Doxology
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen"
(Jude 1:24-25).
The Apostles Jude and Peter wanted the church to stay strong and encouraged. They warned about the wolves who would enter the church to cause division with their heretical teachings. Yet, they reminded believers that the Lord would keep them from falling. The Bible says: “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:13). The enemy desires for us to get off-balanced in our walk with God. He will use church leaders, family, friends, coworkers, or whomever he can to take our focus away from the Lord. However, the only way to defeat him is by having a personal relationship with the Lord through prayer, fasting, and studying His Word. Charles H. Spurgeon is credited with this quote concerning the Word of God: “Study the Word, that your faith may not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God!”[1] We can take this to mean that man can become compromised, but there is strength and stability in having faith and standing on the Word of God. Peter wrote: “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position” (2 Peter 3:17).
Jude reminds us that Jesus is our High Priest and Mediator who presents us to the Father as faultless, not because of what we’ve done but because of His work on the cross on our behalf. All of Heaven rejoices when one soul comes to Christ and accepts Him as their Lord and Savior. The Bible says: “ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).
Jude concludes his book by reminding his readers that only one true God deserves our worship because of who He is through Christ Jesus. Peter said: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). Jesus is our Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and is the most powerful name above all names throughout the ages, having no beginning nor end. He is our final authority and will return with all power and majesty. The Bible says: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31). That glorious day will be here soon. Will you be ready?
Conclusion
The Apostles Jude and Peter’s books are short but contain a plethora of valuable information for the body of Christ. Jude and Peter made it clear that they were speaking to an audience that is not unfamiliar with the common nature of their faith. Yet, they encouraged them to contend for the faith because of the challenges that would befall them with false teachers seeking to introduce heretical teachings unbeknown to them. Jude and Peter categorized these people as being similar to the children of Israel who died in the wilderness, the fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah.[1]
The apostles warned of the judgment that would befall the false teachers and those who followed them by associating them with the rebellious sins of Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Jude even used his knowledge of I Enoch to condemn the false teachers and their heretical teachings they attempted to poison the church with.[2] Nevertheless, the apostles encouraged the church by reminding them that the Lord was coming with thousands of angels, and the ungodly will receive their final reward. Therefore, they were to be alert to the secret heresies that entered their midst, for these ungodly people were selfish, despised authority, and full of lust and greed.[3] Similarly, the same issues are still occurring today, and the warnings are just as relevant.
Historically and generally, false teachings have been able to enter the church first within theologian circles, second through pastors, and then through the rest of the church. Unfortunately, when the leadership strays from sound doctrine, the church often follows suit due to following man and not God.[4] Christians need to understand their identity in Christ and what being a follower of His really encompasses. In so doing, they will not be easily led astray, for the biblical writers provided guidance in the matters of faith, obedience, and submission to God.[5] Even though holiness is a spiritual trait, the Lord desires His people to exemplify Him in all areas of their lives in love, justice, moral excellence, and self-sacrifice.[6] For this reason, Jude and Peter encouraged the body of Christ to stay alert and be mindful of apostates in their letters of warning, which has remained timeless for the body of Christ throughout the ages until He returns.
[1] D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 688-689.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 922.
[5] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Jr. Robert L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2017), 592.
[6] William S. Sor et al., Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996), 94-95.
[1] Charles H. Spurgeon, "Study The Word," Charles H. Spurgeon, last modified 2017, https://www.princeofpreachers.org/quotes/study-the-word.
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