Bible Story: Jude

1. Contend Earnestly for the Faith

The book of Jude is a very unusual book. In twenty-five verses, we have the most scintillating, powerful, one-chapter book in the whole Bible. Jude was a half-brother of the Lord, called by name as such in Mark chapter 6. James, who wrote that book in the New Testament, was also a half-brother of our Lord. Jude writes concerning the common salvation. We all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross. And he started to write an epistle just on that subject, but it became needful in the interim for him to write concerning contending earnestly for the faith, which hath for all time, once for all, been delivered to the saints. Just as Jesus died once in the end of the world to take away the sins of men, Hebrews 9 28, so the system of faith was given once.

We do not need latter-day revelations. We do not need angels sitting on the foot of our bed speaking sweet peace to our soul. We just need the system of faith once for all time delivered the saints. And we are to contend earnestly for it. Did you know that the progress of truth in America came mainly from the polemic platform? And yet there are those today who oppose public religious discussions. We’re to contend earnestly for the faith. Look that up, contend, and then earnestly in Webster’s dictionary. And even better, look up the original words in a Greek New Testament dictionary, and you’ll find that it means to set forth publicly and privately, ardently, consistently, the truth of God. And one of our problems today is that we do not oppose error enough.

2. Michael the Archangel Said, The Lord Rebuke Thee

Jude verse 3 would be the marching orders for a gospel preacher. Contend earnestly for the faith, once for all time delivered to the saints. In Jude, we also read in verse 9, one of the challenging verses, yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Many times people ask, when did Michael and the devil have a discussion over the body of Moses? There are those who say that it refers to Zachariah chapter 3. That here the body of Moses would refer to the people of God in old testament days led by Moses as the mediator, just as the church of the Lord is called the body of Christ.

And it is true that Stephen in Acts 7 referred to the church in the wilderness which Moses led. And in 1 Corinthians 10, we read that they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. There is a possibility that the body of Moses in Jude verse 9 refers to the people of God and to the incident in Zechariah 3, where the angel of God and the devil were disputing after captivity days concerning to whom does Israel belong. The devil said, Since they went into captivity because of sin, they’re mine. But then another quote from the book of Jude in Zechariah 3, the angel of the Lord said, No, they were as a brand plucked out of the burning. They were snatched out of the fire, hating even the garments stained with sin.

They nearly did belong to the devil, but the Lord captured them for his own. That perhaps is what he’s talking about here when he speaks of Michael the archangel contending with the devil about the body of Moses. Others say it refers to the devil wanting it to be known where Moses was buried, so that he could make a shrine out of the burial place, and people would worship Moses instead of God. It is significant in Deuteronomy 34 when Moses died, God buried him someplace known only to heaven. Others have said the discussion had to do with the transfiguration of our Lord and the premature calling back of Moses before Jesus had showed his power over death. Well, that’s an interesting observation, but I believe I’ll stick with Zechariah 3, being a commentary on Jude verse 9.

But in context, the main point is that even the angel, the archangel of God, would tell the devil, the Lord will take care of you. He wouldn’t rail against dignities and powers, as some in the first century were doing against civil authority. There’s a great lesson there for us to respect the powers that be, Romans 13 1, and pray for them, 1 Timothy 2, and pay our taxes, Matthew 22, 21, and honor the rulers, 1 Peter 2.17, and let the Lord take care of the chastisement and the rebuking, and the ultimate reward and end of unrighteous men. That’s not our prerogative, for vengeance belongs to God, he will recompense Deuteronomy 32 35 and Romans chapter 12. In verse 11 of the book of Jude, we read, Woe unto them, meaning these false teachers with false attitudes and false lives.

3. The Way of Cain, Balaam, and Korah

Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain. They ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain saying of Korah. Three infamous characters, Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Cain, who said, Am I my brother’s keeper? And through selfishness and envy murdered his brother, and Balaam, who had a price. He would put a curse on God’s people if they’d raise the price a little. And there are those today just that covetous. And Korah perished when the ground opened up and swallowed Korah and 250 of his cohorts alive, Numbers chapter 16, in their rebellion against the authority of heaven vested in Moses. So here we read of the way of envy, the way of greed, and the way of rebellion against God.

4. False Teachers Are Clouds Without Water

And he says, These are spots in your feasts of love, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear, clouds they are without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. He simply says, These false teachers are like clouds that promise rain and they never give it. They uh are like trees who say we have fruit on our branches, but it’s all shriveled up. False teachers bring you nothing but hellish, devilish influence. Don’t allow them in your congregation. Withdraw fellowship from those who teach Arab, Romans 16, verse 17. If a man’s a heretic, reject him, Titus chapter 3. And then he begins to speak of the ungodliness of men who have turned away with reprobate minds from doing God’s will.

5. Mockers in the Last Time

He said, These are murmurs, complainers. Philippians 2 14 says we’re to do all things without murmuring and complaining. And there is a world of difference in being humbly grateful and grumbly hateful. And in this passage, we are to be grateful and express our thanks to God, instead of opposing those who are in power and speaking evil of spiritual dignity. And then in verse 17 of Jude begins a challenging paragraph. But beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These they be who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit. And the phrase separate themselves is the same idea as sectarian or denomination.

6. Building Up Yourselves on Your Most Holy Faith

But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and Romans 8, 26 and 27 tells us the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray. It isn’t something the Holy Spirit does to us on earth, but for us in heaven, with sighs too deep for words. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Thus we play a part in keeping ourselves in God’s sacred keeping. And if some have compassion, making a difference, and others say with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted by the flesh. This is the urgency of preaching the word in season out of season. Second Timothy 4 verse 2 and 3.

Conclusion

We must save others. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before his presence with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both nine forever, Amen. The beautiful, powerful, scintillating one chapter book of Jude tells us that wicked, false teachers must be rebuked, as we contend earnestly for the faith, and snatch men out of the fires of hell by preaching the truth to them that they might be saved. If we hated sin like the Lord did, we’d be far greater personal evangelist in the service of Christ.