“Kept” (Jude 1d)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/08/2025 8:27 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                            Focus:  PT-1 “Kept”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Jude 1d

 

            Message of the verse:  “and kept for Jesus Christ”

 

            First I will look at how John MacArthur describes this word “kept.”  “Kept for translates a perfect passive participle (teteremenois), from the verb tereo, ‘to observe, pay attention to, keep under guard, maintain.’  Although the New American Standard translators rendered Jude’s wording kept for, the dative case of the participle suggests that ‘kept by’ might be a preferable translation.  Thus Jude’s phrase echoes Jesus’ own teaching on the perseveration of believers:

 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:27-28; cf. 6:37-44; 17:11, 15; Rom. 8:31-39)

 

Jesus Christ has promised to keep believers secure for all eternity (John 6:35-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:35-39), a guarantee that is made possible by His death on the cross.  Through His once-for-all sacrifice (1 Peter 3:18), Christ extends the forgiveness of sins, the reality of eternal life, and the hope of glorification to His followers.”

 

            I can say that this is a wonderful promise that we just went over from the pen of John MacArthur as he went into detail about what Jude wrote in the end of this first verse.  Sometimes I marvel at how much MacArthur can get out of just a few words found in the Scriptures.  I have mentioned that he has 15 sermons on this letter that Jude wrote, and I am trying to listen to them while I take may walks during the day to help me with what I write on my Spiritual Diaries to bring glory to the Lord as the Spirit of God sends them around the world.

 

            Now further what our Lord secured at the cross, the Father protects through His power (1 Peter 1:5).  “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time?”  Now there is no person or power in the universe that is greater than God. Nor is there any force that could ever break the loving grip He has on His own, and I am so blessed that I am one of His own.  Now as a result, believers can rest in Him, knowing that their eternal security is in His omnipotent hands.  This is a very important ground on which believers may fearlessly fight against false teachers, which Jude is about to talk about as we continue looking at his letter.  Those who believe salvation can be lost should be consistent and be reluctant to engage deadly error at close quarters.  Jude began his letter by removing that needless fear—believers are kept!  That is a very important thing he used to begin this letter. 

 

            Now Lord willing tomorrow we will continue looking at the early verses of Jude’s letter as we will look at verse two “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”  I look forward to exploring this verse, as I am very excited to look and study this wonderful little letter written by Jude, as it has been a long time since I looked at it.

 

7/8/2025 8:54 PM