Jude 5 - The Trinity and Redemption

Jude 5
Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.

Message: The Trinity and Redemption

Time: Jude, half-brother of Jesus, not the apostle Jude. His full name is Judas though shortened to Jude due to the problem with the name Judas (the disciple who betrayed Jesus). Jude placed his faith in Jesus after the resurrection and ascension. The book was probably written between AD 67 and 80, though it is difficult to date. Jude in his writing wants to expose false teachers in the Christian Community and encourage followers to stand firm in their faith.

What the Lord is Saying:

I must admit, these concepts at times are a little difficult to understand and write about and I'm not sure I'm doing a very good job at explaining. As a believer of 51, having trusted in Christ 1 month shy of my 15 birthday I'm discovering now in these lessons some doctrinal understandings I never knew. I'm still piecing them together. But, it is good for there are things about God and my understanding of Him that I know I haven't delved into much. I suppose there is a tendency in life to focus on those things that one is most comfortable understanding. Even as I try to understand this it is somewhat non understandable. There is a mystery to it. But that doesn't mean that faith is blind, just more intellectual than we often give it credit.

The primary subject of late is one of the doctrine of inseparable operations. This doctrine says that each person of the Trinity has the same divine attributes, but each person acts in a manner fitting to His unique personal properties. Unbegottenness is the unique personal property of the Father, begottenness is the unique personal property of the Son, and procession is the unique personal property of the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead existed at the same time and has always existed at the same time. Thus there is a unity of essence among the persons of the triune God. Every act of God is from the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. There is togetherness, unity, yet personal.

The doctrine of redemption - God redeeming or saving or rescuing His people - is the thrust of salvation for each person. For me to say that God has saved me is to mean that prior to my salvation, I was in bondage to living a life apart from God, not of God, not pleasing to God, but pleasing to self and sin. And I'm seeing more and more that this idea of redemption or a need to be found is being weeded out more and more in society. I firmly believe that this societal focus on tolerance has made us all think that whatever one thinks about themselves and their own desires, they are fine to think this and we should all move to accept everyone for the way they seem to be. And yet fear and anxiety and depression remain a part of defining many people as there are extreme societal pressures to achieve and succeed.

The statement that every act of God is from the Father though the Son and in the Holy Spirit - is a compelling statement. This verse from Jude 5 will show that the act of God saving His people from Egypt is here spoken of something Jesus had done. The verse states the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt. The Lord is the Greek word Iēsous which means Jesus or Jehovah is salvation. Thus, Jude states the act of saving a people out of the land of Egypt is something that Jesus did. Deuteronomy 5:6 says - ‘I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim) who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.' Thus, in these verses the Lord Yahweh and Jesus are saving people from the land of Egypt. God works from the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. The act of redemption or sanctification is subscribed also to the Holy Spirit like In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. The work therefore of saving and redeeming God's people is performed by God, the triune God.

Promise: God loves his people. But we come to Him in need, not already complete. God saves us through the work of the Father though the Son by the Spirit.

Prayer: God, I praise you for loving me and knowing what I need. You have saved me and I thank you for helping me see my need for you. I'm saddened by the state of our world and how we often think we don't need you. Lord, change hearts and help people to see their sin. Give me patience with people everywhere. Work through the lives of my children. Keep them safe and draw them each to yourself.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with January being about the doctrine of God.