When the going gets tough... #3
Jude's advice for Christians facing false teaching in troubled times can be summarised in three headings:- Personal Devotion
- Loving Perseverance
- Compassionate Outreach
Jude invites us to "Keep yourselves in God's love". The verb he uses for "keep" is also used for "keeping the law" and "keeping watch". It implies devotion, diligence and alertness.
When we colour inside the lines demarcated by God's love we find peace and joy. Unfortunately we are easily sucked into fear, anger, jealousy, insecurity and many other destructive spaces.
And God's love works in two directions: It impacts how we see and treat ourselves and it impacts how we see and treat others.
But we also have to "wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." The word for "waiting" is the same word used to describe Simeon who was "waiting for the consolation of Israel" (i.e. waiting for the Messiah). His waiting wasn't escapist withdrawal. He was active and responsive.
Keeping ourselves rooted in God's love, while we hopefully wait means that we live constructive lives in a broken world, motivated and comforted by our sure hope in eternal life.
| But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude1:20-23) (Jude1:20-23) |
