The Beauty of God's love in Eternal life -Your Most Holy Faith

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 Jude vs 20 ( and all that comes before)

  " 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." vs. 20

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I know our lives feel like there is a lot of knocking about and hurt with our walls being re-adjusted adding new drains and extra floors and towers.  It may seem that way in the time Jude was writing with "murmurers, complainers, people speaking with great swelling words." vs 16    But is what they are saying true , or are they vs 12 clouds without water, trees whose fruit withers and wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever?  

In the midst of all this ungodliness, and our world as well, we are called beloved.  Judes says to "remember the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ"  vs 17  The word beloved is in the vocative tense , marking the one addressed ( plural here of course).  It reminds me of two towns in Texas near where we lived .  First you passed Welfare and then came Comfort.  Jude tells us there should be mockers .  But if we are in Christ we are preserved , beloved and called.  What a delightful thought to be in the house God is building for Him to dwell in.  

We often do not feel that way .  Our road seems abandoned at times with the strong storms , not a guiding Hand.  ( Just turn on the news and we will be jump out of our skin if we listen too long)  But though the way we difficult we are protected and kept by God Himself.  This is our journey, but our Keeper has us.

1.  Build yourselves up in your most holy faith. vs. 20  .  The vs before this describes those who would trouble us, even in the teaching of the Church, " walking after their own ungodly lusts,  they separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." vs 19  A person who does not have the Spirit is described in Romans 8:9- "  now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ , he is none of His.

What is the most holy faith? Jude said it before in vs 3 saying it is once delivered unto the saints.

Forgetfulness of the teachings and warnings of God in Scripture is a major cause of spiritual deterioration.  Acts 2:42 " And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread , and in prayers."  20:32 " I commend you to God and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up."

Hebrews 5:14 talks about practice in discernment because our senses are trained to know good and to know what is not good.

2. " Praying in the Holy Ghost"   The false teachers had given up on prayer as unfortunately as many " false Christians" have.

Prayer is our armor Ephesians 6 : 18 " praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.."

3. "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

It is possible to turn your back on the love of God.  Jude talks about the false teachers who did that.  " Keep alive the fire of Christian hope" ( Michael Green) while living in the world which denys it.

 As I was finishing this message I happened on the Kelp Cam from the Monterey Bay Acquarium where I used to live.  The beauty of God's love is shown to us so wonderfully above and below the sea as I watch the fish swim among the kelp.

There is a whole world out there God has created for us to enjoy.  Reflect on His love and our faith that He will bring us home so that we may enjoy His presence forever.

Amen.


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