A New Year's Challenge (Jude 1:20-23)
Day 1:
The epistle of Jude was written by Jude. The book of Jude is veryshort, it is only one chapter. It is in the New Testament, right before the book of Revelation. Jude who was one of the brothers (from Mary andJoseph) of the Lord Jesus. After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph hadchildren of their own, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (or Jude) - (Mt13:55; Mk 6:3).
Jude's message, one of the most severe in N. T., was occasioned byapostasy in the early church. So threatening were these heresies thatthe Spirit caused Jude to write this letter of warning, urging hisreaders to contend earnestly for the faith (v. 3). Because of theprevalence of the false teachers who had already intruded in to thelocal churches (v. 4). In burning words Jude describes these heretics,showing vividly how apostasy leads to sinful living (v 5-19). TheEpistle concludes with a noble doxology (vs 24:25).
Jude may be divided as follows:1. Introduction (vs 1-2)2. Occasion of the Episle (vs 3-4) 3. Historical Examples of Unbelief and rebellion (vs 5-7)4. False teachers described (vs 8-19)5. Exhortations to Christians (vs 20-23)6. Conclusion (vs 24-25)
The electronic bible study this week is taken from the book of Jude, starting at verse 20 to 23, with the main theme taken from vs 21, "Keep yourselves in God's love".
Day 2:
From the book of Jude, starting at verse 20 to 23, with the main theme taken from vs 21, "Keep yourselves in God's love". The topic for this electronic bible study is "A New Year Challenge".
Jude 1:21 "Keep yourselves in God's love". - What does it mean?The word of God says "keep yourselves in God's love", it does not say"keep your salvation". It is God that keeps our salvation, there isnothing that we can do that can take that away. This is called theassurance of salvation, John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and theyshall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Ourrelationship as God's child can not be broken. When He saves us, webecome God's child. On the other hand, the daily fellowship with God can be broken.
So, what does "keep yourselves in God's love mean?". It basically meansthat to keep our fellowship with God. Our relationship (which is basedon our salvation) is 100% assured. Let's look at this illustration totry to describe this a little bit more. Most of us are parents, so mostprobably you can relate to this illustration. Just imagine if there isa parent that has a child. That child grows to be rebellious,unrespectful to her parents, denies her parents and just simply keepsbreaking her parents heart. Most probably this child, eventhough she thinks that she can get whatever things that she wants, she still is not happy. Her fellowship with her parents are broken, but the fact thatshe is the child of this parents can not be changed (i.e., therelationship). Now, if at any point of time, she comes back, a parentsheart can always find a place for forgiveness for her. When thishappens then the fellowship is restored and the healing process canbegin and she can grow in her parents love.
Day 3:
Yesterday, we look at the meaning of "keep yourselves in God's love".Today we want to see how we can be out of His love and an example from the Bible of someone that was out of His love and restored back to His love.
We can be out of God's love by the following ways:* We may have a life style that is at the boundary of God's love. Alife style that is ungodly and breaks his heart. We do know deep downin our heart the kind of life style that He wants, but sometimes wecarefully chooses to compromise what is offered by the sinful world intoour lives.* We may just simply drifted away. We were not careful and we werefallen into Satan's trap.
Let us look at an example from the Bible, from the life of Peter (the leader of Jesus's disciples. Peter loved God, he was willing to die and suffer for Christ, but he did let himself fall away from the love of God. He got drifted away due to fear. Let's look at a step by step of a particular event:1. Peter is faithful, bold. He was the leader of the twelve.2. On the day Jesus was crucified, this same Peter denies the Lord Jesus that he loves. He said, "I don't know the man." Well, he did not say it once, he actually said it the second time and the third time. (Mat26: 69-75) 3. Broken and humiliated, Peter wept. He was very sad because he haddenied the Lord. He, the leader of the twelve, the faithful one, the bold one, he was drifted away because of fear and denied the Lord. Heis extremely discouraged. This is the point when his fellowship withthe Lord is broken and Peter fall away from the love of God.4. After the crucifixion, Peter was ready to go back to his old life,which was being a fisherman (John 21). Broken hearted, confused due to the crucifixion, a loss of direction, he sailed to the sea of Galilea.5. Jesus (after the resurrection) appeared to Peter and 6 other disciples by calling them from the shore of the sea of Galilea (John21). They had breakfast together.6. During the breakfast, Jesus asked Peter, please note how he addressed Peter. He called Peter by his original name, Simon the son of John.After Simon followed Jesus, He changed his name to Peter that means"rock" (Greek languange, "petra"). Amazingly, during this conversation, Jesus addressed Peter with Simon. At this point of time, Peter was nota "rock". He was not strong and he was discouraged and broken hearted because he had fallen away from his fellowship with the Lord.
Jesus asked him, "Simon, do you AGAPAO (love) me?" Agape is asacrificial, agony type of love.Simon answered, "I PHILEO (like) you". Phileo is a brotherly love, justlike saying "I like you". With his confidence in himself greatly shaken through having so recently denied hi Lord, peter feels unworthy toexpress his love to Christ by the strong word AGAPAO, and therefore usesthe wekaer word PHILEO. Jesus replied, "Feed my lambs".
For the second time, Jesus asked again, "Simon, do you AGAPAO me?"Simon answered, "I PHILEO you." Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep".
For the third time, just like how Peter denied Jesus three times, hesaid, "Simon, do you AGAPAO me?" Simon with a sad/hurt heart answered,"Lord, you know all things, you know that I PHILEO you." Jesus replied,"Feed my sheep".Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus asked Peter three times too,and at all times, Jesus said, "Feed my sheep". During thisconversation, Jesus not only restored the broken fellowship with Peterand the broken confidence, but he also recommissioned him to his callingand ministry. Jesus showed that he forgives Peter and He brought Peterback under His grace, mercy and love.This is beautiful example of someone that fall away from the love of Godand by God's grace and mercy, find his way back under the love of God.We may have been fallen away from the love of God, let us, by His grace and mercy, asked for forgiveness, get ourselves back in the love of God,and keep ourselves in the love of God. Let Him minister to us and love us.
Day 4:
Yesterday we have seen God's grace and mercy and His desire that is(Jude 1:21), "keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
Let's go back to Jude 1:20-23. Now we want to see how can we keepourselves in God's love:
1. vs 20, "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up".This means "Commit yourselves to grow in Christ". Look at thisillustration, as a child grow and become mature, it learns more and moreabout her parents love. As that child become a parent herself, sheunderstands more about the love of her parent. The same way in our spiritual love, as we grow and mature, we will more and more about God's love and mercy. We can do this by:* having daily prayers* having daily devotions* etc.
2. Vs 20, "build yourselves up in your most holy faith".Not only that we are told to build ourselves up (grow), but to grow withthe right foundation (in your most holy faith), which is Jesus Christ.We should grow based on Christ alone and not based on people orprograms.
3. vs 20, "... and pray in the Holy Spirit".After Jesus is ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit, is assigned to helpand guide us here on earth. He is the one that teaches us how to pray,and how to keep our daily devotions. He is the one that will remind usif we are going to wrong direction. Therefore, when we pray, we shouldpray in the Holy Spirit. Pray in the Holy Spirit means that we let Him help us to pray, let Him guide us to know what we should pray for, what we should ask and what surrender in our lives we should do.
Day 5:
Yesterday, we have mentioned three ways to keep ourselves in God's love, today we'll continue with point number 4 thru 6.
4. Vs 23, "Be merciful to those who doubt".There are many people who are hurt, discouraged and are perishing. Weare called to embrace them and show them God's love. After we experience God's mercy and love, it is our turn to show mercy and loveto others.
5. Vs 23, "... snatch others from the fire and save them".We are also called to do personal evangelism and to win souls. Thereare many people that are in "fire" (lost and does not believe in God).We are called to snatch other from the fire and save them. We arecalled to bring them to know Christ and to know His mercy and Hisforgiveness and to shave eternal life with them.
6. Vs 23, "... to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh". Finally, we are reminded that aswe show mercy to others (i.e., as we are ministering to those who are indoubt (vs 23) and snatch others from fire and save them (vs 23), weshould be careful not to compromise our life style with the ungodly lifestyle. Be pure and lead a godly and righteous life. "mixed with fear"in Jude basically means fearfully. "hating even the clothing stained bycorrupted flesh" means to compromise with the world/flesh.Our prayers are that we all can learn and apply God's word.
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Disclaimer
This material is a summary of the message that was preached by
Pastor
Jack Graham at Prestonwood Baptist Church. The writer of this EBS
(Electronic Bible Study) made some changes and added some
personal notes
that is necessary to customize this material into an electronic
media, a
daily reading material and to better fit the audience.
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