Building from his description of the ungodly in (vv.14-16), today Jude encourages the faithful.
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
So rather than focusing on self and displaying the character of those in vv.14-16 Jude is encouraging his readers, and us, to remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. The men who fellowshipped and followed our Lord Jesus Christ were taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, which means that we take theirs words seriously. The predictions are very similar to what we read in 2 Timothy 4.3-4,
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Jude goes on to say that these people cause divisions, that they are worldly, and that they are devoid of the Spirit.
Now we are contending for the faith, fighting for what we love, wrestling for what we deem important, Jude wants us to know that this kind of stuff is coming. He wants you to know that there will be people in your life that laugh at the teachings of and about Jesus and who just want to live their own life in their own way. Jude wants you to know that this is coming so that you can be better prepared when it does. His warning fits so well with the encouragement of 1 Peter 3.15, wherein we are told to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us.
So, people will coming into your life that don’t believe what you believe about Jesus, they may laugh, they may ask questions, they may step away from you and think you’re crazy, it’s all ok. Jude tells us that this is coming, and as Peter wrote, we should be ready with an answer when it does.
Point to ponder – Am I ready?
Prayer – Father, we thank you again for your Word to us. We thank you that it prepares us for every situation we can possibly imagine, and that it guides us on how to act in them too. Help us to be firm in our faith, and ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us, to your glory. Amen.
James Travis 