Build Yourselves Up

Jude 20

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

 

Jude's letter is so powerful! In no uncertain terms, he warns the beloved, the body of Christ, to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints. Why? What was the problem? Certain people had crept in unnoticed, ungodly people who pervert the grace of God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. How could they do this? Wouldn't it be noticeable? Apparently not, perhaps these people had joined in these horrible excesses, or perhaps these believers were not watching and praying lest they fall into temptation. Whatever the reason, Jude spoke out strongly!

 

In case these people were not sure how these ungodly people were recognizable, Jude described them vividly. Historically, these ungodly people had surfaced in Sodom and Gomorrah where their lives were characterized by the following activities:

• indulged in sexual immorality
• pursued unnatural desire
• defiled the flesh
• blasphemed the glorious ones
• they were destroyed by their instincts like unreasoning animals   

Others walked in the way of Cain [murder], abandoned themselves for gain like Balaam, or perished in Korah's rebellion. Now they have surfaced again and our characterized by the following: 

• hidden reefs at love feasts, feasting without fear [deceitful, operating under pretense]
• shepherds feeding themselves [not under authority of any shepherd]
• waterless clouds, swept along by winds [the winds of new fads and doctrines]
• fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted [not known by their fruit]
• wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their one shame [wild, without control]
• wandering stars for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved [shifting, no roots]

Jude urged the believers to remember that Jesus will come with 10,000's of His holy ones to execute judgment on all and convict all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds that they committed in such an ungodly manner and of all the ungodly things they have spoken against Jesus. In one verse, v. 15, Jude used the word 'ungodly' 4 times. I think I get the picture. These people were ungodly! They were:

• grumblers,
• malcontents
• following their own sinful desires
• loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
• scoffers, following their own ungodly passions

Strangely enough, most of this last list sounds reasonable. Does this show how far the body has fallen [lowered its standards] while still maintaining a distance from the world. Do we excuse grumbling and being discontented as personality traits. Instead of dealing with these as sins, we follow our own sinful desires paralleling the world but still keeping a respectable distance. Do we show favoritism to get an advantage in the work place, with friendships, or even in the church? Hopefully, we are not scoffers, but sadly we do scoff at people who are vastly different from the world, often saying they are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Jude makes me take a good look at myself.

 

Jude went on to urge them to remember again that the apostles predicted these things would happen in the last days. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. This warning makes so much sense! By building myself up in the faith, praying in the Spirit, and keeping myself in the love of God, I can wait faithfully for Jesus. I am to have mercy on those doubters snatching them out of the fire while still contending for my faith and hating the sin that pollutes so horrendously. Jude's final words are such an encouragement to me! Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all times and now and forever. Amen. It is all of Jesus and His grace. He is my keeper who keeps me from all evil! I will look up to the hills from where my help comes! 

 

Father,

Such a sobering chapter! Send the Spirit's searchlight into the deep places of my heart. Expose the sin that is hidden there. Give me your grace and power to confess and repent. Keep my eyes fixed on the return of Jesus, and teach me how to contend for my faith and not be polluted by the sin that surrounds me.

In the name of my Keeper,

Amen