"Building, Praying, Keeping, Expecting"

“Building, Praying, Keeping, Expecting”

 

But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.  Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.      Jude 1:20-23

 

In Jude’s letter to his fellow believers, after reminding them of what the Apostles had said about the apostates, he is compelling them to take heed of themselves.  He gives them a list of four things they NEED to do.

 

First, he tells them, “AS you BUILD yourselves up in your most holy faith,” The “BUILDING up” of themselves in their FAITH was a CONTINOUS situation.  They were to grow and mature in their holy faith, and they did that by studying and applying what the Apostles were teaching, and for the believers today, that would be the Holy Scriptures, God’s Holy Word, the Holy Bible.

 

Secondly, they were to, “PRAY in the Holy Spirit,”  Jude meant that they should be PRAYING sincerely from their HEARTS and SOULS that are indwelt by  and filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God.  Ephesians 6:18 says, “PRAY at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”  Again, this is to be a CONTINOUS situation.   In other words, believers are to PRAY in the POWER of the Holy Spirit.

 

Thirdly, Jude instructs them to, “KEEP themselves in the love of God.”  As the believer enters a close, intimate relationship with Father God, they are being nurtured in the LOVE that God has for them, and will produce a HEALTHY, STRONG relationship with their Heavenly Father.

 

Fourthly, Jude encourages the believers to be “EXPECTING the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.”  Waiting for the return of Christ to come and catch away His Church, the TRUE believers.  The RAPTURE of His Church will be the all conclusive evidence of His MERCY, which will bring them to a never-ending, truly abundant life in the presence of the Almighty God.

 

Because of the confusing rhetoric of the apostates some believers were in doubt about whether they should follow them. Jude instructs the more grounded believers to treat them mercifully.  They needed to be encouraged NOT criticized.  They needed some “BUILDING UP” NOT to be torn down.

The others, the unsaved were headed to an ETERNAL fire.  Jude compelled his readers to SNATCH them from the fire, to bring them to the SAVING knowledge of Jesus Christ.  They were to show MERCY, but they were to also FEAR or be cautious lest they be contaminated by the sin.

 

Where do you stand, today?  Are you a believer or an unbeliever?  If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you stand in jeopardy of being lost forever and facing the ETERNAL fire of Hell.  However, you NOW have the opportunity to change your destination by:  Coming to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and escape the ETERNAL fire of Hell and receive the MERCY and GRACE of the Almighty God.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!