Selfless, Useful People

Jude 4a   Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all,...

I love how gentle Jude is. He stands in contrast to Paul, who is as abrasive a character in the New Testament as anyone. Jude just says, Hey guys, I want to remind you of a few things even though I know that you know...

What does Jude remind them of? He reminds them of the popular stories of the day and some important Hebrew traditions. He reminds them of the Passover & Wilderness Wanderings, Nephilim, Sodom & Gomorrah, Michael & Satan, Cain & Abel, Balaam, Korah and Enoch. These stories serve as a warning, a warning not to get too caught up in pride to be able to see that you have been saved by grace. Judgment is reserved for the man who thinks too highly of himself and not highly enough of God.

In essence, these are examples of selfish, useless people.

Jude 17   But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Jude continues the remembrance motif with a new message. Not a message of warning, but one of hope. Our hope rests in Christ, so it would naturally follow that the Christian should abide in Him. In light of our Ultimate Example, we are humbled. Everything we do should be motivated by the love God has shown to us. The work we do in His light is excellent. But then again, we know this already. Right?

He is in the business of making us into selfless, useful people.