July 29, 2019 BUILDING YOURSELF UP
Jude 20-21, 24-25 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now forever. Amen.”
We can live the Christian life only by the working of the Spirit of God in us, but that does not mean that we do not have a part, or responsibility in the process. We often hear the admonition to ‘wait on God,’ and generally speaking, that is good advice; however, it is possible to use the idea of waiting on God as a reason or excuse for not doing what God has called us to do. Growing in the faith is proactive; we must work with God as He works in us. Throughout the scriptures we find clear instructions and commands that God has given for our good, and He desires, and expects us to put into action what He has said. For example, we do not need to ‘wait on God’ before being patient or loving, etc. because that is who we are in Christ. Jude tells us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. The foundation for building ourselves up is genuine faith in God and all that He has said and done. Faith in God is not stagnant; faith expresses itself in some way. (James 2:14-26) If my faith in God is for real, it only follows that I would read and study His word, and that I would pray to God knowing that He hears my prayers. Another aspect of building ourselves up is to keep ourselves in the love of God. Meditating on and experiencing His love, receiving His love, worshiping Him, and expressing His love is a sure way of building ourselves up in the faith. Even in the most difficult times, we can know His love for us; His love is an anchor for our soul. When we know His love, we love others. Spending time with other believers and sharing the life of Christ in us is certainly needed and is beneficial for our own spiritual health. A key facet of having faith in God is understanding that we have been redeemed and restored to our Father, BUT, there is more to come-one day, our redemption or transformation will be complete. Keeping focused on what is to come impacts the life we live today; there is a day coming when we will give an account of our life on earth and will be rewarded or not rewarded-that’s real motivation! The good news is that we do not have to live with fear of missing God; our part is to walk in His ways, respond to His love and His work in us, and to remember that He is the potter and we are the clay. When we are about building ourselves up in the faith, He will keep us from stumbling, and He will allow us to stand in His presence with great joy!
Colossians 2:6-7 “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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