Jude 1:21 (KJV)
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
When we read the bible, often times we read superficially. On the surface level it seems as though God is asking us to do something but always remember that the bible is a description not a perscription. This means it's describing something, not telling us to do something.
Jude 1:21 seems like it's telling us to "keep yourselves in the love of God," but it’s essential to understand that this is not something we do by our own strength.
The love he's talking about is a Godly love, something us humans cannot have on our own.
Our ability to remain in God’s love is sustained by God Himself through Jesus Christ, who he sent for the propitation for our sins. The power to remain in God's love comes from Him.
It is God who initiates, sustains, and completes our faith.
Because of our imperfections, God sent Jesus to reconcile us to his love. Without Jesus, there is no love and we can never have a relationship with God. That is why Jude calls us to look for his mercy, which is eternal life through Christ. True mercy and grace can only come from Jesus. It also involves waiting for that promise. At times we waver in our faith and that is why Joel says "Keeping yourselves in the love of God". Keeping means to always remember who we are through because of God's love. We must always wait on God and trust in his timing.
Why? Because Faith is patience and patience is a Faith.
Patience demonstrates our trust in God's promises, even when we do not see immediate results. We wait because we belief that God is working in our lives and will fulfill His promises.
Even though we may not feel perfect or see ourselves as perfected and worthy of God's love, Jesus assures us that we are already perfected in Him. God loved us so much that he gave his only begotten son for us. We were supposed to pay for our sins but Jesus paid instead. We were supposed to die and burn but Jesus took our place. We were supposed to perish and be forsaken but Jesus was forsaken in our place. God is truly merciful and loving.
Our citizenship in heaven is secure because of what Jesus has done, not because of our efforts. We only need to believe and wait until the day that we meet him in heaven.
Waiting on God requires patience, and patience is a demonstration of faith. Faith, in turn, is rooted in love. By waiting patiently and trusting in God's timing, we show our love for Him.
Keeping ourselves in love is not about striving or straining to be perfect, but resting in the perfection that Jesus has already provided for us.
Are you waiting on God’s timing and trusting in His promises, or are you trying to achieve things by your own strength?
I hope every one of us can throw our thoughts away and unite our hearts with God and his timing. God is love and he is more than capable of providing all things. Ask God today to give you more patience which in turn will strengthen your faith. Amen!
Galatians 2:16 (KJV)
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We've all been taught to live just and upright in front of God. That justification comes from obedience to God's laws. But Paul teaches us that it is not through "the works of the law" that we are made righteous, but through faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation and righteousness come solely through faith, not by adhering to the law or performing good deeds.
While the law reveals God's standards and exposes our sin, it is powerless to save. Paul emphasizes that "by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," meaning that no amount of law-keeping can make us righteous before God.
The law shows us our need for a savior, not a means for salvation.
Justification comes when we believe that Jesus paid for our debt eternally. With our own merits and efforts, we can never become justified. When we believe this precious gospel, we are liberated from the deeds of the law. Righteousness is a gift from God received through faith. This truth inspires us to love and serve others, not out of a desire to earn God's favor, but out of gratitude for his sacrifice. The faith that justified us also transforms us. It forms a different heart of compassion and stewarding.
I hope we can all rely on the justification of Jesus. Amen!
John 7:24 (KJV)
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Many "Christians" pass judgement on people because they misunderstand verses like these. Jesus challenges us to look beyond the surface and external actions of individuals. The correct judgement goes beyond actions and appearance.
The Greek word "dikaios," translated as "righteous judgment," refers to judging according to righteousness. This means we need to evaluate if someone’s life is aligned with the will of God. Judging righteously means we assess whether a person acknowledges and lives out their identity in Christ as a new creation or if they continue to identify themselves as sinners. If they say they are sinners, they are denying the sacrifice of Jesus which made us saints.
Sin is not an act but an identity.
It was inherited from Adam, and it is not defined by specific actions but by a state of separation from God. However, through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, believers are redeemed, transformed, and receive a new identity as saints. If you truly believe in Jesus and his eternal sacrifice, you will no longer indentify yourself as a sinner. Jesus' sacrifice has washed away our past, present, and future sins, declaring us righteous and holy. Those who have accepted Jesus are no longer sinners; they are saints, sanctified by His blood. That is why when we ask people "are you a sinner or have you been saved?", it allows us to judge the righteousness in their heart.
A person who believes in the gospel will answer only with righteousness but those who don't know or don't believe will say they are sinners. This allows us to judge if they have the gospel or not inside of their hearts. It also allows us to see if they are united with the word of God that says we are righteous or if they unite their hearts with their own thoughts that say they are sinners.
It is crucial for believers to embrace their new identity in Christ. Claiming to still be sinners, despite Jesus dying and saving us, is a denial of the complete work of Christ on the cross. While we may still struggle with the symptoms of sin due to our flesh, our core identity is not defined by it.
When we meet other believers, we are called to make righteous judgments. This means discerning whether they identify as new creatures in Christ or if they are still proclaiming to be their old nature which is sin. It’s important to approach these people with humility and love, encouraging them to fully embrace their identity as saints. We must avoid condemning based on appearances, specific actions, or thoughts. Instead we need to focus on preaching the gospel and guiding them back to the scripture that says we are righteous.
Amen!
Daniel 4:37 (KJV)
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Many of us struggle with pride and ego. We've all experienced stubborness and self-righteousness. It is truly a difficult task to humble ourselves.
King Nebuchadnezzar's story is a powerful testimony of how God can humble the proud. Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of Babylon, one of the most powerful kingdoms in his time. He was known for his accomplishments, like the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, his achievements led him to be puffed up and prideful. In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream in which he saw a great tree, representing his kingdom and its vast influence. However that tree was cut down, symbolizing the loss of his power. The prophet Daniel interpreted the dream, warning the king that his pride would lead to his downfall unless he acknowledged God's sovereignty.
Despite the warning, Nebuchadnezzar continued in his pride. He boasted, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power, and for the honour of MY majesty?" (Daniel 4:30 KJV). After that, God worked to dismantle his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar was driven from his throne, almost went insane, and lived like a beast in the field eating grass. This period of humbling lasted until he acknowledged that God was the most high and ruled over everything. He was nothing and God was the true King.
Nebuchadnezzar's experience tells us that it is God who humbles us, especially when we become proud and self-reliant.
Just as God humbled Nebuchadnezzar, He can and wil;l humble anyone who walks in pride. It is not within our power to humble ourselves truly. Through trials, tribulations, chastizement and moments of personal weakness, God provides opportunities for us to recognize the need to rely on him. God uses difficult circumstances to humble us and draw us closer to Him. In Nebuchadnezzar's case, his downfall was a direct result of his pride. For us, trials and tribulations help reveal our own limitations that stem from trusting ourselves.
God allows these experiences not to destroy us but to refine us. He teaches us to rely solely on his grace and mercy.
It is God who grants authority, wisdom, and success. It is also He who can take them away.
Our identity is not rooted in our accomplishments or accolades but in our relationship with God. The humbling experiences we face are opportunities to shift our trust from ourselves to God.
Nebuchadnezzar's story ends with a profound transformation. After acknowledging God, his sanity was restored, and he regained his kingdom. More importantly, he recognized God's greatness and praised Him, saying, "those that walk in pride he is able to abase." He went from pride to humility which led to a deeper understanding of God's character.
I want you guys to reflect on the story of Nebuchadnezzar and how God humbled him. Consider areas in your life where you may be relying on your own strength or achievements. I hope you can acknowledge that it is God who humbles us. Please take time to thank Him for the grace He extends in these moments. I hope you can place your trust fully in Him and remember that we are truly nothing without his mercy.
Although our pridefulness may be problematic to us, it is nothing for God to correct it. God will do the job of humbling us and we can be peaceful in trusting him to do so. Amen!
