Anyone who’s gone through their teenage years knows about blemishes. Even at my advanced age, I still look at my face in the mirror and wonder how I can still be having zits! I look at the definition for blemish and find things like: “a small mark that makes the appearance of something less attractive” or “an imperfection that mars or impairs; a flaw.” Whatever your experience with them, blemishes are bothersome and must be eradicated. Today’s post, however, isn’t about facial blemishes but about irritants of a different kind.

A letter from Jude.

This is one of the shortest books in the Bible and is a letter written from one of the brothers of Jesus to Christians from predominantly Jewish backgrounds, as it assumes they know many of the Old Testament characters mentioned. Much like the parable of the wheat and the tares, found in Matthew 13, Jude is writing to make sure believers recognize that there are “tares” among them. Here’s how he describes them.

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Jude 4 NIV

These ungodly men have slipped into their fellowship. This reminds me of a time when my late husband and I were serving in the Middle East and North Africa. We had a fellowship of believers in our home. At some point, a nonbeliever “slipped in.” He was there for the purpose of “checking us out” for the authorities, and thankfully, his presence did not go unnoticed, but that story’s for another time. Jude is writing to get this group of believers to wake up to the infiltration they were overlooking.

What was he worried about? Their faith. He did not want their fellowship to be stained by the ungodly ways and teaching of those who had come for nefarious purposes.

Spotting the blemishes.

Jude uses some wonderfully creative phrases to describe the ungodly in their midst:

• Blemishes within the Body.
• Shepherds who feed only themselves.
• Clouds without rain, blown along by the wind.
• Autumn trees without fruit; uprooted and twice dead.
• Wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame.

When I look at the above list, I think of that Sesame Street song, “One of these things is not like the other.” As the Body of Christ, we are to live holy lives, without blemishes, but if someone is not living according to the way of Christ, then something’s off. We have shepherds in the church, but when a shepherd is looking for his own financial gain or is self-centered, then something’s off. The work of the Spirit in a person’s life is like a well, flowing with life-giving water, but if a person is without the Spirit, they are fruitless and change their views according to any new fad that comes along. The same goes for people who bear no fruit of the Spirit, who don’t share the good news of Christ through their words and deeds. Finally, when a person is refusing to give up a sinful lifestyle or habits, something is off, and they need to be confronted.

Thankfully, Jude uses other, clearer phrases to help the believers spot the ungodly in their midst:

• Grumblers
• Fault-Finders
• Follow their own evil desires
• Boast about themselves
• Flatter others for their own advantage
• Scoffers
• Follow their own ungodly desires
• Divide believers
• Follow natural instincts
• Do not have the Spirit.

Have you spotted such people in the midst of your local fellowship of believers? How do you respond? Jude provides instruction. Remember, these are people who, “without the slightest qualm,” have come into the church, not to be a part but to tear apart. They have malicious and ungodly intent in their hearts. Jude’s not talking about a believer who’s struggling or who has faltered for a season—no, he’s talking about those who are just there for the show or to purposefully tear down the Body of Christ.

Hanging with the tares.

As Jesus’s parable told us, the tares are going to be around among the wheat. There are occasions when they can be called out and plucked up from the fellowship, but in many cases, believers are going to have to seek to live in community with the understanding that not everyone is a believer or has a desire to become one. Some people will always be working against the church. That’s why Jude’s instructions are critical for our day.

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 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 17-23 (emphasis added)

Even as scoffers come in and out of our fellowships and churches, Jude provides a way for us to persevere:

• Build yourselves up in your faith.
• Pray in the Holy Spirit.
• Keep in God’s love—as we wait for Christ’s return.
• Show mercy to those who doubt.
• Snatch others from the fire and save them.
• Show mercy, mixed with fear to others.

How are you doing at keeping the faith and living it out through acts of mercy and grace? Are you warning and protecting those younger in the faith than yourself? We have a role to play in helping our brothers and sisters in Christ from being targeted and falling prey to the ungodly in our midst.

The One who keeps us from falling.

Jesus is with us in this journey of life, helping us to be mindful of anything or anyone who will turn us from the Way of Truth. Lean into him and give him praise and thanks for all he does on our behalf.

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 24-25

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these other posts on standing strong in faith: The Final Stage, Don’t Shrink Back, When the Props Fall Out, Broken Levies.