The guide of Jude, because it nears its conclusion, features a pair of apparently paradoxical statements. First, Jude encourages the Christians to whom he writes, “Preserve yourselves within the love of God” (v. 21), exhorting them to do the sensible work that it takes to stay trustworthy to the Lord Jesus. Alternatively, in his nice doxological conclusion, Jude praises God because the one “who is ready to hold you from stumbling” (v. 24). We hold ourselves, and God additionally retains us.
As in Philippians 2:12–13, Jude reveals us that we work, and God works. God’s grace has began us off, and God’s grace will carry us to completion—and within the shadow of God’s wing we labor to do what He says, clinging to Him as our hope.
If, nonetheless, in God’s grace we’re to maintain ourselves, a query arises: How? The Puritan pastor William Jenkyn, in 1652, printed a commentary on Jude during which he presents sensible counsel on how we will go about maintaining ourselves. Three steps particularly are price our consideration.
We Preserve Ourselves by Hating Sin
Jenkyn says we could hold ourselves in God’s love, first,
by maintaining ourselves in a relentless hatred of all sin. As like to sin grows, like to God will decay. These are as two buckets; because the one comes up, the opposite goes down.
We can not hold ourselves within the love of God if we’re taking part in quick and free with willful sin, permitting ourselves luxuries and privileges that God doesn’t. “Whoever needs to be a buddy of the world,” James reminds us, “makes himself an enemy of God” (4:4).
You could bear in mind, if you have been younger, wanting ahead to your favourite meal. You couldn’t wait. However, as you waited, maybe you bought your self a sweet bar and a big smooth drink on the nook retailer. And because you have been there, you threw in a bag of chips as effectively. By the point you bought to the dinner desk, your mom, or grandmother, or whoever cooked for you, would have mentioned, “Why aren’t you consuming? I assumed you liked this.”
“I do like it,” you replied.
“Then what’s happening?”
“I assume I crammed myself up with issues that I shouldn’t have.”
We do the identical factor with willful sin. As we fill our souls up with what God has forbidden us, we drive a wedge between ourselves and our heavenly Father. We discover that after we come to the Scriptures and are available to prayer, we would nibble on the edges, however, already crammed up with sinful pleasures, we don’t have a lot want to fill ourselves with the Bread of Life nor a lot pleasure in what we do eat.
Sin and godliness can not reside collectively. We have to actively select to keep away from the junk and fill ourselves up with the bread of life.
We Preserve Ourselves by Selecting Good Pals
Second, we could hold ourselves in God’s love
by maintaining ourselves within the delight of God’s pals and favourers, who will ever be talking effectively of him, and by taking heed of these misrepresentations that sinners make of him and his methods.
We perceive, after all, that we aren’t to so isolate ourselves from the world as to forged away each alternative to indicate the love of Christ to unbelievers. But we will reside on this planet in order to not like it, and we will put together our hearts and minds for the slander that the world ranges towards God in order that we would not be tempted to consider it.
In the meantime, recognizing the affect our pals have over us, for good or for sick, we wish to foster our richest relationships with those that share our love for the Lord. Relationships are a restricted assets; most individuals can solely keep just a few intimate friendships at any given time. We wish to make pals of the chums of God, who may help us love Him all of the extra.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne is alleged to have mentioned {that a} congregation’s best want will not be a gifted pastor however a godly one. Whether or not or not M’Cheyne truly mentioned it, the purpose stands as a powerful one—and the identical might be mentioned of our friendships. Many traits could also be fascinating in a buddy; none will serve us greater than his or her godliness, which can encourage our personal.
We Preserve Ourselves by Delighting within the Sacraments
Lastly, we could hold ourselves in God’s love
by maintaining ourselves in delight of the ordinances, whereby his glory and sweetness are displayed, and communion with himself is loved, and our love is elevated by these in exercising it.
In different phrases, we must take pleasure in and rejoice within the Lord’s Supper and baptism. These are Christ’s presents to the church, to signify Himself to us by way of outward indicators.
The unhappy actuality is that many individuals at present simply toy with the ordinances. It hardly issues to them whether or not they’re baptized or not. To overlook Communion week after week will not be of a lot consequence. However we will’t hold ourselves within the love of God whereas avoiding the technique of grace, for the technique of grace are given to allow us to maintain ourselves within the love of God.
Keep The place It’s Sizzling
An outdated coal hearth helps for instance our level. A lump of coal within the hearth amongst all the opposite lumps ignites and burns with the assistance of all of the power round it. A coal taken from the blaze and set to at least one facet of the fireplace quickly dwindles chilly and dim. It has grow to be remoted from the context that enables it to develop and glow vivid.
So it’s with us. If we’re to heed the command to “hold your non secular fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11 NIV), then we must take make each effort. We will do that by avoiding sin, clinging to God’s folks, and profiting from the God-given technique of grace. With God’s assist, we are going to burn vivid, and brighter nonetheless daily.
This text was tailored from the sermons “‘Now to Him…’” and “Remembering and Retaining” by Alistair Begg.
