Jude 1:1-4
English Standard Version
(ESV)
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and
brother of James,
To
those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied
to you.
Judgment
on False Teachers
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to
write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write
appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to
the saints. 4 For certain
people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this
condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude,
the brother of James was also the ½ brother of Jesus but as we see here, he
equates himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James. He exemplifies how we should identify
ourselves to Christ as well. He could
have very easily said that he was the ½ brother of Jesus and left James out of
the picture, but he does not, why? For
the same reason we need to claim being servants and not merely friends. It is true Jesus is our friend, the friend of
sinners, but if we see Him merely as a friend we tend to not see His majesty
but rather as an equal. As we read
further in this short book we will see how James truly sees Jesus.
In
the second portion of the scripture for today, Jude is warning the Christian to beware of the
ungodly people who try to make themselves look godly by perverting the Gospel
into something that brings them gain rather than giving Jesus Christ the
glory. In other words everything they
say and do is for themselves and not for the glory of our Lord and Savior.
As
you seek Him today and then go out into this world, remember that what you do
should bring Him glory. Anything you
think, say, or do should be pleasing to the One we serve. Watch out for those who try to tell you
differently.
Seeking
Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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