Jude 1:17-23
17 “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”
But you: Notice that Jude differentiates between those false teachers and believers. Jude has not been addressing believers in a condemning way. Instead, he recognizes their holiness in the midst of the false teachers and insists that they were even warned of such teachers.
Devoid of the Spirit: The false teachers did not have the Spirit of God within them. Therefore, they were not Christians, nor were they led by the Spirit. This would have been critical for the early church to grasp so they did not embrace the lies being taught.
Building yourselves up: The Gospel builds up God’s children. Whereas it condemns all who reject Christ, it continuously encourages and matures Christians.
Praying in the Holy Spirit: This is not speaking of talking in some sort of mystical tongue. Instead, Jude is describing the location of the Christian in Christ and calling Christians to pray to God with their location in mind.
Keep yourselves in the love of God: Jude encourages Christians to remind themselves constantly of God’s love. It is God’s love that will always lead us into a deeper understanding of the truth.
Mercy on some…save others: Jude is making it clear that there are different types of people. Some, likely believers, doubt aspects of God’s truth. These people are to be encouraged through gentleness and patience. Others, who do not know God, are to be loved to Christ that they may be rescued from the fire.
