Jude 1:1-13

Jude opens his epistle by identifying both himself and the audience to which he is writing. Jude directs his words to them who are sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Christ, and are called to be used by Him. While Jude lists three descriptions, he is addressing a single group. That group is all who are of the common salvation. The common salvation consists of all who have received or ever shall receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Every born again believer is sanctified by God, preserved in Christ, and called to be a vessel for His service.

In verse 2, Jude asks that God bestow three things upon the recipients of this epistle. He asks God to extend His mercy upon them. He asks that God’s peace be upon them. And, he asks that God’s love be multiplied in them.

Jude states the reason for his epistle in verse 3. It was needful for him to exhort believers to contend, contend earnestly, for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. The Holy Spirit moved Jude to exhort believers because exhortation was much in need. Those of the common salvation had unknowingly allowed certain men to creep in. These ungodly men had a mission. Their mission was to do three things — replace the grace of God with lasciviousness, deny God the Father, and deny our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 4). These men and their evil were ordained of old.

Why? We question God. We ask why God should allow such to happen. God’s way is not hidden. Moses stood before Pharaoh and delivered words from God: “. . . for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth” (Ex. 9:16). God ordained Pharaoh to stand against Him such that His power and name be declared throughout the world. The power of God is seen when men contend with God.

As God ordained Pharaoh to stand against Him, He ordained these ungodly men to oppose the faith delivered to the saints. These ungodly men were ordained of old for His purposes. God would have all of the common salvation contend for the faith such that all men might hear and believe the good news — Jesus Christ paid the price of our failures and was ordained from before the foundation of the earth was laid down (I Pet. 1:20). The faith that was once delivered to the saints is contentious in that salvation is rooted solely in God.

Having described the mission of the ungodly and stating the need to contend for the faith, Jude urges believers to remember and consider the judgments which the Lord rendered in three very different instances.

Jude was moved by the Holy Spirit to remind believers of the manner in which God responded to the sins of the children of Israel, the disobedience of angels, and the offenses of Sodom and Gomorrah. The power of God was manifested in differing ways.

God caused the children of Israel to come out of Egypt with great gain but they refused to believe that He had given the land of Canaan to them. Their unbelief was cause for Him to sentence all of twenty years and older to perish in the wilderness (Num. 14:29). Unbelief was cause for the ten spies who returned an evil report to die by plague (Num. 14:37). Unbelief resulted in natural death in the wilderness.

In verse 6, Jude reminds believers that God has judged the angels which left their first estate. Their rebellion was cause for God to place them in everlasting chains until they would dwell in the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:10). Rebellion against God was cause to be bound in everlasting chains.

Jude then points to God’s judgment of sexual immorality and depravity (v. 7). God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, sparing none. Blatant immorality was cause for God to bring sudden and total destruction.

Jude announced the purpose for bringing these judgments into remembrance in verse 8. The sins of the false teachers who had crept in were like those of the children of Israel, the angels, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. God did not require men to execute His judgment against unbelief, rebellion, and immorality in past times. God executed His judgments in His time and in His way.

The Holy Spirit moved Jude to cite the manner in which the archangel Michael contended with the devil (v. 9). Michael, while empowered by God, did not speak out against Satan. Michael left the matter totally in God’s hands. He said, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Jude, through these examples, is instructing us to let the Lord deal with the matter of false teachers in His way. We are to contend for the faith. We are to do as He has said and to trust God to judge false teachers.

In verses 10-13, Jude reveals that which God sees when He looks upon false teachers. The Lord sees them who speak evil of that which they have no understanding. God sees wild beasts who destroy themselves. God sees hatred, greed, and rebellion. God sees them as empty clouds and raging waves that expend themselves in foams of shame. And, lastly, God sees false teachers as those reserved to endure the blackness of eternal darkness.

Jude was moved to assure us that God’s judgment is certain. We are to contend for the faith. The manner in which we are to contend will be addressed when we look upon the remainder of this epistle.