THE BOOK OF JUDE
Jude |jo͞od| an Apostle; the last epistle of the New Testament, ascribed to St. Jude.
The book of Jude is so small you might miss it on your way to Revelation if you’re not looking for it.
Though small, this brief letter written by the Apostle Judah to the churches in AD 58-60 is a beautiful reminder of why groups like Equipped by Faith exist.
He starts his letter by saying, “Dear friends, I have been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives…” (Jude 1:3-4)
Of course, God’s grace doesn’t give us permission to keep on sinning. When we experience God's love through salvation in Jesus, we no longer want to take this grace for granted because we LOVE God and want to please and honor Him.
Jude was warning the early church about people who might lead them away from God’s love saying they are like “dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you” and they are “like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain.” (Jude 1:12)
What Jude was reminding the early church (and us today) is that there will always be people who don’t understand the gospel of Jesus and they can easily lead us astray if we don’t know what the Bible says. That’s why it’s so important to study the Word of God ourselves—so we can plant the truth deep within our hearts and know what it says.
“But you dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love." Jude 1:20-21
The truth of God’s Word is simple: Jesus is the way to eternal life.
Jude ends his letter by reminding us to “show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.” (Jude 1:22) We stand on truth not only for ourselves, but for others too. This is why Equipped by Faith exists. We are a community of faith, dedicated to equip and inspire one another with the truth of God’s Word, the power of our testimonies, and the strength of His love. Simply put—we need one another to stand firm in our faith.
I’m leaving you today with a blessing and a beautiful prayer from Jude 1:24-25…
"Now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great JOY into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen."
XO-
Sabrina