Keep yourselves in the love of God

If you are reading through your Bible in a year, the book of Jude at approximately 431 words will probably be a treat. What will be a challenge, however, is what to do with Jude’s challenge “Keep yourselves in the love of God,” (Jude 1:21-23).

It’s a verse that leaps out at you and carries a richness and depth that is both urgent and profound. It’s not a gentle invitation either – Jude, writing in a time of confusion and moral disarray within the early Christian communities, doesn’t mince his words. He’s addressing a group of people not dissimilar to us today, who are finding their way in a world where their faith makes them outliers. His message isn’t just a casual reminder either; it’s a sober call to action, a command to hold tightly to something precious amidst the chaos: the love of God. It’s an unambiguous imperative!

A lifeline

Why is this so critical? To grasp the gravity of what Jude is saying, we need to understand what was happening at the time. The early Christians were navigating through a sea of false teachings, immorality, and intense external persecution. Jude’s call to “Keep yourselves in the love of God” is not just advice; it’s a lifeline. It’s about staying anchored in God’s love when everything else is trying to sweep you away. It’s resisting the savage surge of the ocean of cultural indifference. Think of it as endeavouring to make choices that align with God’s heart, thereby remaining in the warm, guiding light of His love, rather than wandering into the cold shadows of separation caused by sin and disobedience.

This command, like everything else in our Christian experience, is deeply relational. It acknowledges that while God’s love is unchanging and unconditional, our experience of that love can be affected by how we live. You are called to a life of radical obedience, relationship, and to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength; so it’s a challenge to walk the talk. It’s not that God’s love is ever withdrawn from us (God will never love us any more or less than He already does), but rather, our actions and choices can create a distance in our relationship with Him.

A warning!

Like any relationship, the intimacy and depth are influenced by how we engage with the other. In the case of our relationship with God, keeping ourselves in His love means actively choosing Him, choosing life in His presence, over and over again. In other words – be relentless in your pursuit of Him. Revelation 2:4 carries the warning to the Church at Ephesus: “You have left or wandered off from your first love.” We want to avoid that, and Jude is urging us with a similar degree of urgency!

What of today?

  Fast forward to today, and Jude’s message hasn’t lost a speck of its relevance. We might not be dealing with the same false teachers that the early Christians were, but we’re certainly navigating through our own sea of distractions, temptations, philosophies, and wokeness that can lead us away from God. The call to keep ourselves in God’s love is a reminder that our spiritual health and our relationship with God are not static; they require dedication, attention, intention, and action.

Before we can move on to look at a brilliant remedy to Jude’s exhortation, we need to see that our verse we are focusing on also reveals something beautiful about God’s character. It shows that God desires a relationship with us that is alive and active. He’s not a distant deity who demands robotic obedience; He’s a loving Father who invites us into a relationship that is dynamic and responsive. Why wouldn’t you want to keep yourself in God’s love? Well, for some people, the lure of the world can prove to be too much. God’s love is the constant in this equation, but our experience of that love is influenced by our willingness to remain close to Him, to live in ways that reflect His heart, and to continually turn towards Him, especially when we stumble. And we will – often.

In essence, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” is a call to vigilance, to a life that consciously seeks to dwell in the reality of God’s love. It’s about making daily choices that reflect our belonging to Him, a recognition that in God’s love we find our true north, our guiding light, and our deepest joy. We’re not to live as passive recipients of God’s love, but as active participants in a relationship that shapes who we are, how we live, and how we love others. The dilemma is real though – keeping ourselves in the love of God is a real challenge, but it is not without assistance… at the beginning of this verse comes the answer – and perhaps it is not a cessationist one!

How do we keep ourselves in the love of God?

Jude doesn’t want you to feel helpless and alone; his commendation in verse 20 is, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.” Building yourself up? That’s the gospel, the Word of God, fellowship, prayer, and worship – a heart on fire for God. But is there more? Certainly! Remember what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 14:4, “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.” Praying in tongues builds yourself up! Does Jude have this in mind when he urges his audience to be building themselves up AND be praying in the Holy Spirit? Tongues again? However you want to interpret this, the truth is complacency will never do – we simply must keep ourselves in the love of God, and that starts by taking whatever action we can to build ourselves up in the most holy faith and by praying in the Holy Spirit.

Vigilance

In essence, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” is a call to vigilance, to a life that consciously seeks to dwell in the reality of God’s love. It’s about making daily choices that reflect our belonging to Him, a recognition that in God’s love we find our true north, our guiding light, and our deepest joy. We’re not to live as passive recipients of God’s love, but as active participants in a relationship that shapes who we are, how we live, and how we love others.

The dilemma is real, though – keeping ourselves in the love of God is a real challenge, but it is not without assistance… at the beginning of this verse comes the answer – and perhaps it is not a cessationist one! Jude doesn’t want you to feel helpless and alone; his commendation in verse 20 is, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.” Building yourself up? That’s the gospel, the Word of God, fellowship, prayer, and worship – a heart on fire for God. But is there more? Certainly! Remember what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 14:4, “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.” Praying in tongues builds yourself up! Does Jude have this in mind when he urges his audience to be building themselves up AND be praying in the Holy Spirit? Tongues again?

Do not be complacent

However you want to interpret this, the truth is complacency will never do – we simply must keep ourselves in the love of God, and that starts by taking whatever action we can to build ourselves up in the most holy faith and by praying in the Holy Spirit.

One last thought, Jude 20 might not be as sobering as Revelation 2:4, but it is an exhortation that has the mood music of foreboding and warning. It’s not a personal thing – it’s for all of God’s people. Building yourself up in the most holy faith and praying in the Spirit brings us all, corporately to the place where we can keep ourselves in the love of God.

With all the uncertainties we face in life at every level, the final exhortation and encouragement in Jude, and my prayer for you and your loved ones, is found in verse 24 “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

Just in case you missed it…  keep yourselves in the love of God – assisted by the One who is able to keep you from stumbling…