How do I keep myself in God's love?

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Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 21)

If you are a Christian, God “keeps” you (see Jude 1, 24). He preserves you in his love so that nothing can separate you from him (John 6:37–40; 17:11–12; Rom. 8:28–39; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Pet. 1:3–5; 1 John 5:18).

And you are responsible to continue in the faith. Not only does God keep you; God commands you, in community with the other believers in your church, to “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21; see John 15:9–10). He tells you to do this in three ways:

1. Keep yourselves in God’s love by “building yourselves up in your most holy faith.” What is this “faith”? It is “the faith” that verse 3 says you must “contend for.” The faith is the content of Christian belief as Christ and his apostles handed it down. It includes foundational teachings such as Christ’s atoning death in the place of sinners, his resurrection, salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Christ’s second coming, and—especially in Jude’s situation—the holy lifestyle that flows from God’s grace in Christ. So you build yourselves up on that foundation (i.e., the faith) by growing doctrinally strong. You should feel God’s love for you more intensely as you deeply understand the faith.

2. Keep yourselves in God’s love by “praying in the Holy Spirit.” Pray in a way that the Spirit stimulates, guides, and infuses (Rom. 8:26–27; Eph. 6:18). God himself should move you to pray and then direct and energize what you pray, according to his will. Regularly praying like this guards you in God’s love.

3. Keep yourselves in God’s love by “waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Expectantly anticipate and live in light of God’s future deliverance when Jesus returns (2 Pet. 3:11–14). That (rather than loving this present evil age) will keep you in God’s love.

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