Valerie is a born and raised Southern California girl. She is married and a stay-at-home mother to three wonderful blessings. Before her calling to homeschool, she wrote for public television, taught kindergarten, and was a live-in Nanny. She is currently Moderator of an International Yahoo GroupJust4homeschoolfamilies, The Heart Of The Matter online magazine; as well as Senior Editor of an monthly newsletter Words Of Encouragement.
The Bible tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God (see Jude 21). But we are also told in the same passage that God will keep us (see Jude 1).
Is this a contradiction? Not at all. These verses complement one another. They show us God's part and our part. We don't keep ourselves saved, but we can keep ourselves safe.
God's love is unconditional. And fortunately for us, Jesus Christ loves, preserves, and intercedes for us before the Father.
But we can do things that will get us out of harmony with His love. That's why we are reminded to keep ourselves in the love of God, which means that we are to keep away from all that is unlike Him. We are to keep away from any influence that would violate God's love and bring sorrow to His heart.
We are loved by God, and He will protect His investment. For example, if you own an inexpensive pair of sunglasses, you may not be all that concerned about where they are. But if you have a more expensive pair, then you will tend to know their whereabouts.
Or, if you went to Disneyland with your children, you wouldn't just forget about them. Instead, you would keep your eye on them, because you want to protect what is dear to you.
In the same way, we are preserved, we are protected, and we are being kept by the power of God. But we need to keep ourselves in a place where He can actively show His love to us. We need to keep ourselves in the love of God.
