1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe. 6Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. 8Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings. 9But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” 10But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason. 11Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. 14About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage.
17But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.” 19These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit.
20But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22On some have compassion, making a distinction, 23and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
24Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy, 25to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
The holiness of Yahweh is evident in the unique practices within Israel and in the role of the Levitical System. "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When a man consecrates a person to Yahweh in a vow."
The Levitical laws demonstrate the holiness of God. The Lord is perfect and pure and so requires the perfection of sacrifice before we can enjoy His presence forever (Genesis 3:21; Deuteronomy 32:3-4; Psalms 16:10-11; 40:6-8; 49:7-9; Hebrews 10:1-18). Because sinners are alienated from God’s holiness, the offering of the blood of the sacrifice satisfies the wrath of God against sinners (Romans 3:9-31; 5:6-11). The ritual laws required the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins, that is, to make atonement for souls (Leviticus 17:10-11, 14). The blood of animals was used as a type or symbol of the blood of Christ until Christ actually came to shed His own blood for our sins (Exodus 25:9, 40; 26:30; 27:8; Numbers 8:4; 1 Chronicles 28:9-19; Romans 3:25; Acts 14:16; 17:30-31; Hebrews 8:5; 9:6-10, 23-25; 10:1-18). The dietary laws made a distinction between clean and unclean animals, also to remind the people of the holiness of God (Leviticus 11:1-47; Deuteronomy 14:1-21). God is unique and distinct, and so the people who belong to Him were to be the same among all the peoples of the earth (Leviticus 11:44-45; Deuteronomy 4:1-8; 7:6-11). God is holy; therefore, His people were to be holy (Leviticus 11:44). Now that Jesus Christ has come, the following passages have a bearing on this issue: Mark 7:19; Acts 10:1-11:14; 15:1-29; Colossians 2:16-23; and 1 Timothy 4:1-5. The moral laws of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) or the detailed moral statutes found elsewhere (Exodus 21-23; Leviticus 18 and 20) also demonstrated the holiness of God as opposed to the sinfulness of man. For example, the one who practices sexual immorality defiles himself and violates God’s holiness. The Lord said, “Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled (Leviticus 18:24),” and, “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine (Leviticus 20:26).” The apostle made the same connection by saying, “Flee immorality…glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:18-20),” “if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master (2 Timothy 2:19-22).” Submission to God’s moral law is so vital that when disobedience is the practice, the Scripture says, “I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21).” See also Romans 7:1-6; 13:14; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:9-11; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 5:1-13; Colossians 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 4:3; 2 Peter 2; and Jude 4.