Importance of the Book of Jude for the Church Today - Essay Example

Importance of the Book of Jude for the Church Today The book of Jude, written by the half-brother of Jesus and a brother to James is an epistle that communicates a relevant message to churches since it was written. Though it is one of the shortest books of the new testament, it bear a strong message that keeps believers aware of the those who are honest teachers and those whose intention is to take away the joy provided by salvation. In his book, Jude is strict and goes straight to the point. He points out the evils in the church and provides a means for believers to stay safe and focus on the second coming of Jesus Christ (Brown 79). The book comes in handy today as there are many false teachers who look down upon the word of God with disdain. Jude was driven by purpose to protect the status of the faith and church of God. In his letter, he intended to bring out the aims of false teachers whose infiltration in the church of god threatened to derail the faith of Christians. Through this exposure, he intended to pass a message to Christians that they should find courage and stand firm in relation to their faith. According to him, the Christians ought to get motivated and seek their way to the truth. He dwells on this during the first part of the epistle. In verse 4, Jude states that “for certain persons have crept unnoticed”. He meant that there were false teachers of the word of god and they were peddling their wares in the church and elsewhere among Christians without being noticed or questioned. He described ion the book how these false teachers perpetrated terrible acts under concealment. For the Christians to be aware, Jude recommended that they had to remember the teaching of the apostles of Christ, help each other to build their faith in the word of God, employ the use of Holy Spirit to guide them in prayer, wait upon the mercy of Jesus by living their lives in such a way that they are prepared for this second coming and stay within the unending love of God. Staying in the love of God demands that believers trust in God and do whatever he wants us to do as highlighted in the teachings of the epistles. Commitment and following the guidelines he put forward, Christians can be able to stand up against those false teachers who were working against the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. In modern times, there are many false teachers. Jude say that these teachers are a threat because they teach that being saved by the grace of god gives freedom to do what one wants which includes living immorally. This is an act of denying Christ according to Jude. This is prevalent even in modern times which call for people to look back at the teachings of Jude and the recommendations he gave so as to be able to stand the test of faith instituted by the false teachers. This implies that the book of Jude comes in handy in creating awareness. It gives an idea the approaches likely to be taken by these false teachers. According to Thayer, the recommendations offer a way out for modern believers to live their lives well in anticipation of the second coming (594). In this context, the book of Jude proves important in preparing believers for the second coming of Christ by making sure that they do not fall prey to false teachings. The book of Jude creates biblical imagery to bring a perfect picture of what he intends to communicate. He refers to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the killing of Abel by Cain. This is an example of the ending of people who stray from the teachings of the word of God. He took it upon himself to condemn the evils in the church which entailed rejecting the concerned authorities and seeking to please themselves (Vines 485). As today’s society assumes the same route of widespread evils, Jude acts as example to the church. From his concerns, it is clear that the church today reserves a right to monitor and condemn the evil activities in the church and the society as well. The church should be the main actor in eliminating evil. It should extricate those people in their midst who have become victims of the false teachings yet continue to hide in the church. It can do this by setting a good example which only comes from living according to the word of God. Today, many believers are turning away from their faith. The book of Jude shows concern that salvation is for everyone and believers should have strong faith and fight for their salvation. Jude writes, “Contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints”. Believers in current times should not abandon their faith dues to contamination or fail to cling on the truth they once held strongly. It is important that the book of Jude safeguards salvation for believers and urges them to seek and support it. Essentially, the church today should not buy the idea that thing done in the times of the bible are old and not applicable in current times. Believers then and now face the same threat of false teachers and they should show character to remain within the word of God. Therefore, the book of Jude is important in the church today as it teaches the value of standing strong for the truth and the word of God. There is no room to be susceptible. The church should disapprove and shake off any effort to contaminate faith therefore reducing the numbers that abandon salvation. The book of Jude encourages the church today by asserting that there hope in Jesus Christ even with powerful force that work to derail believers. Therefore, in Jesus Christ, the church can prevent itself from falling. In other words, these threats serve to seek God and strengthen our faith in him. The believers stand a chance to see the glory of God manifest itself in their lives. Their perseverance and trust in God will see them benefit them by dwelling in the grace and glory of God. This means that the book of Jude is an encouragement to the church today. The church should focus on the teachings of the epistle to encourage believers going through a test of their faith. In conclusion, it is evident that the letter of Jude plays an integral part in the church today. It raises awareness, provides means to keep strong faith and salvation and encourage the believers. Though short, it is extremely relevant in the life of a Christian today. Works Cited Brown, Raymond Edward. An introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print. Thayer, Joseph. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Mass: Hendrickson, 2003. Print. The New English Bible; New Testament. New York: Oxford University Press, 1961. Print. Vines, W.E. An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985. Print. Read More