A Call to Remain Faithful

Jude 1:20-23 (in the English Standard Version) says:

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. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

The heading above this scripture says that it is “A Call to Remain Faithful.” As we live our lives, and experience difficulty in this world, we may experience seasons when our faith wavers. We may have periods of time in which our words and our actions don’t reflect the person we want to be or the person we used to be when our faith was stronger. In times like this, it can be helpful to turn to verses like those in the book of Jude, which instruct us how to remain faithful even when we’re struggling.

These verses advise that we should build ourselves up in faith. Another version says that brothers and sisters are to build each other up. This means, if you notice a brother or sister who is struggling, it’s your responsibility to encourage them and try to help. And then they can return the favor when you need it. The scripture also says that remaining faithful involves continuing in prayer and keeping yourselves in the love of God. This reminds me that when life seems hard, I should concentrate on God’s love for me and pray that He would renew my heart and mind.

In addition to building each other up, the later verses of this section contain other important instructions concerning our obligation to help others. It says to have mercy on those who doubt. I pray that I would have compassion on those who have doubts in their faith and that I could serve them in some way. The scripture also says to save others by snatching them out of the fire. If you see someone who is really in trouble, and going the wrong direction, battle for them in prayer and ask God to use you to help them get back on track.

Finally, the verse says, “to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” Another version says, “Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” As we see friends and family going in the wrong direction, and living a life of sin, we pray that we would demonstrate love and mercy to them while not giving an impression that we approve of their sin. This is such a challenging tightrope to walk, and we pray that God would guide us in all of these interactions.

Let’s pray together

Lord God, we echo the words of the book of Jude, and we want to remain faithful in all situations. Help us to build others up, give us hearts of mercy, and show us when to pray that someone would be snatched from the fire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.