CONTEND FOR THE FAITH

JUDE 1-4

Jude 1–4 ESV

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

1- FROM EMBARRASSED BROTHER TO SERVANT.

Jude 1 ESV

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

JUDE DOES NOT TELL US DIRECTLY THAT HE IS THE HALF BROTHER OF JESUS BUT RATHER HE TELLS US HE IS THE BROTHER OF JAMES. BUT WE CAN SEE THROUGH OTHER SCRIPTURES.

Mark 6:3 (ESV)

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

BUT WE ALSO SEE THAT HIS FAMILY DIDNOT THINK THAT HE WAS THE CHRIST.

Mark 3:20–21 ESV

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

BOTH JAMES AND JUDE SHOW US THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU COME FROM A CHRISTIAN FAMILY DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE SAVED. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN SALVATION.

2- LOVED, KEPT, AND CALLED

Jude 1–2 ESV

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

JUDE SPEAKS TO THOSE WHO HE KNOWS ARE PART OF THE BODY.

John 17:12 ESV

12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

3- NEED OVER WANT

Jude 3–4 ESV

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Romans 9:22–23 ESV

22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—