The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jude 1:1-5, “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation,
I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith
which was once for all handed down to the saints.
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand
marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God
into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord,
after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did
not believe.”

Have you ever started to speak or to write to someone about something you considered
important, only to have something more important come to mind? I’m sure you have. I
know I have! Read the first two verses above and note how, in verses 3-5, the author
changes his thoughts altogether. Jude’s original intention was to write about the salvation
he and his readers (presumably, including you and me!) held in common.

Then came the discovery of “certain persons,” –unsaved individuals– who stood staunchly against the teachings of Jesus and His true disciples. They sneaked in without notice, but
with the determination to turn the believers against the Lord Jesus Christ! (Whoever
heard of such a thing?) The non-believers’ purpose was to destroy the message of Christ Jesus, as well as those believers, who had surrendered themselves to Him.

I have no individual in mind, but would you be surprised if there were people who “worship”
in your midst, who do not subscribe to the teachings of the Christ? I’m not on a witch hunt–
nor am I seeking to make a “witch-hunter” out of you—but you are naïve if you think they
don’t exist in your very midst every Sunday.

Satan has his “plants” within our LORD’s Church. They seek to discourage those who are committed by faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. And why would such “non-believers” not exist
in our churches? Was not Judas Iscariot himself a traitor to the faith? Remember, too, that
while Judas existed within that early group, not one in the group “fingered” him as a traitor.

Caution!! Don’t start looking for unbelievers in your church! That would take your eyes off of
Jesus Christ and His teachings in the Scriptures. Stay true to the Word! Keep your thoughts on Christ and His Scriptures! In due course, the Holy Spirit will identify the unconverted. We
were all unconverted at one time! His purpose is our purpose: to win the lost to Jesus! So,
“don’t spook the horses!” Pray and let the Holy Spirit convict the lost. That’s the first step in
bringing them into the faith. God bless you abundantly!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom