Concerning Jude 1:21, also notice verse 20, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." As believers we are saved BY FAITH. But then Jude says to build upon that faith. The Bible confirms this truth:
1st Corinthians 3:11-15, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
Jude is exhorting believers to walk in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God. This has nothing to do with salvation. 1st John 1:6 says if we walk in the light we have “fellowship.” The subject at hand is fellowship, not sonship (salvation). The epistle of 1st John was written to professed believers, to help us individually examine ourselves to determine if we have the Holy Spirit in us. 1st John 3:24, "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."
It is not doing good works that evidence salvation, because even unsaved religious people can do that. But only a truly born-again child of God has the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who is love. The fact that the man in 1st Corinthians 3:15b could barely "be saved; yet so as by fire," barely escaping the fires of Hell, evidences that a believer can walk in the flesh, and not faithfully run the race, and not follow Jesus as Lord, and receive no rewards in Heaven, but still go to Heaven! That is the gift of eternal life.
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