Jude 1:3-4
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude wrote in earnest about salvation which is shared by all in Christ, but then found it crucial to also mention those false teachers within and without. His readers were to listen as we are to be aware of the one faith of the gospel and to be wary of those not living accordingly. They and we are to fight, to earnestly struggle for, this truth against those who live in unrighteousness, teaching and living contrary to the whole counsel of scripture. Many crawl in quietly as serpents in the grass, wrapping around the feet of the unwary to slowly squeeze the life from them by turning God’s word out of the way in order to defend living sinfully. These were set forth beforehand for condemnation, and their slithering tactics and lies catch many off guard with, “has God indeed said?” We need to know God’s word, sound doctrine, and follow Christ by His Spirit who lives in us to confirm the truth of our faith. The ungodly chosen for destruction live in defiance of His word by hatred, homosexuality, sexual lust, selflessness and covetousness, and many other lewd excuses against our holy God and Lord Jesus Christ. They live and teach against clear commands, principles, and examples throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, rationalizing away true faith as they deny Him. We listen to Jude’s warning and fight for the faith (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7) as given in scripture by God, not moving from His truth nor living contrary to how we are called. This means stopping false teaching to protect the flock.
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