“Keep Yourselves in the Love of God” ...the Wayfarer 10/25/13

“Keep Yourselves in the Love of God”
10/25/13

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

(Jude 21)

Today we go to the writings of one of Christ’s followers, known as the general epistle of Jude. He introduces himself as a servant of Jesus, and brother of James, and is thought by many to have been one of Jesus’ earthly brothers.

This particular writer is not as prodigious as others, nor is he as wordy as some.

He confines his epistle to the one short chapter found in our bible just prior to the book of Revelation.

His letter is intended both as warning to, and comfort to those calling themselves Christians, both at the time of writing , and today as well.

“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love be multiplied.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”

(Jude 1-3)

In this brief opening, he establishes who he is, gives a blessing for a greeting, and explains that there is a need to impart information that will assist in the defense of the faith, and to whom that faith had been given.

He tells them, (and us), there is now a need to defend that faith and that is why he chose to write to them.

“For  there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(Jude 4)

Jude gives warning that there are among those who profess to teach the people the way to righteousness, false prophets who in fact deny God through their teachings and actions.

He warns them that this is done purely for their own worldly “benefit” and states that they would turn God’s grace to Lasciviousness, defined as: Licentiousness; wantonness; unbridled lust; conduct and character that is indecent, unbecoming and shameless.

 In other words they pervert the message of the gospels to their own ends, both physical and financial, and have no true faith or belief.

In light of all the scandals that have come out in the not so distant past about those bombarding the airwaves with their requests for more offering money, and those entrusted with the education of young souls, only to abase, and abuse them, this warning is one that must be taken to heart even more so today than at the time of this writing from Jude.

“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts in those things they corrupt themselves.

Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear; clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

(Jude 5-13)

Jude reminds us that even as the Israelites were being taken out of bondage, many lost their faith, gave up hope and returned to the gods that they had worshiped there, only to face the wrath of God himself for having done so.

Those who allowed this abomination, but were not willing participants also paid a high price, never seeing the promised land after wandering in the desert for so long.

He goes on to remind them of the fall of the angels who chose to follow Lucifer, and their eventual punishment, and that yet to come for them on the final day of judgment for all!

Sodom and Gomorrah are referenced, because of their departure from God’s laws and acceptance of every filthy abomination that the perverted among them found pleasurable, which eventually polluted and perverted the entire land around them.

Jude goes on to state that these who are now, and were then among the chosen of God who continued these practices doomed to the same judgment.

He tells us and those at the time, that their presence among us is without doubt, as they seek to use even our charity to profane our faith to their own reward.

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,  prophesied of these saying, Be hold the Lord Cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.”

(Jude 14-18)

Warnings have been sounded from the time of Enoch and still are in need of sounding today about those false prophets, the ones Jesus himself called mockers.

They would lead you astray with their lofty promises and with the things that are so pleasing to this corrupt body we inhabit.

As they promise the rewards of this world so desired by so many, they deny the rewards to be had in the one yet to come, to those having attained that salvation spoken of in the 3rd verse, and deny the sanctification of the grace given only by God himself.

These evil, vile corrupters are to be found in the highest offices of the land, any land, in the bastions of our educational system, as it teaches everything but the facts as presented through scripture, in our science, in our philosophy, and yes, even in far too many pulpits that are being used to the glorification of man, not God!

“These be they who separate themselves, sensual  having not the Spirit.

But ye beloved, 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.

 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless, before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen 

We are to recognize that evil does exist, and that it exists among us. It is readily identifiable, and may easily be overcome.

We are to “Build” ourselves on our most holy faith. This means being willing to know what that faith is in, which in turn means knowing the teachings of Christ, by applying ourselves to study them, and more importantly to live them!

We have the need to pray in The Holy Spirit. This entails far more than reciting words that someone taught us. It requires sincerity of heart, and soul, it requires faith that the prayer is in fact heard by Him, who holds the power to grant our requests.

We are to be compassionate to those who will accept that compassion, show that love demanded us by Jesus…We are also to show the required tough love necessary to those who fail to grasp that love by other means. That means being more than a friend, or a parent that allows their children to make all the wrong choices because they are unwilling to show them the wrongness in those decisions.

When rescuing someone from a fire, if the clothes are on fire, you have to put that fire out as well. Sometimes this requires “rough treatment” of the one being saved.

The same applies to our brethren, in need of guidance as well as our children!  If you love someone, you are willing to sacrifice for them. You are also willing to keep them from harming themselves if at all possible, by any means possible.

 This is the requirement of that love. That love comes with the lesson of teaching the truth of Christ Jesus, and his message of redemption through repentance that each must individually accept for themselves. It will not be accepted, if not taught, both by the words of the scripture, and by the action of the “would be” teacher.

If that love is found within the confines of those with whom you worship, it will be apparent to the world, If not then all the dressing in Sunday best to touch only those you find you are comfortable with, is for naught.

There is only One who is able to keep us upright and from falling. It is on Him alone we should depend, in Him alone should we believe and He alone whom we should serve.

Service requires more than meeting once a week, and ignoring the evil around us.  It requires us to Be who we say we are, Pray what we mean, mean what we pray, and give of our lives, not just our money.

I close once more with the same love always given, not just by myself, but by my Savior, to WHOSOEVER is willing to accept that love. I close also with the warning to those whose only roots lie in the rewards of this world that it is time to

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

I remain as always that same simple sinner saved only through His grace, by faith only in His Son Christ Jesus, still a lowly soldier, whose service and loyalty belong to Him alone.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer