Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Jude 1 and Psalm 51

As the brother of James, Jude was also the brother of Jesus. Here, however, he writes that he is James’ brother and a bond-servant of Jesus. He wants his readers to know that flesh and blood relationship to the incarnate Jesus is not what set him (Jude) apart as a child of God. It was his personal decision to love and serve Jesus as Lord and Master!

In v.4, Jude addresses in the clearest possible terms the exceptionally dangerous teaching (which is so prevalent and influential in our own day too) – viz., that if we are under grace, we can behave however we like because the Lord has already received us. He writes: ⁴ For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a licence for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Such a view is nothing less than a “licence for immorality” and a denial or rejection of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who Himself taught us in Matthew 5:48 “⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” True followers of Jesus aim to please the Lord and to be like Him in all we do, not to twist His teaching to make space for all kinds of immorality and impurity.

Jude then shifts to exhorting his readers, by contrast:

²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

By contrast to those who exalt their self-love and their selfish, immoral desires as the centre of their lives, believers are exhorted to keep the Lord and His desires firmly at the centre of our lives. We do so by living in a love-relationship with the Father, prayerfully seeking the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and building ourselves up in the faith that leads us to holiness in Christ. And we have the joyful expectation of finally being with Jesus face-to-face, without any guilt or shame, because the LORD Himself “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” He will bring us safely to the end!

Life application: Love the Lord and live for Him today. Make each decision prayerfully, desiring to please the Lord in all you do, and trust in the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit to enable you to decide correctly and to follow through in joyful obedience.