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Keep Yourself in the Love of God
Keep Yourself in the Love of God
David W Palmer
(Jude 1:20–21 BSB) “But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, {21} keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.”
Jude gives us another angle on how to practice love—how to practically allow God’s own love to operate through us: “Keep yourself in the love of God.” What’s more, he puts it in the same sentence as “eternal life,” showing that it is vitally important. He also encourages us that to help or enable us to stay on the narrow path of love, we need the supernatural edification that praying in the spirit brings; he says to build yourself upon the foundation of your faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.
So, wisdom says to begin by receiving the faith that comes through hearing and hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Then build upon that with much prayer in the spirit, and thus be empowered to stay on the narrow, constricted path of Love—doing unto others only as we would have them do unto us (See: Mat. 7:12–14). With thankful hearts, we remind ourselves at this point that in our new birth, God poured his own love into our hearts:
(Romans 5:5 APE) But hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has come in, overflowing our hearts by The Spirit of Holiness who has been given to us.
If you have received Jesus’s new birth, the Holy Spirit is in you and with you. He brings in so much of God’s amazing love that he can fill our hearts and overflow to others.
Jude says by the Holy Spirit to “keep yourselves in the love of God!” The word “keep,” in this context, has two connotations:
First, it implies preservation and protection. Operating in God’s love will “keep” us as safe as we can be kept on this planet. In other words, God’s love can keep us from harm if we allow him to rule our hearts, responses, and actions. For example, when Jesus says to turn the other cheek or to go the extra mile, this is as much for our long-term protection and preservation as for any other reason. (Including, of course, our eternal safety in God’s kingdom.) After all, we can only reap in our future what we sow in our present (See: Gal. 6:7).
If we keep love as the dominating controller of our thoughts and actions, we act like God and remain in right relationship with him. This in turn, keeps us under the protection of his invincible covering. If we step away from following the Holy Spirit leading us in God’s loving responses and actions, we step outside his best for us; we therefore step away from his wisdom that leads to our protection:
(Proverbs 2:1–2, 8 NKJV) My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, {2} So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; ... {8} He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.
(Hebrews 5:9 CEV) Suffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him.
Obeying our Lord Jesus is a bit like a child obeying a loving parent who tells them, “Don’t put your finger in the fire!” If they obey, they are kept safe from damage, hurt, and pain. On the other hand, if the child disobeys, they experience burning pain; but this was obviously not the parent’s will for them. It is simply the consequence of not obeying love’s directive. Similarly, Jesus’s lordship in our lives is not to satisfy the ego of a dictator or tyrant; he simply guides us to keep us out of turmoil, pain, hurt, and a world of trouble. He can protect, provide, guide, and heal you … if you obey him. And that obviously means walking as love directs. This is the first way to “keep” yourself in God’s love.
(Deuteronomy 5:29 NKJV) “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”
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By DAVID W. PALMERKeep Yourself in the Love of God
David W Palmer
(Jude 1:20–21 BSB) “But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, {21} keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.”
Jude gives us another angle on how to practice love—how to practically allow God’s own love to operate through us: “Keep yourself in the love of God.” What’s more, he puts it in the same sentence as “eternal life,” showing that it is vitally important. He also encourages us that to help or enable us to stay on the narrow path of love, we need the supernatural edification that praying in the spirit brings; he says to build yourself upon the foundation of your faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.
So, wisdom says to begin by receiving the faith that comes through hearing and hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Then build upon that with much prayer in the spirit, and thus be empowered to stay on the narrow, constricted path of Love—doing unto others only as we would have them do unto us (See: Mat. 7:12–14). With thankful hearts, we remind ourselves at this point that in our new birth, God poured his own love into our hearts:
(Romans 5:5 APE) But hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has come in, overflowing our hearts by The Spirit of Holiness who has been given to us.
If you have received Jesus’s new birth, the Holy Spirit is in you and with you. He brings in so much of God’s amazing love that he can fill our hearts and overflow to others.
Jude says by the Holy Spirit to “keep yourselves in the love of God!” The word “keep,” in this context, has two connotations:
First, it implies preservation and protection. Operating in God’s love will “keep” us as safe as we can be kept on this planet. In other words, God’s love can keep us from harm if we allow him to rule our hearts, responses, and actions. For example, when Jesus says to turn the other cheek or to go the extra mile, this is as much for our long-term protection and preservation as for any other reason. (Including, of course, our eternal safety in God’s kingdom.) After all, we can only reap in our future what we sow in our present (See: Gal. 6:7).
If we keep love as the dominating controller of our thoughts and actions, we act like God and remain in right relationship with him. This in turn, keeps us under the protection of his invincible covering. If we step away from following the Holy Spirit leading us in God’s loving responses and actions, we step outside his best for us; we therefore step away from his wisdom that leads to our protection:
(Proverbs 2:1–2, 8 NKJV) My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, {2} So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; ... {8} He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.
(Hebrews 5:9 CEV) Suffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him.
Obeying our Lord Jesus is a bit like a child obeying a loving parent who tells them, “Don’t put your finger in the fire!” If they obey, they are kept safe from damage, hurt, and pain. On the other hand, if the child disobeys, they experience burning pain; but this was obviously not the parent’s will for them. It is simply the consequence of not obeying love’s directive. Similarly, Jesus’s lordship in our lives is not to satisfy the ego of a dictator or tyrant; he simply guides us to keep us out of turmoil, pain, hurt, and a world of trouble. He can protect, provide, guide, and heal you … if you obey him. And that obviously means walking as love directs. This is the first way to “keep” yourself in God’s love.
(Deuteronomy 5:29 NKJV) “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”