Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 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 3, 4

Jude obviously wishes to write about the great salvation won by Jesus Christ, the basis of all Christian fellowship, but feels compelled to deal with a current troubling issue that he calls a “perversion” of the Good News.

I think it was something like this – religion for many meant obedience to a set of rules was the answer. Instead it was simply an unbearable burden.  For them the Good News was that Christ sets us free from the tyranny of the law, Godly law or human law.  They had lived under the restraints of law long enough.

They were attracted to Jesus who promised them freedom.  The result, of course, was for them their license for immorality.  They were free to do what they wanted to do!  That is the picture here.  Jude reminded them of this terrible error.

He goes on to point to the real problem – by their attitude and acts they denied that Jesus Christ is our only Sovereign and Lord.  Jesus Christ could never bless their self-centered attitude.  Christ did not rule their lives, they did what pleased themselves and that was it.  They interpreted freedom as license to please self.

Is this word of caution for me, for you, dear reader?  Is it not tempting to use our freedom in Christ to satisfy our own selfish desires?  May God have mercy.