Jude 3-4

I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

I’m hardly an expert at espionage, but what characteristics make for a successful spy? The idea of infiltrating the enemy’s camp is best done in a subtle way so as to not attract undue attention, wouldn’t you agree? That’s exactly what Jude addresses in the passage above. These “certain people” had wormed their way into the church. How?

First, they perverted the grace of God into something it is not. Maybe they promoted the idea, that since we are living under grace, we can live in any way we please?

Paul already addressed this topic in his letter to the Romans:

“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”(Romans 6: 1b-4).

Second, these enemies of the Gospel undermined the authority of the Gospel by questioning the identity of Christ. Denial of Christ is often subtle, but creates doubt concerning the accuracy of Scripture or some will say that the Bible is no longer relevant in our modern society. I’ve heard several of those kinds of arguments in the last few months, how about you?

John Piper wrote that “contending for the faith is never merely an academic exercise. It is never merely mental because the source of all false doctrine is the pride of the man’s heart not the weakness of his mind.”

So, we should strengthen our own minds and hearts by leaning on the truth, grace, and mercy of God revealed to us through His word.