21, and verse 24. It's the Greek word ‘tēreō’. It's the very same word the Lord Jesus uses in John 17 in verse 11, the high priestly prayer as He prays for His people, as He prays for His disciples, Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, keep them.” – Keep them – “in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are." Here's the promise: God will keep His own. He will keep them to the very end.
No matter how difficult the task, no matter how great the challenge, no matter how difficult the battle and the opposition, this is a note of victory. You're going to come through it. You will be kept by the power of God unto salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ not only saves His people, but He keeps them. He keeps them secure. And He preserves His church as we see in the glorious benediction there, verse 24. He preserves His church until the day He will present every believer faultless before His presence with great joy. You are kept for that day. God will keep His own. What a wonderful encouragement for every child of God.
This is a word for Christians everywhere. You are called of God, you are loved of God, and you are kept by God. Now get to work. And that's what he's saying here. Get to work. And I want you to see that this letter is an admonition. We see his aim as he set out and how he changed direction, but it's an admonition here to contend for the faith. I want you to contend for the faith. "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you that you contend earnestly for the faith."
Contend earnestly, ‘epagōnizomai’, ‘epagōnizomai’. And you hear it there, don't you? Agonize. Agonize. I want you to contend earnestly for the faith. And this word appears here only, but it speaks of a vigorous, intense, determined struggle. I want you to contend earnestly. It's a vigorous speech. It's used of athletes. With all your energy, with all your power, as you have been training, as you have been disciplined in your approach to the race, I want you now to use all your energy and effort to run the race that is set before you. That's the idea here. As an athlete with intense determination, contend earnestly for the faith.
Paul used the word in Colossians 4:12 of Epaphras. Epaphras was a godly man who strove in prayer for the believers at Colossae. Paul said he was "always striving” in prayer for you. Striving, agonizing, wrestling. It was that intense determination. That's the word. It's the same word that Paul uses when writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 of the Christian warfare in which we are engaged. He says, "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called." Agonize in Me. Wrestle. Strive. Agonize. Contend vigorously the faith. And that's the word here. It indicates a passionate, fervent approach.
Like that of an athlete determined to win the contest, with vigorous resolve, he endeavors to defeat the opposition. That's the call here. That's what we're called to as the people of God—to do all in your power to protect and defend the truth of God to which you have been called. Make every effort. Exert yourself. Don't just sit back. But with the same intensity of an athlete, run the race that is set before you in order to win the prize. That's the goal. Earnestly contend for the faith.
But what is it you are contending for? He says, contend earnestly with all intensity, with determination, with vigor, every effort and energy of your being. But what is it you're contending for? What's on the line? He says, “contend earnestly for the faith”. The faith. And the faith here, it's not the personal faith of believing for salvation. But it's referring to the doctrine or the teaching that makes up Christianity. That system or body of truth. The deposit of truth God has entrusted to His church.
It's a deposit that has been entrusted to you that is to be guarded, that it is to be kept, it is to be used for safekeeping. He says, contend “for the faith”. Watch for those who would slip in a side door by stealth and by deception, setting forth another gospel, professing to be messengers of light, but in reality are agents of darkness. He says, peddling a lie. Be on your guard. You need to be on your watch. Contend for the faith.
And he hints at what that faith is in verse 17. He says, "remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's the words of the apostles that were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. The spoken Word, the written Word, the Word that has been preserved and given, handed down, the revealed Word. We read in our theme text for our church in Acts 2:42 that they gave themselves, they were devoted to what? The apostles' doctrine. That's what we're contending for. The faith, once for all, handed down to the saints.
So obviously, if we're going to contend for the faith, the faith needs to be defined. What is the faith that we are contending for, that we are to contend for? It's that faith that he says is "once for all handed down to the saints." The apostles' doctrine. It's the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. It's the complete body of truth revealed by God, given by God, handed down by God. It's not the word of man. It's not of man's doing. It's the revealed Word of God that has been handed down, the complete body of truth revealed by God, which is sufficient to save souls for all eternity.
And Jude says, this Word has been delivered to you. It has been handed down to you, intact. In other words, completely. It's complete. It's sufficient. It's enough. The Word of God that has been given to you is enough. It's handed down to the saints and is completely sufficient, needing nothing else to be added to it. It's the treasure which has been entrusted to the apostles and handed down for safekeeping.
And what He's saying here: there's no new revelation. There's no new faith. There's no new vision or prophecy required. No new revelation. The Word of God is complete. It's sufficient. It's been handed down to you intact, completely. And it contains the faith that you need to defend.
It's the divinely inspired Word of God, of which we read in 2 Timothy 3:16. As Paul encourages Timothy to continue, verse 14, "continuing in the things which you've learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you've learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings” – the Scriptures, the holy Scriptures, – “which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ." And then he says, "All Scripture,” ‘pas graphē’, every Scripture, every part of it – “is God-breathed, ‘theopheustos’, it's from the mouth of God. It's the breath of God. It's God's divinely inspired Word, and it's enough. It's “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work."
That's what Jude is saying. God has given you this revelation of Himself. This Word of life that tells you about this common salvation, and of Jesus Christ who is mighty to save. And it's God-breathed. And it's all you need. It's profitable. It's beneficial to your soul. It's a word of instruction. It instructs you in the right path, telling you what to believe and how to live it out.
It's a word of correction and reproof. You are convicted by the truth. It exposes your sin, and it shows you the way of correction from error. And it's a word that trains you up in righteousness, that you would be a holy people. There is the idea of cultivating righteousness, cultivating good morals. It furnishes you. It fits you for the service of God. That's what you need. He says, this faith has been handed down to you intact, and it's sufficient.
And so what is the faith of which the Word of God tells us? The definition of the faith, the faith defined. When Jude talks about the faith here in verse 3, and again in verse 20, he talks about “your most holy faith”. He's not referring to the act of believing, the time in which you came to faith and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the act of believing, so much as what is believed.
He's not referring to the human act of believing, but to this body of truth, of revealed truth, in which one believes to the saving of the soul for eternity. Jude is talking about the content of the gospel message and the core doctrines of the Christian faith that one must believe and accept in order to know God's salvation, without which you don't know God and you will never know eternal life. That's what he's saying here. The faith, the gospel message.
As one commentator stressed, “the faith as Jude defines it is the scripturally revealed message of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom alone God gives sinners salvation from sin's penalty, promising to bring them to eternal life and glory in His presence forever.”
That's the message of Jude as you read through this little letter. And so at the heart of the faith, Jude is saying, at the heart of the faith is a person. The gospel centers upon the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the faith, the faith that saves. And it's summed up in verses like Galatians 1:4 where it talks about God and Christ giving Himself, “who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age” – call us out from this present evil age – “according to the will of God and Father."
It's this message of salvation and forgiveness of sins that comes through Jesus Christ by faith alone in Christ alone, delivering us from our own corruption, from our own sin, from condemnation. And as you read through this little epistle, you get hints as to the component parts, the elements of this faith. He talks about the mercy of God unto eternal life. He talks about the love of God. He talks about the grace of God. He talks about escaping eternal fire. He talks about deliverance from punishment and Hell. But at the heart of it is Christ.
We need to be a Christ-centered, Christ-glorifying, Christ-exalting people proclaiming the truth. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is the way, and it's the only way. And you see not only the personal nature of saving faith, but you see the exclusivity of the gospel. He says, contend for the faith. This is the message that must be proclaimed, and this is the message that must be protected.
And it's the word that the Apostle Paul writes of in 1 Corinthians 15, the opening verses. He says, "Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel, which I proclaimed as good news to you, which you also receive." They believed it, – "in which you also stand." You have a standing before God, – "by which you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I proclaim to you as good news, unless you believe for nothing. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received." He received it from God. It wasn't his own word. It wasn't his own message. It was God's message.
And what was that message, – "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," according to the revealed truth which has been handed down, the apostles' doctrine. That's what we're contending for. And so this letter is an admonition to contend for the faith. But this letter is a call to attention.
Beloved, we need to be on guard. Be on guard. There were those who would distort the message, who would seek to corrupt the message, who would preach another message. There are those, he says in verse 4, who deny the message. So he defines the faith, and then he exposes those who deny the faith.
And he says this faith must be defended. This is why we contend. And he says in verse 4, "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who long beforehand were marked out for this condemnation." They're ungodly persons. They're not godly persons. They're ungodly persons. That is, there's no reverence for God. There is no fear of God in them. They're “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ”.
Here Jude really lays out two major concerns why believers need to be watchful. We need to be on guard. We need to contend for the faith. There are those who would deny the faith and promote another gospel. And in verse 4 there, he lays out, he gives reasons, those two major concerns. What are they? Why we need to be watchful?
These ungodly persons, they are turning the grace of God into sensuality. In other words, they hold to a message of cheap grace without any need for personal holiness unto the Lord. So he says, in essence, these false teachers, they're using the gospel message as a license to sin. And the problem is they hold a very twisted view of grace. And they suggest that there is no change in character and life required. They turn the grace of God into sensuality.
And as you read through the chapter, you discover that they are self-absorbed. They are unrestrained. They are immoral in their lifestyle, and they think it's fine. And they try to justify their sinful behavior, thinking they can go on, go ahead and sin all they want because God is gracious and forgiving. And they turn the grace of God into sensuality. Brothers and sisters, that's a denial of the gospel. That is the exact opposite of what the gospel teaches. It's the exact opposite of what the Word tells us. It's a contradiction of the gospel, and it does great harm to the souls of men.
Paul said in Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” God forbid! “May it never be!” ‘mē genoito’! We are dead to sin, but we are to live to Christ. We are called to not only personal saving faith, but we're called to personal holiness. We are called, sanctified, set apart for the gospel.
How shall we who have died to sin still live in it? Such a notion, Jude said, that doesn't line up. That doesn't square with the faith. And sadly, there are those pastors and teachers out there who push that doctrine. And it's so harmful, so detrimental to the souls of men. But he says not only do they turn the grace of God into sensuality, but they deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. That's the test, isn't it? What do you think of Christ? Where do you stand in relation to Christ? Who is Christ to you? Is He your Lord and Master? If so, you will submit to Him. You will follow Him. You will obey Him. He reigns and rules in your life.
But they deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. That's the danger, Jude says. There's a denial of the divine Sonship. That's a denial of the faith. To deny the fact that Jesus Christ is God. He is God manifest in the flesh. To deny that is the denial of the faith. It's a failure to uphold and submit to the sovereign Lordship of Christ. That's a denial of the gospel. It's a rejection. These people were rejecting the divine sovereignty of Jesus as Lord and as Master.
And so serious is the issue that Jude, in verse 11, he pronounces a “Woe to them!”. Woe is unto them. There is a curse upon them. They stand condemned before Almighty God for promoting another gospel, a ‘heteros’ gospel, a gospel which is not another. It's another of a different kind, but it's not the gospel of the faith.
As Paul tells us in Galatians 1, those very solemn words in verse 6, that warning of those who would push another message, another gospel, he says, "I marvel that you were so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel." –That was the danger in Jude's day, – “which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!” Whoa, such strong language. “As he said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to the gospel which you have received, let him be accursed!”
They were denying the sovereign, divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's a denial of the gospel. And you note the words in Jude here in verse 12, in verse 16, in verse 19, he says, “These are men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts... without fear”. There's no fear of God. They don't care for your souls. They're “caring for themselves”. They're without water, carried along by the winds, autumn trees without fruit, “doubly dead”, uprooted. They are twice dead. They are, they are sinners by nature, and they are sinners by practice. They were never alive. They have not the Spirit of God. They deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no life in them, and there's no fruit of life.
Avoid them. Expose them. And so in the strongest possible terms, those who hold to such things are to be exposed and, and denounced. Don't listen to them. Don't, don't receive those who put forth such lies and do harm to the truth and, and, and lead men and women. That's the issue. They're leading souls to eternal destruction. And Jude says, be on guard.
And how are we as Christians then to, to react in light of this situation and, and these warnings as this, this call to contend, to contend earnestly, contend for the faith, the faith that is complete and handed to us intact, that we are called to proclaim and protect? What should we do in order to be faithful and not fall prey to false teaching and false leaders? Well, he tells us in verse 17, remember the Word. Remember the Word. You need to embrace the truth. And you not only remember the Word, but remain in the Word, be taught in the Word.
But first, he says, don't be surprised by the assaults of the enemy. They're going to come. There has always been and there will be those who deny the truth, the truth of which they are ignorant, he says in verse 18: "In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit." Don't be surprised. Don't think this is a strange thing.
Jude runs parallel with 2 Peter 2 and 3 and there's very many similar thoughts, but Peter talked about this. He says, don't count this a strange thing. False prophets will rise up among the people, 2 Peter 2:1, "just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce [destructive] heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves."
In chapter 3:3, he says, "in the last days mockers will come with their mocking following after their own lusts." Don't count it strange, but you, you need to be equipped. You need to be armed. You need to be ready.
And there is this call to attention, to be on guard, but there's this call to arms. You know, fortify your soul. Remember the words of the apostles, the doctrine. Dwell in the Word. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, that you would know the truth, that you would be grounded in the truth, but also growing in the faith. And so there is this application to believers in verse 17, "But you, beloved, must remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord."
In verse 20, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up." You need to be edified. You need to be built up in the faith. If you're going to stand firm in the face of these attacks, if you're going to recognize the adversary, you need to know what God's Word says. "building yourselves up on your most holy faith."
And before we proceed, I must give a word of caution. There is application here for the saints, but for those of you here who may not know Christ, you're outside of Christ, the call is examine yourself. Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. The faith that we proclaim, this message of salvation that is found in Christ alone. Don't overlook your own soul. And so before the application to believers, this word of caution and this call to examine yourself: are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation? Do you confess and acknowledge Him as your Lord and your Savior, your Master and your Lord? Can you say with Thomas, "Jesus, You are my Lord and You are my God"? A mere profession is not enough. Misty clouds give no refreshing rain. What good are springs without water? Or, he says, trees without fruit. There must be more than a mere profession. A mere profession without possession is no use. You must know Christ as your own and your personal Savior.
And if you know Christ, then you are to grow up in Christ. So it's a call to personal faith. That's the nature of saving faith. It's personal. "But you, beloved." He says He's calling you to examine yourself. Where do you stand in relation to the faith? You. It's personal. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ if you are to be saved. I can't believe for you. Your parents can't believe for you. You must believe on Christ if you are to be saved.
But if you know Christ, then grow up in Him. Having embraced Christ by faith, you seek to grow. And that's God's purpose. God's purpose in setting believers apart from the world is to see them built up, edified, to see them built up in Him as a holy temple. We are living stones in the church of God, and we are to be built up in the faith. That's the design of the church. And Jude is saying, verse 20, build “yourselves up on your most holy faith." Build your spiritual house on the sure foundation of sound doctrine.
A believer not only must be grounded in the Word, but growing in the faith. And that's the way you will stand strong. Remember the word of Paul in Acts 20:29 to the elders at Ephesus. As he warned, he said, after my departure, when I leave here, there will rise up from within, savage wolves seeking to rend the flock, seeking to divide the flock. And what was Paul's answer to that threat? He said in Acts 20:32, "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace." The word of His grace, which is able to, what –"build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who have been sanctified."
So there's a need for discernment in the Word. It's vital that we know the Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation, that we are diligent students of the Word, finding ourselves in the Word, studying the Word, to be approved of God, workmen-like, diligent, intense effort, vigorously pursuing the Word, unashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
We need to be edified. And as we'll see in the next few weeks, from verse 20 and 21, Jude lays out four spiritual weapons in the arsenal of faith: edification, supplication, affection, and expectation. Edifying yourselves—being built up in the Word; supplication—praying in the Holy Spirit; affection—keeping yourself in the love of God; expectation—waiting with expectancy for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We need to be a people who are built up and edified. And so Jude here, as we conclude this introduction, gives a call for consistent attendance to the divinely ordained means of edification. Use what God has provided for your building up. Make use of His Word. Make use of corporate worship. Make use of the prayer meeting. And that's what he's saying here.
There is a—you notice what he says in verse 20? There's a personal aspect of faith: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up." But he says "yourselves," plural—together. You see the corporate aspect of this, encouraging one another as a local church. He gives a call for consistent attendance to divinely ordained means.
I don't know about you, but I sure am glad that I'm in a church that stands strong upon the inspired Word of God. Aren't you glad you're in a church which faithfully proclaims the faith? I'm so thankful for our church, so thankful for our pastor, so thankful for our elders, so thankful for you, the people of God. We ought to be thankful and guard what we have here. Let's not be proud or arrogant. This is the doing of God. And our prayer must be, "Lord, keep us faithful. Keep us contending for the faith."
And I thank God for this church that contends earnestly for the faith. I'm thankful for our gifted pastor who diligently prepares to preach the Word week by week with clarity and with conviction to the benefit of our souls. Thank God for your pastor. Uphold him in prayer. Pray for his protection. As a zealous workman, he is unashamed, and he faithfully seeks to hand down the Word of truth to you—to proclaim it week by week as one who, just like Jude, has a warm affection, a deep love for the sheep under his care.
I thank God for our pastor. I thank God for our elders who seek to make decisions that affect the life of this church and ministry upon the basis of what the Bible says, who give godly counsel from the Word of God, who exemplify the gospel. There's nothing more loving to the souls of men than that. And this is God's design for the church—the beloved ones, loved of God. That for your edification, God has given pastors and teachers "for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ", Ephesians 4:12.
But this call is not just for pastors and for elders and teachers, but it's for the people of God. Each one of us who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ—for you, the church—"building yourselves up in the most holy faith." We're so blessed. We are in a place where people gather week by week who love nothing more than to hear the good news of salvation, to be with the people of God, with those who share the same love for God and for His truth, who can't wait to worship together week by week, who wholeheartedly praise and pray together, who love sound doctrine.
That's God's design for the edification of His church. This is how we build each other up, beloved—consistently attending to the divinely ordained means that God has provided for our growth and our development. And I'm so thankful for this church that loves God, loves God's Word, loves God's people, and God's people love one another.
What a blessing. Do we realize? Do you realize what you have here? We are so blessed above measure. And so our prayer, I must conclude: God, keep us faithful, equip us for the fight, keep us from falling away, guard and protect us by Your grace as those who are called, loved, and kept by God the Father in Jesus Christ.
Let's pray.
He tells us something about the aim of this letter, his desire, as he set out. And although not addressed to any one person, one family, or even a church, this general epistle is full of instruction for Christians everywhere, and for us here in Markham. The little epistle was written in the second half of the first century. This is one of the briefest New Testament letters, but it contains a weighty, weighty message. A solemn charge for believers.
Jude's evident desire, as we look at verse 3, was to speak about the matter of salvation. He had this longing in his heart to talk about the joys of salvation, and the wonderful good news that Christ Jesus came to save us, and we share in this common salvation. But that changed suddenly. As he started out to write, he felt compelled to change direction. And so he says in verse 3, "Beloved, while I was making every effort” – I was diligent in this – “I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."
His aim went from talking about the good news of salvation in which all believers share or partake. The same common salvation, not that it is common or low in value, but it is the same for all believers. It is common to all believers. It's the same salvation in which we all share.
He went from talking about salvation to feeling the urgent necessity to speak about another subject altogether. To an urgent consideration of false teachers who were infiltrating, seeking to infiltrate the church and were even now present among them. And the tense of this verse, the very tense here, indicates it was as he was writing, as he set out to write this letter, he felt the necessity, he was compelled, he was overwhelmed by this divine pressure. And he felt that divine pressure and pressing down on him, it was so overwhelming that in the middle of writing, he was constrained to change direction to address this subject of contending for the faith.
The message was so urgent, considering the present threat to the life and ministry of the people of God and the church of God, so he set aside his original theme in order to warn the church about the dangerous influences of imposters. "while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity," the Holy Spirit bearing down on him with this overwhelming divine pressure to address this subject that was a threat to the local church. And that was emerging at that time. And so Jude, this little epistle of Jude, is an alarm, is a sounding of an alarm, it's a calling to attention. Jude sounds the alarm against an apostasy that was just beginning to emerge and infiltrate the early Christian church. That was his aim.
But who does he write to? He tells us very clearly, he's addressing believers. The letter addresses Christians. He writes to believers, calling their attention to this matter that was pressing down upon him.
But first he wants to remind them of their calling. He wants to remind them of the encouraging position and standing that they have in the Lord, in grace. And you'll notice the way Jude describes these believers here in verse 1: "Jude, a slave of Christ, brother of James, To those who are called, beloved,” – beloved – “in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ." He's calling them to enter into a spiritual battle. But before he does that, he wants to remind them of their standing, for their encouragement. You are called, you are beloved, you are kept as you go forward.
You're called. You are those who have been effectually called of God, sanctified, or as we read, set apart for the purposes of God. For holy purposes. God, if you like, as it says in 2 Timothy 1:9, God has saved you and called you with a holy calling. He has set you apart for holy purposes. Not according to your works, but according to His own purposes. And His grace which is given to you in Christ Jesus, a grace which is unto eternal life. It's for all eternity. You are called of God. Every believer is called of God.
But then he says, they were beloved. And that's a favorite word here of Jude. You find it in verse 1, again in verse 3, "beloved." You find it in verse 17, "beloved." Verse 20, "beloved." Beloved, beloved, beloved. It's a favorite word and it's expressive of a shepherd's heart. He was a man of zeal for the Word of God, but he's a man who had a heart for the people of God. He had a deep concern, a deep love as a shepherd for the flock. And he loved them so much that he felt compelled to warn them of the danger; of the pending threat to the church.
That is what a true under-shepherd does. A true shepherd, as we've been hearing in the gospel of John, is one who loves his sheep, who knows his sheep, who protects his sheep, who guides his sheep. The under-shepherd does what he can to protect the sheep under his care. And that was Jude. He calls them beloved because he loved them so much he could not leave them exposed to the dangerous threat that was pending and beginning to infiltrate the church.
But more than that, not only were they loved by Jude, they were loved of God. Every believer is called of God to salvation. Every believer is beloved of God. He says they are "beloved in God the Father," verse 1. Beloved, ‘agapitós’. And you get the word ‘agape’ there, from which we get divine love. God's love. Love in its highest form. The best kind of love. They were beloved. It's a term of endearment not only used by Jude of his affection for the people of God here, but it's a term used of the believer's relationship to God the Father.
You are beloved. That is, you are a beloved one or a divinely loved one. You are loved of God. That's how it could be read and expresses the fact that every child of God, every saint is ‘agapitós’. You are loved of God, "beloved in God the Father." Every saint here is a permanent object of God's love. A divinely loved one. And this word directs us then to the self-sacrificial love of God for His people. The love by which God gives of Himself for their good. That's the idea in this word beloved.
You are beloved of God. Christians are God's beloved ones for whom Christ Jesus went all the way to Calvary's cross. And now being reconciled to God through the sacrifice of His Son, we are looked upon by the Father as those who are loved with the same love, the very same love where with He loves His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's how much God loves you, child of God.
You are called. You are beloved. Loved of God. And what a needed word that would be here to bolster these believers as Jude is encouraging them to take on the enemy. He's calling them to the front line of the battle. And I want you to know there is a battle going on, a battle for truth.
But you are called of God to this, and you are loved of God. But more than that, he says, you are kept. You will be kept. What does he say in verse 1, "and kept for Jesus Christ." You are kept. Or as in verse 24 it says, there is one who is able to keep you, "keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy." God not only calls you, loves you, but He keeps you. He will keep you to the end. You are kept for Jesus Christ.
And that word "keep" or "kept" is another favorite word of Jude here. You see it in verse 1, verse 6, verse 21, and verse 24. It's the Greek word ‘tēreō’. It's the very same word the Lord Jesus uses in John 17 in verse 11, the high priestly prayer as He prays for His people, as He prays for His disciples, Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, keep them.” – Keep them – “in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are." Here's the promise: God will keep His own. He will keep them to the very end.
No matter how difficult the task, no matter how great the challenge, no matter how difficult the battle and the opposition, this is a note of victory. You're going to come through it. You will be kept by the power of God unto salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ not only saves His people, but He keeps them. He keeps them secure. And He preserves His church as we see in the glorious benediction there, verse 24. He preserves His church until the day He will present every believer faultless before His presence with great joy. You are kept for that day. God will keep His own. What a wonderful encouragement for every child of God.
This is a word for Christians everywhere. You are called of God, you are loved of God, and you are kept by God. Now get to work. And that's what he's saying here. Get to work. And I want you to see that this letter is an admonition. We see his aim as he set out and how he changed direction, but it's an admonition here to contend for the faith. I want you to contend for the faith. "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you that you contend earnestly for the faith."
Contend earnestly, ‘epagōnizomai’, ‘epagōnizomai’. And you hear it there, don't you? Agonize. Agonize. I want you to contend earnestly for the faith. And this word appears here only, but it speaks of a vigorous, intense, determined struggle. I want you to contend earnestly. It's a vigorous speech. It's used of athletes. With all your energy, with all your power, as you have been training, as you have been disciplined in your approach to the race, I want you now to use all your energy and effort to run the race that is set before you. That's the idea here. As an athlete with intense determination, contend earnestly for the faith.
Paul used the word in Colossians 4:12 of Epaphras. Epaphras was a godly man who strove in prayer for the believers at Colossae. Paul said he was "always striving” in prayer for you. Striving, agonizing, wrestling. It was that intense determination. That's the word. It's the same word that Paul uses when writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 of the Christian warfare in which we are engaged. He says, "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called." Agonize in Me. Wrestle. Strive. Agonize. Contend vigorously the faith. And that's the word here. It indicates a passionate, fervent approach.
Like that of an athlete determined to win the contest, with vigorous resolve, he endeavors to defeat the opposition. That's the call here. That's what we're called to as the people of God—to do all in your power to protect and defend the truth of God to which you have been called. Make every effort. Exert yourself. Don't just sit back. But with the same intensity of an athlete, run the race that is set before you in order to win the prize. That's the goal. Earnestly contend for the faith.
But what is it you are contending for? He says, contend earnestly with all intensity, with determination, with vigor, every effort and energy of your being. But what is it you're contending for? What's on the line? He says, “contend earnestly for the faith”. The faith. And the faith here, it's not the personal faith of believing for salvation. But it's referring to the doctrine or the teaching that makes up Christianity. That system or body of truth. The deposit of truth God has entrusted to His church.
It's a deposit that has been entrusted to you that is to be guarded, that it is to be kept, it is to be used for safekeeping. He says, contend “for the faith”. Watch for those who would slip in a side door by stealth and by deception, setting forth another gospel, professing to be messengers of light, but in reality are agents of darkness. He says, peddling a lie. Be on your guard. You need to be on your watch. Contend for the faith.
And he hints at what that faith is in verse 17. He says, "remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's the words of the apostles that were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. The spoken Word, the written Word, the Word that has been preserved and given, handed down, the revealed Word. We read in our theme text for our church in Acts 2:42 that they gave themselves, they were devoted to what? The apostles' doctrine. That's what we're contending for. The faith, once for all, handed down to the saints.
So obviously, if we're going to contend for the faith, the faith needs to be defined. What is the faith that we are contending for, that we are to contend for? It's that faith that he says is "once for all handed down to the saints." The apostles' doctrine. It's the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. It's the complete body of truth revealed by God, given by God, handed down by God. It's not the word of man. It's not of man's doing. It's the revealed Word of God that has been handed down, the complete body of truth revealed by God, which is sufficient to save souls for all eternity.
And Jude says, this Word has been delivered to you. It has been handed down to you, intact. In other words, completely. It's complete. It's sufficient. It's enough. The Word of God that has been given to you is enough. It's handed down to the saints and is completely sufficient, needing nothing else to be added to it. It's the treasure which has been entrusted to the apostles and handed down for safekeeping.
And what He's saying here: there's no new revelation. There's no new faith. There's no new vision or prophecy required. No new revelation. The Word of God is complete. It's sufficient. It's been handed down to you intact, completely. And it contains the faith that you need to defend.
It's the divinely inspired Word of God, of which we read in 2 Timothy 3:16. As Paul encourages Timothy to continue, verse 14, "continuing in the things which you've learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you've learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings” – the Scriptures, the holy Scriptures, – “which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ." And then he says, "All Scripture,” ‘pas graphē’, every Scripture, every part of it – “is God-breathed, ‘theopheustos’, it's from the mouth of God. It's the breath of God. It's God's divinely inspired Word, and it's enough. It's “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work."
That's what Jude is saying. God has given you this revelation of Himself. This Word of life that tells you about this common salvation, and of Jesus Christ who is mighty to save. And it's God-breathed. And it's all you need. It's profitable. It's beneficial to your soul. It's a word of instruction. It instructs you in the right path, telling you what to believe and how to live it out.
It's a word of correction and reproof. You are convicted by the truth. It exposes your sin, and it shows you the way of correction from error. And it's a word that trains you up in righteousness, that you would be a holy people. There is the idea of cultivating righteousness, cultivating good morals. It furnishes you. It fits you for the service of God. That's what you need. He says, this faith has been handed down to you intact, and it's sufficient.
And so what is the faith of which the Word of God tells us? The definition of the faith, the faith defined. When Jude talks about the faith here in verse 3, and again in verse 20, he talks about “your most holy faith”. He's not referring to the act of believing, the time in which you came to faith and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the act of believing, so much as what is believed.
He's not referring to the human act of believing, but to this body of truth, of revealed truth, in which one believes to the saving of the soul for eternity. Jude is talking about the content of the gospel message and the core doctrines of the Christian faith that one must believe and accept in order to know God's salvation, without which you don't know God and you will never know eternal life. That's what he's saying here. The faith, the gospel message.
As one commentator stressed, “the faith as Jude defines it is the scripturally revealed message of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom alone God gives sinners salvation from sin's penalty, promising to bring them to eternal life and glory in His presence forever.”
That's the message of Jude as you read through this little letter. And so at the heart of the faith, Jude is saying, at the heart of the faith is a person. The gospel centers upon the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the faith, the faith that saves. And it's summed up in verses like Galatians 1:4 where it talks about God and Christ giving Himself, “who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age” – call us out from this present evil age – “according to the will of God and Father."
It's this message of salvation and forgiveness of sins that comes through Jesus Christ by faith alone in Christ alone, delivering us from our own corruption, from our own sin, from condemnation. And as you read through this little epistle, you get hints as to the component parts, the elements of this faith. He talks about the mercy of God unto eternal life. He talks about the love of God. He talks about the grace of God. He talks about escaping eternal fire. He talks about deliverance from punishment and Hell. But at the heart of it is Christ.
We need to be a Christ-centered, Christ-glorifying, Christ-exalting people proclaiming the truth. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is the way, and it's the only way. And you see not only the personal nature of saving faith, but you see the exclusivity of the gospel. He says, contend for the faith. This is the message that must be proclaimed, and this is the message that must be protected.
And it's the word that the Apostle Paul writes of in 1 Corinthians 15, the opening verses. He says, "Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel, which I proclaimed as good news to you, which you also receive." They believed it, – "in which you also stand." You have a standing before God, – "by which you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I proclaim to you as good news, unless you believe for nothing. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received." He received it from God. It wasn't his own word. It wasn't his own message. It was God's message.
And what was that message, – "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," according to the revealed truth which has been handed down, the apostles' doctrine. That's what we're contending for. And so this letter is an admonition to contend for the faith. But this letter is a call to attention.
Beloved, we need to be on guard. Be on guard. There were those who would distort the message, who would seek to corrupt the message, who would preach another message. There are those, he says in verse 4, who deny the message. So he defines the faith, and then he exposes those who deny the faith.
And he says this faith must be defended. This is why we contend. And he says in verse 4, "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who long beforehand were marked out for this condemnation." They're ungodly persons. They're not godly persons. They're ungodly persons. That is, there's no reverence for God. There is no fear of God in them. They're “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ”.
Here Jude really lays out two major concerns why believers need to be watchful. We need to be on guard. We need to contend for the faith. There are those who would deny the faith and promote another gospel. And in verse 4 there, he lays out, he gives reasons, those two major concerns. What are they? Why we need to be watchful?
These ungodly persons, they are turning the grace of God into sensuality. In other words, they hold to a message of cheap grace without any need for personal holiness unto the Lord. So he says, in essence, these false teachers, they're using the gospel message as a license to sin. And the problem is they hold a very twisted view of grace. And they suggest that there is no change in character and life required. They turn the grace of God into sensuality.
And as you read through the chapter, you discover that they are self-absorbed. They are unrestrained. They are immoral in their lifestyle, and they think it's fine. And they try to justify their sinful behavior, thinking they can go on, go ahead and sin all they want because God is gracious and forgiving. And they turn the grace of God into sensuality. Brothers and sisters, that's a denial of the gospel. That is the exact opposite of what the gospel teaches. It's the exact opposite of what the Word tells us. It's a contradiction of the gospel, and it does great harm to the souls of men.
Paul said in Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” God forbid! “May it never be!” ‘mē genoito’! We are dead to sin, but we are to live to Christ. We are called to not only personal saving faith, but we're called to personal holiness. We are called, sanctified, set apart for the gospel.
How shall we who have died to sin still live in it? Such a notion, Jude said, that doesn't line up. That doesn't square with the faith. And sadly, there are those pastors and teachers out there who push that doctrine. And it's so harmful, so detrimental to the souls of men. But he says not only do they turn the grace of God into sensuality, but they deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. That's the test, isn't it? What do you think of Christ? Where do you stand in relation to Christ? Who is Christ to you? Is He your Lord and Master? If so, you will submit to Him. You will follow Him. You will obey Him. He reigns and rules in your life.
But they deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. That's the danger, Jude says. There's a denial of the divine Sonship. That's a denial of the faith. To deny the fact that Jesus Christ is God. He is God manifest in the flesh. To deny that is the denial of the faith. It's a failure to uphold and submit to the sovereign Lordship of Christ. That's a denial of the gospel. It's a rejection. These people were rejecting the divine sovereignty of Jesus as Lord and as Master.
And so serious is the issue that Jude, in verse 11, he pronounces a “Woe to them!”. Woe is unto them. There is a curse upon them. They stand condemned before Almighty God for promoting another gospel, a ‘heteros’ gospel, a gospel which is not another. It's another of a different kind, but it's not the gospel of the faith.
As Paul tells us in Galatians 1, those very solemn words in verse 6, that warning of those who would push another message, another gospel, he says, "I marvel that you were so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel." –That was the danger in Jude's day, – “which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!” Whoa, such strong language. “As he said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to the gospel which you have received, let him be accursed!”
They were denying the sovereign, divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's a denial of the gospel. And you note the words in Jude here in verse 12, in verse 16, in verse 19, he says, “These are men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts... without fear”. There's no fear of God. They don't care for your souls. They're “caring for themselves”. They're without water, carried along by the winds, autumn trees without fruit, “doubly dead”, uprooted. They are twice dead. They are, they are sinners by nature, and they are sinners by practice. They were never alive. They have not the Spirit of God. They deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no life in them, and there's no fruit of life.
Avoid them. Expose them. And so in the strongest possible terms, those who hold to such things are to be exposed and, and denounced. Don't listen to them. Don't, don't receive those who put forth such lies and do harm to the truth and, and, and lead men and women. That's the issue. They're leading souls to eternal destruction. And Jude says, be on guard.
And how are we as Christians then to, to react in light of this situation and, and these warnings as this, this call to contend, to contend earnestly, contend for the faith, the faith that is complete and handed to us intact, that we are called to proclaim and protect? What should we do in order to be faithful and not fall prey to false teaching and false leaders? Well, he tells us in verse 17, remember the Word. Remember the Word. You need to embrace the truth. And you not only remember the Word, but remain in the Word, be taught in the Word.
But first, he says, don't be surprised by the assaults of the enemy. They're going to come. There has always been and there will be those who deny the truth, the truth of which they are ignorant, he says in verse 18: "In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit." Don't be surprised. Don't think this is a strange thing.
Jude runs parallel with 2 Peter 2 and 3 and there's very many similar thoughts, but Peter talked about this. He says, don't count this a strange thing. False prophets will rise up among the people, 2 Peter 2:1, "just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce [destructive] heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves."
In chapter 3:3, he says, "in the last days mockers will come with their mocking following after their own lusts." Don't count it strange, but you, you need to be equipped. You need to be armed. You need to be ready.
And there is this call to attention, to be on guard, but there's this call to arms. You know, fortify your soul. Remember the words of the apostles, the doctrine. Dwell in the Word. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, that you would know the truth, that you would be grounded in the truth, but also growing in the faith. And so there is this application to believers in verse 17, "But you, beloved, must remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord."
In verse 20, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up." You need to be edified. You need to be built up in the faith. If you're going to stand firm in the face of these attacks, if you're going to recognize the adversary, you need to know what God's Word says. "building yourselves up on your most holy faith."
And before we proceed, I must give a word of caution. There is application here for the saints, but for those of you here who may not know Christ, you're outside of Christ, the call is examine yourself. Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. The faith that we proclaim, this message of salvation that is found in Christ alone. Don't overlook your own soul. And so before the application to believers, this word of caution and this call to examine yourself: are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation? Do you confess and acknowledge Him as your Lord and your Savior, your Master and your Lord? Can you say with Thomas, "Jesus, You are my Lord and You are my God"? A mere profession is not enough. Misty clouds give no refreshing rain. What good are springs without water? Or, he says, trees without fruit. There must be more than a mere profession. A mere profession without possession is no use. You must know Christ as your own and your personal Savior.
And if you know Christ, then you are to grow up in Christ. So it's a call to personal faith. That's the nature of saving faith. It's personal. "But you, beloved." He says He's calling you to examine yourself. Where do you stand in relation to the faith? You. It's personal. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ if you are to be saved. I can't believe for you. Your parents can't believe for you. You must believe on Christ if you are to be saved.
But if you know Christ, then grow up in Him. Having embraced Christ by faith, you seek to grow. And that's God's purpose. God's purpose in setting believers apart from the world is to see them built up, edified, to see them built up in Him as a holy temple. We are living stones in the church of God, and we are to be built up in the faith. That's the design of the church. And Jude is saying, verse 20, build “yourselves up on your most holy faith." Build your spiritual house on the sure foundation of sound doctrine.
A believer not only must be grounded in the Word, but growing in the faith. And that's the way you will stand strong. Remember the word of Paul in Acts 20:29 to the elders at Ephesus. As he warned, he said, after my departure, when I leave here, there will rise up from within, savage wolves seeking to rend the flock, seeking to divide the flock. And what was Paul's answer to that threat? He said in Acts 20:32, "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace." The word of His grace, which is able to, what –"build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who have been sanctified."
So there's a need for discernment in the Word. It's vital that we know the Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation, that we are diligent students of the Word, finding ourselves in the Word, studying the Word, to be approved of God, workmen-like, diligent, intense effort, vigorously pursuing the Word, unashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
We need to be edified. And as we'll see in the next few weeks, from verse 20 and 21, Jude lays out four spiritual weapons in the arsenal of faith: edification, supplication, affection, and expectation. Edifying yourselves—being built up in the Word; supplication—praying in the Holy Spirit; affection—keeping yourself in the love of God; expectation—waiting with expectancy for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We need to be a people who are built up and edified. And so Jude here, as we conclude this introduction, gives a call for consistent attendance to the divinely ordained means of edification. Use what God has provided for your building up. Make use of His Word. Make use of corporate worship. Make use of the prayer meeting. And that's what he's saying here.
There is a—you notice what he says in verse 20? There's a personal aspect of faith: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up." But he says "yourselves," plural—together. You see the corporate aspect of this, encouraging one another as a local church. He gives a call for consistent attendance to divinely ordained means.
I don't know about you, but I sure am glad that I'm in a church that stands strong upon the inspired Word of God. Aren't you glad you're in a church which faithfully proclaims the faith? I'm so thankful for our church, so thankful for our pastor, so thankful for our elders, so thankful for you, the people of God. We ought to be thankful and guard what we have here. Let's not be proud or arrogant. This is the doing of God. And our prayer must be, "Lord, keep us faithful. Keep us contending for the faith."
And I thank God for this church that contends earnestly for the faith. I'm thankful for our gifted pastor who diligently prepares to preach the Word week by week with clarity and with conviction to the benefit of our souls. Thank God for your pastor. Uphold him in prayer. Pray for his protection. As a zealous workman, he is unashamed, and he faithfully seeks to hand down the Word of truth to you—to proclaim it week by week as one who, just like Jude, has a warm affection, a deep love for the sheep under his care.
I thank God for our pastor. I thank God for our elders who seek to make decisions that affect the life of this church and ministry upon the basis of what the Bible says, who give godly counsel from the Word of God, who exemplify the gospel. There's nothing more loving to the souls of men than that. And this is God's design for the church—the beloved ones, loved of God. That for your edification, God has given pastors and teachers "for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ", Ephesians 4:12.
But this call is not just for pastors and for elders and teachers, but it's for the people of God. Each one of us who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ—for you, the church—"building yourselves up in the most holy faith." We're so blessed. We are in a place where people gather week by week who love nothing more than to hear the good news of salvation, to be with the people of God, with those who share the same love for God and for His truth, who can't wait to worship together week by week, who wholeheartedly praise and pray together, who love sound doctrine.
That's God's design for the edification of His church. This is how we build each other up, beloved—consistently attending to the divinely ordained means that God has provided for our growth and our development. And I'm so thankful for this church that loves God, loves God's Word, loves God's people, and God's people love one another.
What a blessing. Do we realize? Do you realize what you have here? We are so blessed above measure. And so our prayer, I must conclude: God, keep us faithful, equip us for the fight, keep us from falling away, guard and protect us by Your grace as those who are called, loved, and kept by God the Father in Jesus Christ.
Let's pray.
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