Jude

Verses one and two: Jude (Judas) identifies himself as the servant (slave) of Jesus Christ. He then identifies those in the church who are sanctified. These are those through whom the Lord manifests His righteousness, Jesus being His prime example. The word “Christian” means “little Christ”–one who patterns his life after the man Jesus of Nazareth. God commands all who claim to be the Messiah’s  brethren (His church)–to “walk as He walked” and to “purify himself as He is pure” (1 Jn. 2:6; 3:3). This is done through “the washing of the water by the Word” (Eph. 5:26). Consuming the Holy Scriptures while believing and obeying them keeps the consumer clean from sin and religious falsity–church doctrine. Those who do this–God’s sanctified ones–are viewed as “peculiar” (Titus 2:14/ 1 Pet. 2:9) by both the churched and the unchurched world. Both the church and the unchurched view God’s people as different and strange. And for this they are rejected. Because of this rejection God’s people rejoice, knowing that whom the world rejects He counts as His own. See Persecution.

Concerning the saint’s sanctification and preservation, both are voluntary. To be sanctified means that one chooses to separate himself from two entities: 1) the Institutional Church (Catholicism/Protestantism) whose god is Satan, and 2) the world whose god is self (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Both reject the Biblical God and His Son, choosing instead to worship and serve gods of their own concoction. Note that one can be preserved only if one is IN Christ. One can be “in Christ” only by knowing, believing and obeying His Word–God’s Truth (Jn. 17:17). It is only those in Christ that will join Him in the air at the time of the first resurrection (1 Thes. 4:16,17). Saints are preserved (kept) in Christ only by living according to His Word (Jn. 12:44-50). Note in verse 48 that the Words the Father gave to the Son, Who in turn gave them to His prophets and apostles will judge every man. The Words (another name for Jesus–Jn. 1:1-4,14/ Rev. 19:13) of the prophets and apostles form the foundation upon which God’s true church is built.

Recall in verse 1 that Jude was writing to the few (Mat. 7:13,14) in the church who are truly sanctified by God and preserved in Christ. Note in verse 2 that Jude prays for mercy and peace on “YOU”–the sanctified and preserved ones who were (and are today) “called” out of the world and the false church to walk the walk of Christ–in a state of purity. Would that all who are called by God’s name would strive to obey His command to do so (1 Jn. 2:6). L.J.