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2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3 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. 4 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 2-4
Today, we return to our study of the book of Jude. With just twenty-five verses, the book of Jude is a must read for the believer in Christ. Christians are being tempted today more than ever to compromise God's word. We are being badgered by today's American culture to be more tolerant and water down the word of God. With all of this going on, the church today has a growing responsibility to defend the truth against all assaults, all the while, having compassion on those who know not the truth.
Our text today begins with v.2 which reads, "Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance."
When God grants mercy or when man shows mercy to his neighbor, peace results. Peace is the restoration of a broken relationship. Peace means an absence of tensions prevalent in periods of conflict. Peace, in turn, results in love. Mercy becomes peace, and peace results in love. All three of these are connected together and are also connected to one’s relationship with God. If we are called, loved, and kept by God, then mercy, peace and love will be a natural overflow in our lives.
The phrase "be yours in abundance" in v.2 is most interesting. Here, Jude is expressing a wish, a sincere desire for his readers. Since God is the one who multiplies mercy, peace, and love, and Jude had experienced these firsthand, it is his desire that others experience these in the same way. And, the more we choose to be defined by God's word and His culture, the more we will experience and extend His mercy, peace, and love to others.
The first two verses of this book are entirely about the Lord, who He is, and what He has done for the believer in Christ. But, it is so easy for us to lose sight of our foundation. Many Christians who want to defend the truth, do so having forgotten what God has done for them. And, when we lose sight of all that the Lord has done for us, we become rigid and hard while trying to defend the truth. This is why Jude begins this wonderful little book as he did, accentuating these characteristics of God and the true believer.
Many Christians do not operate out of their loved position in Christ and they therefore do a bad job at defending the truth. Many Christians lack a biblical understanding of God's love, mercy and grace. Therefore, we tend to forget the truth in the lives of those whom we have influence, all the while lacking compassion and patience. There is no defense of the truth while we are ungodly in our delivery of it.
Many believers have a works-based understanding of the salvation the Lord Jesus delivered. This leads us to falsely believe that we have control over the details of our lives, and we, in that context, lose sight of the One who sovereignly ordains everything that comes to pass. When we think that our good works have contributed to our salvation, we are fighting a battle in a war that’s already been won. By the grace of God our salvation is finished and the security of our souls are sure through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
We tend to treat others in the way we view ourselves. If we are secure in our salvation and we have a sovereign view of God, the things that happen in life do not tend to faze us. But, if we have a puny view of God, we will have a weak disposition toward life and others. This is why it is so important for us to understand the first two verses of this great little book.
In v.3 of today's text we read, "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."
Jude clearly understood that the truth was under assault, and he was endeavoring to call together the people of God to become an army to fight for the true faith. The believer is called to contend earnestly, or vigorously, for the faith. But, to contend for the truth without loving others is to miss the mark. We must be compassionate and patient in the delivery of the truth.
We will never fight God's battles from a sofa. We will never contend for what really matters, to the point of victory, by just laying around in our recliners all day. There must come a point in time when we decide to get involved and join the battle for the truth and the souls of men.
Now, an apostate is a defector from the truth. That is to say, an apostate is someone who has known the truth, been associated with the truth, and, maybe even proclaimed the truth. Apostates pretend to serve God, but they serve only their own sinful desires. They pretend to believe the Bible, but they pervert its teachings and use it for their own ends.
In v.4 of today's text we read, "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."
The mode of operation for apostates is they take advantage of the people and the truth of God. These are always ready to disrupt the work of God for their own selfish gain. It is really significant that Jude referenced himself in v.1 as the doulas or bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apostates cannot handle the true slavery of the regenerate.
Here in v.4 we read of "certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. These operate in a stealth fashion with ulterior motives. "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."
Apostates cannot handle true slavery to the Lord Jesus Christ. They live, as it were, outside the boundaries because false salvation can not restrain the flesh or the evil desires within. And so, whenever we see an apostate, we must examine his or her life. And, if we love them, we will confront them with the truth. Our goal therefore must be to contend for the truth in a compassionate way.
The apostate claims the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and then he turns grace into a license to live a life that is contrary for the believer. In effect, they deny the lordship of Jesus Christ over them. And they live, as it were, as if Jesus was not Lord. They live in what they assume to be grace as if they had no responsibility to obey the Lord at all.
In 1 Peter 3:15 we read, "be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with gentleness and respect."
Martin Luther once said , "A preacher must be both a soldier and a shepherd. He must nourish and teach and defend. He must have teeth in his mouth and be able to bite."
The believer in Christ must not yell at or slander anyone. We must not malign or send nasty tweets. All we have to do is hold up truth and compassionately offer the truth of God's word to anyone who will listen. And, if they will not listen, we must be earnest in praying for them daily. And, we must be earnest in reminding our hearers that it is the truth that sets us free free from the false.
