Every three years, sailors compete in the Volvo Ocean Race, covering 39,000 miles of ocean in small boats built for speed, not comfort. Nine sailors spend nine months navigating treacherous waters with no luxuries, facing constant dangers from weather, waves, and hidden reefs. In 2014, a Danish crew's six-million-dollar boat was destroyed when they hit an uncharted coral reef while attempting a shortcut through shallow waters.
Like those sailors, we're all navigating treacherous spiritual waters. Sometimes the greatest dangers are the ones we can't see coming – the hidden reefs beneath the surface. Recently, many Christians have been shaken by the news of Joshua Harris, an influential author and pastor, announcing not only his divorce but his departure from the Christian faith. For those who were influenced by his books, conferences, and teaching, this news hits like an unexpected reef in what seemed to be safe waters.
When trusted leaders fall away from faith, our natural response is to want to chart every detail of their departure. We want to know exactly what went wrong, to map out the reef they hit so we can avoid the same fate. While there's wisdom in learning from others' experiences, the book of Jude points us to something far more crucial: keeping ourselves in the love of the God who keeps us.
The True Source of Security
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." (Jude 20-21)
When Jude tells us to "keep ourselves in the love of God," he's not suggesting we can lose God's love or that staying in faith depends entirely on our effort. Rather, he's urging us to keep our eyes fixed on God's love, like a sailor keeping their compass pointed true north. This orientation of dependence on God's mercy and love should influence everything we do.
Building Up in Faith
This keeping ourselves in God's love isn't a solitary activity. Jude's commands are plural – we do this together as a church. We build each other up in faith by:
- Regularly reminding ourselves and one another of the gospel
- Cultivating hearts of reliance upon and trust in God
- Finding our identity, rest, hope, and courage in Jesus's finished work
- Praying in the Holy Spirit, depending on His power to keep our rudder straight
Responding to Doubt with Mercy
"And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh." (Jude 22-23)
When we truly understand ourselves as recipients of God's mercy, it changes how we respond to those who doubt. There's no room for self-righteousness in a church that understands the gospel. If we have faith, it's a gift from a merciful God, not our own achievement.
This means we should be a community where:
- People can honestly express their questions and doubts
- Those struggling receive encouragement, help, and hope
- We're quick to listen and slow to condemn
- We remember none of us has arrived spiritually
At the same time, being merciful doesn't mean being dismissive of sin. We can be winsome and patient while being honest about the consequences of unrepentant sin. Different situations call for different responses – some need gentle encouragement, others need urgent warnings, and still others need careful, fearful mercy.
Our Ultimate Hope
"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
We're actually in a better place spiritually when we're desperately dependent on God than when we're confident in our own ability to stay near Him. Our hope isn't in our strength to endure, in our ability to keep our children faithful, or in the steadfastness of our leaders. Our hope is in "the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
No person's departure from faith can un-truth the reality of the gospel. God isn't surprised or intimidated by wandering sheep. He remains on His throne, with all "glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever."
Standing Firm in Turbulent Times
When trusted leaders fall away, we don't need to panic or lose heart. Instead, we can:
- Keep our eyes fixed on God's unchanging love
- Build each other up in faith
- Respond with mercy to those who doubt
- Trust in the God who is able to keep us from stumbling
Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's not wringing His hands over the latest crisis of faith. He's still able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before His presence with great joy.
The waters may be dangerous, and the reefs may be hidden, but our hope isn't in perfectly mapping every danger. Our hope is in keeping ourselves in the love of the God who keeps us, the one who has promised to bring us safely home.
Join us this Sunday at Palm Vista Community Church as we learn together what it means to keep ourselves in the love of God while navigating life's challenging waters.
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