Jude
A very short, often ignored, letter from the brother of Christ.
Jude -ASV
1. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
Should be a slave of Christ. A slave is sold to the Master. The Master is in control of all his welfare. A slave has no human rights; so christians do not answer the Lord back on their own selfish personal rights, for there is none.
A milder, less accurate term is bond-servant.
This James is not said to be one of the 12 apostles.
Both Jude and James are earthly brothers belonged to God and Christ. So, they are kept for Christ. Satan and evil forces cannot touch them. They are saved by God and safe in the hands/power of God. A very save and peaceful position indeed.
2. Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.
The first thing he mentioned is "Mercy" not "love".
Very often it is too early to celebrate love.
Very often, christians are too late to enjoy the mercy of God, and give praise and glory to His Name.
By His Mercy, we are what we are. We owe Him our well-being. We are in debt to Him.
3. Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
All christians, and readers are addressed as beloved. There is continuous love. The mercy of God made this possible.
"Our common salvation", signifying that all christians are saved. This is one of their common denominator. It is not a matter of getting saved, or hoping to be saved. It is a certainty.
Christians are exhorted to contend earnestly for the faith that is once delivered to all the saints/christians.
Christians are addressed as saints. All are holy. All are saints.
The Roman Catholic pattern of canonisation is alien to scriptures. It is alien to Jude the brother of Christ. It is alien to first generation christians and leaders of the faith.
The Roman Catholic church also denies that Jude is a blood brother of Christ our Lord, while Jude spoke with status as such.
Even the close relatives of Christ cannot intercede for us christians. Yet the Roman Catholics pretending to be the best christians, calling themselves Catholics, believe in the intercession of the Madonna/Virgin Mary.
The scriptures speak of no Virgin Mary after the ministry, crucifixion and ascension of Christ.
Our faith is worth contending for. Christians do not keep silence indefinitely. The faith is to be preached and taught to all mankind, ethnic groups, classes, ghettos.
We did received the faith. It is not supposed to be alien to us. We ought to be fully equipped in the truth fo the Word/Christ.
4. For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this comdemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
These certain men do not belong to the assemblies. They crept in. Secretive. Unlawful. Unfaithful. they are here for a different purpose.
We have ungodly men in the assemblies/churches.
The Word never promised a pure, like-minded congregation/church throughout history. Being in the church, having earthly membership is no representation of holiness, redemption and everlasting life with the Lord. It is all so possible to be a pseudo-christian sitting and working in the Church of God.
Those who are in the church denying anything of the Lord, our only Master, are not of God, with the true people/elect of Christ.
Roman Catholic Church who denies the Lord Jesus as the only Master, but insists in worshipping the Madonna/Virgin Mary and fellowshipping with deceased leaders/representatives are not Christian.
Liberals who deny the divinity and humanity of Christ are not Christians according to scriptures.
There is only one Lord for us to approach, face, target, worship, fellowship with, talk to, walk with, trust. He is the Way, the Truth and the Light; no body comes to the Father/God but through Him.
Mary simply cannot help. She is a slave/doulos of God. That what the Bible teaches/reveals.
5. Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Christians have the faith complete, once delivered.
They only need to be reminded of the truth. They do not have parts of the faith missing.
There are different levels, degrees of salvation.
There is the absolute redemption of Christ, and earthly salvation.
Being saved from passing an exam, from poisoning, from hunger, from thirst, from fire, from exposure, from mocking people, from poverty, from sickness . . . . is no guarantee from being accepted by the lord. All these are not the same as accepting His free gift of salvation. None of these substitute "The Way, The Truth and The Life".
There are different truth, but only one absolute - "The Truth".
6. And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
We are not just earthly in thoughts. We even talk and think of spiritual beings. Life is not mere physical. There is a different reality, domain.
Sin is sin regardless of position, time and place.
The Lord has absolute authority.
7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
"In like manner" to Sodom and Gomorrah. Similiar sin, crime/evil/wickedness. We are not unfamiliar with them. We do not just lose ourselves in good and Godly things.
We know evil is real. We are attentive to their moves and plots. Christians are not ignorant and stupid.
8. Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities.
Sin can go very deep. Sin can have far reaching effects.
People can sin even in dreams, expressing their desires.
9. But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Everything is an amazing creation of the Lord.
Everything is of purpose. there is no absolute chaos. God is in control and will bring judgment upon His creation. There is no escape.
Turn to the Lord while there is still time. In His mercy, time is provided for you to repent and turn to Him. Repent before it is too late.
10. But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed.
11. Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
Not always praising people. There is a time for judgment. There is time to be judemental.
Balaam, although a prophet, was not acting or thinking righteously. This means prophets can sin; willfully sin.
And if prophets can sin, pastors, doctors and preachers can sin in their respective position.
Some will not be blessed.
Gainsay leads to destruction. The word of the Lord leads to life.
12. These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Judgmental again! Who rightly said that christians should not be judgmental? Here is our example.
13. Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever.
Brutal! Shear brutal!
Wild waves, we are talking about. Not that we judge. We expose. We signal you. We warn you. Beware!
Strong and encompassing.
14. And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,
We have witness of ancient; Enoch the righteous. he did not taste death. The righteous has lived by faith.
The prophesy might be found in the currently available book of Enoch; and there is no reason to accept this book as fully inspirational and beneficial, as even Satanic and worldly books contain some truth and useful tips within. The proof of divine scripture is not a matter of finding one useful passage or verse there within.
This prophesy may also be found spoken by non-believers, such as Buddhists, magi, soothsayers, and pseudo-christians.
The Lord has been acting with His holy ones, His angels and prophets even back in the time of Moses, Abraham, Jacob. No big deal. No new discovery. Only truth.
15. to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Was not there mentioned 12 thrones in the book of Rvelations?
Evil and sinful deeds are committed. People will be convicted. They will not just admit to sin and mistakes. Many committed them as they feel and are convinced that they are right. They think selfishness is right. Greed is right. Self-centredness is right. Submitting to Satan is right. The truth is hardly felt by them.
There are the blind who do not see.
16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.
Christians do complain, but are walking in love; the love of God revealed to them, and taught to them.
The evil doers do walk according to their lusts, being selfish, self-centering, and puffed up.
17. But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
All christians who heed the word are beloved children of God. There is indeed a commonwealth.
The words were spoken beforehand by the apostles of Christ. Nothing really new. People are reminded, called to remember them.
18. That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
Things are not all smoothsailing for christians. Believers are mocked for heading into sufferings. Christians are mocked for not committing themselves to the strange things of the world. The alien things; croaked and twisted.
19. These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Separation from natural affections.
Separation from the Spirit Holy. Separated from the Father.
20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
But you all are different! Remember! Beloved!
Our faith/belief is most holy/set apart. No kidding. What else are so different to the world?
21. keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Be careful. Self-examine. Self-appraise. Repent from wrongdoings.
Come back to the Lord.
22. And on some have mercy, who are in doubt;
Mercy is not extended to every sinners indefinitely.
Judgement will come one day for justice.
It is sin/wrong to doubt. God have provided every good thing for His people.
23. and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
A drastic action. Christians are not pacifists in all sense. Christians do act positively for the Lord and in Love.
For those who are weak enough not able to leave the fire/sin and its consequences; the believers would even snatch them out by planning and by force.
24. Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy,
God is able. Remember this and let it be a comfort to you through thick and thin, in times of destress, and in times of joy.
God is with you. Remember His promises.
25. to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen.
Our Saviour is the only God. The Madonna is not. The Catholic church is not.
Fear not. Watch the salvation of God. He is able to deliver.
All glory and praises be to Him.
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