Jude 1:17-25 (ESV)

[17] But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. [18] They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” [19] It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. [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. [22] And have mercy on those who doubt; [23] save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

[24] Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, [25] to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

At least three times Jude refers to keeping or being kept. This short letter ends by saying that we are to “keep (ourselves) in the love of God” (vs 21), and that God “is able to keep (us) from stumbling” (vs 24). It starts by assuring us that we “are called, beloved…and kept” (vs 1). We are to keep ourselves in the love of God, yet God keeps us for Jesus Christ, and he keeps us from stumbling.

I love the contrast. Our tendency is to focus on one side of the equation. Either we focus on God’s keeping power, thereby reducing an emphasis on our part, or we focus on the truth that we are to keep ourselves, ignoring the fact that we are kept by God. How do you put these two contrasting truths together?

There is comfort and assurance in understanding that we are kept by God. If I am hanging over a cliff and someone has my hand, my assurance comes, not in how strong I am to hang on, but in how strong my rescuer is to hold on to me. There are times when I am weary. There are times when I have no strength left to resist. There are times when I am ready to walk away from my faith, but I am assured that God is bigger than my fear, weakness, and weariness. I have no faith in my ability to believe, but I have faith in God’s power to keep.

The assurance that I am kept by God, however, is no excuse to let down my guard and do what comes easiest or is most convenient. We often want to blame others for our failures. It is not my fault that I lust. It is the fault of women who dress provocatively. Yet biblically, I must take responsibility for my own thoughts. It is not my fault that I gave in to sin, I couldn’t help myself. I was too weak. Yet biblically, I am in Christ; his Spirit dwells in me; I am a new creation in Christ; I am empowered with his very power. There is no excuse for sin.

There is great comfort in understanding that I am kept in Christ. There is great challenge in understanding that I am responsible for my actions. We must hold both truths equally. Thus Paul writes in Romans 6:1-4,

[1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

I am kept by God’s grace. I walk by God’s grace. I rest in God’s grace. I live by God’s grace. I am kept in Jesus Christ, therefore I keep myself in his love. We cannot separate those two truths.