“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” (Jude 20-21 (ESV)
Jude referred to his beloved audience several times throughout his epistle (vs. 3, 5, 12, 17, 18). He did so again in today’s text. Jude referred to them as beloved (ἀγαπητοί; agapetoi). This is in stark contrast to the heretical apostates.
Jude consistently encouraged his fellow believers in Christ to strive in their responsibility to earnestly contend for the truth of God’s Word; “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (vs. 3). He summarized this challenge to the beloved with three verbs in these two verses; consistent with his “triad” writing style. Those words are building, praying, and waiting.
First, believers in Christ are to be building. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith…” Building (ἐποικοδομοῦντες; epoikodomountes) means to strengthen and make more able. It is to increase one’s potential. Who are believers in Christ to presently, actively and collectively strengthen? Themselves, or as Jude wrote, yourselves (ἑαυτοὺς; heautous). Christians have this fundamental responsibility, not for themselves individually but also themselves collectively. God has given believers this responsibility.
What believers are to build upon is their most holy (ἁγιωτάτῃ; hagiotate) faith (πίστει; pistei). This refers to the pure, set apart, and divine doctrine contained in Scripture. True believers in Christ have a sure foundation of truth (I Cor. 3:11), and a cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The doctrines of the Christian faith are found in the teachings of the prophets and apostles of God; respectively in the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, all believers are to strengthen themselves, and each other, in the Word of God (John 17:17; Acts 20;32; 2 Peter 3:18).
“While the godless men enter the Christian community to bring division, Jude commands the readers to build each other spiritually and thus strengthen the unity of the church. Jude writes an apostolic command, for he puts in his own words Paul’s description of the pastor’s role: “To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph. 4:12; also see Col. 2:7; 1 Thess. 5:11). Jude instructs his readers: “You must continue to build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith.” He illustrates his message with a reference to the building trade: build on a foundation,” explains Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker.
Second, believers in Christ are to be praying. “Praying in the Holy Spirit,” Praying (προσευχόμενοι; proseuchomenoi) means to speak to God in a manner obedient to and consistent with the Holy Scriptures. This is why Jude made mention of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Praying presently, personally and collectively in the Holy Spirit does not consist of an ecstatic speech or language. Rather, prayer should contain a thankful, worshipful, understandable and humble demeanor involving one’s mind, emotions and will. Believers are to pray individually and collectively. Consider the following biblical instructions.
9 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13 (ESV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)
“Together Christians must pray continually in the Spirit to show their complete dependence upon God. Jude’s wording is similar to that of Paul, who writes, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18) to oppose the spiritual attacks of Satan. Jude presents the apostolic teaching, known among the early Christians, to pray continually (see 1 Thess. 5:17). He exhorts the believers: “Keep on praying, for you possess the Spirit.” The Spirit takes our feeble prayers and perfects and presents them to God the Father. As Paul tells the church, “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Rom. 8:26),” continues Dr. Kistemaker.
By reading, meditating and studying God’s Word (Psalm 1:1-3; 2. Tim. 2:15) and praying without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17), believers in Christ are able to obey the Lord’s command to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” To keep (τηρήσατε; teresate) is an active command for all believers in Christ. In the context, to keep means to guard, keep watch and to securely have in custody, like a jailer with a prisoner, yourself in God the Father’s love.
“Amid the uncertainties, difficulties, and temptations that surround the believers, Jude admonishes them to keep themselves within the circle of God’s love and literally to stay in that sphere. Christians are recipients of this love when they strive to do God’s will by loving him with heart, soul, and mind and by loving their neighbor as themselves (see Matt. 22:37–39),” states Dr. Kistemaker.
“The phrase the love of God can mean either God’s love for man or man’s love for God. Even though the choice is difficult to make, the context seems to favor God’s love for man. As Jude states in the salutation in verse 1, the readers “are loved by God the Father” (also compare John 15:9–10; 1 John 2:5). God comes to man and surrounds him with divine love; in response man comes to God with human love.”
Finally, believers in Christ are to be waiting. “Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Waiting (προσδεχόμενοι; prosdechomenoi) means to presently, personally and collectively wait for something or someone. In this case, it is both. Christians are not only waiting for the Lord’s mercy (ἔλεος; eleos), which is His compassion, but also eternal life (αἰώνιον ζωὴν; aionion zoen), which is salvation from the presence of sin for eternity. Besides this, we are also waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
4 “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Corinthians 1:4–7 (ESV)
“…waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13 (ESV)
11 “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:11–13 (ESV)
“Building ourselves up in the most holy faith provides the content we need to refute falsehoods. Praying in the Spirit gives us the power we need to stand firm. As we keep ourselves in the love of God, our assurance of the truth of God grows and enables us more confidently to proclaim it. Looking forward to the mercy at the last day gives us hope that our faith in Christ will prevail. Find a small group to encourage you to do these things and stand for the truth.” – Dr. R. C. Sproul
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 