Jude 1:3-4

³ “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints. ⁴ For certain people have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into indecent behavior and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Verse 3: Jude addresses his readers as dear friends and expresses his initial intention to write about the salvation they share. This salvation is the result of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, and it is a central aspect of the New Covenant. It is from this foundation that Jude felt compelled to focus his letter on contending for the faith. Our faith is not something we need to earn or strive for. It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Contending for the faith does not mean fighting for our salvation, but rather standing firm in the truth of the gospel and defending it against false teachings or distortions.

Verse 4: Jude warns his readers about certain individuals who have infiltrated their community. These individuals are described as ungodly people who distort the grace of God into a license for immorality. Grace is not a license to sin, but a transformative power that empowers us to live godly lives (Titus 2:11-12). We affirm Jesus Christ as our only Sovereign and Lord, recognizing His authority and lordship over our lives.