The Full GospelSample

Called, Loved, and Kept // The Gospel According to Jude

The second to last book in the New Testament is a short letter written by Jude, a brother to both James and Jesus. However, when Jude introduces himself, he doesn’t call himself a brother of James and Jesus. He only calls himself a brother of James, and he identifies as a servant of Jesus.

Think about it like this: What would your brother or sister have to do in order for you to willingly call yourself their servant? For most of us, they would probably have to do something truly miraculous—such as predicting their own death and resurrection, and then pulling it off. (This is exactly what Jesus did.)

So now his brother, Jude, a leader in the early church, is writing a letter to help believers combat false teachings and remain faithful to their risen king.

He begins like this:

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

He is writing to those who have been called, who are loved, and who will be kept—past, present, and future. Already, we are given two different reasons to believe the gospel is good news.

First, what Jesus accomplished is so incredible that both James and Jude refer to themselves as His servants. And second, the effects of the gospel on our lives reach into our past, are active in the present, and extend into the future. When we come to faith in Jesus, He redeems our past, gives us power for the present, and changes our future for the better.

If we keep reading, Jude goes on to tell us:

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. 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. Jude 1:3-4 NIV

He originally set out to write about the saving power of Jesus, but because of what’s going on, he had to change course. He chose instead to write to these early believers to fight for the faith that has been entrusted to us. This was in response to individuals who had slithered into the church and were trying to twist and distort the message of Jesus for their own benefit. And to make matters worse, they were manipulating other believers to turn away from Jesus and follow after their false gospel.

Jude has very strong words about these false teachers:

Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain … These people are blemishes … qualm-shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. … These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. Jude 1:11-13, 16 NIV

Jude is not pulling any punches because what these people were doing was so wrong. They were leading people away from Jesus by “perverting the grace of God” and convincing people to deny Jesus as the only sovereign Lord. This means that those who are lost in their sins and under the curse of death have had their lifeline ripped from their hands.

As terrible as all of this is, Jude goes on to remind us that this is exactly what the apostles warned us about:

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 1:17-21 NIV

These people want to divide the kingdom of God and destroy the body of Christ. But we don’t have to let them win. Instead, we can stand firm in the love of God and the mercy of Jesus. More than that, we can rescue others who have been deceived.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 1:22-23 NIV

We have been called, we are loved, and we are kept in Jesus. Because of that, we can show mercy to those who have questions. We can save those who are lost. And we can live holy lives free from the stains of fleshly desires and sinful acts.

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 NIV

Jesus gives us the strength to push back the dark and bring others into the light. When others are spreading lies, we hold tightly to the goodness, the truth, and the beauty of the gospel.