Jude – Building for Joy  (c) 2016 WF Cobb Truthbase.net   DailyTruthbase.blogspot

1:1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called/summoned, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved/kept in Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.  3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into unrestrained-insolent caprice and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 

20a But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,   1Thess 5:11 encourage (parakaleo) and edify one another

Acts 20:32 commend you to God & to the word of His grace, able to build you up & give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified

Foundation: 1Cor 3:10 Acc to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,  4:15 speaking the Truth in love may grow

Blueprint: 1Pt 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God thru Jesus Christ.  7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.  11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts/desires which war against the soul,

Building materials: 2Pt 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust/desire.  5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith +virtue, to virtue +knowledge, 6 to knowledge +self-control, to self-control +perseverance, to perseverance +godliness,7 to godliness +brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness +love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call/invitation and election/select/choiceness sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting (of The Age) kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

20b praying in the Holy Spirit,  [depend acc to the HS desires] Rom 8:5 set mind on Spirit (of Truth); Eph 6:18 watchful endurance 

21a keep/guard (impv) yourselves in the love of God,  . [love is loyalty] Jn 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments

21b receiving/waiting/looking for the mercy/hesed of our Lord Jesus Christ unto/eis eternal life.

1Tim 6:11 flee..pursue righteousness+....12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also invited

22 And some reprove who are disputing/(making a distinction); [bring to light] 2Tim 4:2 proclaim the Word: reprove rebuke exhort...

23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh/desires for the temporal.  

power/pleasure/possessions

      security/significance

24a Now to Him who is able to  keep you from stumbling/offending,   2Pt 1:10 {above}

1Thess 3:12  may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

24b and to present you faultless/blameless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 

25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Why did Jude warn believers against bad believers following lies and perverting grace? Shouldn't it have been obvious?

2. How does one “contend for the faith”? How do you know who to reprove and who to save? Why the mention of fear in v23? 

3. How much attention/priority do you give to building, praying, guarding, looking, reproving, saving? Will it matter in the end?

4. Why is it important to not stumble, or be blameless before His presence? How does a lack of holiness affect our eternal destiny?

5. What is the foundation of your rlshp with God? How have you built upon it? How will Christ judge your work when He returns?