In the realm where divine love does play,
God keeps us from stumbling, come what may.
Before His glory, blameless we stand,
Guided and guarded by His mighty hand.
Vigilant we must be, aware and wise,
Against false teachings that in shadows rise.
Extend mercy to those who lose their way,
In faith's struggle, be their brightening ray.
In our journey of faith, holy and pure,
Continuous growth, we seek to ensure.
Through prayer, scripture, and fellowship kind,
Strength and joy in God's love, we find.
Abide in His love, a source so deep,
In our hearts, His commandments we keep.
For in God's love, we find our delight,
Guiding us through the day, guarding us in the night.
REFLECTION:
Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 21)
God keeps us from stumbling and be blameless before His glory. We should be aware and vigilant against false teachings and to extend mercy to others, especially those who are struggling in their faith.
In our journey of building ourselves up in our most holy faith, we need to have continuous growth and strengthening of our faith through prayer, study of the scriptures, and fellowship with other believers.
Let us continually abide in God’s love, which is the source of our strength and joy.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with humble hearts, acknowledging Your power and grace. You, O Lord, keep us from stumbling and present us blameless before Your glorious presence. We are in awe of Your mercy and love.
Help us, Lord, to be aware and vigilant against false teachings. Grant us discernment to recognize the truth and courage to stand against falsehood. We pray for those who are struggling in their faith, may Your mercy reach them and may we be instruments of Your love and grace to them.
In our journey of building ourselves up in our most holy faith, we seek Your guidance. May we continuously grow and strengthen our faith through prayer, study of the scriptures, and fellowship with other believers. Let us not become complacent but strive each day to draw closer to You.
Above all, let us continually abide in Your love, which is the source of our strength and joy. May Your love fill our hearts and reflect in our actions. May we love as You have loved us, showing kindness and mercy to others.
We thank You for Your faithfulness and for the hope we have in You. We ask all these in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Pericope:
The Letter of Jude
EXHORTATION
Jude 17-23
First Reading | Jude 17, 20-25
17 Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 20 Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 On those who waver, have mercy; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh. 24 To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, 25 to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, power, and authority from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen.
Background:
The book of Jude is a brief letter in the New Testament, written by Jude, the brother of James and Jesus. It was probably written in the mid-60s AD. The audience was likely Jewish Christians, or a mixture of Jewish and Gentile readers familiar with Jewish traditions.
Jude wrote this letter to warn against false teachers who had infiltrated the church and were distorting the faith. These individuals were described as “ungodly” people who perverted the grace of God into a license for immorality. They despised authority, spoke evil of others, and sought wealth in their greed.
In verses 17-25, Jude reminds his readers that the apostles predicted that such false teachers would arise. He calls the church to defend the truth aggressively against such false teaching. The believers are urged to persevere in the love of God, receiving mercy from Jesus and extending mercy to others.
Specifically, Jude 17-25 can be summarized as follows:
Jude 17-18: Jude reminds his readers of the warnings given by the apostles about the rise of scoffers in the last days.
Jude 20-21: Jude encourages his readers to build themselves up in their most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep themselves in God’s love, and wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ.
Jude 22-23: Jude instructs his readers to show mercy to those who doubt, save others by snatching them out of the fire, and show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Jude 24-25: Jude concludes with a doxology, praising God who is able to keep them from stumbling and present them blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy.
This passage emphasizes the importance of faithfulness, vigilance against false teachings, and the sustaining power of God’s love and mercy. It serves as a powerful reminder for believers to remain steadfast in their faith and to extend mercy to others, even in the face of challenges and temptations.
Learning Lessons:
The passage from Jude 17, 20-25 offers several important lessons for believers:
Remember the Warnings: Jude reminds us that the apostles had warned about the rise of scoffers and false teachers. This teaches us the importance of being aware and vigilant in our faith journey.
Build Up Your Faith: Jude encourages believers to build themselves up in their most holy faith. This suggests the need for continuous growth and strengthening of our faith through prayer, study of the scriptures, and fellowship with other believers.
Pray in the Spirit: Jude emphasizes the importance of praying in the Holy Spirit. This underscores the role of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life and our dependence on God’s guidance in our prayers.
Keep Yourselves in God’s Love: Jude instructs believers to keep themselves in God’s love. This teaches us to continually abide in God’s love, which is the source of our strength and joy.
Wait for Mercy: Jude tells us to wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ. This reminds us of the hope we have in Christ and the future mercy we will receive at His return.
Show Mercy to Others: Jude instructs his readers to show mercy to those who doubt and to save others by snatching them out of the fire. This teaches us the importance of extending God’s mercy to others, especially those who are struggling in their faith.
God’s Ability to Keep Us from Stumbling: Jude concludes with a doxology praising God who is able to keep us from stumbling. This assures us of God’s sustaining power in our lives and His ability to present us blameless before His glory.
These lessons remind us to remain steadfast in our faith, to be vigilant against false teachings, and to extend mercy to others. They also assure us of God’s love, mercy, and sustaining power in our lives. (Conversation with Copilot)
