Loving and Looking Unto Jesus
This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.
Verse 20 and 21, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."
So far we have considered from Jude the need to be built up as the people of God, building our lives upon the foundation of God's Word, upon the gospel of saving grace, upon the Apostles' doctrine, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith." Last time we considered the priority of prayer. God's Word and prayer go together. We should see that in the Scriptures. God's people are to be a praying people. Prayer is an act of faith. It's an acknowledgement of God. It's a holy approach to God as our Father. Approaching with reverence, as we noted last time, with confidence, knowing that God alone can supply what is necessary to spiritual life and growth in grace. Prayer is that humble admission of need. It's coming to our Father in Heaven, the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
And in simple terms, prayer is talking to your Father with childlike faith, trusting Him, offering up to Him your desires for that which is agreeable to the Father's will. To pray means turning away from self to God. Turning to God with confidence in His power that He will do as He has said in His Word. He will accomplish His purposes. And we are to seek to pray in the Holy Spirit, praying according to His will or in His name.
We pray in Jesus' name, not just tacking on the name of Jesus at the end of our prayers, but that is praying under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, as He would wish, on the basis of who He is and what He desires, in line with His will. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this way. In Matthew 6, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays down that model or that pattern for our praying. Christians pray. That is assumed. God's people pray.
And in Matthew 6, Jesus said, verse 5, "When you pray." "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites seeking glory of men." Verse 6, "But when you pray, you pray to your Father in Heaven." Verse 7, "When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition." But, verse 9, "Pray then in this way: “‘Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.'"
Praying in the Holy Spirit. To pray a right with right motives for right ends, Jude says, “build yourselves up on your most holy faith.” Be built up in the Word, praying in the Holy Spirit. This is to pray in the sphere of the Holy Spirit or with the aid of the Holy Spirit as one who is dependent on God, the Holy Spirit, for everything. We're not only to walk in the Spirit—that is, our whole life, our conduct, our pattern of living, our whole life under His care and direction—but we are to pray in the Spirit under the guidance and influence of the Holy Spirit in accord with the rule of His Word, in line with His will, with faith, with fervency for the glory of God. That's the work of the Holy Spirit in us. "He shall glorify Me," Christ said. He is that Spirit of truth who leads you in the path of righteousness.
So far, we have considered these two weapons that we are to take up in the arsenal of faith as we contend for the faith—the weapons that keep us from being deceived, that help us to be discerning, and help us to persevere in the truth. The first one was edification: building upon the most holy faith, that sure foundation of the inspired Word dwelling in the Scriptures, the Scriptures dwelling in us, the complete body of God's revealed truth, which He has given to us, which is sufficient to save our souls for time and for eternity. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom, and it will teach you," Colossians 3:16.
The second weapon: Spirit-directed supplication, praying in the Holy Spirit. As we've noted already, living under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit who seeks to continue the work of Christ within you. That's the reason He was given. "I'm going to give you another Comforter, one just like Me, one who will continue the work of Christ in us," sanctifying us, making us more like our Lord—praying in the Holy Spirit. That is praying to be guided by the Spirit of truth. It is praying for the progress of the gospel in us. It is praying for grace to live in a way that glorifies and honors our God. It is praying ultimately in the Spirit for the glory of God. That is our chief end. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
And now today we come to the next two weapons in the arsenal of faith that keep us strong and contending for the Lord. He says in verse 21, "Keep yourselves," keeping “yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” That deep, growing affection, that love for God. He says maintain a warm and ever-growing love for Jesus. Beloved, “keep yourselves in the love of God." Dwell in the sphere of God's love and walk in obedience considering your salvation. And He says do it not only with deep affection, but do it with eager anticipation, expectation, "waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."
Keep or keeping yourselves—we've already noted that word. It's the Greek word *terio*, which means to attend carefully, to take care of, to guard, to be watchful. Keep, be on your guard. It has that idea of watchfulness, and it's the same word that Jesus uses in John 17 in that high priestly prayer when He prays to His Father that God's people, those given to the Son by the Father, would be kept to the very end. He's watching out for us. He's caring for us. He's attending to all our needs. He ever lives to pray for us. It's the same word, keep. It means to attend carefully, to take care of, or to guard.
He says keep or keeping yourselves—be watchful. And that is the whole idea behind this little letter as we discovered in verse 3. Jude says, I was going to write to you about the wonders of your salvation and the salvation that we enjoy in common in Christ, but I was so compelled by the Spirit, I felt it necessary to immediately put pen to paper and write to you that you earnestly contend for the faith. Be watchful. Be on your guard. Guard above all your heart. Guard your heart with all diligence, setting your affections on things above, not on the things of the earth. And He says keep.
Keep yourselves. Keep yourselves in, in the love of God. That is, within. Stay in. It means to dwell or to abide in the love of God. He's saying remain or continue in the love of God. Stay within the sphere or the circle of God's love. Focused, fixed on the love of God as a source of real encouragement in your daily walk.
And so, when He says here, “keep yourselves in the love of God,” this is a call to obedient living, considering God's love and mercy. As Paul, writing in Romans 12, exhorted the believers there, he said, "I beseech you. I beg you. I plead with you in light of the mercies of God." What should you do? You present yourself. You give yourself as a living sacrifice to God, living, holy, acceptable, pleasing to God. This is your reasonable service. This is your spiritual worship. You're to live out the gospel day by day. Exemplify the power of the gospel that you profess, keeping yourselves in the love of God.
Your life is to be a sweet-smelling aroma to God, a fragrance that is sweet and pleasing to God. And what could be more edifying, more encouraging, more conducive to obedience and motivating us to serve God with that undivided loyalty and love than a consideration of His love for us, that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son? "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4). Love. Love builds up. We've been thinking about edification. God's love is that which builds us up. The love of Christ compels us. It constrains us to serve Him.
And Jude says here, keeping yourselves in the circle of God's love. As John MacArthur would say, keep yourselves in the place where you experience the blessing of God's love, the blessing that God's love brings, in the place where you enjoy the fullness of His love, as obedient children. And that's the idea here. This is the positive injunction. Indeed, the verb "keep" or "keeping" there in the Greek, it's an imperative. It's a command. Something you must do. This positive injunction.
We are to love God, and we are to live in obedience to God, as walking worthy of Him as dear children. And that's what Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 5, how we are to be followers, or we are to be imitators of God as beloved children. Walking how? Walking in love. The whole course or pattern of our life, our behavior, our conduct, our service, is given out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ. We walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, which is well-pleasing. It's a fragrant aroma.
That's how we are to live, as obedient children walking in love, our lives an offering to God, in service to the One who loved us, a sweet savor to God. And no doubt we're brought to think here of that parent-child relationship. That's how we are to walk, with such reverence for our Father in Heaven, fearing God, worshiping God, loving God, maintaining that communion and that fellowship with God.
Because I don't want to go in a way that displeases my Father in Heaven, and turning from the right way, find myself chastened and corrected or disciplined by my Father, as we learn in Hebrews chapter 12. So you think of it in these terms, in terms of that parent-child relationship. Don't put yourself in the place of disobedience, requiring discipline, but seek to serve God with your whole heart, out of love. Don't put yourself in that place where the Father must correct you as a wayward child. Don't get yourself into a position where you're going to feel or bring upon yourself God's displeasure. You're called to walk in obedience.
And that is wonderfully illustrated for us in the Gospel of John, chapter 15. As we follow on from what was read earlier in the beginning of the service, John 15 verse 9, we read, "Just as the Father has loved Me," Christ said, "I have also loved you; abide in My love." Dwell in, stay in, continue in, remain in My love. “Abide in My love.” What does it mean to abide in My love? Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love." It's walking in obedience to the commands of God, to the will of God. "Just as I have kept My Father's commandments," He did, always, those things that pleased the Father, "and abide in His love."
And He says, "These things have I spoken to you,” for this reason, “so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."
If you want to know the joy and the fullness and the blessing of God, walk in obedience to His commands, abiding in His love, loving Him. This is a positive injunction. Stay in the circle of God's love, the circle of His love and blessing, dear child of God. You know, when I thought of that, I couldn't help but think about the little children's chorus. God's love is like a circle. I don't know if you've heard it. "God's love is like a circle, a circle big and round, and when I see a circle, no ending can be found. That's like the love of Jesus. It goes on eternally, and when I see a circle, I know that God loves me." Isn't that wonderful?
When we contemplate the love of God for us, it's unending. It's eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, and I am to stay right in the center of that circle, the center of His love, abiding in His love. And we need to understand that Jude isn't talking here about working to keep your salvation, as if you could somehow lose your salvation. That's not what he's talking about. This imperative, keep yourself in the circle of God's love, means as obedient children, fixed and focused on the love of God, you're surrounded. You are encompassed by the love of God. You are to abide in His love, be loyal and obedient. "Continue in My love," the Lord said.
So he's not talking about keeping your salvation, or working to keep your salvation. That can't be, because we know already that Jude has said in the beginning and at the end of this chapter, that every believer is eternally secure in Christ. We are those who are called, verse 1, called out of the world. We are beloved of God, in God the Father. That is, we are divinely loved ones, and we are kept by God. Kept for Jesus Christ. The chapter begins, and it ends with this affirming word. Jude affirms the absolute eternal security of every child of God, saved by grace. Verse 1, we are kept for Jesus Christ. And the wonderful benediction in verse 24, you are kept from stumbling, and Christ will present you before the Father in glory, blameless, with great joy.
You are kept for Jesus Christ, and you are kept by Jesus Christ. And that wonderful benediction emphasizes the power of Christ to keep His own to the very end. He will lose none of His. Christ not only saves, but He keeps us secure. He preserves us, His faithful church. And one day, He's going to present His people, every faithful believer, faultless, in His presence, with great joy. How glorious is that?
So we can't be talking about the believer getting to the place where he could lose his salvation. In fact, Romans 8—you just read Romans 8. God is working all things together for the believer, to those who are called according to His purpose. And nothing, no one, no devil, no angel, no circumstance, can ever separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:31–39 makes that abundantly clear. Nothing can ever eternally separate the Christian from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
But He says, you're to be keeping yourselves in the love of God. That is, we're to cultivate love for God. We're to guard our heart. We're to guard our relationship with the Father. Keep your heart, guard it, tend to it with watchfulness. "Keep the heart with all diligence," we read in Proverbs, "because out of it are the issues of life." There are plenty of other things that are contending for your love, vying for your love.
Don't love the world, John tells us. Do not love the world, the things of the world, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Don't love the things of this world. Set your affections on things above, on the things of God. Don't be like Demas, Paul said. He has forsaken me, having loved this present age, this present evil world. Don't get sidetracked. We're to cultivate and to walk in love for God.
And so He says here, God has given us His Word, He has given us His Spirit, and one of the chief functions or work of the Spirit within us is to lead us in truth. He is the Spirit of truth. God has given His very Spirit for this reason: to lead us in truth, seeking to promote the fruit of the Spirit, which we find in Galatians chapter 5, the fruit of the Spirit unto life, seeking to promote spiritual life and love for God, glorifying God in our lives, making the things of Christ real to us, making us love the Lord more, and love the right things, and love what God loves.
And as we dwell in the Word, as we pray in the Spirit, God will fan the flame of your love for Jesus, and love for Jesus fuels the fire of your devotion. It causes your heart to burn. "Did not our hearts burn within us," the two on the Emmaus road said? Did not our hearts burn within us, "when He opened the Scriptures to us, when He revealed Himself, disclosed Himself to us, and we learned something more about the way of God, His truth?" It fuels the fire of your devotion, and it moves you. It motivates you to service.
We love Him because He first loved us, and just as we are to walk in the Spirit, we must also walk in love for Christ. That is, moving, acting upon His Word, fixed on His love, pursuing Christ at every turn, seeking to live in blessed obedience to our Lord. That's our calling. Walk in love as obedient children, keeping yourselves in the love of God.
It's a positive imperative, a command, and it's necessary because if you were to flip it and say it from the negative side—in other words, don't leave your first love, like the Ephesians in Revelation 2. Don't grow cold and indifferent and leave your first love. Don't let the fire go out. Don't let that love for Jesus cool off or wane. And so not only is it a positive injunction, but it's a necessary caution because we know our hearts.
I know my heart, and I can sing in truth that hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Tune my heart to sing Thy grace, to sing of the streams of mercy never ceasing," because I'm prone to wander. "Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." And so this is a necessary caution, as Jude says, remember. Remember the word, verse 17. "Remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." Build yourself up in the word. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Why? Why keep yourselves? Because I'm so prone to wander. I'm so prone to stray from the Lord, and there needs to be that spirit of self-distrust. I don't trust my own heart. "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" And self-distrust is good if it leads us to trust in God more, to rely on Him more, to look to Him more, so that we never stray from the path of obedience to Christ. Not like those in Psalm 95:10, "A people who wander in their heart, And they don't know My ways," the Lord said.
You know, we need to know the ways of the Lord. We need to be built up in the word, because we're prone to stray. We're prone to wander from the Lord. But it's a necessary caution, a reminder as well, because we're the target of the enemy's attack. Yet, not only is my heart prone to stray, but I'm the target of the enemy's attack. We're assaulted on every side. By continual temptations all around us, the adversary takes aim at us, shooting the fiery darts of temptation.
And we read, "Put on the armor of God." Beware of the wiles of the devil. He would shoot his fiery darts at you. He would seek to bring you down. His craft and power are great. He's armed with cruel hate. Don't rest easy. Don't become complacent. Remind yourself that the enemy is real, and he's mighty, and he's deceptive, and he goes around as a roaring lion, seeking to devour. So, keep yourself in the love of God, because you know your heart. You're prone to wander. You are the target of the enemy's attack.
But it may be that you've become secure, or complacent, negligent. Sometimes we think we're exempt from sin, and we can become complacent, thinking, I'm beyond danger, you know. That's when we need to take heed to our ways, lest we fall. "Pride comes before destruction." And though, believer, maybe you're a mature believer, and you've been on the road many years, and you've traveled down this road for years, you need to keep in mind, and be reminded that the enemy is relentless.
It doesn't matter how long you've been walking on this road of faith. And if you're enjoying a time of blessing, and peace, and security now, be on your guard. We need this caution. Keep yourselves in the love of God. If we're enjoying that time of peace, don't become complacent. Don't rest easy. Don't think you've ever arrived. You know, you read Paul in Philippians 3. He says, "I press on. I press toward the mark of the prize." I haven't arrived. I know my heart. I know there's so much more to do. I know that I'm not where I should be. He lamented at times, Romans 7, "The wretched man that I am." You know, we can't let down our guard. We are prone to wander like silly sheep. We are the target of the enemy's attack. We are apt to grow secure and negligent, thinking we're okay. Maybe like the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3, blind to the reality of your spiritual condition, that you're not living as close to God as you once did, and you think you're okay. You think you're rich and plentiful. But if you don't keep the fire of devotion burning, you're apt to grow cold in heart.
That's another reason why we need this reminder. Thomas Manton said, "This life is never exempted from care." We're in a battle. It's never exempt from care, either to get grace or to keep it. We need to be watchful and diligent to the last, to the very end. That's what he says here, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the very end, keeping yourselves in the love of God.
There's a very real danger. And how does it start? When you begin to neglect the Word of God and you're not being built up in your most holy faith? When you leave off prayer and you're not enjoying that fellowship with God as you once did? There's a very real danger of losing out with God, of falling under His fatherly displeasure, growing cold in heart, or even worse, making shipwreck of your life. And He says, be on your guard because in a single moment we need to be watchful, to be ready for the Lord's coming, He says. In a single moment, a lifetime of service, a lifetime of praying, a lifetime of striving, a lifetime of teaching and preaching can be brought to naught. And we've seen that. We have observed that in those who were once faithful. He says, don't let your heart grow cold, listless, lifeless, careless, forgetful, bent to sin, bent away from God. Don't leave your first love.
Do you remember seasons of intimate fellowship and communion with God? There was a time when you can recall sweeter times in the presence of God, in the Word of God, but now it may be, sadly, your heart is cold and you don't pick up the Word as often as you once did. You don't take that time to pray. There's no time to pray, no heart for prayer, and you're no longer enjoying the company of God's people that is meant to edify and build up, these things that are given for our edification, building us up in our most holy faith, a means of grace.
But now it just seems very mechanical, and there's a going through the motions in a mechanical way, but you lack that passion, that love, that power that you once knew and enjoyed. The fire is dim. There's no joy, no power, no fervency. What's happened? How did you get here? Don't leave your first loves, John says. "Remember from where that once you have fallen and repent and do the first works." Get back to the basics. Get back to doing the simple things again, cultivating that love for Christ in His Word and in the place of prayer.
Remember, repent, and return, and the Lord will receive you. Don't leave your first love. If you don't keep the fire of devotion burning—this is a necessary reminder—if you don't keep the fire of devotion burning, you're apt to go cold in heart. You're either growing for the better or for the worse. We want to be built up in the faith. 2 Peter 1:5–10 talks about that growth in grace and the need for sanctification. Peter says, applying all diligence, add to your faith. With all the more diligence, pursue Christ, seek to increase in grace, fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ—2 Peter 1:5–10. And he says, "For,” if these things are in you, “if these things are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. For in whom these things are not present, that one is blind, being nearsighted, having forgotten the purification from his former sins. Therefore, brothers,” sisters, “be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure; for in doing these things you will never stumble."
And that warning in verse 10—don't be short-sighted. Don't lose sight of your Savior. If these things are not in you and you're not fruitful and blessed, it's because you're blind to the reality that your sins have been purged and washed in the blood of Jesus. You're short-sighted and forgetful. And he says, don't forget to check your blind spots. Keep yourselves in the love of God, loving the Lord more. More love to Thee, O Christ. More love to Thee. That should be our desire, that we would increase in the grace of love for Christ. And so he says, turn your eyes. Turn your eyes to Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. Look unto Jesus, and the things of this earth will grow dim.
And really, that's the fourth weapon. Not only keep yourselves in the love of God, but he says, "Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." The fourth weapon in the Christian's arsenal of faith, the fourth strategy to survive the assault of the enemy, is found here in verse 21b: "Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." That you live in such obedience to the Lord, you're walking in love for the Lord, that you're ready. You're ready for His appearing at any moment. At any time, you are looking with eager anticipation for the return of Christ. He's coming again. This same Jesus who ascended up on high, we read in Acts 1—He's coming again, and we need to be ready. And Jude says, live with that eager anticipation, expectation of future glory. In other words, live now in light of Christ's return. As one who not only longs for that day, who groans for that day, but is ready for that day, "Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ," that final mercy.
The mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life, that brings us into glory. Our glorification—that final mercy. This is what we look for. And as Paul, writing to Titus in Titus 2:11, said, "For the grace of God has appeared." Christ has come the first time. He's appeared, "Bringing salvation to all men, instructing us." How are we to live? "Denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age." Why? Because we're “looking for that blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works."
We're looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Waiting or looking for that final mercy—*eleos*—mercy, mercy. God's display of tender compassion to those who find themselves in a miserable state: guilty, deserving of death, but now God has shown mercy. Mercy is that divine favor that is brought to us through all the Savior did for us in His life, in His death, in His resurrection, in His ascension. And mercy speaks to the amazing truth that God—God does not deal with us, believer—God does not deal with us after our sins or reward us according to our iniquities.
Psalm 103:10, But He deals with us in mercy, compassion, love. "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness to those who fear Him." The mercy of God, as Matthew Henry said, "The mercy of God is the spring and the fountain of all the good that we have and hope for in Christ." God is a merciful God, and we're waiting for that final mercy when He will receive us into His glorious presence. He's a God of mercy. God is a God of enduring and abundant mercy. He's plenteous in mercy.
"Psalm 138:8" and "Ephesians 2:4"—we know it is by His great mercy we are saved. Where would we be apart from the mercy, the grace, the love of God? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." We're saved because of the mercy and the grace of God, and we're waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
His mercy endures forever. It's by His mercy we are saved. "The Lamentations" tells us God's mercies are new every morning. "Great is His faithfulness." And Jude tells us here in Jude 1:2 that “God's mercies are multiplied,” and they extend to eternal life. We are kept by the power of God until that day—until the day of our presentation in the presence of God with great joy, the day of final fulfillment when God fulfills His promises of mercy to sinners like us. But God, who is rich in mercy.
And so these are the things we focus on. These are the four things that Jude exhorts us to focus on: the Word of God—be built up in your faith upon the living and abiding Word of God—in prayer, in obedience, and in hope. This is how we live. We allow the certain reality of God's mercy and final glorification to keep us steadfast. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain. And seeing you have this hope, we're looking with eager anticipation for it. We're waiting for it. Seeing you have this hope, John says, "Purify yourself." "1 John 3:3. There's coming a day when we will behold our God, and we will be like Him, and we will see Him as He is. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." It's all because of His mercy and His grace.
Believer, you're not in hell today. I'm not in hell. I will never be in hell. I'm like that brand snatched from the fire, from the burning that Jude talks about here. And I'm looking with eager anticipation for the return of my Savior in glory. Keep yourselves in the love of Christ, waiting with eager anticipation, ready for His coming at any moment.
J. C. Ryle, the Bishop of Liverpool, he gave this warning in one of his writings. He said, “It may be of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this I believe will surprise us most, that we did not love Christ more.” That we did not love Christ more. More love to Thee, O Christ. More love to Thee. We will wish that we had given Him more. Is He not worthy of our love and our wholehearted devotion and service? May we love Him more and more each day and wait eagerly for His return. Christ is coming again to receive His people unto Himself. And what a day that will be. What a day we're looking forward to. We will stand before His presence with great joy and sing with all the saints, “Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” He's worthy. Is He worthy? He is.
And I close with this word from Spurgeon. C. H. Spurgeon said, “Love to God produces a desire to be with Him. A desire to be like Him. A longing to be with Him eternally in heaven. And this breaks us away from worldliness. This keeps us from idolatry and has a most blessed, sanctifying effect upon us. Producing that elevated character which is now so rare, but which wherever it exists is powerful for the good of the church and for the glory of God.” Keeping yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. What a day that will be. A day we look forward to. A day when we will see His face. We will see His face and we will be like Him. In a moment we'll be changed. And all the evil, sinful consequences of life in a fallen world will be gone.
Therefore, beloved, be steadfast, persevere, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain. Let us keep on fighting the good fight of faith. Our labor is not in vain.
Let's pray.
So far we have considered from Jude the need to be built up as the people of God, building our lives upon the foundation of God's Word, upon the gospel of saving grace, upon the Apostles' doctrine, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith." Last time we considered the priority of prayer. God's Word and prayer go together. We should see that in the Scriptures. God's people are to be a praying people. Prayer is an act of faith. It's an acknowledgement of God. It's a holy approach to God as our Father. Approaching with reverence, as we noted last time, with confidence, knowing that God alone can supply what is necessary to spiritual life and growth in grace. Prayer is that humble admission of need. It's coming to our Father in Heaven, the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
And in simple terms, prayer is talking to your Father with childlike faith, trusting Him, offering up to Him your desires for that which is agreeable to the Father's will. To pray means turning away from self to God. Turning to God with confidence in His power that He will do as He has said in His Word. He will accomplish His purposes. And we are to seek to pray in the Holy Spirit, praying according to His will or in His name.
We pray in Jesus' name, not just tacking on the name of Jesus at the end of our prayers, but that is praying under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, as He would wish, on the basis of who He is and what He desires, in line with His will. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this way. In Matthew 6, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays down that model or that pattern for our praying. Christians pray. That is assumed. God's people pray.
And in Matthew 6, Jesus said, verse 5, "When you pray." "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites seeking glory of men." Verse 6, "But when you pray, you pray to your Father in Heaven." Verse 7, "When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition." But, verse 9, "Pray then in this way: “‘Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.'"
Praying in the Holy Spirit. To pray a right with right motives for right ends, Jude says, “build yourselves up on your most holy faith.” Be built up in the Word, praying in the Holy Spirit. This is to pray in the sphere of the Holy Spirit or with the aid of the Holy Spirit as one who is dependent on God, the Holy Spirit, for everything. We're not only to walk in the Spirit—that is, our whole life, our conduct, our pattern of living, our whole life under His care and direction—but we are to pray in the Spirit under the guidance and influence of the Holy Spirit in accord with the rule of His Word, in line with His will, with faith, with fervency for the glory of God. That's the work of the Holy Spirit in us. "He shall glorify Me," Christ said. He is that Spirit of truth who leads you in the path of righteousness.
So far, we have considered these two weapons that we are to take up in the arsenal of faith as we contend for the faith—the weapons that keep us from being deceived, that help us to be discerning, and help us to persevere in the truth. The first one was edification: building upon the most holy faith, that sure foundation of the inspired Word dwelling in the Scriptures, the Scriptures dwelling in us, the complete body of God's revealed truth, which He has given to us, which is sufficient to save our souls for time and for eternity. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom, and it will teach you," Colossians 3:16.
The second weapon: Spirit-directed supplication, praying in the Holy Spirit. As we've noted already, living under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit who seeks to continue the work of Christ within you. That's the reason He was given. "I'm going to give you another Comforter, one just like Me, one who will continue the work of Christ in us," sanctifying us, making us more like our Lord—praying in the Holy Spirit. That is praying to be guided by the Spirit of truth. It is praying for the progress of the gospel in us. It is praying for grace to live in a way that glorifies and honors our God. It is praying ultimately in the Spirit for the glory of God. That is our chief end. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
And now today we come to the next two weapons in the arsenal of faith that keep us strong and contending for the Lord. He says in verse 21, "Keep yourselves," keeping “yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” That deep, growing affection, that love for God. He says maintain a warm and ever-growing love for Jesus. Beloved, “keep yourselves in the love of God." Dwell in the sphere of God's love and walk in obedience considering your salvation. And He says do it not only with deep affection, but do it with eager anticipation, expectation, "waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."
Keep or keeping yourselves—we've already noted that word. It's the Greek word *terio*, which means to attend carefully, to take care of, to guard, to be watchful. Keep, be on your guard. It has that idea of watchfulness, and it's the same word that Jesus uses in John 17 in that high priestly prayer when He prays to His Father that God's people, those given to the Son by the Father, would be kept to the very end. He's watching out for us. He's caring for us. He's attending to all our needs. He ever lives to pray for us. It's the same word, keep. It means to attend carefully, to take care of, or to guard.
He says keep or keeping yourselves—be watchful. And that is the whole idea behind this little letter as we discovered in verse 3. Jude says, I was going to write to you about the wonders of your salvation and the salvation that we enjoy in common in Christ, but I was so compelled by the Spirit, I felt it necessary to immediately put pen to paper and write to you that you earnestly contend for the faith. Be watchful. Be on your guard. Guard above all your heart. Guard your heart with all diligence, setting your affections on things above, not on the things of the earth. And He says keep.
Keep yourselves. Keep yourselves in, in the love of God. That is, within. Stay in. It means to dwell or to abide in the love of God. He's saying remain or continue in the love of God. Stay within the sphere or the circle of God's love. Focused, fixed on the love of God as a source of real encouragement in your daily walk.
And so, when He says here, “keep yourselves in the love of God,” this is a call to obedient living, considering God's love and mercy. As Paul, writing in Romans 12, exhorted the believers there, he said, "I beseech you. I beg you. I plead with you in light of the mercies of God." What should you do? You present yourself. You give yourself as a living sacrifice to God, living, holy, acceptable, pleasing to God. This is your reasonable service. This is your spiritual worship. You're to live out the gospel day by day. Exemplify the power of the gospel that you profess, keeping yourselves in the love of God.
Your life is to be a sweet-smelling aroma to God, a fragrance that is sweet and pleasing to God. And what could be more edifying, more encouraging, more conducive to obedience and motivating us to serve God with that undivided loyalty and love than a consideration of His love for us, that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son? "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4). Love. Love builds up. We've been thinking about edification. God's love is that which builds us up. The love of Christ compels us. It constrains us to serve Him.
And Jude says here, keeping yourselves in the circle of God's love. As John MacArthur would say, keep yourselves in the place where you experience the blessing of God's love, the blessing that God's love brings, in the place where you enjoy the fullness of His love, as obedient children. And that's the idea here. This is the positive injunction. Indeed, the verb "keep" or "keeping" there in the Greek, it's an imperative. It's a command. Something you must do. This positive injunction.
We are to love God, and we are to live in obedience to God, as walking worthy of Him as dear children. And that's what Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 5, how we are to be followers, or we are to be imitators of God as beloved children. Walking how? Walking in love. The whole course or pattern of our life, our behavior, our conduct, our service, is given out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ. We walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, which is well-pleasing. It's a fragrant aroma.
That's how we are to live, as obedient children walking in love, our lives an offering to God, in service to the One who loved us, a sweet savor to God. And no doubt we're brought to think here of that parent-child relationship. That's how we are to walk, with such reverence for our Father in Heaven, fearing God, worshiping God, loving God, maintaining that communion and that fellowship with God.
Because I don't want to go in a way that displeases my Father in Heaven, and turning from the right way, find myself chastened and corrected or disciplined by my Father, as we learn in Hebrews chapter 12. So you think of it in these terms, in terms of that parent-child relationship. Don't put yourself in the place of disobedience, requiring discipline, but seek to serve God with your whole heart, out of love. Don't put yourself in that place where the Father must correct you as a wayward child. Don't get yourself into a position where you're going to feel or bring upon yourself God's displeasure. You're called to walk in obedience.
And that is wonderfully illustrated for us in the Gospel of John, chapter 15. As we follow on from what was read earlier in the beginning of the service, John 15 verse 9, we read, "Just as the Father has loved Me," Christ said, "I have also loved you; abide in My love." Dwell in, stay in, continue in, remain in My love. “Abide in My love.” What does it mean to abide in My love? Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love." It's walking in obedience to the commands of God, to the will of God. "Just as I have kept My Father's commandments," He did, always, those things that pleased the Father, "and abide in His love."
And He says, "These things have I spoken to you,” for this reason, “so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."
If you want to know the joy and the fullness and the blessing of God, walk in obedience to His commands, abiding in His love, loving Him. This is a positive injunction. Stay in the circle of God's love, the circle of His love and blessing, dear child of God. You know, when I thought of that, I couldn't help but think about the little children's chorus. God's love is like a circle. I don't know if you've heard it. "God's love is like a circle, a circle big and round, and when I see a circle, no ending can be found. That's like the love of Jesus. It goes on eternally, and when I see a circle, I know that God loves me." Isn't that wonderful?
When we contemplate the love of God for us, it's unending. It's eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, and I am to stay right in the center of that circle, the center of His love, abiding in His love. And we need to understand that Jude isn't talking here about working to keep your salvation, as if you could somehow lose your salvation. That's not what he's talking about. This imperative, keep yourself in the circle of God's love, means as obedient children, fixed and focused on the love of God, you're surrounded. You are encompassed by the love of God. You are to abide in His love, be loyal and obedient. "Continue in My love," the Lord said.
So he's not talking about keeping your salvation, or working to keep your salvation. That can't be, because we know already that Jude has said in the beginning and at the end of this chapter, that every believer is eternally secure in Christ. We are those who are called, verse 1, called out of the world. We are beloved of God, in God the Father. That is, we are divinely loved ones, and we are kept by God. Kept for Jesus Christ. The chapter begins, and it ends with this affirming word. Jude affirms the absolute eternal security of every child of God, saved by grace. Verse 1, we are kept for Jesus Christ. And the wonderful benediction in verse 24, you are kept from stumbling, and Christ will present you before the Father in glory, blameless, with great joy.
You are kept for Jesus Christ, and you are kept by Jesus Christ. And that wonderful benediction emphasizes the power of Christ to keep His own to the very end. He will lose none of His. Christ not only saves, but He keeps us secure. He preserves us, His faithful church. And one day, He's going to present His people, every faithful believer, faultless, in His presence, with great joy. How glorious is that?
So we can't be talking about the believer getting to the place where he could lose his salvation. In fact, Romans 8—you just read Romans 8. God is working all things together for the believer, to those who are called according to His purpose. And nothing, no one, no devil, no angel, no circumstance, can ever separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:31–39 makes that abundantly clear. Nothing can ever eternally separate the Christian from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
But He says, you're to be keeping yourselves in the love of God. That is, we're to cultivate love for God. We're to guard our heart. We're to guard our relationship with the Father. Keep your heart, guard it, tend to it with watchfulness. "Keep the heart with all diligence," we read in Proverbs, "because out of it are the issues of life." There are plenty of other things that are contending for your love, vying for your love.
Don't love the world, John tells us. Do not love the world, the things of the world, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Don't love the things of this world. Set your affections on things above, on the things of God. Don't be like Demas, Paul said. He has forsaken me, having loved this present age, this present evil world. Don't get sidetracked. We're to cultivate and to walk in love for God.
And so He says here, God has given us His Word, He has given us His Spirit, and one of the chief functions or work of the Spirit within us is to lead us in truth. He is the Spirit of truth. God has given His very Spirit for this reason: to lead us in truth, seeking to promote the fruit of the Spirit, which we find in Galatians chapter 5, the fruit of the Spirit unto life, seeking to promote spiritual life and love for God, glorifying God in our lives, making the things of Christ real to us, making us love the Lord more, and love the right things, and love what God loves.
And as we dwell in the Word, as we pray in the Spirit, God will fan the flame of your love for Jesus, and love for Jesus fuels the fire of your devotion. It causes your heart to burn. "Did not our hearts burn within us," the two on the Emmaus road said? Did not our hearts burn within us, "when He opened the Scriptures to us, when He revealed Himself, disclosed Himself to us, and we learned something more about the way of God, His truth?" It fuels the fire of your devotion, and it moves you. It motivates you to service.
We love Him because He first loved us, and just as we are to walk in the Spirit, we must also walk in love for Christ. That is, moving, acting upon His Word, fixed on His love, pursuing Christ at every turn, seeking to live in blessed obedience to our Lord. That's our calling. Walk in love as obedient children, keeping yourselves in the love of God.
It's a positive imperative, a command, and it's necessary because if you were to flip it and say it from the negative side—in other words, don't leave your first love, like the Ephesians in Revelation 2. Don't grow cold and indifferent and leave your first love. Don't let the fire go out. Don't let that love for Jesus cool off or wane. And so not only is it a positive injunction, but it's a necessary caution because we know our hearts.
I know my heart, and I can sing in truth that hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Tune my heart to sing Thy grace, to sing of the streams of mercy never ceasing," because I'm prone to wander. "Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." And so this is a necessary caution, as Jude says, remember. Remember the word, verse 17. "Remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." Build yourself up in the word. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Why? Why keep yourselves? Because I'm so prone to wander. I'm so prone to stray from the Lord, and there needs to be that spirit of self-distrust. I don't trust my own heart. "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" And self-distrust is good if it leads us to trust in God more, to rely on Him more, to look to Him more, so that we never stray from the path of obedience to Christ. Not like those in Psalm 95:10, "A people who wander in their heart, And they don't know My ways," the Lord said.
You know, we need to know the ways of the Lord. We need to be built up in the word, because we're prone to stray. We're prone to wander from the Lord. But it's a necessary caution, a reminder as well, because we're the target of the enemy's attack. Yet, not only is my heart prone to stray, but I'm the target of the enemy's attack. We're assaulted on every side. By continual temptations all around us, the adversary takes aim at us, shooting the fiery darts of temptation.
And we read, "Put on the armor of God." Beware of the wiles of the devil. He would shoot his fiery darts at you. He would seek to bring you down. His craft and power are great. He's armed with cruel hate. Don't rest easy. Don't become complacent. Remind yourself that the enemy is real, and he's mighty, and he's deceptive, and he goes around as a roaring lion, seeking to devour. So, keep yourself in the love of God, because you know your heart. You're prone to wander. You are the target of the enemy's attack.
But it may be that you've become secure, or complacent, negligent. Sometimes we think we're exempt from sin, and we can become complacent, thinking, I'm beyond danger, you know. That's when we need to take heed to our ways, lest we fall. "Pride comes before destruction." And though, believer, maybe you're a mature believer, and you've been on the road many years, and you've traveled down this road for years, you need to keep in mind, and be reminded that the enemy is relentless.
It doesn't matter how long you've been walking on this road of faith. And if you're enjoying a time of blessing, and peace, and security now, be on your guard. We need this caution. Keep yourselves in the love of God. If we're enjoying that time of peace, don't become complacent. Don't rest easy. Don't think you've ever arrived. You know, you read Paul in Philippians 3. He says, "I press on. I press toward the mark of the prize." I haven't arrived. I know my heart. I know there's so much more to do. I know that I'm not where I should be. He lamented at times, Romans 7, "The wretched man that I am." You know, we can't let down our guard. We are prone to wander like silly sheep. We are the target of the enemy's attack. We are apt to grow secure and negligent, thinking we're okay. Maybe like the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3, blind to the reality of your spiritual condition, that you're not living as close to God as you once did, and you think you're okay. You think you're rich and plentiful. But if you don't keep the fire of devotion burning, you're apt to grow cold in heart.
That's another reason why we need this reminder. Thomas Manton said, "This life is never exempted from care." We're in a battle. It's never exempt from care, either to get grace or to keep it. We need to be watchful and diligent to the last, to the very end. That's what he says here, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the very end, keeping yourselves in the love of God.
There's a very real danger. And how does it start? When you begin to neglect the Word of God and you're not being built up in your most holy faith? When you leave off prayer and you're not enjoying that fellowship with God as you once did? There's a very real danger of losing out with God, of falling under His fatherly displeasure, growing cold in heart, or even worse, making shipwreck of your life. And He says, be on your guard because in a single moment we need to be watchful, to be ready for the Lord's coming, He says. In a single moment, a lifetime of service, a lifetime of praying, a lifetime of striving, a lifetime of teaching and preaching can be brought to naught. And we've seen that. We have observed that in those who were once faithful. He says, don't let your heart grow cold, listless, lifeless, careless, forgetful, bent to sin, bent away from God. Don't leave your first love.
Do you remember seasons of intimate fellowship and communion with God? There was a time when you can recall sweeter times in the presence of God, in the Word of God, but now it may be, sadly, your heart is cold and you don't pick up the Word as often as you once did. You don't take that time to pray. There's no time to pray, no heart for prayer, and you're no longer enjoying the company of God's people that is meant to edify and build up, these things that are given for our edification, building us up in our most holy faith, a means of grace.
But now it just seems very mechanical, and there's a going through the motions in a mechanical way, but you lack that passion, that love, that power that you once knew and enjoyed. The fire is dim. There's no joy, no power, no fervency. What's happened? How did you get here? Don't leave your first loves, John says. "Remember from where that once you have fallen and repent and do the first works." Get back to the basics. Get back to doing the simple things again, cultivating that love for Christ in His Word and in the place of prayer.
Remember, repent, and return, and the Lord will receive you. Don't leave your first love. If you don't keep the fire of devotion burning—this is a necessary reminder—if you don't keep the fire of devotion burning, you're apt to go cold in heart. You're either growing for the better or for the worse. We want to be built up in the faith. 2 Peter 1:5–10 talks about that growth in grace and the need for sanctification. Peter says, applying all diligence, add to your faith. With all the more diligence, pursue Christ, seek to increase in grace, fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ—2 Peter 1:5–10. And he says, "For,” if these things are in you, “if these things are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. For in whom these things are not present, that one is blind, being nearsighted, having forgotten the purification from his former sins. Therefore, brothers,” sisters, “be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure; for in doing these things you will never stumble."
And that warning in verse 10—don't be short-sighted. Don't lose sight of your Savior. If these things are not in you and you're not fruitful and blessed, it's because you're blind to the reality that your sins have been purged and washed in the blood of Jesus. You're short-sighted and forgetful. And he says, don't forget to check your blind spots. Keep yourselves in the love of God, loving the Lord more. More love to Thee, O Christ. More love to Thee. That should be our desire, that we would increase in the grace of love for Christ. And so he says, turn your eyes. Turn your eyes to Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. Look unto Jesus, and the things of this earth will grow dim.
And really, that's the fourth weapon. Not only keep yourselves in the love of God, but he says, "Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." The fourth weapon in the Christian's arsenal of faith, the fourth strategy to survive the assault of the enemy, is found here in verse 21b: "Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." That you live in such obedience to the Lord, you're walking in love for the Lord, that you're ready. You're ready for His appearing at any moment. At any time, you are looking with eager anticipation for the return of Christ. He's coming again. This same Jesus who ascended up on high, we read in Acts 1—He's coming again, and we need to be ready. And Jude says, live with that eager anticipation, expectation of future glory. In other words, live now in light of Christ's return. As one who not only longs for that day, who groans for that day, but is ready for that day, "Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ," that final mercy.
The mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life, that brings us into glory. Our glorification—that final mercy. This is what we look for. And as Paul, writing to Titus in Titus 2:11, said, "For the grace of God has appeared." Christ has come the first time. He's appeared, "Bringing salvation to all men, instructing us." How are we to live? "Denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age." Why? Because we're “looking for that blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works."
We're looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Waiting or looking for that final mercy—*eleos*—mercy, mercy. God's display of tender compassion to those who find themselves in a miserable state: guilty, deserving of death, but now God has shown mercy. Mercy is that divine favor that is brought to us through all the Savior did for us in His life, in His death, in His resurrection, in His ascension. And mercy speaks to the amazing truth that God—God does not deal with us, believer—God does not deal with us after our sins or reward us according to our iniquities.
Psalm 103:10, But He deals with us in mercy, compassion, love. "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness to those who fear Him." The mercy of God, as Matthew Henry said, "The mercy of God is the spring and the fountain of all the good that we have and hope for in Christ." God is a merciful God, and we're waiting for that final mercy when He will receive us into His glorious presence. He's a God of mercy. God is a God of enduring and abundant mercy. He's plenteous in mercy.
"Psalm 138:8" and "Ephesians 2:4"—we know it is by His great mercy we are saved. Where would we be apart from the mercy, the grace, the love of God? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." We're saved because of the mercy and the grace of God, and we're waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
His mercy endures forever. It's by His mercy we are saved. "The Lamentations" tells us God's mercies are new every morning. "Great is His faithfulness." And Jude tells us here in Jude 1:2 that “God's mercies are multiplied,” and they extend to eternal life. We are kept by the power of God until that day—until the day of our presentation in the presence of God with great joy, the day of final fulfillment when God fulfills His promises of mercy to sinners like us. But God, who is rich in mercy.
And so these are the things we focus on. These are the four things that Jude exhorts us to focus on: the Word of God—be built up in your faith upon the living and abiding Word of God—in prayer, in obedience, and in hope. This is how we live. We allow the certain reality of God's mercy and final glorification to keep us steadfast. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain. And seeing you have this hope, we're looking with eager anticipation for it. We're waiting for it. Seeing you have this hope, John says, "Purify yourself." "1 John 3:3. There's coming a day when we will behold our God, and we will be like Him, and we will see Him as He is. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." It's all because of His mercy and His grace.
Believer, you're not in hell today. I'm not in hell. I will never be in hell. I'm like that brand snatched from the fire, from the burning that Jude talks about here. And I'm looking with eager anticipation for the return of my Savior in glory. Keep yourselves in the love of Christ, waiting with eager anticipation, ready for His coming at any moment.
J. C. Ryle, the Bishop of Liverpool, he gave this warning in one of his writings. He said, “It may be of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this I believe will surprise us most, that we did not love Christ more.” That we did not love Christ more. More love to Thee, O Christ. More love to Thee. We will wish that we had given Him more. Is He not worthy of our love and our wholehearted devotion and service? May we love Him more and more each day and wait eagerly for His return. Christ is coming again to receive His people unto Himself. And what a day that will be. What a day we're looking forward to. We will stand before His presence with great joy and sing with all the saints, “Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” He's worthy. Is He worthy? He is.
And I close with this word from Spurgeon. C. H. Spurgeon said, “Love to God produces a desire to be with Him. A desire to be like Him. A longing to be with Him eternally in heaven. And this breaks us away from worldliness. This keeps us from idolatry and has a most blessed, sanctifying effect upon us. Producing that elevated character which is now so rare, but which wherever it exists is powerful for the good of the church and for the glory of God.” Keeping yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. What a day that will be. A day we look forward to. A day when we will see His face. We will see His face and we will be like Him. In a moment we'll be changed. And all the evil, sinful consequences of life in a fallen world will be gone.
Therefore, beloved, be steadfast, persevere, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain. Let us keep on fighting the good fight of faith. Our labor is not in vain.
Let's pray.
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