Jude 1:1-11 - Be Forever Vigilant!

Jude 1:1-11

Greeting to the Called

1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith

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.

Old and New Apostates

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Hey Jude may have been a popular song about making sadness better, but the truth is that those who reject Christ cannot be made better after they die and face a certain judgment for their twisting of the gospel into outrageous and uncontrolled lusts while denying the Lord Jesus Christ who died that they might be saved from those sins.  Jude, the brother of James the apostle, wrote to the believers who were (and are) called by God our of sin’s reign over them (Romans 5:21, 6:18, 22-23), made holy or sanctified in the righteousness of Christ alone (an alien righteousness), and preserved in Jesus Christ until the end through judgment with a certain hope of salvation that cannot be lost or taken away.  The love, mercy, and peace of God is found in Christ and abounds in Him alone, but the opposite is held in store for those who reject Him and distort the good news into a license to sin.  Jude warned the true believers to be wary for those who rise up within the church to cause such mayhem and to be ready to defend the truth of the faith revealed in the gospel as settled already by the words given to the writers of the scriptures for us to base our faith firmly upon.  Anyone who adds to the gospel or changes it has already revealed their condemnation in rejecting the person and work of God’s Son.  These corrupters sneak into the church often unnoticed at first, and it takes a firm grasp of understanding on the doctrines of grace from the scriptures to be able to recognize and defend against them.  Jude recalls Old Testament examples of those who had disbelieved even after being brought out of the bondage of sin, just as the angels who fell from heaven after following the devil who rejected His sovereign authority over them.  These also will be spending eternity in torment in the lake of fire prepared for them (Matthew 25:41, 2 Peter 2:4, 9) as just reward for denying and defying the Lord God and His Son.  Men and women who likewise reject His Son will join these in that torment prepared for the devil and his deceiving angels urging people to defy His gospel until the end.  The fallen angels are said to be chained in darkness until the judgment.  We see the example of sinful Sodom and Gomorrah, and the others around them who gave themselves over to sexual immorality and “strange flesh” which reveals their condemnation for perverse sexual behavior such as homosexuality and even bestiality!  The Lord saved His people out of these sinful places and has reserved judgment for those practicing such abominations, no matter how hard the culture tries to dissuade us from holding to the truth.  Some rise up within the body who have crept in to similarly pervert the word of God and steer us from following in holiness and true righteousness of body and soul.  We are called to beware and vigilant and valiant for the truth in doctrine and practice as we see these defiling their bodies in immoral acts and rejecting the authorities of God and man put here by Him, in the church and in the world.  Such pursuers of sin defile themselves and try to pull others down with them as they corrupt their bodies and souls with destructive aims like Cain who murdered his brother over an acceptable sacrifice of worship to God and of Balaam’s greed and those of Korah who (Numbers 16:1-3, 31-32) defied the authority of the leader Moses put over them to lead them with God’s word and faced the consequences.  These dreamers pretend that God’s judgment will never happen and they continue in sin without repenting or turning to listen and accept Him.  May we be forever vigilant in the body to keep these from attacking (Acts 20:29-30) the sheep of the flock. 

3 John 1:1-13 - Pride and Praise

3 John 1:1-13

Greeting to Gaius

1 The Elder,

To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Gaius Commended for Generosity

5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

Farewell Greeting

13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

This short letter by the apostle and elder John, the apostle of love (John 21:7), this epistle deals with praise for the faithful and addresses the pride of the self-serving.  He praised Gaius for his prosperity in the truth, a lesson for those today who would twist this kind of prosperity into mere material possessions and wealth.  Because this faithful follower of Christ persevered in living in the truth, John prayed for that soul prosperity to echo into his health and meeting of needs as well, but not as the goal to pursue.  The testimony of others who saw Gaius in action brought the news to John and made his heart joyful of the truth in him and walked out by him.  This is our example as well to be living praiseworthy lives unto Christ as a testimony to God’s grace in Christ.  This love we are to display for others as John wrote extensively about in his first epistle should be moving us to showing compassion on strangers in meeting their needs (not wants) and not just fellow believers.  Their witness to God’s love through us will be carried on to wherever their feet lead them from us and give further glory to God and to the truth of the transformative gospel of changed lives reflecting God’s character in His Son as was displayed to us when He walked among us.  We also are to go into all the world as we are led that we work our way and not expect or demand support from those we minister to as the desire was commanded here.  Likewise, those who serve in ministry to us should be eagerly received with joy and love in return because we all are co-laborers (συνεργός, synergos) in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  However, there are not all such faithful believers in our midst; the example is given of Diotrephes who was driven by prideful self-importance.  This man opposed those servants who ministered the gospel of love and peace, the very ones John had been praising for their faithfulness.  Diotrephes seemed to forget that Jesus Christ alone is preeminent (Colossians 1:18) and not himself!  John addressed this self-centered destructive behavior when he visited those in the church to whom he wrote here.  He exposed the slander and addressed how this deceiver had even kicked servants of the gospel out of the congregation to bolster his own pride and hide the truth with his lies against the brethren.  In stark contrast to this evil slanderer, John praised the faithful Demetrius whose life testified to the truth spoken and walked out by him to all.  This man was pointed out by the apostle as an example of how we all should live and serve God in contrast to the divisive and controlling deceiver.  He reminded the church to imitate what is good and not what is evil according to the word of God.  He reminded them and us that those who do evil have not even seen God.  They are not disciples of Christ because they do not know Him and are not known by Him.  They failed the test of love from John’s first letter as evidence of true conversion.  Those who do good echo God’s love in their lives as proof of their standing in Him.  In the end, John had to end the letter without saying so much more that he wanted to tell them and to hear from them about the Lord’s work in and through them, no doubt.  He would come and speak face to face in sweet and sincere fellowship in love and with a shepherds heart as he prayed for continued peace in midst of opposition from without and from within (Acts 20:29-30) the body and shared greetings and expectations of greetings from them.  May we be so engaged in the church as well as we observe pride and praise and deal with each accordingly in love. 

2 John 1:1-13 - Love the Elect in Christ

2 John 1:1-13

Greeting the Elect Lady

1 The Elder,

To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Walk in Christ’s Commandments

4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

Beware of Antichrist Deceivers

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

John’s Farewell Greeting

12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

The elder who wrote this encouraging letter to a chosen woman in Christ and her children appears to be to an actual person representing a local church and its members.  He wrote of the truth and love for them because they know the truth of the gospel and person of Jesus Christ, the truth that never leaves or fades away.  This truth of the Lord abides forever in we who have come to know Him through repentance and faith and are now found in Christ and His righteousness alone.  To these and we who now read these words, we are given grace, mercy, and peace with God in the Father and Christ His Son by the understanding of His Spirit living in us and comforting each one.  The elder John goes on to share his joy in knowing some of them (not all, unfortunately) are indeed living and walking through life in obedience to the truth of all Jesus taught us (Matthew 28:20) to do beyond merely being saved from God’s wrath on our sin.  The commandments to follow are not burdensome but lightening to the load of life’s worries and give hope in peace with God through His sacrificial death which paid the price forever for us as the Passover Lamb of God whose lifeblood was shed on the tree of our cursing to cleanse us from all past, present, and future sins.  He then commands above all that we show godly and unconditional love to one another as a plea from the shepherd of a shepherd to the flock of wandering and sometimes self absorbed sheep.  This love is defined by keeping all His commands to follow and love Him first and others as ours as we recall from His words in Luke 10:27 and explained further in Romans 13:8, 10 for us to dwell on.  Galatians 5:14 goes even further to tell us that such love is the culmination and fulfilling of love the moral Law contained in the Ten Commandments.  This is the same commandment which they and we are to heed by living it out.  This letter also warns that there are some in the local body who are deceivers, antichrists who deny the deity of Christ Jesus who came in an actual body of a man (Philippians 2:7-8, 1 John 4:2-3) while still being God among us (1 Timothy 3:16), Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).  Our reward is in taking God at His word in the person and work of the divine Son of God.  The warning extends to beware of those falsely professing Christ while denying His identity, work, and teaching because without adhering in the heart and mind to these truths we do not have God in truth and are still lost in our sins.  Such who teach contrary to Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God and man come to pay the full price for our sins are not to be taken in or even greeted in the name of Christ because they are opposed to Him in their denial.  This is a difficult saying that we need to understand and consider well.  In the end, we should greet one another in person who are in Christ by their confession of His divine person and saving work that our joy may also be full as John’s was like he told them here for reassurance and in love.  We are also to love and care for the elect of God in Christ who hold to the truth of this confession. 

1 John 5:14-21 - Final Words

1 John 5:14-21

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

Knowing the True—Rejecting the False

18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Final words are given to us here at the end of the book by John to bolster our confidence of faith and spiritual understanding.  We have a certain confidence through conviction of the truth of the gospel and person of Jesus Christ by God’s Spirit living inside us who confirms the words of truth of this life.  This confidence assures us when we pray that Jesus hears and answers according to His word and will as we ask in trusting faith for our petitions.  Our prayers, however, must be according to His will with our lives practicing it as well (John 15:7, 1 John 3:22), and not just our misplaced or selfish desires (James 4:3) for our gain and not for God’s glory.  This is why the prosperity imitation gospel is no good news at all as it perverts prayer into self-serving idolatry in a sense.  True worship in spirit and truth seeks to live and pray for what is God’s will revealed in scripture.  This is our confidence then that when we pray for His will to be done on earth as in heaven we will see the answer as we prayed for.  We are also told to be careful who we pray for.  If someone is living a sin that ends in death due to an unrepentant mindset, we are told to refrain from praying for that sin until the person repents and seeks forgiveness from the Lord (1 John 1:9) first.  This does not mean that we cannot or should not pray for other sins of unrighteousness, just the ones heading towards the consequences of unrepentant behavior and hearts.  This is further explained by the fact that those truly born again by God do not seek to habitually practice sin without true repentance or remorse to God as evidenced by turning from sin to Him over and over.  It does not mean that anyone is sinless but that the direction and intention of our lives are set on righteous obedience through repentance and faith.  We therefore do not give opportunity to the devil who is our adversarial lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8) by keeping our path set away from sin to follow Him who leads and guides us (Psalm 31:3) for His name’s sake.  The entire world follows the deceiver but we follow the true and living Lord over all who made Himself known to us that we may understand and keep ourselves in Christ the Son of God who alone is true and perfectly sinless in divine righteousness.  This truly is the true God and eternal life as John summarizes here.  Since we worship Him, let us take heed to these final words as His children, “keep yourselves from idols,” as we worship and follow the Lord, not the world or our own desires and pursuits.  What is the direction of our lives and prayers?  We should dwell on these final words concerning our salvation and direction of our lives in prayer because we are in Christ and His love.

1 John 5:1-13 - Born Again by Belief in God’s Work

1 John 5:1-13

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Certainty of God’s Witness

6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

This is the certainty we have in Christ Jesus, the Son of God in whom we have believed and received (John 1:12) as our sovereign Lord and Savior from our sin’s just reward.  If we truly believe into Him and not just have mental assent or emotional attraction, then we are born of God.  If we are so born of God in Christ, then we love not only Him for our rebirth but we also love all others who are born again to this same living hope (1 Peter 1:3) in Christ.  Loving others then results in loving God above all others and then loving others by keeping God’s word in all things.  He has written His commandments on our new hearts of flesh and blood (Deuteronomy 9:10, Jeremiah 31:33-34, 2 Corinthians 3:3) with the finger of God by grace, no longer on external cold stone tablets of rote compliance to in a vain effort to earn His favor.  To love God according to the greatest commandments (Mark 12:30-31) is to willingly and thankfully do all He has recorded in scripture and transcribed onto our renewed hearts out of love.  We have certainly over the world by the faith given us (Ephesians 2:8) in this goodness of God’s grace in His Son to reconcile us to Himself (Colossians 1:20) by trusting and taking Him at His word that Jesus is the very divine Son of God and no mere man.  This Son came of human birth and divine origin to shed sacrificial blood to pay for our sins once and forever as no yearly animal sacrifice ever could, those being just a shadow of the perfect sacrifice of God’s own Son in place of Abraham’s (Hebrews 11:17-19) as a further foreshadowing of our deliverance by faith in God’s sacrificial work for us.  The witness of God doing these things is clearly recorded for eternity in the scriptures that we may have a certain hope witnessed by faith.  If we were to doubt or reject this truth, we would be calling God a liar in our cosmic treason of disbelief in God’s own testimony to the truth.  What is the testimony?  It is eternal life (what never ends in duration or possession) in the Son of God in whom we put all our confidence and trust by taking God at His word as it is written for us to understand the mystery of Christ in us (Ephesians 1:18, Colossians 1:27) as our hope that springs eternal from knowing Him.  Simply put, if we have God’s Son we have this life.  Without Him we remain spiritually dead in our sins.  We are born again by belief in God’s work through His Son and not our efforts to earn His favor.   These words have been written to us by the Lord through John to believe in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God in person and work that we may be assured of our eternal life in and with Him and that we do not waver or stumble in this certainty. 

1 John 4:7-21 - Love as Demonstrable Proof of Salvation

1 John 4:7-21

Knowing God Through Love (John 3:16)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

The Consummation of Love

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Love is the proof and way to know and see God, and drives out fear of eternal suffering by emboldening us as we demonstrate His presence in us in our love for Him and others.  We are urged here to love one another since we have God’s love in us from our rebirth and we know Him personally and intimately.  God demonstrated His love in His Son sent into this world to pay the full price for our sins as the perfect Passover Lamb sacrificed to reconcile us to Him, and He calls us in Him to love others as the second greatest commandment (Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14) tells us.  Since God so loved us out of the world (John 3:16, 1 Peter 2:9), we are bound to love each other as He does, no matter how little anyone (including us) deserves it.  Though we have not yet seen God face to face with our eyes, we can see the evidence of His presence in our love given unconditionally in return by the enabling of His Spirit within.  His Spirit not only seals us forever (Ephesians 1:13-14) as His own children, but gives us the assurance of our position in Christ and enables us to persevere to the end when He will return to take us to Himself forever.  This is our certain hope that gives us peace with Him (Romans 5:1).  We confess that the Father sent His Son as savior to the world for all who are drawn to believe and receive Him that we believe the love of God which has driven Him to so love us.  As it tells here, because God is love we remain in His love as He remains forever in us, never to leave of forsake (John 10:28-29, Hebrews 13:5) any of his children whom He has called and died for.  His love then drives out any fear of eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46) in our eternal security in our salvation that never ends.  This absolute hope is our boldness to be as Jesus in the world to show His love through the gospel lived out and spoken through to the world.  Yes, we are able to love Him and others because He first loved us and enables us to love one another in return.  The proof of having the love of God and His presence sealing our salvation then is love for our brethren; if we hate others, we lie to ourselves and the Lord.  Hate has no place in a child of the sovereign Lord.  If we cannot love other we can see then we are incapable of loving the unseen God as it is written here.  If we truly love God, then we will love others.  Period.  That is the demonstrable proof of our conversion and standing in Christ before the Father.