Jude 20,21 20 But
you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and
praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. – St. Jude
It seems we’re always looking for a formula or a liturgy –
if I just do this, God will do that.
I think admonitions or instructions are important, because we need to be
admonished and instructed. We don’t need law, but we do need someone to come
alongside and instruct: keep yourselves
in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you
to eternal life. And how do we do that – by formulas and liturgy, or by
building ourselves up in our most holy (other) faith and by praying in the Holy
Spirit (as He guides and directs).
So then, is our faith most
holy? Another word for holy, is, other.
When we speak of a holy God or a holy nation, it may help us to be less
superstitious about the word if we simply insert the word, other. If our God is other,
then He’s is not like the rest of the ‘gods’ of men, or mankind.
Gods are what we bow down to (literally or figuratively) and
give our allegiance to meet our desires. Power is a big one. Science and
intelligentsia are a couple more. Independence is a big one; similar to power
but far more selfish. These are examples of the gods of men. They are not holy,
nor are they other; they are truly common,
and false.
Jude said, [build] yourselves up in your most other faith.
Other faith is not like the faith of
mankind. Mankind puts its faith in those who will give them what they want –
man’s faith is selfish and self-serving. But holy faith is: God, I will trust You no matter what because
You have promised to walk with me, talk with me, and see my through this life
into the glories of the next. That’s a faith far less of the present and far
more of the future. It’s a faith of hope.
If it’s a formula we want, here it is: But you, dear friends, by building
yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep
yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to
bring you to eternal life. Staying in close communication with God, and
leaving the results up to Him, is about as close as we can come to a formula.
Father, today may I
heed St. Jude’s words and stay close to you in my thoughts, words, and deeds.
May I learn to build myself up in my ‘other’ faith, and pray in the Holy
Spirit, simply, but ardently trusting You and in You. It’s not a formula I
need, it’s You. Draw me close – amen.
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