Jude: Jesus is the One Who Keeps Us From Stumbling
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PREACHING CHRIST THROUGH THE BIBLE |
Jude: Jesus is the One Who Keeps Us From Stumbling
Key Verse: Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
- Jude 24-25
Intro:
What is special to you? When you regard something as special, you usually put effort into keeping it protected. Some of us keep family heirlooms free from damage or dust. Some of us keep Air Jordan’s in our original boxes and maybe wear them twice a year.
Interestingly, that special thing you keep reveals what you value. I'm not one to accumulate material possessions. Just ask my wife (or don’t, because she might expose how many watches I own). But I will keep the letters that my wife wrote to me, even from back when we were dating. I keep these because I value her and her words. And man, every time I re-read her letters, I get all the feels again.
The word "keep” is prominent throughout the book of Jude. So as we explore this book together today, I invite you to see the importance of keeping and its implications for each of us.
Background:
The book of Jude is the second-to-last book of the New Testament. Scholars can't put a specific date and location for the book, but because it shares many similarities with 2 Peter, many believe it was written around 67-80 A.D. If you haven’t already guessed, the author of the book is Jude, who introduces himself as "a servant of Christ and a brother of James." We can assume that he is another one of Jesus' half-brothers. Like James, Jude didn’t need to tell his readers that he was Jesus' brother. His central identity was being a servant of Christ.
This epistle, which only has one chapter, was most likely written to a community of Jewish Christians because all throughout the letter, Jude cites narratives of the Old Testament which would have been familiar among the Jewish people. An interesting feature of the letter is that it also quotes narratives that aren’t mentioned in the 66 books of the Bible. Again, he used these illustrations because his readers were familiar with them.
At the time when Jude wrote this letter, the church was experiencing many troubles within their community. Specifically, false teachers were causing confusion among believers. As a result, many people walked away from their faith in Jesus.
Isn’t this happening today too? Whether we realize it or not, false teachings have always been around and threaten our walk with Christ. Today, they’re broadcasted from TV networks, podcasts, social media, and even books on the Bestsellers list. So, let’s see how Jude’s letter can help us respond to false teachings in ways where we can remain faithful to Christ.
1. The Appeal
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
Now, as Jude introduces himself as a servant of Jesus, he describes his readers more intimately. Jude wrote in verse 1, "To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ." That phrase "kept for Jesus Christ '' is such a strong phrase because it emphasizes the believers’ relationship with Christ. In verse 3, Jude writes that he wanted to talk to them about their common salvation. Maybe he wanted to talk about the wonders and the beauty of what their salvation in Christ has to offer. However, Jude stops himself and brings something more urgent to their attention.
Jude appeals to his readers to "contend for the faith." What does that mean? The word "contend" here comes from the Greek word agonizomai, which appears as 'agonize' in its English form. “Contend” was associated with Grecian competitions to describe an uphill struggle to overcome an opponent. Think of a wrestling match where two athletes agonize and contend against each other to win. This is what Jude wanted those who are kept for Jesus to carry out.
So what do believers need to contend for? "The faith." This faith isn't just about one’s individual experiences of salvation. This faith is about the central and core truths that all believers hold and stand upon. The doctrines of the Trinity, Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, salvation by grace are just some of the theological truths held by believers across generations. These theological truths give Christians ultimate joy and hope for the future.
How does this apply to us today? A popular belief is that Christianity is a passive religion. If one goes to church, gives, and does what is expected, they should be good. When we become passive, we’re easy targets of false teachings. We don't drift towards godliness and Christlikeness. Instead, we drift towards selfishness, greed, self-reliance, and our fleshly desires.
But God’s purpose for giving us life is grander. Our faith is remarkable. By entering into a relationship with Jesus, we were brought from death to life. This has to mean we are meant for more. So if what we have is special, it comes with the responsibility to guard our faith and contend for it.
2. The Warning
For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. — Jude 4
Next, Jude gives the main reason believers need to contend for the faith. False teachers have crept inside the church and have been teaching the wrong things. We just read that they’re "designated for this condemnation." In a way, we see the difference between genuine believers and false teachers. While believers are "kept for Jesus Christ," these false teachers are designated or “kept” for condemnation. So what did the false teachers do? They turned God's grace into sensuality and denied the authority of Jesus Christ over believers. From verses 5-16, Jude uses narratives and comparisons to help his readers understand what these false teachers were like.
Their Philosophy (vv.5-7) - We can sum up the main messages given by the false teachers in three ideologies: apostasy, autonomy, and immorality.
Apostasy: They are like the rebellious Israelites who didn’t believe or trust in God but rejected Him in the wilderness (Num. 14:11). The false teachers turned people from their trust in God and His promises.
Autonomy: Like the fallen angels, the false teachers (Is. 14:12-14; 2 Pet. 2:4) also taught that people should follow their desires because that will ultimately fulfill their lives.
Immorality: Like the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), the false teachers said people can pursue sexual relations; however they please, with no regard for God's beautiful design for sexuality.
Their Character (vv.10-11) - Unlike Michael the archangel (Assumptions of Moses), they assumed their own authority. They’re like Cain, who was consumed with himself that he even murdered his brother to prove himself (Gen. 4). They’re like Balaam, who in his greed, gained riches by instructing the Midianites to seduce the Israelites bringing curses upon Israel (Numbers 22-25). They’re like Korah, who wouldn’t submit to God's appointed leader—Moses—and rebelled against God's clear commands (Num. 16).
Their Empty Promises (vv. 12-13) - Jude used pictures in nature to illustrate that all these false teachers offered void and vain promises. They’re self-centered and a danger to those who listen to their teachings. They’re like: a reef that can sink a ship, shepherds who feed only themselves, clouds that give no rain, fruitless trees, wild waves, and stars that give no direction at night.
One interesting feature about these false teachers is that they're defined more by their character and lifestyle than their doctrine. They said the right things, but their fruits gave them away. They're characterized by their pursuit of money, power, and acclaim. Jesus, Himself warns His followers, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…." – Matthew 7:15-16a
We each have our favorite people we listen to about Bible teachings. However, we need to exercise caution. We can’t just submit ourselves to a person’s teachings because of their platform, the size of their church, and even the number of their followers. We have to discern both the message and the messenger. Here at BCI, please know we welcome accountability, especially those who preach and teach God’s Word. If there's anything you see in us that is not Christlike, please correct us, and you'll save us from more pain and hurt.
In verses 14-16, Jude quotes the book of 1 Enoch that illustrates that God’s judgment and punishment will be sure and swift for those who lead God's people astray. One day, these false teachers will be judged by God Himself, and they’ll know the wrath of God personally.
So by now, you might be asking, how can we talk so much about God's punishment, condemnation, and judgment? Isn't God a God of love? How could He be so angry? When I was a kid, I discovered curse words. I felt cool being able to say such colorful words. So one day, I cursed my mom out. I felt very grown-up and was proud of myself. But I didn't know my dad heard me until he showed up and disciplined me right away. Until that moment, I had never seen my dad so angry. Looking back, I understood the reason for my dad's anger. It's because he loves my mom enough to protect her dignity. He loves me enough to correct me so I can be a better man. I appreciate my dad’s anger because it showed he valued both me and my mom.
This is the same with God's anger and wrath. According to the author David Powlison, he writes in his book Good and Angry: "...our anger broadcasts what matters to us." As our Heavenly Father, He opposes and is angered by anything that would threaten and hurt His children. "He loves us so intensely that he must get angry."
Jackie Hill Perry says, "How do you suppose that God can be a God of love if He does not hate? Whatever you love, you will hate whatever disrupts, distorts, or disregards what you love. God ultimately hates sin because it comes to destroy the ones He most loves." This is why God won’t let these false teachers continue in their ways. God will show His wrath to protect those He loves. These false teachers are kept for judgment and punishment because they lead God's children to sin and turn away from Him, leading to pain and sorrow. This is why we need to be aware and contend for the faith. So how do we do it?
3. The Promise
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. – Jude 20-23
This section of the book shows how believers should contend for the faith. I know it seems like there are many steps here, but in its original language, there's only one main action verb. The rest flows from it. So how does one contend for the faith? Mainly, Jude says that believers need to "keep yourselves in the love of God." This main action flows out the rest of the verbs we see in this passage.
When believers keep themselves in the love of God, they’re building themselves in the faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, waiting for mercy from Christ, showing mercy to those who doubt, and saving others from the fire. We contend for the faith is through discipleship and evangelism. We get serious with our spiritual formation while also telling others about our faith in Christ. Committing to spiritual disciplines is necessary while sharing His message with those around us. To put it simply, we contend by becoming deeper in love with Christ and spreading His love to those who are still doubting and don’t know Him yet.
So how does the book of Jude apply to us today? Now I’m not telling you to look for every false teacher and try to debate them on social media. You can’t find that anywhere in Jude. I know it's easier to call out other people about how they're being deceived. But have we examined our own lives if we’re the ones being misled? The two main things about these false teachers are that they turn God's grace into sensuality and deny the lordship of Jesus in their lives. So we need to keep asking, "Have we taken for granted the grace of God? Is Jesus Lord over our lives? Have we surrendered everything to Him?" If our mindset is that now I'm going to heaven, so now I get to do whatever I want, then we might be on the wrong path. When this is our mindset, we cheapen the grace of Christ.
In his book Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession… Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."
Let’s keep ourselves in the love of God because we treasure the love and grace bestowed on us. This is how we value His grace knowing what it truly cost. We see how the Ukrainians are giving their best to keep their country. They put their lives on the line. Many of them have chosen to stay to defend what is dear to their hearts. They’re resisting the attacks because of their love for their country. In a way, when we realize the magnificence of the love of Christ and His grace for us, we’ll do everything to contend for it. Only when we see the eternal value of what He has done for us will we continue to greater intimacy and surrender to Christ.
And now there's a promise that we have in the last verses of Jude: Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. – Jude 24-25
In the end, the promise is that we already have the victory. Jesus has kept us, is always keeping us, and will be keeping us. He will never let us go. With our wrestling against sin and darkness, never believe the lie that you’re left to your own will and efforts. He’ll present us to Himself pure and beautiful. We’ll experience eternal glory with Christ with great joy. This is what Paul says in Phil. 1:6: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
We’re never alone. We’re not abandoned people. So let's continue on this journey to know Christ and His love for us, and let's continue making Him known. We have a complete confidence that it’s Jesus, our God, and Savior, whom all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority in all of eternity belong, is the One who will keep us from stumbling.
-Rev. Jerusalem Ona