October Remaining Authentic (Jude 3–4)

In our last lesson, we discovered the author of Judeis the brother of James and half-brother of our Lord.

Since this letter is written to a general audience of all believers, Jude doesn’t mention any specific readers.

However, he does state the purpose of his letter in these verses.

In this passage, we find fourrequirements for remaining authentic.

1. Realize the blessings of salvation (3a–b)

Jude begins this section by explaining the reason for writing this epistle.

His first word is Beloved(3a), which means he is writing out of a deep love for other believers.

He has no selfish reason for writing this letter, just a love for God’s people.

Next, he writes: although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation (3b).

Our common salvation is the salvationthat belongs to every one of us as believers.

Jude originally intended to write a very positive epistle about the blessings of the salvation we share.

What are some of the blessings of our common salvation?

Common grace is the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation.

Of all the blessings of Christian salvation none is greater than this, that we have access to God in prayer.

You will never know the blessings of salvation until you have cast yourself, just as you are, in utter helplessness up the sole mercy of God.

Wherever you are, wherever you go, if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is in you and if you really want to enjoy the blessings of salvation, you do so by knowing that your body is His temple.

The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men.

It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter.

It is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much, nothing wanting.

We are so anxious for blessings, that we forget the one who gives them.

There are many—answered prayer, peace that passes all understanding, and having a divine purpose for our lives, to mention a few.

However, the greatest blessing of our salvation is what Paul quotes from Psalm 32:1–2 in Romans 4:7:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2

Romans 4:7 (KJV 1900)

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven.”

Then, how does Paul express this same truth with different words in the next verse?

As someone has said, “It would be worth it to be a Christian, even if there were no heaven, just to have our sins forgiven so we wouldn’t have to live with our guilt.”

How does Psalm 38:4b describe how we would feel if there were no forgiveness and cleansing from sin?

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. Psalm 38:4

Because we are Christians, we have the wonderful blessing of freedom from the guilt of all confessed and forsaken sin (Job 33:9).

You say, ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me. Job 33:9