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Building Up
“Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints … . building up yourselves on your most holy faith” (Jude verses 3, 20).
We cannot rightly contend for the faith (the truth of God contained in the Bible), unless we are building up ourselves in our most holy faith. We are not called to build ourselves up in all the different forms which evil may assume. We shall not be able to resist error by simply having an acquaintance with error. We can only meet error as we are built up in the truth. Moreover, our faith is a “most holy faith,” so that in being built up in the faith we are not only gaining a deeper acquaintance with the truth, but we are increasingly worked upon by the truth. It has a holy, sanctifying effect upon our souls, leading to a greater separation from the evil by which we are surrounded. As the Lord prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).
The power, attitude, and purpose of this is as follows: “praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude verses 20-21).
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