21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
The apostle Jude commands believers to keep themselves in the love of God. Believers must remain in the realm of God’s love. They should not wander away from the goodness and blessings that God has lovingly provided for them.
God’s love for His people is profoundly taught in the Scriptures. It is so great and wondrous. Psalm 36:7 says, “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” In Ephesians 2:4, the apostle Paul describes it as “his great love wherewith he loved us”. 1 John 3:1 exclaimed, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God”. It is in the provision of God’s great love that we are commanded to remain always.
In John 15:9-10, Jesus explained what it means to remain in God’s love. He said, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” So according to Jesus, to keep ourselves in God’s love is to be obedient to His commandments. And when we remain obedient, we will have greater opportunities to relish in His love. When we remain obedient to God’s Word, we stay in the sphere of His loving provision and protection. It is, therefore, very important that we be watchful not to drift away from the realm of God’s love through disobedience. Rebellion and disobedience would push us into the realm of His severe dealings of displeasure and wrath. So, let us be wise to keep ourselves in God’s love.
As children of God, we must live with a constant awareness of His love. We must delight in the knowledge of His love and all that it has granted us in Christ Jesus. We must seek to be nourished in all the blessings that His love has promised. We must, like Paul, pray that “the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God” (2 Thessalonians 3:5).
The ultimate expression of His love is that He will soon come for His people. So we must live in the constant anticipation and prayer for His return. Referring to His coming, Jude exhorts us that we should be “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”