A Healthy Alternative

A significant portion of the short book of Jude describes a group in the church that had corrupted the truth about Jesus and about living for Him. However, the Bible isn’t merely a collection of things that we shouldn’t do. It also includes plenty of good suggestions for how to do better: how to live the superior life of purpose that God has prepared for each of us. And, the book of Jude is no exception. Instead of acting like a group of subversive “church invaders”, Jude writes what his audience should do, instead.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Jude 1:20-23 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jud.1.20-23.NIV

I think that these are good instructions for us, too.

Build upon our faith – If we’ve learned the good news about Jesus and accepted that He is our savior, we have a solid foundation to start from. However, accepting Jesus as our Lord and our Savior is just the first step in a walk with Him. When we don’t continue to develop our faith, we miss out!
Pray in the Holy Spirit – One gift of following Jesus is the ability to have conversations with God. Yes, God also listens to sinners who call out to Him for salvation, but when the Holy Spirit dwells within Christians, He provides “prayer support” for what is on our hearts (see Romans 8:26-27).
Remain in God’s love – Some will say (perhaps not entirely accurately) that “God hates sin but loves the sinner”. Because God – in His perfect holiness – cannot abide sin, though, let’s keep the sin that God hates out of our lives.
Wait for eternity to arrive – Jesus has secured our salvation, but we have work to do while we’re here. It has been said (and I’m paraphrasing) that the one righteous activity that followers of Jesus can’t do in Heaven is to share the good news about Jesus Christ with lost souls. Walking with Jesus is even more than evangelism, though. There are many great blessings (both to receive and to share with others) along the way.
Show mercy to others – The nature of this may vary by situation, but let’s show mercy to others since God showed mercy to us. After all, if you’ve ever had doubts about God, but He was patient and kind enough to help you find the answer (rather than abandoning you in your uncertainty), other people should probably receive the same from you.
Avoid the poison of sin – As mentioned in the previous article, the scope of keeping words and actions clean includes not only our own choices, but also the integrity of the church.

And, in Jude 24-25, we come to the closing – the benediction – of this letter.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jud.1.24-25.NIV

Even in this closing we find an affirmation of a key message: that God can help us maintain righteousness, not for earning our salvation (since Jesus did that), but – as I read it – to bring us joy when we enter into the very presence of God.

We should give glory and other good things to God our Savior, but He is also the one who can keep us from stumbling and makes us ready to spend eternity with Him. Remaining righteous and not stumbling in sin (unlike the people Jude is warning about) requires God’s help, not just our own willpower or effort.

From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 24, 2025

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