Jude 1:21 (KJV)

Passage

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Nearby Context

Jude 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "keep", "yourselves", "love", "looking", "lord", "jesus", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "keep", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "But ye beloved building up yourselves on..." into verse 22's "And of some have compassion making a...", so "mercy" and "keep" belong inside that flow. In Jude context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "keep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.