June 13, 2025 -- Jude 17-21 -- Facing persecution as one loved by God

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

But you must remember, beloved, that predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 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 17-21 ESV
 
Where will the scoffers come from? Well, obviously there will be scoffers, people who mock you for your faith in Jesus Christ, at your workplace and school, in the courtroom and in your neighbourhood. But Jude is writing to believers, and I wonder, as he wrote, if he was remembering the fact that he grew up as a half-brother of Jesus and he rejected his brother. It was not until after Jesus’s death and resurrection that Jude became a believer. That is an important lesson for us. Even in the household of faith, among people who should know better, you’ll encounter ridicule.
 
Why? People are following their own ungodly passions. You see it in marriages. A couple who has been instructed in the Lord to forgive 70 x 7 times, are rude, mean, vindictive. Their pride and hurt feelings take precedence over their obedience to Jesus. Churches have leaders who don’t do everything in their power to live at peace with all who are in Christ. Calling out sin. Encouraging righteousness. Teaching there will be Christians who are following ungodly passions who need to be discipled back to holiness or disciplined harshly for the purity of the church. There are people who are Christians, who grieve the Holy Spirit, ignoring for a time, the obedience that is required of all those who are in Christ. But there are also those who masquerade as Christians, perhaps not even realizing their own hypocrisy. They are not bearing the fruit of righteousness but are causing divisions.
 
Do not give up, dear fellow believers. God knows those who are His. God commands you, in so far as it depends on you, to live sharing the love of Jesus Christ until such divisive people either expose their godlessness, repent and turn again to Jesus or eventually are removed from the fellowship because of their opposition to Jesus. How can you endure hard times when the scoffers seem to win, and faith seems so hard?
 
Build yourself up in your holy faith. Spend time with believers whose faith has been tested and tried and who are great encouragers. Read the Bible. It is always true. Always used by the Spirit to direct you. Attend Bible preaching, Bible believing churches.
 
Praying in the Holy Spirit is not limited to, but includes, praying the Psalms. Praying aware that the Holy Spirit will bring to mind people, situations, needs and over all of this, will lead you to praise God. When you praise God, you realize He is greater than all your worst situations. He is mighty to save. He is using you, and your hardships, for His glory and for the purposes of convicting others of their sins, leading others to Christ, and conforming you more and more to the pattern of Jesus, His Son.
 
Keep yourselves in the love of God—did you catch it, the word beloved. Twice in our short reading, Jude called the recipients of this letter “beloved”. Loved of God. Let that sink in. The hardships, the hurts, the vindictive actions of others are actually not aimed at your but are aimed at God. People see your faith and howl in protest. People see your desire to honour God, and their own sins rise before them as a stench so they push back against you. God has not forgotten you. He loves you. He is teaching you to stand strong in Him. To keep yourself in the love of God means you regularly review the fact you have been brought from death to life in Jesus Christ. Read Ephesians 3:14-19. (I know less than 10% of you will read this, so the summary is Paul prays that you’ll be strengthened by the Spirit in your inner being so that you’ll know how wide and high and long and broad is the love of God which is yours in Christ Jesus.) Even though I’ve summarized it, seriously, look it up. Read it! Spend time reflecting on it.  Memorize it. It is a verse that helps keep you in the love of God which is so richly poured out on you.
 
Belonging to God and being loved by God does not mean that your life will be easy. Jesus was hated. He told His followers if the Master is hated, how much more will the servants of the Master be hated (John 15:18-25). Whenever you encounter reviling, hatred, scoffing, mocking and push-back because you are a Christian ask yourself these questions. Am I suffering because of my own wrongdoing? If so, correct it. If, after you have corrected your behaviour, you strive to walk in step with the Spirit and people (Christian or not) revile and hate and mock you, know that you are confirmed as a servant of the Master. You bear evidence of the fact that you are a follower of Jesus. Do not despair. Do not give up. The disciples rejoiced when they suffered for Jesus, because they realized they’d been counted worthy of the Gospel (Acts 5:40-41).
 
What great love, You Father, have given to us, that we should be called the sons and daughters of God. It is a great privilege to be Your children, both now, and perfectly so in eternity. Spirit of God, wean us from sin so that we get a distaste for it and ultimately hate it. Nourish us in the Truth of Scripture and wrap us securely in the love of God which is so richly ours in Jesus Christ. Propel us into the world, to the people who so desperately need to know the love of God. Keep us steady in affliction. Patient with those who oppose us. Joyful in gathering with Your people. Lead us in such fellowship to grow in love for and in faithful devotion to Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/4-GM9w6IA2M?si=EE2QvFDhXhPA9Hyo How Deep the Father’s Love
 

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