“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”  Jude 21
 
In Jude’s letter to those called sanctified, he intended to write concerning the salvation they share, but he found it necessary to write concerning their faith against false teachers.  (Read Vs. 1-4 which clearly states Jude’s purpose.  Actually, it would be very good to read all 25 verses.)
 
We know that today there are a great many false teachers in the world!
2 Peter 2:1 tells us,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”  
 
1 John 4:1 tells us,
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out in the world.”
 
Taking the admonition of Vs. 21, we see that Scripture would have us be watchful. 
 
We are to watch faithfully for the Lord’s coming:
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”   This is Jesus speaking in Matthew 24:42
 
And in Matthew 25:13 He says,
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
(Also, see Mark 13:35 and Luke 21:36)
 
The Apostle Paul writes to the Thessalonians,
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”  1 Thessalonians 5:6 
 
Paul admonishes the Corinthians to, 
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.“  1 Corinthians 16:13-14
 
Scripture in Revelation 16:15 tells us,
“Behold, I am coming as a thief;  blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
 
While we watch, we are not to be idle!  Just before Jesus ascend into heaven He spoke to the disciples with Him saying,
“‘ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’  Amen.”  Matthew 28:19-20
 
The Gospel of Mark (believed to be the first of the four Gospels) tells us  concerning this command to ‘GO’.  
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Vs. 10:45
 
In Mark 8:34-35, Jesus lets His followers know that there is a cost of discipleship-
“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to saved his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”  
 
We lay down our own lives for others as we see in Philippians 2:3-4,
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better tan himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interest of others.”
     
In John 15:12-17 Jesus tells us what our relationship is to be to one another.  
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you that you love one another.”  
 
As we do as Jesus commands we wait for His coming.
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the workings by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”  Philippians 3:20-21
 
So we eagerly wait with joy and awesome anticipation!  Ever so come quickly Lord Jesus.  Amen