by John M. Fuller

Whenever I hear the word “warning,” the television show Lost in Space comes to mind. “Danger, Will Robinson, danger!” is the one line that stands out. Scripture has many warnings for us all. Jude is warning us to guard our faith and behavior: “Danger, Christian, danger!” This is possibly the first instance of how “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Jude gives us preventative measures and pounds of cure for the dangerous version of Christianity that is accepted by the world today. The world’s acceptance should be our first warning that something is wrong. Additional warnings can be found in Acts 20:31, 1 Corinthians 16:13, and 2 Peter 3:17.

Prevention

Build up your faith. Don’t take it for granted. Christian growth is not automatic (Jude 20).

Pray in the Holy Spirit. There is a qualitative and personal difference when the Holy Spirit participates in our prayer lives (v. 20).

Stay in God’s love. Perseverance is an important preventative measure and goes hand in hand with faithfulness. It is often a lost quality today in our instant, microwavable, “don’t want to wait for anything” operating system (v. 21).

Cure

Wait for mercy to deliver you. You will need it. Mercy will bring you life (v. 21).

“Blessed are the merciful” (Matthew 5:7). We are often intolerant of others’ weaknesses. We need to extend mercy (Jude 22).

Our mercy should be mixed with fear (v. 23). Fear is based on an awareness of right and wrong, reward and punishment—reward for good and punishment for bad. What God said to Cain stands true today: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7).

“Danger, Christian, danger!” Do not identify with the corrupted life! (Jude 23).

Praise the Lord! This is the best combination of prevention and cure.

The doxology in verses 24 and 25 is a reminder to be grateful. This is the cure—to bring glory, majesty, power, and authority to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

John M. Fuller is currently serving as the preaching minister of Silver Star Christian Church in Orlando, FL. He has served as the Treasurer of the National Missionary Convention for the last nine years. He and his wife, Miriam, have two sons, Jedidiah and Josiah, who are in full-time ministry.