Dan
I have written several posts examining the metaphors in Jude about troublemakers who lead Christians and the church astray. We all have potential to be such troublemakers, but we also have the potential to live out God’s commandments. We might not be able to do so perfectly, but God is there to meet us in our attempt. One comment that was left on my blog reminded me that Jude has some words of encouragement that I should share as well:
But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. -Jude 1:20-21
These two verses give us some wonderful instructions about how to continue even with troublemakers in our midst or how to change if we find we are the troublemakers ourselves:
- Build yourself up on Holy faith. Our foundation is our faith in Jesus Christ. Everything we do should be built on that faith. In order to build up our faith, we must study and practice our faith.
- Pray in the Holy Spirit. The importance of prayer is paramount. When praying, we should not feel removed from God, or as if we are a lone voice shouting to a distant God. The Holy Spirit is our prayer advocate.
- Keep yourselves in the love of God. Every relationship takes effort. We must make a conscious effort to keep growing in our relationship with God. We can make an effort through do that by prayer, Bible study, and worship.
- Look forward to Mercy. We are all sinners, but God has given us direction. God meets us in our attempt to keep his ordinances. Thanks to His mercy, we know that He stands in where we fall short.
May these words of God build you up and encourage you in the faith.
