Clarity in a Confusing Age
Words of Faith 7-25-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Jude 1
[24] To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- [25] to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

The Short Epistle of Jude deals with a series of profoundly relevant issues. How can the believing Church respond when false teaching and corrupt behavior infiltrate? How is a believer to respond to the confusion that comes when some claim the name of Christ but do not honor Him as Lord-- or when grace is used as a license for sin?
Jude serves as a concise and compassionate guide for dealing with such situations. It is interesting that most of what Jude prescribed was not corrective action against others but refining the believer for the purpose of witness. Ultimately, we are only responsible for ourselves and our own response to the Gospel. We are not directed to conduct an "inquisition" of others. Rather, we are called to respond in mercy to those who are confused, lost, and fallen into sin.
Jude gave seven commands to believers:
1. Earnestly contend for the faith (v. 3).
2. Remember the teaching and warning of the apostles (v. 17).
3. Build yourselves up in the most holy faith (v. 20).
4. Pray in the Holy Spirit (v. 20).
5. Keep yourselves in the love of God (v. 21).
6. Look for the mercy of the Lord to bring you to eternal life (v. 21).
7. Show mercy to Christians who are doubting, snatching unbelievers from the fire, and cautiously showing mercy to the corrupt (vv. 22-23).
The final response of Jude, the earthly half-brother of Jesus who had become His servant, is praise. All this is to the praise and glory of our Savior. This is not about building a reputation for ourselves or appearing to be a holy hero. The undeniable truth is that He is the only One who is able to keep you from falling. He is the only One who is able to present you before the glorious presence of God the Father. He is the only One who is able to preserve you without fault and with great joy.
And so, to God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority. We ascribe such honor only to the One who was before all ages and is now and forevermore our God and King.

Father God, in humility, I ask that You would lead me. Give me courage to contend for the faith. Give me insight into the warning of Scripture. Build me up in the most holy faith. Bathe my prayer in Your Holy Spirit. Keep me in Your love. By Your mercy, bring me into eternal life. Give me mercy for those who are confused, readiness toward those who are lost, and mercy for those who have fallen into sin. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.