Jude, Day 4
A Call to Persevere
Jude 1:17 – 25
Perseverance is a theme seen time and time again throughout the New Testament. While we often struggle to embrace this, the truth found in Ícripture is clear: we will face difficulties in our walk with God, and in those difficulties, we are called to persevere. At the end of the book of Jude, we see another situation where perseverance is needed. Jude 1:17 – 21 says,
“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”
I find this prediction of the apostles to be a hard pill to swallow. The idea that people would intentionally cause division is something my brain cannot comprehend. As someone who hates conflict, intentionally creating it seems unfathomable. However, this verse is clear that people will cause division and seek to lead people away from the faith.
Our job is to persevere by building ourselves up in the faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and keeping ourselves in the love of God.
Building ourselves up in the faith
This means spiritual growth. This means we take responsibility for our spiritual growth. We don’t wait for it to happen; we seek out God to deepen our relationship with Him.
Praying in the Holy Spirit
I don’t know why, but prayer is always my last resort. Perhaps I’m too proud or too confident in my own abilities. Whatever the reason, I don’t spend as much time in prayer as I should. If we are going to persevere, we must stay connected to God through prayer. Not a checklist prayer life but one spent in constant connection with God, and through prayer, the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:26).
Keeping ourselves in the love of God
God should be the focal point of our life. Everything else should revolve around Him. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” When we are singularly focused on our pursuit of God, the promise is that He will meet us there.
These steps will help us persevere in all situations — especially those times when people seek to lead us away from God with false teachings. However, these are just steps — they have no power in themselves. They help us persevere because they all serve as avenues to connect to the One Who has the power to keep us from stumbling (Jude 1:24).
Adam