The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

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 to 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.”

Were you ever in the midst of writing a letter when you remembered something you had intended to say—something more important than anything you were immediately saying? That’s exactly where Jude was in writing this personal epistle to Christians who were scattered abroad throughout the Middle East.

The greater importance of this letter, however, centers upon an evil that had “snaked” its way into the church and was destined to destroy it. Jude’s concern lay partially in the fact that his brother, James, was either currently, or had previously been, a member of this church.

The Epistle of Jude, therefore, is perhaps the most solemn in all of the Bible. He likens the church’s problems to those early, ambitious angels, to self-righteous Cain, to the depraved Sodomites, to rebellious Israel, to greedy Balaam, presumptuous Korah, and the apostasy of his day, perhaps even ours!

Two key words in Jude’s letter are “keep” and “kept,” as his basic concern was the church at large; for it contained serious believers who were themselves in danger of having their faith hijacked. Many believers today face similar hijackings! What can you do? Study the Scriptures! Spend time in prayer! Listen attentively to your pastor’s teaching! Trust the Holy Spirit to keep you in the faith “that was once-for-all handed down to the saints” (Jude 1:3). The LORD and His Word will always sustain you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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