As I go through my daily readings day in my own readings I turned to the tiny New Testament book of Jude. Just one chapter long – blink and you’ll miss it. But it’s DYNAMITE.

Jude was James’ little brother. Which makes Jesus his big brother. (Imagine that family dynamic! “Why can’t you be like your brother!”) His real name was Judas – not exactly a popular brand after the Judas – so he shortens it.

And he writes to whom?
“To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” That’s them – if you’re a believer, you can say that’s us.

From the start Jude reminds and reassures us: we’re safe in Jesus. Nothing and nobody can snatch us from his hand. At the end of the letter, he circles back with one of the most hope-filled promises in the whole Bible: that our God “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.”

That’s the Christian life in one page:

• At the start, peace and love.
• At the end, great joy.
• In the middle… well, things can get gnarly.

Jude Wanted to Encourage – But He Had to Warn.

He says he really wanted to write a nice encouraging letter on scented lilac paper with flowers drawn in the margins about God’s goodness (I know the feeling, that kind of message never got anyone in trouble). Instead, the Spirit wanted to take over his pen, compelling him to write a warning.

Why? Because something was happening inside the church. Not outside. Inside.

False teachers had crept in. Slipped through the side door.

And Jude says, “I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to God’s holy people.”

Notice that word: delivered. Christianity isn’t some made-up philosophy. We didn’t create it. God revealed it. He delivered the gospel. Once. For all. We don’t get to mess with that.

Because there are any end of false gospels, but there’s only one gospel that saves.

• Jesus isn’t a way – he’s the Way.
• He doesn’t just tell the truth – he is Truth.
• Without him, there’s no Life.

This is life and death. Forever.

So Jude shifts gears: I must contend for the faith. Fight for it. Guard it.

What False Teachers Look Like

Jude doesn’t mince words. So we can see and test what we hear – He compares them to:

• Cain – jealous of true worship.
• Balaam – chasing money.
• Korah – rebelling against God’s authority.

They look spiritual. They sound convincing. They flatter and boast. They promise freedom but lead people into slavery.

In our culture, to say that sounds “judgy.” We’d rather be nice. But Jude wasn’t writing for likes. He was writing for lives. So he gives us two unmistakable signs to look out for (Jude 1:4):

1. They Pervert Grace Into a License for Sin

“God loves you, so live however you like.”
Cheap grace. Dietrich Bonhoeffer saw it in Germany’s state church as Hitler rose to power. Forgiveness without repentance. Communion without confession. Discipleship without a cross.

But the cross cost Jesus everything. Grace isn’t cheap. It comes to us free – but it’s costly to take up your own cross.

2. They Deny Jesus as Sovereign Lord

They’ll talk about Jesus as a great example, a spiritual helper, prophet, life coach. But not as Lord. Not as Master.

Why? Because if Jesus is Lord, I’m not. If he’s Sovereign, I don’t get to call the shots anymore. And that’s exactly what false teachers can’t stomach.

Cheap Grace vs. Costly Grace

Bonhoeffer called it “costly grace”:

“It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.”

That’s the gospel Jude is fighting for. That’s the faith worth contending for. Then and now.

So What Do We Do?

• Don’t be naïve. There really are false teachers. If you could spot them easily, nobody would be following them.
• Check what you’re hearing. Is it cheap grace or costly grace? Is Jesus “my BFF,” or is he Lord?
• Stay anchored. Jude finishes with the only way we can stay standing:

“And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating—to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes.”