Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.

Jesus and the apostles all foretold the coming of false prophets. It didn’t take long for these prophecies to come true. Jude, the author of today’s verse, wrote a short, caustic letter against the false prophets. One of the commentaries I checked describes Jude’s letter as “a relentless and passionate condemnation of the apostate teachers.”

Why so harsh, Brother Jude?

Because the Good News of Christ must not be compromised. Jude, the brother of Jesus, loves the message of God’s grace so intensely that he simply can’t tolerate the least violation of it. He writes to encourage the believers to “fight hard for the faith that God gave his holy people” (verse 3). Jude strongly desires to protect them from any spiritual harm.

This desire motivates his ruthless condemnation. These false teachers jeopardize the faithful, and Jude can’t stand that. That’s why he depicts the false prophets as “dirty spots,” “fruitless trees,” and “dirty foam on the wild waves in the sea.” In verse 8, Jude calls the false prophets dreamers. Another commentary notes, “(this is) probably a reference to the false teachers’ claims to divine revelation through visionary experiences, claims they might use to justify their (sinful actions).”

There is danger in claiming that dreams, visions, and other extra-biblical revelations are coming directly from God. That’s a severe warning! These should always be tested against the Bible. With 2 Timothy 3:16, we confess that “all Scripture is given by God.” The Bible contains “everything that God wants you to know” (Acts 20:27).

If we don’t trust God’s Word fully or don’t care about internalizing every bit of it, we become easy victims of false teachings. In 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22, Paul writes, “Don’t treat prophecy like something that is not important. But test everything. Keep what is good and stay away from everything that is evil.”

What should we do then? Jude’s answer to that is straightforward. “You should keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” The love of God is the very reason for our existence. It is sufficient to keep us and our faith alive. We don’t need anything else. Reciprocally, our love for God and His Word will help us reject all that’s not in accord with Scripture.

Secondly, Jude calls us to “wait for the Lord Jesus Christ.” We should keep the expectation of the coming of Christ alive. That will fortify our faith. That hope will help us persevere.

Finally, Jude summons us to “help those who have doubts” (verse 22). If you see others succumbing under false teaching, strengthen them with the whole and wholesome message of Christ.

Friends, read and meditate on Jude’s letter today. It will warn, edify, and—most of all—encourage you!

By Anton de Vreugd, Bible League International staff, the Netherlands