I Am a "Kept" Woman

Good morning!

I am writing to you after reading the book of Jude this morning.  Yesterday, I quoted the last verses of this short book, the benediction/blessing at the end.  This prompted me to just "stay there" in this morning's reading.

Jude states in verse 1 of his book that he is a brother of James, who also wrote a letter of the New Testament.  In Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55-56, we read that Jesus had several half-brothers and half-sisters, offspring of Joseph and Mary.  I do not subscribe to the doctrine of "perpetual virginity", which asserts that Mary and Joseph never had any biological children together; but, I'm not going to argue over that either.

Jude also states in verse 1 that he is  "slave to Jesus Christ" (Message version).  He mentions this even before asserting his claim as Jesus' half-brother.  At the time Jude wrote his letter to this early community of Christians, Jesus had already ascended to Heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34, Acts 7:56).  So, it seems that he is saying here that he is a slave to his faith in Jesus as God, as Messiah.  He is clearly identifying himself, not only as one who knew Jesus very well, but who also has whole-heartedly embraced The Way that Jesus preached.  (In verse 4 he refers to Jesus as his "one and only Master".)  Jude was convinced, Y'all.  He believed.

The letter is to an unnamed group of believers.  Jude states that he and they have been "called and kept safe by Jesus Christ."  In the King James version, the words used are "called", "sanctified" and "preserved" by Jesus Christ.  Jude begins his letter with this assurance, and he also ends it with the same: "Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling...." (KJV)

Jesus Christ knows those of us who are "his", those of us who made the decision to accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  He knew exactly which ones of us would choose Him, before the foundations of this world were even laid.   He has also promised to hold on to those of us whose hearts have been re-born, whose souls have been irrevocably transformed, whose bodies now house His Holy Spirit.  With His blood He bought us, and He will keep us, forever.   (Read John 17 for Jesus' affirmation of these truths.)

There is another way in which Jesus keeps His Bride, us believers, "from falling".  It is through His power that we are able to resist temptation, not through our own.  The apostle Paul, in Romans 16:25-27 emphasizes this point in a benediction of his own, where he says that Jesus' power "establishes" us, grounds us in our faith.

Our own efforts to do this, to "keep ourselves" are futile, that is, when we attempt it in our own strength.  Think about your own personal weaknesses.  How often are you able to triumph over them in your own power?  If you are like me, well, never.  We are designed, as "new creatures in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17), to run to Him when we are about to stumble, to pray to Him when we see a roadblock ahead, actually, to pray continually!  (I Thess. 5:16)  We are designed to draw our power from Him, and from none other.  No other being should get the glory that rightfully belongs to our Savior.  None other.

Isn't the Word of God so very beautiful?

Dear Father, thank you for your Son, and for leaving your Spirit here until your work on earth is done! I am so GLAD that, because You live in me, I do not have to hold on to my eternal salvation.  You hold on to me.  I am a "kept" woman.  Hallelujah!  It is because You hold on to me that I am free to walk in Your way and to offer my life to You daily as an act of worship.  I do that today, and walk ... resplendent!  In Jesus' name, amen.