Beginning his first major theme, John declares that God is light. Anyone who claims to know Jesus but lives contrary to this is in darkness, but anyone who confesses their sins will be forgiven because of the blood of Jesus and have fellowship with the church. Therefore, true belief in God is evident by walking in holiness and confessing our sins.

In the midst of false teachers trying to dismember Jesus by denying Him as the Christ, John begins his letter by proclaiming his eyewitness testimony to the whole Jesus. We must believe in the whole Jesus to have eternal life, fellowship, and joy.

As we begin our study through 1 John, we need to get a good understanding of who John is and why he wrote this letter. In the midst of false teachers trying to dismember Jesus, John wrote this letter because a clearer vision of the whole Jesus brings joy, holiness, and assurance.

The final word in our series on 1-2 Peter and Jude is a word of glory with one main vision: God will keep us from here to home.

In spending the majority of his letter addressing false teachers, Jude now unpacks and explains how Christians contend in the midst of division. We see that the call to contend against false teachers is a call to pursue both God and each other.

Having shown that contending Christian look to Jesus as Lord in reliant humility for all things, Jude now shifts his focus upon the ungodly lifestyle of the false teachers and what it will inevitably lead to: eternity in hell. Jude makes this point clear: ungodly living leads to godly judgment. But in this condemnation there is a promise of hope: godly living will lead to godly rewards.

Having outlined three historical examples of false teachers being judged, Jude goes on to demonstrate what the current false teachers are guilty of: rebellion. We must remember that contending Christians live in a better story, they look to Jesus as Lord in reliant humility for all things.

In describing the threat of false teachers, Jude now moves to three Old Testament examples of what the judgment of God looks like. It is a call for Christians to remember and contend for the faith because Jesus is Lord and judge now and when he returns.

Though intending to write about the common salvation his recipients shared, Jude pivoted to remind us that the church must be united and vigilant against false teachers.

In the opening chapters of the book of Jude, our identity is firmly established in God. Jude writes that in Christ, Christians can know who they are and look to live in God’s power every day until Christ’s return.