Introduction to Jude

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-29-04

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Introduction to Jude

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Jude 1-2

 

            Message of the verse:  “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:  May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”  (NASB)  “JUDE, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who have obeyed the call, who are loved by God the Father and kept in the faith by Jesus Christ—may you ever experience more and more of mercy, peace and love!”  (PHILLIPS)

            Jude writes this letter to believers about the apostates that were, and still are, invading the Church of Jesus Christ.  In these first two verses he goes over some of the things that prove to them that they are in fact true believers, and this might be done so that they do not get confused as he begins to describe the apostates.  An apostate is not a true believer who lost his salvation, but he is a person who has professed to accept and put his trust in the Savior, and then turns from “the faith, which was once delivered to the saints.”  (Jude 3)

            The author is the half brother of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James, who wrote the letter of James.  He did not believe in Jesus Christ until after His resurrection, and may have been present with the believers in the upper room waiting for the Spirit of God to come.  (Acts 1:14)  His letter may have gone to the same group of people that Peter sent his too, and in Peter’s letter he did say that these apostates would come, and in Jude’s letter they were there.

            It is interesting that Jude identifies himself a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and not the half brother of Jesus Christ.  This shows the humility and also the respect He has for Jesus Christ.  He also identifies himself as the brother of James. 

            He identifies his readers as “those who are the called,” and this speaks of the sovereign election of God.  As stated before this is something that is difficult, and probably impossible, to understand this side of glory, but the Bible teaches it. 

            He next writes that those who are called are beloved by God, and kept for Jesus Christ.  Not only does God call the believer, but also He is surely loved by God, and is kept, so that he can never be lost, for the Savior Jesus Christ.

            In verse two Jude speaks of mercy, grace, and peace, and this is in many of the NT letters, so it may have been something standard, but it does have a deeper meaning to it.  Mercy is God holding back from us what we deserve, and putting what we do deserve onto Jesus Christ.  Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve, because of our position in Jesus Christ, and because Christ died for our sins.  Peace is what we receive from God because we have this peace through the blood of the cross, and Jude is writing about the fact that the believer is now at peace with God.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In Dr. Wiersbe’s book that he has written about Jude he states that Jude is writing to those who are believers as in the army of the Lord, and says this because we are in a full time battle with our enemies.  There are times when I realize the truth of this and there are times when I slack up and am not a good solider of the cross.  It is very important to realize that I am in a battle, and that Christ has given me all of the equipment that is needed for me to stand firm while in the battle. 

 

The Word of God has brought a challenge to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To continue to trust the Lord with the trials that I am in, and to trust the Lord to equip me and sustain me for the task of teaching Sunday School tomorrow.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:1,2

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging symbol.  If I the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.