In The Word
Read: Jude 17-25
Keep Yourselves in the Love of God
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Jude reveals three people that we must continually focus on. The first are people in the world who will reject God and mock our faith. We are to ignore their message and hate their ungodly lifestyle, while at the same time love them and do everything within our power to save them from eternal destruction. If we do not share the gospel message with them, then they may never have an opportunity to turn away from their sin to God. And we will never share the gospel message if we hate them.
The next group is ourselves. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life (Jude 20-21).” We must be diligent to stay strong in the Lord and have the Kingdom of God mindset to stay near to God and far away from the world’s ways.
The third person is Yeshua, who is the only way we will stay strong in our faith and not get stained by the world. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord… (Jude 24-25)” We will never survive or succeed by our own strength, but only by the power of Yeshua through His Holy Spirit.