Question: Does Jude 1:21 contradict paul (romans 8:35-38)?
Profile: Male, Europe, Christian, Under 19
Answered by: Chris Peterson, who has been a volunteer with us since May, 2019.
Answer: When we are looking at any passage of scripture, we need to carefully examine what the writer (under inspiration) is trying to tell the reader. Let’s look at Romans 8:35-39 first:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This passage is clear and says that if we are in Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul gives us an extensive list of “things” that might try to remove us from that love, but we are told emphatically that nothing will.
If we accept the Romans passage as being clear, then we need to look at verse 21 in Jude and see what it really means. Whenever examining a verse, we need to look at it in context.
Jude 1:17–21:
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”
19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
The verses leading up to verse 21 give us insight into what the passage is talking about. Jude is telling us that scoffers devoid of the Spirit who follow ungodly passions are going to cause divisions (18-19). In verses 20 and 21 Jude gives us four things we are to do in response to these scoffers and their divisions. First, we are to build ourselves up in our faith. Secondly to pray in the Holy Spirit (20). The fourth is that we wait for the day we will be removed from division and scoffers.
The third thing we need to do is the verse in question. We need to keep ourselves in the love of God. What exactly does that mean? If we take the Romans passage at face value, then we can assume that we cannot lose God’s love. Therefore, it is not talking about loss of love.
When we are saved, we are what is called justified before God. This means that all of our sins (past, present, future) are forgiven, and we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). Our sin debt is paid in full, and it is just as if we had never sinned at all. Does this mean that we are perfect? Of course not, we still have our flaws (we still sin) but God loves us anyway. [In fact, He gives us the indwelling Holy Spirit to be with us forever and to help us live more the way God would have us live (Philippians 2:12–13; Romans 8:28–30). The Holy Spirit is like a seal on us, guaranteeing our eternity with God (Ephesians 1:13–14). It is God who maintains us in Himself (John 6:37–40; 10:27–29)].
John 15:9-10 gives us an insight into Jude 1:21 above. The John passage says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
If we are obedient, we will abide in Christ’s love. If we step outside of His will, we will face His chastening and will not be getting all of the benefits of God’s love. In the context of Jude where Jude is telling us how to deal with scoffers and the division they bring, he is telling us to stay obedient and in God’s will.
