How does Jude 1:1 connect with other scriptures about being "kept for Jesus"? Called, Loved, Kept: Jude 1:1 in Focus “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:” (Jude 1:1) • Three unshakeable realities hang together: – Called by sovereign grace – Loved with everlasting love – Kept, literally “guarded,” for Jesus Christ himself The Holy Spirit, speaking through Jude, places our security right alongside our calling and God’s love—never to be pried apart. The Word “Kept”—Guarded Under Lock and Key • Greek tereo = protect, preserve, maintain a watchful guard • Picture a soldier assigned to guard the royal treasury; no intruder can breach his post. In salvation, God is that Guard. • This same verb anchors every passage that follows. Jesus’ Own Prayer Ensures Our Preservation • John 17:11 – “…Holy Father, protect them in Your name…” • John 17:15 – “…that You keep them from the evil one.” • The Son asks; the Father answers. Our keeping is tied to the faithfulness of the Godhead, not our fluctuating emotions. God’s Power Shields Us Until the Last Day • 1 Peter 1:5 – “who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” • Peter uses a military term for “shielded,” echoing Jude’s “kept.” Same divine sentinel, same guaranteed outcome. Paul’s Unshakeable Confidence in Christ’s Keeping • 2 Timothy 1:12 – “…He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” • 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – “may your…body be kept blameless… The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” • 2 Thessalonians 3:3 – “the Lord…will strengthen you and guard you…” • Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work…will carry it on to completion…” Every letter from Paul beats the same drum: God finishes what He starts. From Predestination to Glorification: An Unbreakable Chain • Romans 8:29-30 – those He predestined…called…justified…glorified. • No dropped links. The believer moves inexorably from one stage to the next because God Himself drives the process. Kept to Be Presented Blameless • 1 Corinthians 1:8 – “He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless…” • Colossians 1:22 – “…to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—” • Jude 1:24 – “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence…” Jude starts and ends with the same promise: the God who keeps you today will present you tomorrow. Living Today in the Security of Being Kept • Rest—your salvation is guarded by Father, Son, and Spirit. • Resist—confidence in divine keeping fuels the fight against sin, not apathy. • Rejoice—certainty about the future breeds joy in the present. • Reach out—share the gospel knowing the same Keeper can guard others too. |
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