Maintain Steadfast Faith
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Key Verse: “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Lesson Scriptures: |
IN THIS TEXT JUDE IS encouraging the Lord’s people towards stronger ties in the bond of God’s love, as well as a greater appreciation for our Lord Jesus’ mercy toward us. This can only be accomplished by walking closely after the Spirit. We should also have compassion towards the weaker ones in Christ who were being assailed by the Devil.
The Key Verse is in harmony with his purpose in writing this epistle. He began by saying, “When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) To ‘contend for the faith’ meant to persevere and struggle for what we know to be the Truth.
Jude wrote his epistle at a time in the Early Church’s history that was already threatened with heresies and division among the Lord’s people. He appealed to them to keep the faith and to fight for what they had been taught. “There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs. 4) This was a warning to beware of false teachers. Other New Testament writers also recognized the threat, and warned about it.
To earnestly contend for the faith centered on the fundamental fact that our Lord Jesus had indeed come in the flesh to suffer and to die for the sins of the whole human family. The work of the Gospel Age was to select from the world a class of people who would willingly suffer and die with our Lord, and who, if found faithful, would live and reign with him during the Kingdom. At that time they would share in the great uplifting work for all mankind.
Throughout his epistle, Jude condemns those who would defile the Word of God. The enemies of the Truth continued their attacks. Eventually the ‘faith which was once delivered unto the saints’ became so polluted that it was nearly lost sight of. Instead of being inspired by the hope that all mankind were to be blessed in a future kingdom under our Lord and his faithful followers, there was adopted the view that the kingdom had already been established. Civil governments enforced the man-made decrees which were claimed to be the new laws of that kingdom.
Jude recognized that among the Lord’s people were some who were being ensnared by Satan and were not willfully opposing the Truth. It was his intention to reach those Christians whose hearts were still loyal to the faith established under trustworthy teachers.
The epistle closes with a wonderful exhortation which says, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (vss. 24,25) Let each of us strive to maintain steadfast faith, that faith which was given to us as a promise from our Heavenly Father, and made possible by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.