“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3).

I usually write out these devotionals weeks ahead of time. My mind will be full of ideas, and I am eager to get them down on paper. But sometimes an issue arises, and I feel compelled to write about something else more urgent. It appears as though this is what happened with this book. Jude was eager to write about the salvation shared with his believing friends, but then felt the need to write instead about contending for the faith.

What happened? It seems that “…certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago (had) secretly slipped in among you. They (were) ungodly people, who pervert(ed) the grace of our God into a license for immorality and den(ied) Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4).

This is serious, and Jude feels the need to address it right away. Contending for the faith is no small thing. The definition of contend is “to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties.” Jude is not going to take a chance of letting these false truths corrupt his church.

Who is this fellow named Jude, anyway? Jude is the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James, who authored the beautiful book of James which is also in the New Testament. As half-brothers of Jesus, they were sons of Mary and Joseph and grew up in the same household as Jesus. We do not know much about Jesus’ siblings except that John the Apostle says of that time “…even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:5).

How sad for all of them—what a missed opportunity. I have heard many a Christian lament not being alive when Jesus walked the earth, and here his own brothers were living in the same house and did not see Jesus for who he truly was.

That changed for both after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. James became a pillar of the church in Jerusalem, and when he authored his book, he introduced himself as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

We are not sure what Jude he did during the time after Jesus’ ascension and before authoring his book in about A.D. 67, but we know from his letter than he had become a strong believer, passionate about the truth. He was living in a time of persecution of Christians (this was near the time that Peter was martyred by Nero). There were all kinds of false teachers telling people what they wanted to hear (does that sound familiar?).

In this case, the false teachers were telling people that they would not be punished for their sins. That was certainly a great selling point for their cause. Jude had to tell them the truth, that we will be accountable for our sins. If we are saved, we will go to heaven, but there will be a reckoning. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jude offered example after example of how God executed justice.

Jude’s message was not a popular one, but he was telling the truth. He was speaking with the authority of the Scriptures by using examples from the Bible. Who is it who shows more love for Jesus and for others? The one who tells people what they want to hear or the one who tells people the truth?

Jude closed out his short letter with a beautiful message and helpful instructions for us (verses 17-23):

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

And he closed with this doxology to Jesus, his brother in the flesh, our Father in heaven, our King of Kings and LORD of Lords:

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude)

In Christ,

Judy