Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

Scripture: Jude 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some who are wavering; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies. Observation: Jude now shifts the attention from the false teachers to the readers of his letter. These are the beloved in Christ. They are to continually grow in their spiritual lives and this is done in three ways:   Pray in the Holy Spirit — Bede tells us, “We pray in the Holy Spirit when we are moved by divine inspiration to ask for heavenly help, so that we may receive the good things which we cannot obtain on our own” (On Jude). The Holy Spirit here is connected to our holy faith that is built up in prayer.   Keep yourselves in the love of God. This is participation i...

Women in Papua New Guinea, gathered in prayer.  Scripture: Jude 17   But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” 19 It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions.   Observation: Believers are encouraged to listen to the voices of the Apostles. The words from the apostles are the true and have been a warning, for they were greatly concerned with those who would infiltrate the Christian community. These individuals would scoff at the words of the Apostles, saying that they were expecting too much of the people. They offered a different kind of Christianity, one in which you could indulge in all kinds of sensual sexual behavior, with permission.   There are people of the world, and there are people of the Spirit. Spirit-filled believers have been reoriented toward the kingdom of God, wh...

Scripture: Jude 14   It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage. Observation: Obviously Jude was gravely concerned with false teachers because he goes at them one more time in these verses. Reaching back into the Apocryphal writings of Enoch, which would have been known in his era, he quotes a passage that refers to judgement. The false teachers are people who love to find things to complain about and thereby cause trouble. This behavior is exceedingly self-centered, the only desire, to feed their ego. Therefore they s...

One year ago -- I got to take my dad out to eat.  He was a good leader and a great example. What you saw on  the outside, is who he was. He was humble, genuine, and generous  with others.  Scripture: Jude 8   Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct. 11 Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain, and abandon themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of gain, and perish in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are blemishes on your love-feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autu...

Scripture: Jude 5   Now I desire to remind you, though you are fully informed, that the Lord, who once for all saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great Day. 7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Observation: Jude wants to be up-front and honest with his readers, because they need to be fully informed about this relationship with God. He reaches into history to make his point with three examples. While God saved the Israelites and brought them out of the land of Egypt, there were still those who refused to believe and they faced punishment. The angels in Genesis 6 refused to keep their posit...

Scripture: Jude 3   Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Observation: Jude is writing to those whom he loves who have found salvation in Jesus Christ. Just like other New Testament writers, he is concerned about the faith of these believers and writes for them to contend for the faith. This is action that he believes is necessary, to fight off those who will try to erode their faith. The saints refers to all those who are followers of Christ, not just the leadership of the church. This message is for everyone. Jude’s goal in this writing is to secure the spiritual safety of those who will read his m...

Scripture: Jude 1   Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,    To those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ: Jude 2   May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance. Observation: This very short letter in the New Testament doesn’t get much attention, and yet, it has a message for believers of all time. Jude refers to himself as a brother of James, which would also make him a brother to Jesus. Whether a half-brother or a step-brother, we don’t know, but it appears that both he and his brother James have come to faith after the resurrection. James went on to become the leader of the church in Jerusalem while Jude had an itinerant ministry, traveling and preaching the good news about Jesus. Because of his humility he would not have advertised that he was the brother of Jesus, however, history does tell us that he was. His grandchildren are remembered by the historian Eusebius as having been related...

Scripture: 2Pet. 3: 17 You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.   Observation: This final letter comes to a conclusion. Peter refers to his readers as “beloved,” for they are as dear to him as brothers and sisters in Christ. They are to wait patiently in their faith for the return of Christ. While they are waiting, they are to earnestly watch out for those who will try to steal their faith. The goal placed before them is one in which they remain stable, unable to be pulled one direction or the other.   The Christian life is never to be one of stagnation, but always one of growth. Continual growth in grace and knowledge is the necessary spiritual work of the believer. Grace refers to the saving act of Christ in the life of faith. This i...