Jude 1:20-21 - "Keep Yourselves in the Love of God"

Today, Friday November 26 “Keep Yourselves in the Love of God” Jude 1:20-21 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude is exhorting his readers to stand and not to be stumbling over the lies and deceitfulness of the apostates, and the false teachers. He gives us several things to think about and to do if we are to continue to be faithful and steadfast in our “faith”. We are to remember the Word that was given to us from the Lord! We are also to be growing and building up our lives on that Word, the Holy Spirit. And it is also very important that we pray! The power for building the Christian life comes from prayer. This "building process" in the Christian life involves the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and prayer. But these things, as precious as they are, can become somewhat routine; so Jude added another factor: abiding in God's love (Jude 21). He did not write, "Keep yourselves saved!" because he had already assured them that they were "preserved in Jesus Christ" (Jude 1). Jude wrote, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." Our Lord made a similar statement recounted in John 15:9, "Continue you in My love." To love God and keep yourself in His love means much more than to enjoy a special kind of feeling. Of course, as we grow in grace, we do experience deeper fellowship with the Father (John 14:21-24), and we do have times when He seems very near. The Bible compares this to the love of a husband and wife (Eph. 5:22). Any happily married couple can tell you that love deepens over the years. But it takes more than ecstatic feelings to make a successful marriage—or a successful Christian life! There must also be obedience and mutual concern. "But whoso keeps His Word, in him truly is the love of God perfected" (1 John 2:5). "If ye keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love" (John 15:10). We grow in our love for God as we listen to His Word, obey it, and delight in doing what pleases Him. That is how we keep ourselves in God's love. God's love is a holy love; it is not shallow sentiment. "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil" (Ps. 97:10). To love God is to love what He loves and hate what He hates! We please Him by doing those things that He commands. It is the dedicated, separated Christian who enjoys the deepest fellowship with the Father in the family (2 Cor. 6:14-18). To “keep yourself in the love of God” also means that you reject the lies of the devil when he whispers in your ear that God doesn’t really love you. Satan will tell you if God really loved you, these bad things would not have happened to you! Satan wants you to believe that if God loved you He would not have so much restraint upon your life. He would not be withholding you from having a good time or having whatever you think you want! Your response and answer to this lie of the devil is to constantly remind yourself, that God, once and for all, proved His love to you by sending His Son to die on the cross in your place. (John 3:16) My friend, “keeping yourself in the love of God” means that you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, remembering how He suffered and died for you on an old rugged cross two-thousand years ago! (Hebrews 12:1-4) God’s love is eternal and never fails and you won’t be stumbling, failing or falling when you “keep yourself in the love of God!” God Bless!