Lord Jesus calls us to ‘abide’ in Him and to remain under the shadow of His wing. Paul speaks of the importance of remaining ‘in Christ’ – of maintaining moment by moment fellowship with our heavenly Father and taking care not to step outside His protective covering.
Both the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul were very aware of the delight, the strength, the grace, and the peace, that flows from this blessed communion with our Saviour, when we rest and abide in Christ and He in us. Both were also profoundly mindful of the dangers that happen when fellowship with the Father is broken, knowing that the enemy has a deeply rooted hatred of God’s blood bought children and that he seeks to ship wreck our loving trust in our Lord by many subtle wiles.
Jude also speaks here of an understanding of the devil’s tactics to shipwreck the faith of Christians, through legalism, apostate teaching, worldly carnality, false religiosity, or a ‘works-related’ Christian life… which is why the he instructs us to, “build yourselves up in our most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit,” and to, “keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”
God, we pray that you would help us to grow in our most holy faith. Help us to be built up today. I pray for that for my own life. I pray for that for people who are reading right now. I pray we would be built up more and more today in our faith. Help us to grow in our faith. Help us to pray in your Spirit. God, we pray that when we are talking like this that your Spirit would lead and guide our words, that you would prompt us to pray all day long, fervently and unceasingly according to what we need to be praying for, according to people around us, according to your will and your word to us.
Help us to pray in the Spirit. Help us to keep ourselves in your love. Oh, God, we want to abide in your love. We want to know your love more and more and more every day. More at the end of today than we do right now. We want to know and enjoy your love. We know that comes in obeying your commands so help us to obey you and keep ourselves in your love as we wait for your mercy. God, we are waiting. We’re waiting for your mercy. We’re waiting for the return of Jesus. We’re waiting for the fulfillment of all your promises to bring your kingdom and show your justice and righteousness and love as it reigns, as you reign in a new heaven and new earth. Amos 5:24
Amen and Thank You Jesus!