Jude 21

Jude 21

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

a. NLT: And await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

b. NIV: Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

c. YLT: Yourselves in the love of God keep ye, waiting for the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ -- to life age-during;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal.

e. Worrell Translation: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

f. Wuest Translation: Keep yourselves within the sphere of God’s love, expectantly looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ resulting in life eternal.

g. Peshitta Eastern Text: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ and the life which is ours forever.

1. “Keep yourselves in the love of God…”

a. keep [Strong: 5083 tereo tay-reh'-o from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to 2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from 5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from 2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy; figuratively, to fulfil a command); by implication, to detain (in custody; figuratively, to maintain); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried):--hold fast, keep(- er), (pre-, re-)serve, watch. [Zodhiates: To keep an eye on, watch, and hence to guard, keep, obey.]

b. yourselves [Strong: 1438 heautou heh-ow-too' from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive case (dative case or accusative case) of 846; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etc.:--alone, her (own, -self), (he) himself, his (own), itself, one (to) another, our (thine) own(-selves), + that she had, their (own, own selves), (of) them(-selves), they, thyself, you, your (own, own conceits, own selves, -selves).]

c. in [Strong: 1722 en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

d. [the] love [Strong: 26 agape ag-ah'-pay from 25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity(-ably), dear, love.]

e. of God [Strong: 2316 theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

a). The word “keep” in Proverbs is shamar, and it means to guard, to protect.

2). It is our responsibility to keep ourselves in the love of God. We must guard our hearts to keep ourselves not only in the love of God, but also to bring our bodies under subjection and to discipline our minds, our thought lives. It is the power of God that enables us to be obedient in these things, but it is our choice to do them. God isn’t going to turn my head for me to keep myself from looking at something I shouldn’t look at. It is his power but my choice. The context of Jude is the last days, of which Jesus said in Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” There will be many opportunities to not walk in love.

a). Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

3). I think the context is clear as to who is responsible here for us being in the love of God. We are responsible! Too many times Christians expect God to do for them what He clearly in His word commands us to do as our responsibility in this Covenant. Here, we keep ourselves in the love of God.

2. “…looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

a. looking for [Strong: 4327 prosdechomai pros-dekh'-om-ahee from 4314 and 1209; to admit (to intercourse, hospitality, credence, or (figuratively) endurance); by implication, to await (with confidence or patience):--accept, allow, look (wait) for, take.] [Zodhiates: To receive or take, admit as a hope, expect, look for.]

b. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

c. mercy [Strong: 1656 eleos el'-eh-os of uncertain affinity; compassion (human or divine, especially active):--(+ tender) mercy.]

d. of our [Strong: 2257 hemon hay-mone' genitive case plural of 1473; of (or from) us:--our (company), us, we.]

e. Lord [Strong: 2962 kurios koo'-ree-os from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.]

f. Jesus [Strong: 2424 Iesous ee-ay-sooce' of Hebrew origin (3091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites:--Jesus.]

g. Christ [Strong: 5547 Christos khris-tos' from 5548; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.]