Jude 1-4: Certain People Have Crept In Unnoticed

Jude 1-4: Certain People Have Crept In Unnoticed

Introduction: When Danger Comes From Within

Some threats are obvious. Hostile empires, visible persecution, false religions with foreign gods. But others are quiet. Hidden. They creep in unnoticed. Jude opens his short, urgent letter not with a greeting of casual encouragement, but with a charge. A warning. A call to contend.

This is not a letter about surviving difficulty. It is about standing firm in truth when the enemy has already entered the building. Jude writes with fire, and love. He writes as one who used to deny Jesus, now fully devoted as His servant. He writes to protect the church from those within who distort grace and deny Christ.

1. Jude: A Transformed Servant (Jude 1)

Jude does not begin with “half brother of Jesus.” He does not start with authority from family ties. Instead, he introduces himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, a doulos. This is not forced labor. It is the identity of one who belongs to the Master and lives for His glory.

Jude had once rejected Jesus. He did not believe. He even thought Jesus was out of His mind (John 7:5, Mark 3:21). But now, after the resurrection, his eyes are open. He sees Jesus not only as brother, but as Lord.

He also identifies himself as the brother of James. This likely connects him to James, the leader of the Jerusalem church. But Jude’s emphasis is not on name recognition. It is on obedience to Christ. Like Paul, who called himself a servant for the sake of the elect (Titus 1:1), Jude knows that true spiritual authority is grounded in service, not status.

Who better to warn the church about rejecting Jesus than one who used to do it himself? Jude is not writing with cold detachment. He is writing with the humility of one who has been changed. His warning is not harsh legalism. It is a rescue effort.

2. The Beloved and the Kept (Jude 1b–2)

Jude calls his readers “called,” “beloved in God the Father,” and “kept for Jesus Christ.” These are not soft spiritual greetings. They are anchors.

To be called is to be drawn by God, not by merit but by grace. To be beloved is to be cherished by the Father, not merely tolerated. To be kept is to be held secure by the hand of Christ. This is not temporary religious optimism. This is covenant reality.

Jude multiplies this blessing with a prayer that mercy, peace, and love be multiplied. Not just given, but multiplied. The church does not need surface-level motivation. It needs an overflow of God’s unshakable grace.

The mention of being “kept” will become even more important as the letter progresses. Jude is preparing his readers for the reality of false teachers and rebellion, but he starts by reminding them they are not alone. They are guarded. The one who saves them also keeps them (Jude 24).

3. The Letter Changes Direction (Jude 3)

Jude had a different plan at first. He wanted to write a letter celebrating their shared salvation. But something changed. He found it necessary to write a different kind of letter. One that appeals. One that urges. One that contends.

To contend for the faith is to struggle for it. Not because it is weak, but because it is under attack. The word implies effort, resistance, and strain. This is not a battle of preferences. It is a battle for truth.

Jude does not say “a faith” or “your faith.” He says “the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” This faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the body of truth taught by the apostles. It is the good news entrusted to the church. And it does not change.

False teachers were not just misguided. They were undermining the very thing God had revealed. Jude did not write because he enjoyed confrontation. He wrote because the church needed clarity. And because the truth saves, it must be guarded.

4. The Enemy Inside (Jude 4)

This is the heart of the letter. Certain people had crept in unnoticed. Not with guns, not with violence, but with deception. They looked the part. They said the words. But their doctrine was poison.

Jude describes them in four ways:

• They were long ago designated for condemnation. This was not a surprise to God.
• They were ungodly, no matter how spiritual they appeared.
• They perverted the grace of God into sensuality. They used grace as permission for sin.
• They denied Jesus Christ as Master and Lord. Even if they claimed His name, they rejected His rule.

The most dangerous false teaching is not always loud and blasphemous. It is subtle. It uses gospel language without gospel truth. It elevates self. It excuses sin. It speaks of love without holiness and grace without lordship.

These are not simply misguided brothers. They are subverters. They weaponize grace to justify rebellion. Jude is sounding the alarm not out of hate, but out of love. The warning comes from a man who once denied Christ and now will not let others do so unnoticed.

5. The War for Truth Is Not New

Jude’s warning fits a long biblical pattern. From Genesis to Revelation, false voices challenge God's word. The serpent questioned truth in Eden. The prophets were surrounded by liars claiming God’s authority. Jesus warned of wolves who would appear as sheep. Paul told the Ephesian elders that men would arise from among them to distort the truth and draw away disciples.

The church must not be surprised that false teachers exist. And it must not be passive when they appear. Jude is not writing to experts or scholars. He is writing to the church. He is writing to the beloved, the called, the kept. He is telling them to take up the fight for the truth.

This is not a call to attack everyone who disagrees. It is a call to resist those who deny Christ and distort grace. When the gospel is twisted, love demands that we speak. Silence is not kindness. It is surrender.

And for Jude, this is personal. The warning does not come from a cold heart. It comes from one who has walked the road of rejection and has been rescued. He writes as one who once denied the Lord and now pleads with others not to do the same.

Conclusion: Contend for the Truth That Saves

The book of Jude begins with clarity, urgency, and gospel gravity. The battle is real. But so is the security of God’s people. They are called, beloved, and kept.

The enemy is not always outside. Sometimes he walks in using Christian words and gospel phrases but speaks lies. When truth is twisted and Christ is denied, the church cannot afford to be silent.

Jude calls the church to contend. Not because truth needs our help to survive, but because the church needs truth to live.

Contend for the faith. Cling to Jesus. Watch for those who have crept in. Warn others. Stand firm.

And remember, the one who called you is the one who will keep you.

Scripture Reference Index

• 2 Corinthians 5:20 – Believers are ambassadors for Christ, speaking on His behalf.
• Romans 10:14–15 – Preaching is the means through which the gospel is heard and believed.
• Titus 1:1–3 – Paul introduces himself as a servant of God and steward of gospel truth.
• Romans 6:20–23 – A contrast between slavery to sin and slavery to God, which leads to eternal life.
• Matthew 13:54–57 – Jesus’ own family and hometown rejected Him, despite His teaching and miracles.
• John 7:3–5 – Even Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him during His ministry.
• Mark 3:20–21 – Jesus’ family thought He was out of His mind and tried to restrain Him.
• Jude 1:24 – God is able to keep His people from falling and to present them blameless.
• John 17:9–19 – Jesus prays for the protection and sanctification of His followers.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 – God is faithful to sanctify and preserve His people completely.