Every 14 seconds, thieves break into a home. They take valuables like cash, jewelry, and electronic equipment. Based on statistics, a home without an alarm is three times more likely to have a break-in. We take precautions to protect our possessions from thieves. The Bible warns us to watch out for thieves that want to draw us away from our biblical faith. Jude, the Lord’s half-brother, wrote a letter to that effect. He was concerned that God’s people were being led astray by false teachers. They were motivated by their lust for sex, money, and power. Jude said false teachers twist God’s word. They twist it to fit what they want to believe; the way they want to live, and what they want to do. False teachers often go for the extremes. They either promote freedom to do as you please or they try to force you to do as they say. Both extremes violate God’s word. Jude says the way to avoid being victims of this kind of thievery is to 1) know the basics of God’s word, 2) trust the Scriptures as reliable, 3) stay connected with those who regard Jesus as Lord; and 4) above all, stay totally committed to God. Jude says God is able to keep us from falling away, and bring us into his glorious presence without a single fault. God can keep us because He possesses all glory, majesty, power, and authority–both now and beyond all time!
