Kept to the End

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:17-25 ESV). Jude tells us to “build ourselves us” and then that God will “keep us.” It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Yet, these verses serve to complement each other in a very important part of our spiritual lives. We don't keep ourselves saved, but do have some responsibility in the life we live. God's love is unconditional. And fortunately for us, Jesus Christ loves, preserves, and intercedes for us before the Father. But we can do things that will get us out of harmony with His love. That's why we are reminded to keep ourselves in the love of God, which means that we are to keep away from all that is unlike Him. We are to keep away from any influence that would violate God's love and bring sorrow to His heart. We are loved by God, and He will protect us. Those of us who are parents know the care which we take keeping our children safe. None of us would knowingly allow them to do anything that would endanger them in any way. In the same way, we are preserved, we are protected, and we are being kept by the power of God. The unfortunate truth is that sometimes, like our children, we run off and do things that will result in difficulty. A 1990 Subaru car commercial shows a Volvo heading toward a wall, and then, in slow motion, crashing into the wall. The Volvo is built so sturdily that the passengers are not hurt, in spite of the severe nature of the crash. Then a Subaru is shown heading at a high rate of speed toward a wall. At the last possible moment the driver slams on the brakes and the Subaru stops inches from the wall. The announcer then cuts in and asks what you would prefer: to live through wrecks, or not to get in wrecks in the first place? Our part in sanctification is to avoid the wrecks! God’s part is to put us in a “vehicle” that can withstand the wrecks when they come. We are indeed kept to the end!