Pray: Humble yourself before God in prayer. Ask Him for wisdom and open eyes to see the wonderful things He has for you in this section of the Bible.
Read: Jude 1:1-4
Are you a Beatles fan? If so, then go ahead and hum the melody to “Hey Jude” while you read this. Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah… Unlike the carefree nature of that song, Jude is viewed by many people today as extremely serious, intolerant, harsh and unloving. However, to followers of Jesus, the book of Jude is to-the-point, honest, beautiful, and full of inspiration. One of the most beautiful aspects of Jude is found in verse 1.
“To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.”
In other words, whoever God calls will be irresistibly brought to faith in Jesus Christ through the gospel. God’s gracious call is motivated by His love; a love deeper and more pure than any in the universe. Maybe even more beautiful and reassuring is the last phrase, that those who have been called are also kept by Jesus Christ. Who in this world has the power to pull apart the loving grip of Jesus Christ? No one! Believer, doubter, struggler...let that sink in and comfort your soul. Find joy in the grip of Jesus!
So who was Jude? He was the half brother of Jesus! However, he refused to identify himself directly just like His brother James. This was out of respect for Jesus. He describes himself as a slave or servant of the Lord Jesus. What would it take for you to be convinced that your older brother was God in a human suit and that you were his slave? Jude had some serious street cred!
Jude was also a whistle blower, rightly pointing out that false teachers were spreading like a virus through Jesus’ church. The Bride of Christ was infected. The enemy was in the camp and Jude was calling his fellow believers to do something about it. Jude points out two main issues with these false teachers masquerading as Christians in the church. Wolves disguised as sheep.
1. They abused the grace of God, as a license to sin.
2. They denied the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In other words, they said things like, “I know I’ll be forgiven so I’m just going to keep looking at porn…or cheating on my taxes…or lying to my spouse etc.” Or maybe, “Jesus is a great teacher and moral guru but he is not God or my Master, I will keep living like I’m my own master.” Or, "I dig Jesus but I don't want Him interfering with my life."
Jude calls believers through the centuries to ‘…contend for the faith…” (vs.3) rather than sit back and watch the church fall apart. That is part of what it means to be ‘For the Gospel’ at CityChurch. We urgently uphold, protect and proclaim the gospel, both inside our church and in our city. So speak up! Tell someone with your lips and with your life, about ‘our only Master and Lord’ this week.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you ever find yourself abusing the grace of God and using it as a license to sin? Where do you find yourself saying, "I'm going to keep doing ______ because I know God will forgive me?
2. Are you regularly submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? What areas of your life do you need to submit to Him this week?
Memorize: Jude 1:1
“To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.”