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Jude 1:21 - Hold on Tight!

Jude 1:21 (NKJV) Keep yourselves in the love 
of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus 
Christ unto eternal life. 

INTRODUCTION

False teachers were a major problem in the 
early church, so many of the New Testament 
epistles deal with them. Jude offers scathing rebukes 
and warnings to heretics who infiltrated the 
Christian community, but he also offers insights on 
how to protect ourselves from them. He tells us 
to build ourselves up in our faith, pray in the 
Spirit, keep ourselves in God's love and wait for 
the mercy of Jesus. In those four instructions, 
we are encouraged to root ourselves in God's 
Word, in fellowship with his Spirit and other 
believers, in God's goodness and affection toward us 
and in his eternal solution for our fallenness. 
But in all these necessary efforts, we can find 
comfort in the fact that God takes responsibility 
for protecting us. He is the one who is able to 
keep us from stumbling and falling (see Jude 24). 
[NIV Once A Day Bible] 

COMMENTARY

   Margaret can hardly wait to get her 
driver's license. As soon as Margaret turns sixteen, 
Mom will drive her to the Department of Motor 
Vehicles where she will take the test and, if all 
goes well, get official permission to drive a 
Class A motor vehicle. It will mean new freedom 
and new responsibility.  
   Just as driving is a privilege, so is 
freedom in Christ. In this letter, Jude tells of 
Christians who have taken their freedom too far. He has 
no patience with their abuse of this privilege 
because they know the rules of the road and have 
deliberately disobeyed them.  
   Also in this reading you will find strong 
fight language for the spiritual battles we face. 
And our duties to one another conclude the 
letter.  
   Jude wrote this brief letter to rebuke 
false teachers. These false teachers taught that 
Christians can live "immoral lives" because God has 
forgiven them (Jude 1:4). Such false teachers were 
wrong, and God's severe judgment awaited them 
(1:5-11, 14-16).  
   The same heresy taught back in Jude's day 
still flourishes today. Many people try to justify 
immorality and wrongdoing by appealing to God's 
forgiveness. But God never forgave us so that we could 
sin without consequence. Jesus died to free us 
from sin. He did not die to free us to sin.  
   Take care of how you use your freedom in 
Christ. Do not freely sin and cheapen God's 
forgiveness after you have indulged your appetites. 
Having this freedom is a privilege that comes with 
great responsibility. Live wisely and reverently 
before God. [The One Year Through the Bible 
Devotional by Dave Veerman] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   I dont keep myself saved, but I keep 
myself safe. 
   God saves me. Thats established. But I 
keep myself safe, which means that I keep myself 
in the love of God. 
   Though Gods love is unsought, 
undeserved, and unconditional, its possible for me to 
be out of sync with His love. 
   Jude wrote, Keep yourselves in the 
love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord 
Jesus Christ unto eternal life (1:21 NKJV). He 
was basically saying, Keep yourself away from 
those things that are unlike Him. Keep yourself 
from any influence that violates His love or 
brings sorrow to Gods heart. And keep yourself 
in a place where God can actively show His love 
to you. 
   In John 17 Jesus prayed to the Father, 
I do not pray that You should take them out of 
the world, but that You should keep them from 
the evil one (verse 15 NKJV). 
   In this context the world refers to 
a mentality. Its talking about a culture, a 
way of thinking, and the world system under the 
control of Satan. Thats why the Bible calls the 
devil the god of this world (see 2 
Corinthians 4:4 NLT). 
   There is Gods part and our part. If 
you were on a diet, for example, you wouldnt 
hang around donut stores, would you? 
   Just as donuts arent good for diets, 
there are things that feed sin. Thats what 
Jesus meant when He taught us to pray, And do 
not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from 
the evil one (Matthew 6:13 NLT). 
   Basically, thats saying, Lord, help 
me not to put myself in a place where I could 
fall into sin. 
   So, God will keep you, but if youre 
yanking your hand out of His hand, thats a 
problem. God is holding on to you. But the question 
is this: Are you holding on to Him? [Greg 
Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David 
DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides: 
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio (currently live): 
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/ 

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657