“Keep Yourselves in the Love of God”
Jude 1:21

Introduction

• Jude 1:21…Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
• This is the number one priority among Christians. Over and over through scripture you will find 362 times where the word “keep” is used.
• Genesis 2:15…And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (To take care of it)
• Exodus 20:6…And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
• Exodus 23:7…Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
• Psalm 119:4…Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5) O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
• Amos 5:13…Therefore the prudent (wise and careful) shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
• Luke 11:28…But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
• John 14:15…If ye love me, keep my commandments.
• Philippians 4:7…And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
• This word “keep” has many definitions and we will explore them today as it remains today a Christian’s goal in life.
•  In our text of Jude (Judah in the Hebrew; Judas in the Greek, 8 men named Judas in the N.T. This Jude was one of 4 half brothers of Jesus Christ.) we see the first word of the verse “keep” that sets the wheels in motion for the rest of the verse.

I. Keep Yourselves

A) The word “keep”

• What does the word “keep” mean? According to Webster’s Dictionary it means… 1) to perform as a duty; to fulfill; as, I have kept the faith. To observe; as, to keep a fast. 2) To guard; to defend; as to keep you from harm; to take care of; as, to keep a garden. 3) To maintain; as, to keep silent; to keep food in the ice box; to continue doing something.
• In looking at these three definitions from Webster’s Dictionary let us make a biblical application to the word “keep.”
• To perform a duty – “…to keep my commandments.”
• To guard – “…to keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
• To maintain – “blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
  B) To keep yourself

• Webster’s Dictionary reminds us of the meanings of the word “keep,” and the Bible reminds us of how we are to “keep” ourselves…
• Fulfill or complete our duty of keeping His commandments.
• To guard our hearts and minds from being destroyed by Satan. And how do we do that? Through Jesus Christ! Being obedient to His every command.
• To maintain ourselves by continuing in His word, continuing in obedience, continuing in the faith.
• All of this boils down to one thing…self control. God wants His children to maintain self control at all times.
• Do you want to make your Father in heaven happy? Be obedient
• Parents, are you happy when your children disobey you? No! Then why would God be happy when you are disobedient.
• To “keep yourself” is a hard thing to do because Satan doesn’t know how to do that.

II. In the Love of God

A) How to do that

• How do we keep ourselves in the love of God?
• In order for us to keep ourselves in the love of God, we must know what it means.
• It means that we are to remain obedient to Him as He pours out His love by blessing us (making us happy).
• The opposite of that is not being obedient, not keeping His commandments therefore making God unhappy and He pours out His wrath through punishment for our actions.
• John 5:42… But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43) I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.  

B) Love does not separate

•  Romans 8:38…For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• True love does not separate. If you truly love something, nothing will cause you to separate.
• Many marriages end in divorce because there was no real love there.
• A real love is based on God, His Son, and His Spirit being the center of your life.
• When Christ is not the center of attention, Satan takes control.

C) Love is patiently waiting

• II Thessalonians 3:4…And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5) And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
• To patiently wait on something is hard to do when we today are always in a hurry. Hurry to eat, hurry in line, hurry in driving, and hurry to get an answer.
• God wants us to be patient in following His commandments until He comes to take us home.

D) Love is “all in”

• I  John 2:3…And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
• John uses the word “know,” 40 times in this epistle (letter) to describe those who really love Him “know” Him by what? Keeping His commandments.  
• Then John goes on to show how to know whether or not a person is truly a Christian… I  John 2:4…He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
• If they are not obedient at all…they are what? LIARS. Wow what a reality check.
• Who is the father of all lies? The devil.
• I  John 2:5…But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
• A perfect love between man and God, or a perfect love between husband and wife, or a perfect love between two of any kind comes from those who “keep His commandments.
• To love someone or something is to “be all in.” Completely submersed, completely baptized in, to be drown in.
•  Acts 2:38…Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• The connotation of this word “baptized” in not by water but by the Spirit.
• The word “baptize” means to be submersed in.
• We are to be submersed in Jesus Christ by all our thought, actions, words, and faith.
• True love is submersion. Whether it is in God, your work, your spouse, your children, your friends, your things, or your church.

III. Looking for the Mercy

A) Of our Lord Jesus Christ

• Jude 1:21…Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
• Sometimes our spouse has no mercy. Sometimes our boss has no mercy. Sometimes the court system has no mercy.
• But with our savior Jesus Christ, His mercy is huge.
• God’s mercy shown…Psalm 136:16 …To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
• You do remember all the times Israel tested God’s love in the wilderness. They complained continuously. They worshiped idols. They looked back at Egypt with a desire to be there. They hated the manna God provided.
• Their love for God was short lived.  
• Paul reminds the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 2:4…But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
• Because God created us He has a love for mankind. And because He loved us so much He proved that in John 3:16 by sacrificing His “only begotten Son” which has “quickened” us (made us alive) because we were dead in our sins!
• That’s another quality in love. To make alive something that is dead.
• A spouse is supposed to help their mate to feel alive, feel loved by the things they do for them, and the sacrifices made for them.
• What sacrifices have you made for God, for Jesus?
• What things have you done to show God that you love Him?
• “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 21