Jude 1:20-21 KJV – “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.”
Beyond the familiar closing doxology, many Christians know little about the book of Jude. Yet a careful study of Jude’s exposé of the wickedness of apostates and their destructive heresies is greatly needed today. Jude’s brief, one-chapter letter is a powerhouse of theology coupled with tender exhortation. I appreciate that about the Bible. God never gives us truth without showing us what to do about it.
And how does Jude say you can counter the attacks of false teachers? Build yourself up on your “most holy faith.” Strong, resilient faith comes from knowing, and applying the entirety of God’s Word—line upon line, precept upon precept, Old and New Testaments—It has the power to challenge, change, and develop your faith. Don’t let your Bible gather dust!
Building ourselves up also includes “praying in the Holy Spirit,” yet too often, our prayers fall short of the scope of what God wants to do. But the person who prays in the Spirit will humbly admit, “Lord, I don’t know how to pray right now, or I don’t know how to handle this, but You do. Instead of my agenda, I surrender to Your will.” Oh, how God delights in answering those kinds of prayers.
Beloved of God, He initiated a grand loving relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ. Do all that you can to preserve and deepen your relationship with Him. And as a lover waits longingly for their beloved, turn your gaze heavenward in anticipation of Christ’s soon return.
