Jude 1:1-16: a reflection

1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe. 6Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. 8Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings. 9But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” 10But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason. 11Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. 14About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage.

Jude writes with urgency, changing his intended subject to press one thing on his readers: I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. The reason is that certain people had crept in who were corrupting the faith, turning God's grace into license for immorality and denying Christ. In the face of such corruption, Jude calls his readers not to let the true faith be corrupted or abandoned, but to contend earnestly for it, the faith once for all delivered.

Notice Jude's call: to contend earnestly for the true faith, once for all delivered. The faith had been given, once for all, a deposit to be held and guarded; but it was under threat from those who would corrupt it, twisting grace into license and denying Christ. And Jude's response is not passive; he calls his readers to contend earnestly for the true faith, to hold it fast and guard it against corruption. The true faith is not to be let slip or allowed to be corrupted, but to be earnestly contended for, held and defended against those who would distort it.

That call is worth taking to heart, for the true faith can still be corrupted and needs to be held fast. There are still those who would corrupt the faith, twisting grace into license, denying or distorting the truth about Christ; and we are called, like Jude's readers, to contend earnestly for the true faith, not letting it be corrupted or slip away. Do not let the true faith, once for all delivered, be corrupted or abandoned; hold it fast, and contend earnestly for it against those who would distort it. Guard the faith you have received, holding to the truth about Christ and refusing to let grace be twisted into license, as Jude called his readers to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints; be earnest in holding and guarding the true faith, rather than letting it be corrupted or let slip, contending for the truth once delivered.

Lord, Jude writes with urgency, changing his intended subject to press one thing on his readers: I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. The reason is that certain people had crept in who were corrupting the faith, turning your grace into license for immorality and denying Christ. In the face of such corruption, Jude calls his readers not to let the true faith be corrupted or abandoned, but to contend earnestly for it. Show me Jude's call: to contend earnestly for the true faith, once for all delivered. The faith had been given, once for all, a deposit to be held and guarded; but it was under threat from those who would corrupt it. And Jude's response is not passive; he calls his readers to contend earnestly for it. The true faith is not to be let slip, but to be earnestly contended for. Take that call to my heart, for the true faith can still be corrupted and needs to be held fast. There are still those who would corrupt the faith, twisting grace into license, distorting the truth about Christ; and I am called, like Jude's readers, to contend earnestly for the true faith. Keep me from letting the true faith, once for all delivered, be corrupted or abandoned; help me hold it fast, and contend earnestly for it. Help me guard the faith I have received, Lord, holding to the truth about Christ and refusing to let grace be twisted into license.