Faithful on Fridays Blog

It’s a standing joke with my husband that my side of the family is referred to as ‘those people’. We were loud, funny, and very active when we got together, which was the polar opposite of my husband’s side: no kids, except ours, quiet, and reserved. I used to say it was like going to a circus or a cemetery. When Jude penned this message he used that phrase referring to ‘ungodly people’; he was giving us a contrast. Christ-followers are called to be different than the world in our words and actions, consequently, Jude is helping us see the difference.

In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.

Jude 1:8 

Do you see how different they are? Jude already told us we’d have to fight to maintain our faith (vs. 3), however, that battle isn’t physical, the lower story, but spiritual, the upper story. Mockery of God, specifically Jesus, and Christians is getting bolder, throw it in our face boldness, like the sensual gay parades televised for all our families to view. ‘In the same way’ means just like the previous examples, unbelievers of Egypt, rebellious angels, along with Sodom and Gomorrah (all from vs. 5-7); ‘these people’ today are launching a culture-war all over America and the world. 

Check out the violent protests against any faith-based group on college campuses, Saturday Night Live with their sarcastic and demeaning skit claiming, “God is gay”, or TikTok who’s developed an algorithm to censor and then disable accounts of pro-life or pro-traditional marriage videos. They allow slander and mockery of the teachings of Christ, His values, and His Church with ridicule toward godly people. What a contrast.

Jude continued in these verses (8-13) showing us how blinded ungodly people really are, giving us more examples, he loved to support his message with Scripture, of our fight to stand for faith in Christ. 

But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Jude 1:10a 

Only sorrow awaits people who refuse Christ, reject His teachings of holiness or the ‘God-kind of life’, and rebel against God Himself. Jude teaches that they’re just like Cain who murdered his brother out of jealousy, Balaam who attempted a curse on the Jewish people for money, or Korah’s rebellious attitude against the authority of Moses and Aaron. They simply didn’t want to understand the victorious and joyful life that was available when they humbled themselves, obeyed God, lived according to His rules, experiencing a relationship with Him. It’s the same way today. Jealousy, money, or rebellion against authority; it’s nothing new. Add sexual immorality to that list and you have a recipe for sorrow and grief. 

Jude closed out this part of his message by giving us six word-pictures to make his point: Living without Jesus results in eternal darkness. We can be ‘those people’, with a better way of living, reflecting holiness, and staying in humility before our Lord.