Danger from Within

ude 1-2, Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.—————This Sunday marks the beginning of a four-week sermon series over the book of Jude. The writer’s purpose in his letter was twofold: he wanted to expose the false teachers that had infiltrated the Christian community, and he wanted to encourage Christians to stand firm in the faith and fight for the truth. Jude recognized that false teachers often sold their deceptive goods unnoticed by the faithful, so he worked to raise the awareness of the believers by describing in detail how terrible their teachings were. But more than simply raising awareness, Jude thought it important that believers stand against those working against Jesus Christ. Believers were to do this by remembering the teaching of the apostles, building each other up in the faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and keeping themselves in the love of God.—————Jude calls for his readers and us to fight for the truth! Stand up against error! The book is the very definition of short, succinct pithy proclamations. But in our day and age, this sort of teaching is called rude or unacceptable. In many circles the forcefulness of Jude will not be tolerated, the crowds preferring a softer and gentler side of the Christian faith. But Jude reminds us that there is a time and a place for the aggressive protection of the truth from those who would seek to tear it down.