“Beloved Brethren”

Tuesday, October 08, 2024

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 1:20,21)

The New Testament is full of admonitions to warn the disciples of those challenges that may cause them to lose their faith. Fewer of the New Testament letters are more pointed than Jude.

This short letter begins with an exhortation to contend for the faith. Already false teachers had crept in and turned the grace of God into the license to sin. These words are also appropriate today. Consider four ways to avoid falling away.

First, we must stay true to the apostolic message.(vs.17) It is evident that Jude’s letter was written after the letters of Peter and Paul. “The faith“ is a reference to the final, objective body of truth given by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 3:1–3). “The faith“ given by God, gives each disciple a solid validation for a life that pleases God.

Second, we must build ourselves up in the most holy faith. (Vs. 20) God did not put us here on an island, but provided a family of believers for the purpose of accountability and mutual encouragement. Paul speaks (Ephesians 4:16) of each member of the body doing its share and helping each other. It is hard to stand alone, but thankfully God gave us a spiritual community to help us in our journey with him.

Third, we must pray in the Holy Spirit. Our prayers must be in sincerity and truth. In faith, we must pray, nothing wavering. Our prayers must be in holiness, which are guided by the direction of a spirit of Grace. We must pray in love, lifting, holy hands without wrath which is also guided by the Holy Spirit. Without prayer man shows himself to be destitute of the Spirit. What a great resource have the saints in building up of their spiritual life.

Fourth, we must keep ourselves in the love of God. It is tempting to slide into the world of self-love where one falls to the things that are forbidden by God. Frequent reminders of God’s amazing love, coupled with the assurance of the return of a merciful Savior, can be a powerful incentive to stay on the right path. (2 Corinthians 5:14) But our continuance within it demands we persevere in building up the structure of a holy life on the foundation of the faith; that we nourish, and strengthen that life by prayer, and that we keep the eye of expectation on the future.

So we have a choice of either using those tools that God has given us continue on our journey, or to neglect them and fall away. Dearly, beloved, what path are you on?

By George Slover

 

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