Believers instinctively feel the need of being edified or built up. Their souls look for food, and they are conscious that their inward man requires renewing; they therefore desire to know the things of God as set forth in the Scriptures of truth for their profit and blessing. But all have to learn on the principle that God is the Giver, and we are only receivers; that we have nothing in ourselves, and yet possess all things in Christ.
There are three ways in which edification or building up is presented to us in the epistles:
1. We have gifts of teachers, pastors, etc., from an ascended Christ in glory, for the perfecting of the saints, with a view to the work of the ministry, and to the edifying or building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:1212For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12)).
3. We have self-edification, or building up, on our most holy faith (Jude 2020But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (Jude 20)). It is this third character of building up which we judge to be of such importance at this time that we propose to offer a few remarks.
Self-Edification
It is often the case that where there has been the most faithful and most spiritual ministry of the truth there are those who have profited but little by such advantages. Now why is this? Is it not because they have trusted to be built up by others, and neglected self-building up? Few of us gather up lasting profit from any ministry unless we receive the truth from the mouth of God. When there is the absence of such exercise of soul before God, it often indicates some carnal confidence instead of a lowly state of dependence on the Lord. We do well to lay it to heart as to whether we are intellectually dealing with divine truth, or being led and taught by the Spirit of God.
It should be a daily question as to how much we are occupied in building ourselves upon our most holy faith. We all know the need of continual cleansing, and taking in frequent supplies of nourishment for our bodies, but what about our souls? Are we carefully seeking to keep ourselves unspotted from the world? Is self-judgment before God habitual with us? Do we go to the Word of eternal truth morning by morning, and take it in as food for the renewal of our inner man? If so, then it may be that we are building up ourselves on our most holy faith. And we may be quite sure that those who are building up themselves will greatly value being built up by others, and be profited by their divinely-given ministrations.
Moreover, this exhortation as to building ourselves up, occurring in Jude, seems to carry with it a loud voice to us, for Jude traces the ruin of the church from its commencement, and at the close he addresses himself to such as are standing for God in this time of declension and failure. He says, “Ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith.” A people true to the Lord in an evil time are thus recognized, and called to be diligent in building up themselves.
Your Most Holy Faith
The faith too is not spoken of here, as at the beginning of this epistle, as “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” but as “your most holy faith.” It is not merely that we should be holding a set of principles or doctrines; but taking into our hearts the ministry of the exceeding riches of divine grace. We are thus delivered from the authority of darkness, translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love, and by the Spirit united to Him where He now is. A work has been wrought by Him that has delivered us from our old standing in Adam, and has made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We are thus brought into a totally new position, so that now, in Christ Jesus, we who some time were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, brought into favor in the Beloved, and blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. How true it is that we have received abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness, and shall reign in life with Christ.
From this mere glance at the truth, is it any marvel that it is called “your most holy faith?” Can any blessing known on earth exceed this? Every step too of our onward path has been considered so that we can rejoice in hope of glory as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, and wait for God’s Son from heaven. No doubt “the faith” is the common property of all — “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” for their common blessing. And it is our faith, that which more particularly concerns us, and ministers to us — “your most holy faith;” that wonderful revelation of divine grace, which was made known when Jesus came and declared the Father, and, according to His counsel and purpose, accomplished redemption.
Divine Testimony Mixed With Faith
It is then on our most holy faith we are to build ourselves up, by meditation on the word of God, under the guidance and teaching of the Spirit, and making it our own, by mixing faith with this divine testimony. The oft-repeated question therefore should be with every believer, “How much have I been occupied today in building up myself?” for “the inward man is renewed day by day.” No doubt such will be prayerful too, for it is added, “Praying in the Holy Ghost.” And where there is reality, those who pray will be satisfied with nothing less than praying according to the leading and desires of the Holy Spirit, which we know will always be according to the truth. Keeping ourselves also in the love of God is indispensable; for all our peace and strength flow from the consciousness that we are objects of divine love. Finally we can be “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (vs. 21). Where there is the absence of building up ourselves, we must not be surprised if prayer declines, if the enjoyment of the love of God is little known, and the expectation of our Lord’s mercy becomes dim. It is easy to go on in a routine of outward order, but what is it all worth if the Lord has not our hearts, and we are not building up ourselves on our most holy faith?
Separation
We are not really building ourselves up if we are careless as to obedience to the Word of God. For example, are not those who are God’s children to refuse to be yoked with unbelievers? But what of those who do not take this place of separation, but are more or less “yoked” with those they know are unbelievers? Is it not often manifest that instead of God’s blessing, they find many of their plans frustrated and their expectations never realized? They have been hoping to have the Father’s blessing without walking in obedience to His will.
The same thing is true as regards the world. We are told, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:1515Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)). Even a child of God will not have the enjoyment of this precious relationship with the Father, if his heart loves that which is under His judgment. But where there are those who refuse to be “yoked with unbelievers, not only as regards marriage, but also as regards everything else (while always ready to do good unto all men), but come out from among them, and refuse all unclean associations, then such consciously enjoy their Father’s blessing. They find those precious words fulfilled in their happy experience, “I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17-1817Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18)).
H. H. Snell (adapted)