Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

Jude 21 says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God…”.  God loves you.  He loved you enough to die for you before you were saved, Jn 3:16.  And Rom 5:8 says, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.

Now that you are God’s child he loves you even more, like Christ.

Look what Jesus prayed for us in Jn 17:20-26.  v.23 “…that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me”.  v.26 “…that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them”.  Imagine that!!

Keep yourselves in the love of God and that will change the way you love everyone else.  When you keep yourself in the love of God…

You Will Love God.  We’re supposed to love God, Deut 6:5.  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”.  How?  1 Jn 4:19 says, “We love him, because he first loved us”.  You are in his love and now have his perfect love to love toward him.

You Will Love the Brethren.  We’re supposed to love the brethren, 1 Jn 4:20-21.  If a person say he loves God and hates his brother, he’s a liar.  You’re to love God and love your brother.  How? Jn 13:34 says, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you”.  Jn 13:35 says that all men shall know we are his disciples if we “have love one to another”.  Put on charity, Col 3:14.  Have fervent charity, 1 Pet 4:8.  2 Cor 12:15, Paul loved the Corinthians more even when they loved him less.

Charity comes from God through us to others. 1 Cor 13:1-8 charity is the supernatural love which is “the greatest of these”, v.13.  It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, Rom 5:5.  With his love you have the ability to love others.

You Will Love His Words.  Jn 14:15, loving God’s words starts with loving Jesus and keeping his commandments.  Jn 14:20-21, 23.  Our love for his words flows from him in us.  v.24 says, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings”.  Your relationship with your Bible is a reflection of your relationship with God.  Keep yourself in the love of God and you will love this Book.

You Won’t Love the World. 1 Jn 2:15.  If the love of the Father is in you, then you won’t love world.  If the love of the Father is not in you, then you will love the world. Remember though that “the friendship of the world is enmity with God”, Jas 4:4.

You Will Love Lost Souls.  Jn 3:16, God loved them.  In Mk 10:21, Jesus loved an idolatrous, covetous rich ruler who turned down Jesus’ offer of eternal life because he didn’t like the terms; he loved his possessions instead.  In Rom 9:1-5, Paul could have only felt this way toward his kinsmen through the love of God.

Conclusion: Jude 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God and you will love God, love the brethren, love your Bible, and love lost souls who desperately need to be saved.