Make Una Stay Inside God Love

One man sit down to write one letter wey go make people happy. Im first words don ready. Then news reach am, and e keep dat letter for side. Something wey urgent pass don get to dey written first.

Di writer na Jude. E grow up for Nazareth, inside di same family with Jesus. Di Gospels count am among di brothers of Jesus, together with James. Like James, e no believe for di beginning. But later, e become follower of im own senior brother, and e call am Lord. Inside im letter, Jude humbly call imself servant of Jesus Christ, and di brother of James. Now e hear say some people don quietly slip enter di churches. Dem dey talk about God grace, but dem dey use am as excuse to do anything wey dem like, and dem dey reject di Lord Jesus. So Jude write.

E start with blessing. To una wey God call, wey God di Father love, wey dem keep for Jesus Christ: make mercy, peace and love dey multiply for una. Then e explain. My dear friends, I really want write to una about di salvation wey we share. But I see say I must write and beg una make una fight hard for di faith wey dem don hand over to God holy people once and for all. To fight hard for am mean to struggle for am, like athlete, or like person wey dey defend something wey dey precious. No be to invent new faith, but to hold di one wey dem don already hand down.

Jude remind dem of stories wey dem don already know from di scriptures. Di Lord rescue im people comot from Egypt, and yet after dat, di ones wey no believe die for di wilderness. E remind dem of Cain, of Balaam wey love money, of Korah wey rebel against Moses. Then e paint strong pictures of dis false teachers, wey e take from di world around am. Dem be like clouds wey no get water, wey breeze dey blow up and down, wey promise rain but no give any. Like trees for di end of di season wey no get any fruit. Like wild waves of di sea, wey dey foam out dia shame. Like stars wey dey wander, wey no fit help anybody find road. Jude talk say di apostles don warn say for di last times, mockers go dey, wey dey follow dia own desires. Dis people dey cause division, e talk, and dem no get di Spirit.

But una, my beloved. Now Jude turn to di faithful ones, and im voice soft. Build yourselves up inside una most holy faith. Pray inside di Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves inside di love of God, as una dey wait for di mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ wey dey bring life wey no get end. And show mercy to di ones wey dey doubt. Rescue others, e talk, snatch dem comot from di fire. Then Jude finish with one of di most beautiful blessings for di whole Bible. Now to di One wey fit keep una make una no fall, and wey fit present una without fault before im glory with joy wey too much, to di only wise God our Saviour, make glory and majesty, power and authority be im own, now and forever. Amen. Jude don tell dem make dem keep demselves inside God love. And e end as e remind dem say na God dey keep dem.

Di church historian Eusebius keep one story from one earlier writer, Hegesippus, about di grandchildren of Jude. Di emperor Domitian, wey no trust anybody wey connect to di royal family line of David, make dem bring dem come before am. Dem tell am say dem get only one small farm, wey dem dey work with dia own hands, and dem show am dia hands wey don hard from work. When di emperor see say dem be simple farmers, e let dem go.

Make una stay inside God love. You go find di short letter of Jude just before di book of Revelation. Hold di faith tight, show mercy to people wey dey doubt, and trust di God wey fit keep you make you no fall. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin dey help you stay close to God love, and who you fit help make dem stay close too?