RING THE BELL
Jude 1-4
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for
Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our
common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 1
The theme of this short series through this short book in the New Testament is summed up in one word. A word that appears in verse 3 of the book. A word that encapsulates the purpose of the letter. A word that becomes the thesis and therefore leads us into an exercise of unpacking meaning so that we fully understand that which we are facing.
The word is “contend.”
And as you read that word, a sense that there is a fight ahead or current, that must not be ignored is made clear. When I hear the word contend I think of the line from Marlon Brando as a boxer in the classic film “On the Waterfront” where he laments “I coulda been a contender.”
So with that boxing theme in my head, this is Round One of this series and today we’re ringing the bell to start.
FROM WHO?
The New Testament includes several letters, or epistles, from various writers. This short, one chapter letter bearing the name of Jude is included by God’s design in the Scriptures. Therefore it is revealed as the Holy Spirit written and inspired Word from God that is given to his church for the purpose of teaching, reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness.
But, who is Jude?
As was the norm for letters written in the ancient world, the first word in the letter was most often the name of the letter writer – an opposite reality from most western correspondence in recent centuries. Thus, Jude identifies himself first.
Jude declares first that he is a servant/slave of Jesus Christ.
This is a great statement, but it doesn’t help us truly identify this guy Jude.
There are five Judes in the New Testamant. Jude is a shortened version of the name Judas or Judah, so you can see how identifying who this is may be a bit confusing.
He then states that he is the brother of James (or Jacob in the Hebrew.)
It is commonly held by many that Jude is the brother of James/Jacob the Just. James the Just was the head of the Jerusalem church and a devout follower of Jesus Christ. James the Just was not only the leader of the Jerusalem church, but was the half-brother of Jesus Christ. Of course, this means that Jude was as well.
They are mentioned in the gospel of Matthew prior to their surrender to Jesus Christ as not just their half-brother, but as the Son of God.
Matthew 13:55
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?2
TO WHOM?
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
Still in verse one and in what some may see as simply the mundane salutation prior to the meat of the letter, we get this statement. It is the clarifying statement that tells the letter deliverer whom to deliver the ancient writing. But, it’s more than just words. It is declarative of God’s nature, his plan, his identity.
To those who are called – it bears reminding us that despite how we may have shared our own personal salvation stories, and how our own testimonies may be orchestrated, even how you may have been taught to tell others, it was not you or me who sought God. It was God who called. God is the initiator. He is the first pursuer. He is the one by virtue of who he is – love – agape (unselfish, unconditional, permanent) love called his children to himself.
Called. Beloved. Kept.
These three words are vital and should not be glossed over. Why are they so important? Because the very nature of God is revealed here. It was understood by Jude. The Spirit of God revealed this to him.
It echoes back to the prophet Isaiah who stated in chapter 42 of his prophetic work...
Isaiah 42:1a, 6
Behold my servant, whom I uphold (love,) 3 ...
“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you;4
Why is this so important? Because so often the doctrine of God is muddied as people seek to understand his triune nature as Father, Son, and Spirit.
It is a dangerous and even sinful thing to deconstruct the biblical revelation of God’s nature to make him more palatable in our understandings when the mystery of his nature is too difficult to comprehend. To deconstruct the trinitarian reality of God is to declare that he is like an egg – shell, white, and yolk, or like a person who may be a mother, daughter, and sister, or like an engine, but made up of different parts. The heresy of each of these statements ruminates within the teachings of churches and believers who do not even recognize they have stepped into the murky depths of heresy and lies. Thus, it must be addressed, even if only in a salutation. Why? Because the faith is under attack (and I don’t mean by Disney or CNN or a political party or any other current newsworthy item...though they and many others may be used as aspects of the true enemy) and it always has been...even in the first century, pre-internet, pre-denominationalism, pre-modernity and post-modernity.
So, don’t run too quickly over this verse to get to the rest.
Christians we are loved by the Father, kept for the Son, and called by the
Spirit.
Jude is clear – to be God’s people is to be the called people, to be the beloved people, and his kept people.
3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 42:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 42:6). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:55). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 34
DING. DING.
At the end of Rocky III, with no one around, Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa enter a ring in a gym and a one-on-one fight that would remain just between them begins. Apollo hits the imaginary bell and says “Ding. Ding.” and then...oh it’s so good... “Eye of the Tiger” starts playing and the image freezes and the credits roll.
This bell has rung for the church and this is so different. It’s not a fictional story. It’s not a fun workout. It’s not personal one-upmanship going on. This is the battle, the spiritual battle that rages (and often is not recognized as churches busy themselves with the everyday stuff of ministry – like ensuring the Hellenist and the Hebrew widows are not being slighted during mealtime) and Jude is telling the churches...all churches, not just one specific one, that to ignore the reality of the battle at hand is not only immature and ignorant, but deadly.
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.5
The word contend in the Greek, I am told, sounds like our word “agonizing” when spoken aloud. Perhaps that is proper. For the word brings with it the idea of athletes training and battling in an effort to win, find themselves pushing to the physical limit, struggling, competing, and even fighting with all they have. We get this, especially in our sports- worshipping society.
Yet, this word is connected to something internal, intrinsic, and worthy. The word means “effort expended in a noble cause.” And this is a noble cause.
Jude quickly gets to the point and while the salutation may present itself as an intro to a letter that leads to quiet contemplation and deep prayer, it soon shifts to a call to action.
This is the RED ALERT!
For what?
for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Why contend? Why be ready to battle? For the faith! The Christian faith is noble. It is worthy. It is valuable. It is to not be watered down or compromised.
This noble faith is full and complete.
While many Christians may have just enough religious terminology in their personal lexicon to describe aspects of their faith – creation, the fall, separation, judgment, promise, coming of Christ, death, resurrection, ascension, grace, second coming, etc. I wonder how many of us speak of the fulness of the faith in the ways the apostles did? This would require the understanding of such faith’s demands. David Helm gives us these insights...
• Paul – “the obedience of the faith” (Rom 1:5)
• James–“faithapartfromworksisdead”(James2:26)
• Paul–toTitus“laboredforthesakeofthefaith”(Titus1:1)
• Peter–“testedgenuinenessofyourfaith”(1Peter1:7)
• John–“Ihavenogreaterjoythantohearthatmychildrenare
walking in the truth. Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do” (3 John 4-5)
There are more.
Faith is not only full, but complete. “Once for all” Jude states.
We are not free to change it. Add to it. Remove from it. Adjust it. Modernize it.
Faith is not evolving. It is complete. It is full. It is worthy for us to contend for it.
WHY NOW?
In closing today, we’ll briefly look at the reasons why Jude must write this.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
“Certain people” just drips from Jude’s lips with disdain. You can almost hear it.
Later they are referenced as “these people” and the disdain remains. Jude has nothing good to say about “them” and Jude is right.
Why? Because these certain people were challenging the faith of Christianity in two ways – 1) perverting God’s grace into sensuality and 2) denying Jesus Christ as the only Master and Lord.
Centuries later and even today, such people as “they” remain. They in the early church crept into the church, sat at the Lord’s table, and brought much more than disunity to the body. They brought heresy.
Centuries later Martin Luther gave this teaching of taking advantage of God’s grace the term “antinomianism.” Jude declared that being saved by grace does not permit anyone to play loose and free with the moral imperatives of Scripture. We are saved to sanctification (holiness) and from sensuality. Permissiveness is not a holy attribute. Neither is
legalism, but that is not what Jude is fighting for. He is fighting and calling the church to fight for, contend for the full and complete faith, once for all given to the saints, with no option for upgrades or version 2.0 of faith. This is the truth. This is the way. This leads to life.
NOW WHAT?
It is a calling to deeper worship, doctrinal soundness, a call to leave vicarious theology alone – meaning you cannot rely on someone doing your reading, studying, and praying. Saints of God...to contend for the faith once for all given to the saints, you must be thankful for God’s saving grace and love him enough to refuse to remain stagnant. Jude’s letter was a wakeup call to the church. It still is. May we contend well for this noble cause.
Contending for the faith does not allow for believers to remain spiritual preschoolers when God has loved us, called us, and kept us for so much more.
Footnotes
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jud 1–4). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 12
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:55). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 34
3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 42:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 42:6). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jud 3). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 56
