Key Text: But ye, believed, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 20-21).
Jude, one of the four half-brothers of Christ, pins his Epistle (letter) to confront apostasy (false teachers) and to urge believers to contend for faith. Jude called for discernment on the part of the Church and a rigorous defense of biblical truth. He described the apostates in terms of their character and unconscionable activities, which included their personal corruption. Even though Jude uses the common salutation of mercy, peace, and love, his epistle was written as a declaration of war against apostates vs 3-4. He was writing to an early Christian community separated from each other by nationality, race, culture, and general outlook on life. Salvation and faith would be the remedy and healing for all their woes. Jude tells the brethren who are faithful how they are to present themselves even in the presence of corruption and where is their security and their peace. According to Jude, there are methods by which we can keep ourselves in the love of God: By “building up yourself on the most holy faith” v 20. Jude was saying that “your trust in Jesus has in it a tendency to produce holiness” This is the foundation on which you are to build a great character. Then, “Faith” is the foundation and it is only the Foundation.
Another way of building up yourself is “praying in the Holy Ghost” v 21. This specialized prayer is breathed into us by the Divine Spirit that will brood over chaos and bring order out of confusion. It is a prayer that will bring light and beauty out of darkness. The best “attitude” for building yourself is to be on our knees and go into battle singing Songs of Zion, which claims victory in the name of Jesus.
After all of the building and all of the praying, we need “mercy” that suits our case. Jude was thinking about the last Day of Judgment and retribution. So, he instructs the brethren to build up the fair fabric of a life and character which shall stand when the tempest comes. And, open our hearts to receive the Spirit who helps the infirmities of our desires. No man is at rest until he has all his heart’s treasures in the one person of Christ. Christ is the only one who is “able to keep us from falling” v 24 and keep us from stumbling over the stumbling-stones that are in the way if you trust Him. That same stumbling-stone can become a stepping-stone to something higher and better. “To Him that is able to present you faultless before the present of His glory with exceeding joy” v 24 will be our deepest thankfulness: “To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever” v 25. AMEN!
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