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👉🏼 (Reading: Jude 1:17-21)
📜 ""But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.""
Jude 1:20-21 (NIV)
📋 True believers are tasked to defend, promote the Christian faith and resist false teachings which negatively affect their spiritual lives. In today's focus verses, Jude teaches us some ways in which we can carry out these tasks.
He begins by urging us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. The holy faith is grounded in the word of God, in particular the New Testament revelation handed down by Christ and the apostles (v. 3).
Building yourself up requires the diligent study of God's word and a determined effort to apply these to our lives (Acts 2:42). He adds that we should pray in the Holy Spirit, which may include praying in tongues. This means depending on the Holy Spirit to inspire, guide, energize, sustain and help us pray according to God's will.
The Spirit also helps us to do effective spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:18). Another way is to remain in God's love by faithfully obeying his word. We also need to live with great desire and anticipation of Jesus' return and the eternal glory that will accompany his return.
How are you building yourself up?
🔑 Key Lesson: Jesus expects us to build ourselves up in the faith.
🛐 Meditation and Prayer: Lord, empower me to build myself up in the faith.
📚 Further Reading: 2 Timothy 2:15-18.
◼️ The Bible in One Year: Psalms 107-111.