Why do we need to fight for our faith? Who are we fighting with?
The Bible book of Jude provides insight in areas where a Christian may find such beneficial verse-by-verse breakdown of Jude’s letter, this affords us an opportunity to grasp the depth of its meaning.
Jude 1:1-4… Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James, to the called ones (G2822) who are loved in relationship with God [the] Father and preserved for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be increased to YOU. Beloved ones, though I was making every effort to write YOU about the salvation we hold in common, I found it necessary to write YOU to exhort YOU to put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones. My reason is that certain men have slipped in who have long ago been appointed by the Scriptures to this judgment, ungodly men, turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ.
In Jude’s greeting he identifies who he is and who he is related to. Next he identifies who he intends for the letter to be read by. He addresses the called ones who are in a relationship with God the father but preserved for the day of Christ. The called ones are the ones invited and given the token or guarantee of their coming inheritance. Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Jude admits that he would like to write about the salvation that we hold in common but because of the ungodly men he needs to write us about keeping our faith alive by fighting for it.
Jude 1:5-8… I desire to remind YOU, despite YOUR knowing all things once for all time, that Jehovah, although he saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed those not showing faith. And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day. So too Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them, after they in the same manner as the foregoing ones had committed fornication excessively and gone out after flesh for unnatural use, are placed before [us] as a [warning] example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire. In like manner, notwithstanding, these men, too, indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh, and disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones.
Jude gives us examples of those who did not hold to their faith in God and the outcome to them who would disregard God’s word. Jude reminds us of God’s judgments to all who are disobedient.
Jude 1:9… But when Michael the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms but said: “May Jehovah rebuke you.”
Now Jude mentions a story to drive home the point about not speaking abusively among ourselves. But in doing so he reveals something that we don’t find written in the Bible anywhere else and that is the struggle to bury Moses his body. This example has to do with overlapping authorities and having the sense to call for a judgment from above when we find ourselves butting heads with others.
Jude 1:10-13… Yet these [men] are speaking abusively of all the things they really do not know; but all the things that they do understand naturally like the unreasoning animals, in these things they go on corrupting themselves. Too bad for them, because they have gone in the path of Cain, and have rushed into the erroneous course of Balaam for reward and have perished in the rebellious talk of Korah! These are the rocks hidden below water in YOUR love feasts while they feast with YOU, shepherds that feed themselves without fear; waterless clouds carried this way and that by winds; trees in late autumn, [but] fruitless, having died twice, having been uprooted; wild waves of the sea that foam up their own causes for shame; stars with no set course, for which the blackness of darkness stands reserved forever.
Now Jude tells us about three Bible characters who have corrupted themselves with the actions from their heart revealing the secret desires. Cain killed his brother out of jealousy. Balaam’s greediness got revealed as he told how to get God’s people in trouble. Now Korah was prideful and led him into direct conflict with God. So too have the shepherds in the congregations they have allowed themselves to become prideful, greedy, and jealous over the called ones, and this is leading them into direct conflict with The Lord.
Jude 1:10-19… Yes, the seventh one [in line] from Adam, Enoch, prophesied also regarding them, when he said: “Look! Jehovah came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds that they did in an ungodly way and concerning all the shocking things that ungodly sinners spoke against him.” (Enoch 1:3-9) These men are murmurers, complainers about their lot in life, proceeding according to their own desires, and their mouths speak swelling things, while they are admiring personalities for the sake of [their own] benefit. As for YOU, beloved ones, call to mind the sayings that have been previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how they used to say to YOU: “In the last time there will be ridiculers, proceeding according to their own desires for ungodly things.” These are the ones that make separations, animalistic [men], not having spirituality.
Now Jude mentions the book of Enoch and more specifically the first prophecy found in it. Enoch is talking about the chosen and called ones of God and the judgment against the sinners that follows.
Jude mixes no words when he calls out the shepherds who have no spirituality, he refers to them as animals because they act out their fleshly thinking. We are in a fight for our faith and in our belief of what God has promised us. The wicked and the ungodly resist us openly, even contradicting what is written in God’s word, as they are twisting the Scriptures to prove their dogma, trapping those with fear from action.
Jude 1:20-25… But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves on YOUR most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love, while YOU are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view. Also, continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save [them] by snatching [them] out of the fire. But continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, while YOU hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh. Now to the one who is able to guard YOU from stumbling and to set YOU unblemished in the sight of his glory with great joy, to [the] only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and authority for all past eternity and now and into all eternity. Amen.
Faith is something that you have to act on, faith is the motivating force for Christian action. Even God requires to see you act on your faith because it brings about your salvation. James 2:17-26
James also speaks about faith and how we have to endure the suffering at the hands of the ungodly. James 1:2-4 We should not focus on the suffering but on the reward at the sight of our Lord as he comes in God’s glory, yes blessed is he that comes in the name of our God. Come Lord Jesus!
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