I was thinking recently while stuck in stopped traffic how much time is spent simply waiting for something to happen. There’s not a day that goes by without us spending some time waiting for something. It seems as if God has weaved waiting into nearly every aspect of our lives. While there’s not much to do while waiting - most recently with our grandson's heart ablation. God clearly intends for us to do something while we wait. In fact, the book of Jude (NIV Bible) gives us direction for while we wait.
“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.”
Jude 1:20–21
Four separate instructions:
(1) “build yourselves up in your most holy faith”
(2) “pray in the Holy Spirit”
(3) “keep yourselves in God’s love”
(4) “wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”
You can see common and connective teachings here: faith, love, and hope (1, 3, and 4); and Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (3, 4, and 2).
Building, Praying, Keeping - While We Wait
Breaking this down - the text may be suggesting that the second directive is the way for it to be carried out — that is, by “praying in the Holy Spirit” we can build one another up in the faith.
Note Ephesians 6:18a: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Standing Fast While We Wait
Jude’s third directive: “keep yourselves in God’s love.”
Jude may be thinking as he writes - the words of Jesus’ in John 15:9: “Now remain in my love.” Christ loves us, unconditionally; yet we have the obligation to remain within his love for us. And this reminiscence is particularly appropriate because Jesus goes on in the next verse to note that it is by obeying his commands that we are able to remain in his love.
Mercy is Coming
Jude’s last directive, fittingly, directs attention to the future. God’s mercy is always present, but the Scriptures often associate his mercy with deliverance on the last day (see, e.g., Matt. 5:7; 2 Tim. 1:18).
So now, “wait for.” The verb translated “wait for” often occurs in many scriptural contexts. It is an expression of eager yet patient expectation and demonstrates the kind of lifestyle that is seen in such hope for deliverance (see the use of the word in 2 Peter 3:12–14).
But the phrase can also go with the instruction “keep” at the beginning of the verse: “keep yourselves in God’s love … so that you may experience eternal life.”
Jude is urging us to look beyond the disruptions - to that ultimate expression of Christ’s mercy on the day he comes back in glory, to bring his people to their eternal enjoyment of the life he provides.
Wait for It
Wrapping up this concept of waiting, I wanted to also address the idiom that often times is used in current day culture. It is often applied to things used to emphasize that the what will follow is foolish, surprising, funny, etc. We can't undo what people suggest is foolish, funny or surprising. However, to wait for eternity is the reality for our life as a Christian - "while we wait" in difficult and frustrating situations. Jude gives us such great instruction on how to pursue a life journey of waiting for an amazing eternity of greatness.
So next time you are in traffic, waiting on a medical procedure to be completed, or just waiting for it...
Remember Jude's encouragement, trust the process and believe!
Waiting? Think on these things:
(1) “build yourselves up in your most holy faith”
(2) “pray in the Holy Spirit”
(3) “keep yourselves in God’s love”
(4) “wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”