Big Lessons from a Little Book

Steven’s Scribbles
“Big Lessons from a Little Book”
Jude 3
    
    Unfortunately, Jude is almost a forgotten book of the Bible. While it is just 25 verses, there are many powerful lesson that can be found in this short read. Look at v. 3. It tells us that the christian must “contend earnestly for the faith.” Obviously, salvation is not something done just once and you’re good to go indefinitely. It is something you must strive to continue in (1 John 1:5-10; Rev. 2:10b). For those who fail to strive in the faith, there are dire consequences (Heb. 6:4-6). Continuing in v. 3, we see that the faith was “once for all handed down to the saints.” Several points from that single phrase must be pointed out. Scripture is not continually being revealed. As promised, prophecy has ceased (1 Cor. 13:8-10), because the perfect has indeed been revealed (1 Cor. 13:10; James 1:25). Also, the faith was handed “to the saints.” That doesn’t mean that it was given to select individuals that must be canonized after their death. Rather, in the first century, all Christians were designated as saints (Acts 9:13-14). These saints, or holy ones, are the ones that make up the church (1 Cor. 1:2). Therefore, the faith has been handed down to Christians and the Lord’s Church, “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10-11). This faith is singular in nature (Eph. 4:4-6), because it comes from a singular source; “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20-21). All of that great information can be gleaned from a single verse, in one of the shortest books in the Bible.


In His service,
Steven Hugley