Keep Yourself in the Love of God
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21)
Regarding Jude’s exhortation, “keep yourselves in the love of God,” John MacArthur noted: “On a practical level, it means that we must stay obedient to God, since divine blessing is promised only within the sphere of obedience. On the other hand, if we become disobedient, we move from a position of blessing to a position of chastisement (Hebrews 12:3–11).”
If I bring my 3 year old grandson outside to play, and he is getting too close to the curb, I will firmly say, "Adrian, don't go into the street." When I instruct him in this way, I'm not trying to keep him from having fun. Rather, I'm trying to keep him in a place where he can have fun and not get hurt. Everything God desires for us to do or not to do springs from His love. When we choose to go outside of God's will, we are choosing something other than what God lovingly desires for us.
In the same way that I would not stop loving my grandson if he ran into the street, God doesn't stop loving us when we go outside of His will. However, we will not know His best for our lives or His blessings when we act as if we know better and go outside of His will. When, as children of God, we stray outside the boundaries of God’s will for our lives, we can expect His loving discipline.
The author of Hebrews makes this clear when he writes, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-1)
In the gospel of John, Jesus also exhorted his disciples to abide in His love: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9-11)
Similarly, in the chapter before, Jesus said: ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments... Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:15, 21)
As we remain obedient, we not only demonstrate our love for God, we abide in the love of God. We live in the love of God, and God manifests Himself to us. That is to say, we will come to a deeper experience of the love of God when we order our lives in alignment with the heart and will of God. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Oswald Chambers noted that “the root of all sin is the suspicion that God is not good.” To stray outside of God’s will is to scorn the love of God. The cross shouts, "God loves you." “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). Keep yourselves in the love of God. Stay away from the curb and trust God's will for your life. He loves you!
In your service,
Pastor Marco
Regarding Jude’s exhortation, “keep yourselves in the love of God,” John MacArthur noted: “On a practical level, it means that we must stay obedient to God, since divine blessing is promised only within the sphere of obedience. On the other hand, if we become disobedient, we move from a position of blessing to a position of chastisement (Hebrews 12:3–11).”
If I bring my 3 year old grandson outside to play, and he is getting too close to the curb, I will firmly say, "Adrian, don't go into the street." When I instruct him in this way, I'm not trying to keep him from having fun. Rather, I'm trying to keep him in a place where he can have fun and not get hurt. Everything God desires for us to do or not to do springs from His love. When we choose to go outside of God's will, we are choosing something other than what God lovingly desires for us.
In the same way that I would not stop loving my grandson if he ran into the street, God doesn't stop loving us when we go outside of His will. However, we will not know His best for our lives or His blessings when we act as if we know better and go outside of His will. When, as children of God, we stray outside the boundaries of God’s will for our lives, we can expect His loving discipline.
The author of Hebrews makes this clear when he writes, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-1)
In the gospel of John, Jesus also exhorted his disciples to abide in His love: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9-11)
Similarly, in the chapter before, Jesus said: ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments... Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:15, 21)
As we remain obedient, we not only demonstrate our love for God, we abide in the love of God. We live in the love of God, and God manifests Himself to us. That is to say, we will come to a deeper experience of the love of God when we order our lives in alignment with the heart and will of God. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Oswald Chambers noted that “the root of all sin is the suspicion that God is not good.” To stray outside of God’s will is to scorn the love of God. The cross shouts, "God loves you." “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). Keep yourselves in the love of God. Stay away from the curb and trust God's will for your life. He loves you!
In your service,
Pastor Marco