Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 316
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IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
his authority as an apostle behind Jude’s similar warning. We get an
even clearer picture of what Peter is saying by reading Jude’s letter.
Jude was one of Jesus’ brothers, though he humbly calls himself “a
slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (whose name would have
been widely recognized, as he was a leader of the church in Jerusalem).
It’s hard to be certain precisely whom Jude was writing to since he
addresses his readers simply as “all who have been called by God the
Father.”
But like Peter, Jude feels an urgent need to address the presence of
false teachers in the churches. These teachers were saying that God’s
grace permits immoral living, and Jude warns his readers to watch out
for these teachers because they are destined only for judgment. Those
who follow Christ faithfully will instead keep trusting in God, “who is
able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into
his glorious presence without a single fault.”