Jude 17-25
A Call to Remain Faithful
17 But you, my delightfully loved friends, remember the prophecies of the apostles of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. 18 They taught you, “In the last days there will always be mockers, motivated by their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people cause divisions and are followers of their own natural instincts, devoid of the life of the Spirit.
20 But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith [faithfulness] by praying every moment in the Spirit [pray as led by the Spirit].
21 Fasten your hearts to the love of God and receive the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us eternal life.
22 Keep being compassionate to those who still have doubts, [be merciful] 23 and snatch others out of the fire to save them. Be merciful over and over to them, but always couple your mercy with the fear of God. Be extremely careful to keep yourselves free from the pollutions of the flesh.
24 Now, to the one with enough power to prevent you from stumbling into sin [to keep us from harm] and bring you faultless before his glorious presence to stand before him with ecstatic delight, 25 to the only God our Savior, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be endless glory and majesty, great power and authority—from before he created time, now, and throughout all the ages of eternity. Amen!
Titus reminds us what to expect as we live in the last days. According to Scripture, the last days are every day since Pentecost when the Spirit came to be poured out upon believers. Therefore, we live in the last days—the days when grace must hold us and sustain us so we can live in Christ’s anointing and provision. How do we stay in this place of grace? As the Spirit directs us, we continually cooperate with the building up of our faith, we pray as the Spirit leads, we love God and our neighbors, we receive mercy from the Lord as well as extend it to others, we demonstrate true compassion, we eagerly share the gospel with unbelievers, and because of our fear/respect for our Father we refuse to compromise and stain our lives with sin. So, my delightfully loved friends, may we fasten our hearts in the love of God so what is impossible to do in our flesh can be made possible in the power of the Spirit!
Prayer: Lord, I cling to your love for me as I draw upon the grace you have made available for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.