Jude

Contend for the faith by walking with God.

Setting

Ad 67-69

Written to stop the growth of Gnosticism and the abuse of grace in the local church

Gnostics maintained that the universe of space, time and matter was evil, created not by God but by an inferior being called the “demiurge”. They denied the incarnation and physical resurrection, and usually abstained from meat-eating and sensuality. Gnosticism as a pseudo-Christian movement probably began in the 1st century AD and became a serious rival to Catholic Christianity in the 2nd.

Gnosticism would take center stage in about 40 years after Jude.

Earnestly Contend for the Faith 3-4

Contend means to struggle for,

The Faith which delivered to the saints

Why, because certain men have crept in unnoticed

What do they do; turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ

Biblical Examples of Apostates 5-7

Lord saved the Israelites from captivity and destroyed those that did not believe.

Angels that followed Satan

Sodom and Gomorrah

Take away

God will always punish sin

These took for granted God’s and decided to live as if they are God.

Woe to the Apostates 8-11

Those that are

defiling the flesh

reject authority

speak evil of dignitaries

Those that have

Gone they way of Cain

Run greedily in the error of Balaam

Perished in the rebellion of Korah

Spots in your Love feast 12-19

Love Feasts, time of fellowship

Why: These are grumblers,

Complainers

Walking according to their own lusts

boasters

flatterers (manipulators)

Mockers

Sensual persons

Cause: Divisions, because they do not have the Spirit

Earnestly Contending 20-25

but you building yourselves up on your most holy faith

praying in the holy Spirit

Keep yourselves in the Love of God

Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life

Application: on some have compassion; making a distinction

on others save with fear

but never as being an offensive person, let the gospel be offensive, but not your actions.

Verse 24: Contending can only happen in the Power of God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, present you faultless, before God’s presence with great joy

Application

Falling into sin happens by deliberate choices.

Watch yourself first.

We do not need a special knowledge or education to know what an apostate looks like. We need to walk with God.

Contending for the faith does not need to be contentious, but rather a biblical pursuit of God.

Today, people call biblical standards as legalistic and then rebel, live like the world, and say that they have a higher level of Christianity.

What is your walk with God like?

Is your walk with God building up your most holy faith.

Are you putting off and putting on?

Walking with God is the only way to contend for the faith and to fulfill the great commission.