The Grands Letter

Jude 1:1-4, “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.”

Only recently, I received a periodical from a school I attended. It included a pastor-list that indicated how much time each man took to prepare a sermon. It was as interesting as it was informative. I had to wonder how many times these pastors were interrupted in the course of their study.

In the case of Jude, the Scripture above simply notes that he changed his study and writing to emphasize the need to write of the common salvation they all had in Jesus Christ.

Jude’s note is a reminder to evangelists and evangelistic pastors that the churches they serve need to be fed the whole Gospel from time-to-time. It’s not that there are no lost people within their congregations; rather, it is that the regular attendees need occasionally to be built up in the faith.

Notice verse four above. Some in Jude’s thinking had just “crept in unnoticed.” There are people who need and want to hear the gospel, too. They’re not regular church members; they just need to hear about Jesus Christ.

It just may be that Jude knew some who had “crept in.” I’m sure you have people like that in your church. I’m confident there are those like that where I attend. We need to be prayerful and ready to witness to anyone as the LORD leads. Maybe that’s why they came! May God bless them; and may He bless you, as well!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

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