We Must Win the Reformation in Every Generation - Jude

“Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” Jude v. 3

Jude, a brother of Jesus, had wanted to write a letter to the early church about the great privilege Christians have in being saved. Circumstances however constrained him to write a different letter. He wrote instead to urge them to fight for Biblical doctrines in their church. The true faith - God’s theology - cannot change, but there were some active Church members who were gently trying to shift the teaching and practice of the Church away from the apostolic doctrine, with long-term disastrous consequences.

Jude recognised apostolic authority as the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 17), and his readers are warned about these false teachers who -

“. . . follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit” (v. 19).

Undoubtedly, these people would claim to be - and, in order to have any influence, must have had an appearance of being - spiritual, but Jude is clear that they do not have the Spirit. The next verse mentions the antidote to such thinking,

“Build yourselves up in your most holy faith” (v. 20). They must read, learn, and understand ‘the faith’, and then defend it ardently.

Such theological problems have never left the church - but the way to remain true to God is to build ourselves up in the faith - the teaching of the Bible. The wording used is instructive. The authority for the false teachers was their instinct - their own thoughts about a matter - instead of having the Spirit. They are described as ‘dreamers’ (v 8), and possibly some of their ‘guidance’ may therefore have come through dreams (perhaps calling them “spiritual dreams”) where they claimed that God taught them. Today unfortunately, there are some that think that to be ‘led by the Spirit’ occurs when God guides their instincts by direct personal inspiration. The Spirit takes people back to the teaching of Jesus, his Old Testament prophets and his apostles given in the Bible as the only reliable revelation of God.

There was a very intelligent lecturer at one of the famous London Medical Schools who had become a Christian whilst a student. He loved his Bible and became a gifted teacher. Following various experiences he discovered that God spoke directly to him over a range of matters, and many were impressed by his spirituality - he spent much time in prayer. Eventually the ‘Lord’ told him that his wife and two children were inhibiting his spiritual growth, and he left home. The ‘Lord’ then directed him to a new, ‘more suitable’ partner who just happened to be younger and more vivacious. It was soon after this that his Bibles were noted to be for sale in the student’s second hand bookshop. What apostasy! To be truly in the Spirit, means to be living as God’s Holy Spirit wants, in accord with and in obedience to the word of God.

So it is vital that “we must contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints”. To contend against false teachers will automatically be considered contentious and, consequently, difficult. Undoubtedly, many would be accused of “lacking love” - but Jude’s concern was that such false teachings were being allowed to remain in the communion of the church at all! Yet, how balanced Jude is. We are to be firm with those teachers who stray from apostolic truth, but be loving and welcoming to all others, including those who are uncertain, in the hope that they may be saved (v 23).

BVP