Keep Yourself in the Love of God Part 5

As we finish our study on Jude 20-21, we see the phrase, "Waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. The Greek word for waiting anxiously gives us the idea of earnest expectation, to wait for but with a sense to welcome the One for whom we anxiously wait. This word promotes an attitude that is motivated by the promise of Christ's second coming. What a glorious day that will be! And on that glorious future day, we who have trusted in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will see the final mercy of eternal life with Him. And He will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. (1Thess.4:16)
This anxious waiting in the Greek is in the present tense, and helps us to have a habitual practice or lifestyle about this event of the second coming. This is a hopeful fact for hope in the Christians life is a full assurance and confident expectation that these things will happen. It is not a hope so event, but a hope sure event. There is no doubt in the Bible about His return. Twenty-three of twenty-seven N.T. books state that He is coming again. On average, one out of every thirty verses in the N.T. speaks directly of His coming or of events surrounding His second coming. And for every one biblical reference to Jesus's first coming, there are eight that point us to His return. The Spirit leading these N.T. writers wanted to make sure of the fact of His return would not go unnoticed by His disciples. There is no speculation here, only expectation and anticipation, and all of that, by faith.
Jude in verse 2 states his desire that mercy be multiplied to you. Will not the greatest manifestation of Christ's mercy toward us be the fact that, "When we see Him, we will be like Him, for we will see Him just as He is."(1John 3:2)And as we walk on this guilty sod we have on this earth in this age, the age will eventually come to an end and there will be new heavens and a new earth in which dwells righteousness.(2Peter 3:13) We can certainly make it by building ourselves up on our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and looking anxiously for the merciful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Building, praying, and waiting, a trilogy that is divinely set out for us in order for us to keep ourselves in the love of God.
So, what about all this, what difference does all this make? Remember we have an adversary, the devil, and sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for us, but we must master it. Knowing that sin separates us from God (Isa.59:1-2) we must keep watching and praying, for the Spirit is willing but the flesh is week. Sin is dangerous, Alexander MacLaren states, "Beware of the first step, as sure as you are living, the first step taken will make the second seem to become necessary, the first drop, then another, then a shower, then a deluge. The little sins get in at the window and open the front door for the full-blown house breakers." We must keep ourselves in the love of God. And if God gives us a commandment, He also gives us enablement to carry it out. Be building, be praying, be waiting to keep yourselves in the love of God!
Elder Randy Slak
9/21/2021