Jude is the half-brother of James, the son of Mary and Joseph. Jude and James were half-brothers of Jesus and he becomes a believer after Jesus goes to heaven. He knew Jesus as his half-brother and the man they called the Christ. Can you image how Mary must have prayed for him since he didn’t become a believer until after Jesus’ resurrection?
Jude’s concerned for the believers and he warns them to be on guard. Beloved, we need to be aware that there are evil spirits that are seeking to destroy our testimony, as we read in, 1 Peter 5: 7-9, “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary thedevil prowls around like a roaring lion,seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”
Jude encourages us to stand firm in our faith. An example of such a friendship is in Mark 2, there were four friends who took the paralyzed man to Jesus and lowered him to Jesus, Jesus saw the faith on the friends faith and the paralyzed man’s healing.
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2: 3-5
Jude warned against complacency in verse 3, he feels compelled to write and urge us to contend for all the faith that once for all entrusted to God’s Holy people. The instructions are in the following verses,
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. Jude 20-23
Beloved, how do we build ourselves up in faith? We have to walk in faith and read God’s word. We have to pray filled with the Holy Spirit. We have to embrace God”s love if we’re in God’s waiting room. Grace, mercy, and love are attributes of God’s shown to us freely as we embrace who we are in Christ. If we have known sin we need to pray and confess 1 John 1:9.
Do you have a grown child in your home that strayed from the Christian environment that has still not accepted the Lord or has strayed? Keep praying don’t lose faith. Jude came to know the Lord later in his adult life.
Life Lesson: We need to share about salvation and faith. Heaven and hell are real. What is your eternal destination?
Song: Holy Spirit
Father God, thank you for your word and for opening my eyes to your truth and that your word never lets us down. Help us to walk daily in faith, to pray, to seek you and to follow our marching orders. Fill us with joy, with compassion for our fellow Christian friend. Help us to share your love.Help up to share the good news of your son. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
