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NASB | Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Jude 1:21 and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life. |
Bible Question:
Saints, Are we not to "wait anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."? I see so much focus on identifying people, places and situations in the end time through prophecy. Like so many of the messianic prophesies, we don't know! We will know when it happens, and probably not before. Even if we know bits and pieces beforehand, we are not capable of knowing the whole picture, as it has been hidden from us, and will remain hidden from us until God reveals it, at that time. The majority of this end time speculation is fruitless and meaningless, and only divides us, steering us away from serving the Lord in fellowship now. Who's at war with whom? Where will Jesus 'touch down?' When and where will the next earthquake hit? What are fingers, toes, feathers, horns, heads, tails, ears, noses, and elbows? None of the answers to these questions changes how we should live one whit. Because how we should live is in the love of God, waiting anxiously (not in anxiety or division) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. How then should we live? In Jesus' name, charis |
Bible Answer: The phrase prior to "waiting anxiously" suggests the answer to your question. It contains the imperative in Jude 1:21, that is, "to keep yourselves in the love of God." This is, of course, a bit open-ended, but would seem to indicate that we remember that the love of God protects us, and that we ought to demonstrate that same love to others. Verses 20-23 add to that imperative, that we should build ourselves up in our faith (i.e., discipleship), pray in the Holy Spirit (i.e., in accordance with the will of God), be merciful to those who doubt (we were there once, too), snatch others from the fire (i.e., evangelize the lost), and show mercy mixed with fear (understanding human weakness, forgiving, but not embracing sin). As to your main point, I agree that the intricacies of the interpretation of prophecies do not (or should not) have much of an effect on our behavior, aside from reminding us that there is an urgency in telling others about Jesus Christ. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Jude 1:21 | Author | ||
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charis | ||
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kalos | ||
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Ray | ||
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kalos | ||
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disciple | ||
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charis |