A Call to Exercise
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Also from the ESV...
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Introduction
Introduction
The title of sermon this morning is “A Call to Exercise.” And while for some of you, that may conjure pictures of unnecessary and torturous endeavours, exercise is a critically important part of staying healthy and strong.
And while I’m sure you all appreciate this fact, even if you don’t do all that much about it in terms of actually going out and exercising, we must realise that the same is appropriate when considering our spiritual health. Without vigorous and regular spiritual exercise, our spiritual condition will begin to fade and whither away.
But while a neglect of physical exercise has negative consequences, those consequences are limited to this short and momentary life in this world. The same cannot be said of our spiritual condition. Eternal consequences are at stake. Eternal matters are the continual subject matter at hand by us as Christians individually and as the church, and as such, we must take seriously the spiritual exercise that is our duty as Christians.
To neglect these matters in our lives is to show a sense of apathy and carelessness with the most weighty matter of all - the worship of our Holy God. These matters are serious.
And so, as we turn our attention to these two brief verses this morning, I want to urge you to listen, with the view of taking action. If you have become in any way apathetic in your walk with Christ, and you’ve stopped spiritual exercises, or you’ve decided that you just don’t have time for these things, dear friend, I am urging you today: let today be the day that you change, and you apply yourself diligently to the exercise to which Jude calls us in these verses.
As we begin our look at these verses this morning, two things that I would like to draw our attention to. The first thing is the context.
I.1. Context
I.1. Context
Recall that Jude is writing to warn about false teachers in the church, and he does this by calling the church to contend for the faith. He has expressed in no uncertain terms just how dangerous these false teachers are, how important it is for Christians to stand up in the face of the false teachers, and also how God’s judgment will come upon these false teachers.
A call to recall - vv.17-19 (last week)
A call to exercise - vv.20-21 (today)
A call to mercy - vv.22-23 (next week)
Today our focus is on this call to exercise, which Jude says is essential for us in light of the false teachers and apostates that will be found within the church.
I.2. The Imperative in this Text
I.2. The Imperative in this Text
The second thing that I wish us to take note of as we come to these two verses is the Imperative that is found in this text. An imperative is a command, or an instruction to do something. In our verses that we will be considering this morning, there is a single imperative / command that is given, with three supporting (participial) clauses.
The imperative that is issued by Jude here is to “keep yourself in the love of God.” This is what Jude calls believers to do in these verses. He’s calling us to keep ourselves in the love of God. One main command is given.
But he doesn’t leave us with just that. Instead, he gives three ways that will help us to do that. Those three ways, as found in these verses, are...
by building ourselves up in our most holy faith
by praying in the Holy Spirit
by waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life.
Thus, as we consider these verses this morning, I’m going to do so by first considering the imperative, the command to keep ourselves in the love of God, and then by considering those supporting actions that Jude calls us to that will enable us to carry out the main instruction.
As a summary of all of these - the main command, and the supporting commands or instructions in terms of how to do this, I’ve title my sermon “A Call to Exercise.”
1. The Call to Exercise (v.21a)
1. The Call to Exercise (v.21a)
As Jude writes, the main thing that we are called to do as Christians is to keep ourselves in the love of God.
Immediately we hear this, there may be questions that arise in our minds. One of the questions that we may ask ourselves is, why are we being called to keep ourselves in God’s love, if we’ve been taught (particularly as those who love the doctrines of grace) that it is God who will keep us.
And further to this, we may ask the question, if we are being called to keep ourselves in God’s love, does this mean that there exists the possibility that we can fall away from the love of God, and somehow live outside of the love of God?
These are understandable questions, but we must realise that the call for us to keep ourselves in the love of God is the means that God uses to keep His people. Even in verse 24 of Jude’s own letter, his doxology confesses that it is God who is able to keep us from falling - it is not something that we are able to do ourselves.
But God uses the means that he does in order to keep us in His love. This speaks to our great responsibility as the people of God. There are responsibilities that are placed upon us in the light of the false teachers that abound in the church. There are responsibilities placed upon us in light of the spiritual forces of darkness that are at work in the world in order to lead us astray. And what weighty responsibilities these are, and what diligent efforts they require on our part!!
Just one verse (although there are many) with regards to our responsibility...
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Dear friends, I must emphasize this point this morning, for fear that many people believe that they will grow as Christians even if they put little to no effort into their growth.
Or perhaps they wrongly assume a meaning into the phrase, “for it is by grace that you have been saved.” So they think that, once saved always saved. I’m just going to be a nice person for Jesus.
This is not the call of God upon the Christian. Rather, we are called to exercise - exercise our faith, and ensure that we keep ourselves in the love of God.
Do you have a fear and trembling of God, a deep respect of and love for God, that is leading you to work out your salvation? Are you taking your faith seriously? Are you taking your walk with God seriously?
As we move on, we must note the phrase that Jude uses here in terms of keeping ourselves in the “love of God.”
We will get a sense of the importance of this phrase, as well as what it means, as we note what the Apostle John writes. Firstly, in his Gospel account, he records the words of our Saviour as follows:
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
The way in which a Christian may remain or keep himself in the love of God is by obeying the commands of God.
“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.”
We must ask ourselves if we are obeying the commands of Christ. Because it is through obedience to the commands of Christ that we remain in the love of Christ, which Jude (and Christ) calls us to.
But if we look further into Scripture we see that the command of God and Christ really is to love God, and to love our neighbour.
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In 1 John 3-4, the Apostle John speaks extensively of this love of God, and the fact that we as Christians are to love. I won’t delve into the details, but I’ll quote the last two verses of 1 Jn 4...
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Dear Brothers and sisters, we are called to keep ourselves in the love of God. We are called to thus live lives that are marked and characterized by love.
Firstly, we are to love our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Secondly, and flowing out of and as a natural response to the obedience to the first command, we are to love our neighbour as ourselves.
And recall, that this love is even extended to those who offend us or hurt us. Just recall the parable of the good Samaritan that Jesus told.
Well, that is the call of Jude. If we are going to stand firm in the face of the opposition and error that false teaching brings, then we are to keep ourselves in the love of God, live lives of love.
But how do we do this?
How is it that we will be strengthened by God to live the life that He calls us to?
2. The How and What of Exercise (vv.20-21)
2. The How and What of Exercise (vv.20-21)
There are three things that Jude says we are to do if we are to keep ourselves in the love of God. Firstly, at the beginning of verse 20, we find that we are to build our faith.
2.1. Build Your Faith (v.20a)
2.1. Build Your Faith (v.20a)
The NIV reads, "...build yourselves up in your most holy faith..."
The Christian life is a life that should be marked by a continual effort towards growth in the faith.
We must be careful about how we understand this phrase.
As we consider these words, we must keep in mind what Jude has already mentioned at the start of his letter in verse 3...
3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
That faith that Jude had in mind was a body of teaching and doctrine that was to be held to. Our faith is in Jesus Christ, and our faith is focused on His life, and His sacrificial death on the cross, His resurrection, and His ascension.
Our faith is focused on how God revealed through all the Old testament Scriptures His plans of salvation, and how those plans of salvation culminated in Christ. This is our faith.
This is what Jude is speaking about here. He is speaking about building up our faith - directed on and centered on Jesus Christ.
How does this faith grow? How do we build up our faith?
Well, let me begin by reminding us of the words of the Apostle Paul.
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Now, in that particular context, Paul is speaking about saving faith. Saving faith comes through the proclaimed Word of Christ, the Scriptures.
But inasmuch as a saving faith is initiated by hearing the Word, so a growing faith is fed on the word.
Let us consider some Scriptures:
In Acts 20, you will recall that last week I mentioned Paul and him calling of the Ephesian elders together, and warning them about false teachers that will enter the flock and devour them (not spare them). Just after Paul has warned about this, he says these words...
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Paul’s response in light of these false teachers was that the word of his grace would be able to build you up.
In the parallel of Jude’s words in 2 Peter, he speaks there about the guarding against the errors of lawless men, and he writes these words...
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ leads to the building up of our faith.
Look also with me at Colossians 2...
2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
That is a beautiful description of knowing Christ our Lord!!! All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!!
Notice then what he goes on to say in verse 4...
4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
Paul’s concern as he writes to the Colossians is that people would deceive them with fine-sounding arguments. The protection for them would be this knowledge of Jesus Christ.
And then notice what he goes on to say in verses 5-7...
5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
The building of our faith, dear friends, comes through a knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ, and will only happen as we saturate ourselves more and more in the knowledge of this beautiful Saviour.
2.2. Pray in the Spirit (v.20b)
2.2. Pray in the Spirit (v.20b)
The second way that Jude says that we should keep ourselves in the love of God is through prayer. In verse 20b, Jude writes that we should “pray in the Holy Spirit.”
Prayer is a declaration of dependence. Prayer is our declaration to God that without Him and without His sustaining grace, we could do nothing, and we would see no growth in our lives. Without prayer, we say to God that we have no further and continuing need of His grace.
If we as the church are going to stand firm, and if we are going to ensure a continued standing in the love of God, without being led astray by false teachers and apostates, or succumbing to any number of other spiritual dangers, then we must take extremely seriously the importance of prayer.
As Paul outlined all of those responsibilities of the Christian warrior to clothe himself, or rather arm himself with the full armour of God, He knew that the battle that these believers were facing was a battle against the spiritual forces in the world. The words are fitting in the context of Jude’s warning:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
He then outlines the various pieces of armour that are essential to the Christian in facing these forces. But he closes off with that grand call to continued prayer:
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Prayer is a weapon of war that we must use against the enemy, and we are called to do so on all occasions.
There are many beautiful examples of this prayer through the Scriptures. Paul himself exemplified this as he prayed continually for the churches...
9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
Paul was a praying man. He prayed for the churches. He had a deep concern and care for the church of Jesus Christ, and he recognised that if the church is going to stand firm, then prayer was essential!!
Epaphras was also a man who prayed for the church...
12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
Note, these prayers were primarily focused on the spiritual needs of the church, and their growing in Christ. That was the focus, and that should be our focus. We must turn our hearts (both individually and corporately as the body of Jesus Christ) to our great God and Saviour and plead with Him for our growth. We must pray that we as Christians in this world would be so steadfast in the faith, in our knowledge of Christ and in our love for Him, that when the attacks of the evil one come, which they will, we will stand firm as the body.
Note that Jude speaks here about praying in the Spirit. What exactly does he mean by this. It is most sad that many people of our day take this to mean that you pray without thinking, under the assumed direction of the spirit with strange babblings and incoherent sentences, in some language supposedly that is heavenly.
Gently!!! Don’t bash!!!
Dear friends, is this really what Jude means? What Paul means? It cannot be. There is a spiritual battle on the go, and we are called to grow in our knowledge and pray according to the Spirit - which is means in accordance with the Word of God. The truth revealed by God, the truth as taught and lived by Jesus Christ is the truth that we are to pray. We pray God’s word!!! That is praying in the Spirit.
And as we do that, submitting ourselves under the mighty hand of God, even the Holy Spirit of God will help us when we are struggling to know just how and just what to pray.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Dear friends, praying in the Spirit means praying in dependence upon Him, and praying in accordance with the will of the Spirit of God, which is a deeper knowledge, understanding and application of the truth of God, so that Christ will be greatly glorified in our lives.
We are to pray without ceasing. As God’s people, we must set aside time for ourselves to humble ourselves before our Almighty God and pray to Him. We must do this in our own lives, praying for one another, and praying for the church. We must do this together as a body, as the church, humbling ourselves before God in prayer.
If we are going to stand firm in our faith, and if we are going to keep ourselves against the attacks of the evil one through false teachers and prophets, we must be those who are on our knees before God.
2.3. Look for the mercy of Christ (v.21b)
2.3. Look for the mercy of Christ (v.21b)
The third and final way in which Jude exhorts us as Christians to keep ourselves in the love of God is by waiting for (looking towards) the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us eternal life.
This speaks to the hope of the Christian. The Christian life is a life that is lived in great expectation and hope. And that great expectation and hope is that our Saviour will return in the same way that the apostles saw him go. He’s coming back, dear friends.
As we consider this, let us keep in mind that as Christians, we do not look forward to this day merely because we long to be rid of the current days. These are days filled with heartache, pain and suffering. These are days filled with strife and hatred. These are days filled with anger and malice. All of these are blights and curses in this world, and we live with those daily. And indeed, one dimension of our looking forward to Christ’s return is that we long to freed from our bodies of death and pain. That is true.
But the Christian looks forward to so much more than that. We look forward to being with our Saviour. We look forward to worshiping our King. We look forward to being united with Christ in a final day of grand celebration and joy!!! Friends, do you long to see Jesus?
Hebrews 9:28 captures this well...
28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
We are waiting for Jesus, and He is coming again.
But the reality is that Christians wait with action. We do not wait around, doing nothing, becoming lazy and ineffectual in the world, because all we can think about is the fact that Jesus is coming back, and we want to get out of here. Or even, he’s coming back, and I can’t wait to see Him, so I’m just going to hide out on some deserted tropical island.
As we wait, we do so with expectation, and we do so making preparation.
We must recall the parable that Jesus told as recorded in Matthew 25, where the ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise, and took oil with for their lamps. But five were foolish, and took no oil. And as the cry rang out for the approach of the bridegroom the five without oil were unprepared. They were not ready. They had to suddenly go and get oil so that they could be prepared, but when they arrived back, it was too late.
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Dear friends, we are called not only to wait, but to be ready. How does that look?
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
As we wait, we say no to ungodliness and worldly passions. We live by the power of the Spirit. We persevere in the growth of godliness in our lives. We make every effort to present ourselves to God as those approved, that we will not have to be in any way ashamed.
In the words of the Apostle Peter, as he speaks about this return of Jesus and looking forward to it, he writes:
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
Application and Conclusion
Application and Conclusion
Dear friends, what a striking word of exhortation from dear Jude as he writes to these Christians. Let us take note as Christians that we must recall the warnings of the Apostles in Scripture, that false teachers and apostates would come and be part of the church.
But further to that, we must keep ourselves in the love of God. We have a responsibility. It is weighty responsibility.
We are to pursue godliness with all diligence. We are to pursue a deeper knowledge of Christ through the diligent study of the Word, so that our faith may be built up.
We are to be humbling ourselves continuously before our God in prayer, acknowledging our dependence upon Him. Praying for His continued work in our midst as His people.
And we are to live our lives daily in light of His return, meaning that we do not continue living with the ways of the world burdening us down, or with our sinful desires driving us in this life. Rather, we seek to live holy and godly lives, and we do that in unity as the people of God, a people bought at very great price.
I don’t say these things to burden you. i say them to spur you on. Our God is gracious, and He is powerful. May He work this in us, even as we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Amen.