Contend For The Faith

 Jude’s purpose is twofold: To expose false teachers that had infiltrated the Christian community, and to encourage Christians to stand firm in the faith “CONTEND FOR THE FAITH” and fight for the truth. **

Jude 1:1-2 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved/sanctified by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.

Jude and James were the half-brothers of Jesus. Neither had faith in Jesus until after His resurrection. Jude writes to Christians. This is not an evangelistic book. What Jude deals with here, believers need to hear and understand, because the Body of Christ is monumentally failing at it right now. 

Jude identifies his readers in three specific ways: They were called. Christians must be called (John 6:44). They were sanctified by God the Father. This means that they were set apart — set apart from the world and set apart unto God.          They are kept in/for Jesus. Jesus is our guardian and our protector. 

Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 

Jude intended to write about our common salvation. But as he sat to write, the Holy Spirit changed his heart. And through the Holy Spirit, Jude is compelled to urge you and I to contend for the faith that we have been entrusted with. The phrase the faith means: The absolute essential truths of the gospel that all true Christians hold in common.

I want to emphasize the word you, This was personal and something that Jude wanted each Christian to do. Contend means to Face, take on, assert, and stand firm in the struggle of opposition. “Contend” speaks of a diligent effort.   (Now Jude tells us why; Called-Sanctified-Kept in Jesus need to Contend)

Jude 1:4 For CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. I want you to understand who these Certain Individuals are: Condemned-Ungodly-Pervert Grace-Deny Jesus

What makes these certain individuals so dangerous is that they slip in un-noticed. Meaning believers don’t realize just how dangerous they are. They don’t wear a name tag saying: “Danger: False Teacher-Ungodly-Pervert-Denier”. 

They may have slipped in unnoticed by men, but not by God. 

This book is a wake-up call (alarm) warning us that these individuals with moral and anti-biblical lifestyles are in the church. (destruction and division)

Jude 1:5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. Jude knows he’s not telling them anything new, but they needed to hear it again. WHY? To apply it to their present situation. 

Every Christian should strive to understand these Old Testament stories, and if we don’t know what Jude is writing about here, it reveals our need to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the Bible. 

Jude reminds us of what happened in Numbers 14. God delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt. They come to Kadesh Barnea, on the threshold of the Promised Land. But the people rebelled and refused to trust God and go into the Promised Land. And only two of the generation who left Egypt entered the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb. 

These people experienced God’s miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea.           They heard the very voice of God at Mount Sinai. They received His daily provision of manna and water in the wilderness. 

Yet they still refused to trust and believe God and rebelled against Him. Jude says, God destroyed those who did not believe. Where are they today?

Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 

Revelation 12:4 tells us that a third of the angels rebelled with Satan against the authority of God. Angels dwell in the very presence of God. They are servants of God, messengers of God; they do God’s bidding.

These beautiful creatures of God did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling, and some sit in absolute darkness bound with everlasting chains until the judgment of the great day. WHY? Because, just like the Israelites, they didn’t trust in the power and authority of God and rebelled.

Jude 1:7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Sodom and Gomorrah was a blessed and fertile area. (Abraham & Lot) Genesis 13:10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 

In Genesis 19, God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.              Their sin of sexual immorality and perversion (homosexuality) brought God’s judgment upon them. These two cities stand as an example to those who rebel against God, who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Jude 1:8-10 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute/defile their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings/ dignitaries. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

Jude points out that these certain individuals, based on deceptive dreams, defile their bodies, reject authority, and heap abuse on those God has placed in authority.

Jude mentions the archangel Michael and a dispute with Satan for the body of Moses. This is the only place this is mentioned. All we know is what’s mentioned here. (Deut.34)

For Jude, the point isn’t WHY Michael disputed with the devil, but HOW he disputed with the devil. 

Jude tells us the archangel Michael NIV) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander (NKJV, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation) (NLT, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy)

Michael didn’t dare condemn, accuse, or mock the devil. God hasn’t called us to judge the devil, to condemn the devil, to mock him or accuse him, but to battle against him in the name and power and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.(7Sons)

This is a model for spiritual warfare. Michael is in a battle with the enemy; he battles with the Lord’s authority. (There is only one authority)

How ironic that those who claim to have special knowledge, God says they are ungodly and defile their own bodies. They see themselves as superior to everyone else, but God puts them on the same level as irrational animals, and for that they will be destroyed.

Jude 1:11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

Cain was full of jealousy, hatred, and bitterness and murdered his brother.  Balaam was filled with greed and was willing to compromise everything for money. Balaam tried to use his position as a Prophet for profit. (Num.22-24)

Korah rebelled against the authority of Moses (God’s authority). Numbers 16:31-33 The ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them,

All three, in one way or another, rebelled against God and His authority.

Jude 1:12-13 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

*These people: Ate greedily at the feasts, concerned only for themselves, while others went hungry. 

*Clouds without rain are good for nothing. 

*Trees without fruit-Uprooted: twice dead. 

They were busy and active like the wild waves of the sea, but all it brought was foaming up their own shame. 

Wandering stars: A shooting star that shoots across the sky and then disappears into the darkness.

Their destiny is described. They would end up in the blackest darkness of hell — and be there forever.  TITLE

God here is calling on the CALLED-SANCTIFIED-KEPT IN JESUS

To do battle, “Contend for the Faith” not in our power but His Power and Authority.

Un-godly-Perverters of Grace who Deny Jesus, secretly slipped into the church.