Jude is one of those odd books that gets looked over a lot because it is small and a quick read, so it could be easily skimmed and forgotten. Tonight during my personal devotional time I read Jude and I thought it was very interesting. I'm going to post the entire book, but give my thoughts as I go through it...(As I was writing I decided to segment this into two blogs, so look forward to the second half of this devotional within the next week!)
Jude 1:1-4
1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
The sin and doom of Godless men
3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
My commentary on these verses:
I think this part is interesting, because what could be a book about the our salvation isn't. Because Jude felt led to write about our faith that was entrusted to us rather than what he wanted to. He then proceeds to talk about how ungodly people have slipped in among us. I personally feel this is a very relevant topic.
(I feel that I sometimes give the church too hard of a time, but please hear me out here.)
In this day and age our culture is very worldly, and I feel that sometimes people slip into churches and think they have it all together, but in the end they do not. They believe in Jesus, but as one verse in the Bible points out; so do demons, and they shudder. They have no hope.
According to the verses above, the ungodly people have used their "faith" Christ as a license to do whatever they wish, some even deny Christ, but they are still among us.
Jude 1:5-11
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. 11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.
My commentary on these verses:
Several interesting points made about beings who reject God. Then God compares those beings to the people among us. So here we can see God's judgment made completely clear. God judges those who use Christianity as a "Get out of Hell free" pass while denying Christ, the same as the sexual immorality of the men of Sodom and Gomorrah--one of the most recognized examples of God's hatred towards sinners in the Bible.
The second half of these verses, I admit, I'm more reluctant to comment on since I am not learned. But I think one interesting point to make about them is the fact that Michael did not say any slander against Satan, who is considered to be basically the manifestation of pure evil in many people's eyes. He just told him "The Lord rebuke you!"
Hope you enjoyed part one! Hoping part two is just as good, but we'll see.
Written by The Lighthouse Admin
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