The Call to Faithful Living
December 3, 2023
Jude 1:20-23
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Read Jude 1:20-21
1. In your life, what makes someone a ‘dear friend’? Give an example of a time someone showed themselves to be a true friend to you.
2. As a group, list some of the ways that we can build ourselves up in our ‘most holy faith’. Which of these do you practice regularly? Which ones are most challenging for you? Which of these is most effective for you in building up your faith?
3. Discuss together what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit. See if you can find other New Testament passages that might expand your understanding of that phrase.
4. How is ‘keeping ourselves in God’s love’ similar to ‘building ourselves up in our most holy faith’? How is it different? Brainstorm together some of the ways to keep in God’s love.
5. From this passage, how is mercy related to eternal life?
Read Jude 1:22-23
6. What are the three options Jude presents for dealing with different kinds of people? How are those options similar? How are they different?
7. How do you know which option is called for in any given situation?
8. What might it look like to ‘show mercy mixed with fear’?
9. Explain the meaning of that last image: hating the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. What Old Testament rules might help us understand what Jude is getting at? (Hint: Numbers 31:19-20 might be a good starting point.)